<li>How are their music programs?</li>
<li>How Jewish are they? Are there any Conservative or Modern Orthodox Jews in either schools?</li>
<li>Do they offer a lot of financial aid? My problem is, I’m not poor, but my sister’s going to college next year and if I decided that I wanted to apply to boarding school and my mom decided to let me, I wouldn’t want to put that financial burden on her. I currently go to a very expensive Jewish parochial school.</li>
</ol>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>Exeter and Deerfield are so very different, it's hard to understand why anyone would select these two. What do you want in a school besides a Jewish community?</p>
<p>Financial aid truly depends upon how much a school wants you; what unusual you bring. This is not college with federal funds.</p>
<p>Besides a Jewish community, I'd want strong music programs (especially singing) and strong academics.</p>
<p>I'm not sure any of the bs's mentioned on these threads would have a significant Jewish community. I may be taking you too literal, if so please excuse me. if you want a school that respects you no matter what your religion, then many will fit the bill.
Historically, I believe both schools were WASP communities. I'm guessing her but I get the sense that Deerfield would still be considred WASP rather than a Jewish community. I'm not sure about Exeter.
Most bs have Jewish students, is that what you mean? My D bs like most I suppose, observe Jewish Holidays. There are Hillel groups at most campuses. I hope this helps</p>
<p>I just need to be able to observe Shabbat and get kosher food, really.</p>
<p>Ok, yes that should not be a problem at any bs. It would require some tweaking. I guess sports on Saturady would be out of the question. It may be a bit tricky but I believe it can be done.</p>
<p>Hmm...I don't know if my mom will be happy with that.</p>
<p>Perhaps it would be best to contact the schools directly to ask, at least about the Jewish community.</p>
<p>I looked it up last year, and the good boarding schools (exeter, andover, deerfield, sps, groton, miss porters, hotchkiss etc.) don't really have lots of Jews. At most, they have 11% Jews- but most of the Jews aren't religious at all and don't really observe. Maybe 2% are at least conservative at most.</p>
<p>And watch out for saturday school- because if you observe Shabbat, you can't do that...</p>
<p>But generally, boarding schools are known to be WASPy. There is a Jewish boarding school in north carolina I think, but it's not at the same level as the schools you're looking at. If you're not religious, then I guess it shouldn't be a problem, but the transition from being completely surrounded by Jews to being completely surrounded by WASPs might be a little interesting... </p>
<p>Oh, and they all have kickass music programs, by the way. The endowment for these schools is awesome.</p>
<p>My mom will not be very happy with that. Darn.</p>
<p>I would definitely email the individual schools and they can get you in touch with the rabbi. I know at Andover the Jewish community has become much more active over the past few years. The local families will drive kids to synagogues for major holidays, and you can get school off on the holidays that require you do so. You can also recieve special permission to have your own fridge for the dietary bit of it. Overall schools are very accomodating to personal beliefs and needs.</p>
<p>bernie_gabrielle</p>
<p>If classes on Saturday are a concern, boardingschoolreview has a filter to show schools that do not have Saturday classes. Most of the top schools popularly mentioned here, unfortunately have Saturday classes. But a few do not (I noticed Deerfield, Milton, and NMH are on the list). I noticed that in particular many all-girls schools don't have Saturday classes as well. </p>
<p>Here is a link to the advanced search page where you can select no classes on Saturdays.</p>
<p>Hope this helps.</p>
<p>In addition to what goaliedad suggested ask about Saturday classes at individual schools. Andover is listed as having them, but they only have 5 or 6 per year. They will be completely eliminating them next year, but boardingschoolreview does not put details such as that on the site.</p>
<p>you should check to see if the school has a rabbi affiliated with it. exeter does not. as of three years ago, choate did and so did andover.</p>
<p>nmh did not, but there are shabbat services on campus every friday night.</p>
<p>Wow, this is all great!</p>
<p>However, the whole local families driving me to services thing? That would be a problem. I'm not really supposed to get into a car on a holiday. Once again, parents would not be happy with that.</p>
<p>I wish I'd thought about this 2 years ago. Then I might have been able to convince my parents to let me go, since my sister was switching to public school. Now? I don't think they'll even consider it. But thanks for all your help!</p>
<p>Schools like Exeter and Deerfield can be very generous with their financial aid if they want you. They will take into account that your sister is attending college, and will adjust the aid as such. From what I saw at Exeter, the music program is quite good. They have many singing clubs.</p>
<p>
[quote]
However, the whole local families driving me to services thing? That would be a problem. I'm not really supposed to get into a car on a holiday.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Ok, now we get the idea of your level of observance. </p>
<p>I highly recommend that you or your parents call an admissions officer directly at one of these schools without Saturday classes and clearly describe your level of observance. Ask them if they have other students who are similar in their practice and if you could be put in touch with one of them (and their parents) to find out more information.</p>
<p>These schools are very aware of their observant students and do a lot to work with them and should be happy to put you in touch. I think getting in contact with these families will give you and your parents piece of mind that you will be able to observe your faith and participate in a school fully.</p>
<p>These things can be done. You just have to know how to ask.</p>
<p>That's a good idea.</p>
<p>I would second goaliedad's advice. To my certain knowledge there is a Hillel chapter at St. Paul's and an associate Rabbi. One of the heads of a girls dorm is advisor to the Hillel chapter so I suppose she would be somewhat up on the possibility of living as an observant jew in a boarding school setting. Anyway, ask the school to put you in contact with the Hillel advisor linked to your academic interests --the one in humanities, the other in mathematics -- or with the associate Rabbi and take it from there. If you are into music, it doesn't get very much better than St. Paul's. As for the money, they use the normal formula for assessing need and your fair share contribution.</p>
<p>I checked the St.Paul's site and the Hillel advisers are listed under associate clergy so it would be quite natural for your mother to ask if she can contact them. If I may venture an opinion as a parent with probably very similar concerns as your mother, I would trust the school on this. If they say you can live as an observant jew at St. Paul's without divorcing yourself from the community, you can and they will make it happen. The school is like that, it is perhaps the most wonderful affirming place you will ever be.</p>