Questions On (basically everything about) Boarding School

Prep School Admissions
1

i’m applying this year as a 9th grader and super hyped, scared, nervous, happy, ahh everything but I really want to have a future with boarding school.
I have a lot of questions so to all that contribute thank you so much!!

i have read some forums and don’t really understand the cc boarding school lingo, there’s a lot of abbreviations so…any help on that would be great

SSAT:
I’m taking the ssat in november and a lot of tips have just been take practice test etc etc but that doesn’t target specific parts of the test to really improve a score so if anyone has some tips on those that would be amazing!

I will be applying to some prestigious schools and I am unsure if the only thing they will look at is the numbers, i know they say “the ssat is not the only thing they look at” but they do have to have some criteria, right?

Interview:
i really don’t know what to wear to an interview and I may sound dramatic but… if you’re a girl and you choose to wear a dress/skirt and you have a tour what type of shoes are you going to wear that will match the skirt and have a comfortable walking experience?
Should you wear something very business formal, business casual, or dinner formal?

I know that interviews are very important to an application but when facing questions like: Why do you want to go to the school? or How would a friend describe you in a word? What’s your greatest strength, weakness? Are these questions tests of character or modesty?
also: what are some other questions that admission officers might ask and what is the best approach to them?

A lot of forums have said to be yourself during interviews so does that account practicing for them or is it honest on the spot answering?

Essays:
Many schools require more than two essays and casting a wide net + applications = lots of essays. Do essays affect the likelihood of acceptance? if anyone has any tips on balancing time between essays that would be wonderful

Application:
This year I have added a lot more extracurriculars not just because I wanted to boost my application but I really do love the things I do now. I am afraid that admission officers will see it that way. is that true?

Financial Aid:
I will be needing financial aid and quite a bit of it. Will this put me at a disadvantage over other candidates who don’t need aid?

Just things I really wanted to know

  1. A lot of boarding schools are in smaller towns set in a beautiful scenic background so how does one get to and fro an airport?
  2. How does being nonreligious and attending a religious school change you? I know there are some amazing schools but they’re affiliated with a religion.
  3. Do students at boarding school actually go to bed at lights out when it’s lights out because i am not sure if all students can complete their homework in that amount of time
  4. Do sports competitions, meets occur only between other boarding schools or local schools as well?
    Thank you everyone, for answering to my lengthy list of questions!!
2

Welcome to the board, @hufflepuffhouse!

They do look at the whole package. Unless something really special is going on elsewhere in the package, ideally you want to be at or above their average SSAT score (usually available on the school’s website).

Flats. Nice boots. Just stay away from high heels.

They just want to know about you: what kind of person you are, what are you into, are you independent enough to thrive at a BS, will you be able to make friends. Remember, these are not trick questions. Their sole purpose is to try to determine whether you will fit well in that community. Believe me, you don’t want the AOs to get that wrong. The only thing worse than not being admitted is attending a school that makes you miserable. That’s the reason people often advise to be yourself during interviews. But think ahead of time about these questions - not so that you have a rehearsed answer, but to give yourself an opportunity to think of what’s important to you. You will actually discover a great deal about yourself going through the interview process. It forces you to be introspective, and that’s done best when you’re not under pressure.

Try to find a way to “recycle” essays or at least use parts of them on multiple applications. It’s not always possible but when it is, it’s a great time saver.

It depends on you. You can bring it up during interviews, you can address it in some of your essays and answers. If you’re genuinely interested in something, it will show. If it’s a token activity, people will see through it.

Yes, but there is nothing you can do about it, so don’t worry about it. Focus on those aspects of your application that are under your control - SSAT, interviews, essays. The majority of applicants need some form of financial aid, and plenty get admitted even with serious FA needs.

Schools have shuttles to nearby airports.

It’s more of a historical affiliation. These are not church schools. They are attended by all types of students, both nonreligious and those of various other religious affiliations, traditions, and cultures. For example, our family is not religious yet both our kids attend independent schools affiliated with the Episcopal church.

No formal “lights out” in my kid’s BS, but I’m sure other posters will chime in on that.

Boarding schools, in some cases also local day private schools. No local public schools though.

3

A bit more on schools affiliated with a religion: At SPS, four days a week there is a required morning chapel with assigned seating. It starts at 8:30 am and lasts approximately 20 minutes (classes begin at 9 am on these days). The main purpose of morning chapel is to serve as a gathering of the entire school community. Announcements are made about student achievements, birthdays, upcoming events and opportunities, etc. Leadership, faculty, or students speak on important topics. Occasionally there are student performances, or celebrations of holidays and cultures, including non-Christian ones. When deciding on schools, we saw these frequent gatherings positively, as an indicator of a closely knit school community. We were much more ambivalent about schools that didn’t have frequent school-wide gatherings.

4

As far as the Hill School goes…guskid got a demerit once for studying past lights out. So, yeah, that’s enforced. They have chapel twice a week, but it’s always some type on non specific praise/prayer/meditation and anyone can give a “chapel talk”…on any subject, I think, within reason, of course. Oh, and their dining hall is very reminiscent of the one at Hogwarts. Just sayin’.

