Recently, I have been really considering boarding school as a freshman for the 2022-2023 school year. Below are the schools I am thinking about applying to, some are in Canada and the UK, but if you have any experience at any of them that would be great.
Emma Willard
Madeira
Foxcroft
Santa Catalina
Anne Wright
Garrison forest
Chatham hall
Trafalgar castle school
Queenswood
Harrogate ladies college
Queen Margaret’s
I went to Harrogate Ladies College for one year on an ESU scholarship after graduating from my boarding school here in the US, but that was in 1995-1996. I loved it! Harrogate is a really cute little town and it’s a short train ride to York. You can also take the high speed train to London. I took several A-levels while I was there and really enjoyed my classes and teachers. I’m still keep in touch with some of my classmates as well.
I live near(ish) Garrison Forest! My friend Zoe goes there! Sorry, that was random. I can tell you a bit about it, although I’ve only been on campus a couple times (both for XC meets). The campus is really pretty. There’s not a huge boarding population but it’s not tiny either. I think it’s more on the traditional side of things, but it’s not extremely traditional- it’s nicely in the middle, honestly. They have some really cool STEM things, but I’m not sure about arts, since my friend who goes there is more of a science person. Also, their middle school cross country team isn’t super good, but I don’t think you care about that haha. They have horseback riding, which is really cool!! I think that it’s pretty competitive, and I know they do competitions (in riding, that is). If you have any other questions, I can try to answer!
I’m also interested in Miss porters school
I’m not sure how valid this is, since it’s info I heard secondhand from a student transferring out of Porter’s after a year there. For context, I applied to boarding schools this past year with Porter’s as one of my first choices, but was waitlisted.
From the girl I talked to, I heard that a lot of the white girls are racist and that the administration doesn’t do much about it (the n-slur was posted on social media and there wasn’t any action taken). I also heard that their programs were poorly put together. This student’s teacher was also a coach and didn’t know what he was doing.
If you’re interested in all-girls schools in a similar location, I’d recommend Westover, which is where I’m headed next year. They have a very, very strong STEM program and they have a super small and tight-knit community (from what I’ve observed)! Let me know if you want to know more when I’ve gone on campus (:
+1 on Westover!!!
Especially because you’re interested in all-girls schools.
I would stay away from Porter’s. Our daughter went there, and we pulled her after a year. She was miserable. Very emotionally unhealthy environment in the dorm and academics were terrible. Our local public has been far more challenging. Also, felt like next to zero adult supervision–very much a Lord of the Flies environment.