I am starting my list of schools I want to apply to when I realized something. The school must have a ping pong table and a student lounge (i know, dumb). I did my research and the only one on my list that the website said nothing about a student lounge/ping pong table is Noble and Greenough. I was wondering if an alum, applicant, or current student could tell me whether or not this school has those two things. Thanks!
Also, do most other bs have ping pong tables/ game rooms in the dorms? Thanks again
I believe that pretty much every school will have some type of a lounge. How it’s furnished will vary from school to school.
I’m not sure that the choice of a BS should hinge on its recreational options. Personally, I’ve opted not to tell my parents that they’ve paid a lot of money for the past 6 years so that I can spend my free time playing pool. Hi @ChoatieMom But if a ping pong table is what you need, there are many schools that will have one or more.
@steven1232: Are you an Olympic player? If so, you should contact the athletic director at each school to make sure the available tables, equipment, and opponents meet regulations. If you are playing recreational ping pong, then I will tell you what I told all my sons ( @skieurope ) – PUT DOWN THE PADDLE/CUE AND GET BACK TO WORK! If you just need the table for spreading out all your homework, then carry on.
Olympic players would call it table tennis, not ping pong 
Hahahaha Any school will have a student lounge - I’m sure of it. And Andover has ping pong and pool tables in certain dorms (some bigger boys’ dorms, I think), but you can always find a new hobby. If you aren’t willing to try new things and give up a few old things, then I gotta wonder if leaving the comforts of home is the best idea for you.
St. Paul’s has ping pong in their new community center.
The Hill, like my basement, has a shuffleboard table. That’s far superior. ;))
Salisbury has Ping-Pong tables and, I’m pretty sure, pool tables in the student center. Cheap fun for when DS’s money for other weekend activities runs out.
St. George’s has a ping pong table in their student center, as well as an annual tournament. But most schools have some form of a “student lounge” or activity center.
Choate’s new St. John Hall has a great new student center, with a lounge and ping pong. From Choate’s website:
“The new building will have many features that the SAC currently lacks. The comparatively larger building will serve as an area for student life, containing an area for school dances, places to hang out, a new Tuck Shop, and a large entry hall. Unlike the SAC now, the new building will have a game room fully equipped with not only a pool table, table tennis, and foosball, but also console games such as a Wii and an Xbox.”
Kids need breaks from time to time, and they have been proven to help students with creativity and concentration. I assume @ChoatieMom is joking above (?).
Isn’t ChoatieMom always joking? Best not to take me too seriously. 
Interesting. I learned that Pomona College has a new ping pong table in one of the freshman dorms. On the horizon, but something to consider.
But yeh, all these nice boarding schools have plenty of recreational equipment readily available. All work and no play afterall…
Mercersburg has ping-pong. More than one table, I think. Very nice student lounge.
Just donate one to whichever school accepts you.
Sooo… Should OP bring this up during tour/interview?
@ChoatieMom I am very much not an olympic player. I play a lot and it is really relaxing. Schoolwork always comes first though:)
Groton has a newly remodeled student lounge, complete with a ping pong table!
My child graduated for Nobles recently. There are a few areas where students hang out:
- the alcoves - these are open, benched areas along the hallway in the main academic building, they tend to be divided by grade/social group - can be described as clique-y, but inclusiveness/fluidity between groups seems to vary from class to class - when my child was at Nobles, there was an alcove where students of color tended to hang out
- art center lobby, which is the area outside the main theater with couches and chairs - students who are theater types and/or smart nerds tend to hand out here
- senior lounge - a large area in the main academic building and, as name implies, is for seniors only
It seems to be a regular topic of discussion how these areas then to divide students, rather than build a cohesive community - another view is that these give each type of student a comfortable space to hang out. At least when my child was there, the administration seemed to be okay with how things were - that said, community cohesiveness was not a focus at the school - perhaps because it would be a somewhat impossible task given many of the students there. This could change (the focus that is) with the recent changes in administration, but I do think it would be a difficult task and perhaps not worthwhile. In my view, the students are generally polite enough to each other, even if they don’t really care about each other - so it works.
At least for my child, it seems everyone in her class hung out in the alcoves as freshman. Then going into sophomore year, had to decide if they’d be alcove kids or art center kids.
I think most have ping pong. The elites have everything you could ask for including Starbucks like cafes, tuck shops and the like.