5

To @gusmom2000’s point: Here’s the “prayer” from today’s morning chapel at SPS: Grant us, O Creator, the power to see and act within the world as scientists do—striving to improve our condition by creating new knowledge—understanding failure not as an end but as a new beginning—a way of looking at something in a different light—of changing course to pursue the truth without fear. May we be scientists today and always. (inspired by the Science Department)

6

School-sponsored airport shuttles can still be expensive. My D sometimes had to leave very early for a flight & then the charge was the same as a privately arranged shuttle ($250!). If she caught a later shuttle shared by multiple students, the cost might get down to $50.

Transportation costs can really add up, something to keep in mind for a financial aid student especially. D could rarely take the cheapest flights because of scheduling.

There are some actual religious schools. You just have to do your homework & see if you are OK with the level of religious requirements.

My D practiced sample interview questions as she was very nervous about interviewing. You don’t want to give canned answers but it can help to think about possible Q and A’s ahead of time. I cetainly rehearsed for job interviews for many years.

7

Just to emphasize, this policy depends upon the school. But circling back to the last part of the OP’s sentence.

Time management is key. One may not be able to consistently get all the work done during the prescribed evening hours (particularly if on is futzing around with something meaningless in that time), but there is also (depending on the school) some unstructured time during the day that can be utilized. But there are advisors who will guide students.

8

Some schools do play public schools in some sports. It can depend on the sport and how much competition they are seeking. These are likely to be out of league games.

9

thx for all the info but what do you think of keds?

10

If they’re approved by the dress code, they are fine.

11

For each school you visit check the dress code. That is your minimum dress level. For a casual dress school general recommendation is to dress up a bit. DS wore blazer and khakis to all schools. He did wear casual clothes for accepted student days at casual dress schools.

Schools consider all parts of your application.

Lights out policy will vary - DS only had lights out time in 9th grade.

Sports also vary. Ultimate Frisbee played LPS as well as other private/boarding schools. Most varsity sports play in a league.

12

I can answer for Mercersburg (if you’re not considering it, it’s worth looking into):

  1. There are shuttles to and from the school to regional airports and train stations. They are expensive ($75 each way).
  2. The chapel is spectacular; all-school meetings are held there, and there are some quasi-religious ceremonial events at start and close of school at which the school minister presides in a non-denominational way, nothing that ever bothered my non-religious children. There are religious services on Sundays for anyone interested, and the school will provide transportation to local houses of worship for students who care to go.
  3. Lights-out is enforced for 9th graders, but older students seem to find ways around it. It is definitely possible to get the work done in the allotted time and get enough sleep, but you have to be serious about finding a way to do it. The workload gets heavier as time goes on, but so do students’ time management skills.
  4. Sports teams compete against local and regional public and private schools. Varsity teams travel farther to compete against other Mid-Atlantic Prep League schools.
  5. I wouldn’t wear Keds to an interview.
    Good luck!
13
  1. A lot of boarding schools are in smaller towns set in a beautiful scenic background so how does one get to and fro an airport?

usually the school has shuttle services/taxi or limo services that their students typically use. it’s easier and smoother than you’d think.

  1. How does being nonreligious and attending a religious school change you? I know there are some amazing schools but they're affiliated with a religion.

can’t answer.

  1. Do students at boarding school actually go to bed at lights out when it's lights out because i am not sure if all students can complete their homework in that amount of time

ye you’ve got to unless you want to get punished. at choate, they take away our phones and we’ve got to study from 8-9 and 9:15-10:30. from 8-9 you can go see teachers for extra help (very common) and go over individual stuff. you also have several 70 min breaks during the day and 40 min after the first block to see teachers as well. (you may have one class a day, or have an early out/in). also you don’t typically have class two days in a row, so you’ve always got an extra night for any assignment.

  1. Do sports competitions, meets occur only between other boarding schools or local schools as well? Thank you everyone, for answering to my lengthy list of questions!!

intramurals-- in school
interschool-- other schools too

interschools are w/ a mixture of both

  1. keds

i wouldn’t personally, but like nobody’s gonna say “___ can’t come to our school bc they wore keds to the interview.” ngl though, i would make sure that you look as polished as possible.

14

I will second(third, whatever) the point on travel while in boarding school. We are on a very limited budget and I jsut booked daughter’s flight’s home for Thanksgiving. She’s in Charlottesville, which has a tiny airport and the school shuttle to bigger airports is like $200. I have her taking a train and then transfering herself to the airport (did I mention, independence is a MUST for boarding school?? :)) to fly home. saved over $100, which is a lot right now.

I went to boarding school in the 80’s. I will let more current students/parents comment on the other stuff.

15

Regarding travel and financial aid - schools understand that travel can be a huge financial burden. Some will include a travel allowance in their financial aid package, particularly if you are on full financial aid.