Thank you!!! @buuzn03
@booksandfries which school are you going to on Thursday, Deerfield or Groton?
Groton actually!! @midtowngirl
Great! Excited to hear about your revisits @booksandfries!
Thanks!! Are you revisiting more than Exeter? @midtowngirl
@booksandfries Yeah, I go to Deerfield on Thursday right before going to Exeter. What are all of the schools you are/have been revisiting?
Only Groton and Deerfield!! Say I get off the wait list of MX and Loomis then there is a possibility I’ll visit those on a totally different day, but it’s very unlikely I will. I’m fine with my choices though. Secretly I kind of hope you choose Deerfield because I think I may be leaning towards it. At least I’ll know someone there (kind of, right?) if you go too!
Anyone going to tomorrow’s revisit at Exeter?
I agree that deerfield is really great and I might go there… guess we’ll have to wait until revisits! @booksandfries
Yes we will!! Tell me if you decide to attend. Also @lusitari I’m not but I hope you tell everyone what you think of it:))
I am really enjoying reading about all the revisits, even though DS made his decision a while back, and none of these apply to us. I am glad that everyone who was in NE this past Friday-Sunday was able to experience our world-class “spring” weather – pouring rain, sleet, snow, cold, wind, and finally, some sun.
We did our one revisit, to Salisbury School, on Friday (cold, pouring rain, sleet on the drive home). DS was pretty clear all along that this was where he wanted to go, and we had already informed them of his decision, so we were hoping that there was nothing that raised any questions or red flags. If DS had not been sure prior to the visit, the fact that they did a cheeseburger bar for the boys for lunch would have convinced him (catered lunch at the headmaster’s house for parents). The bottom line is that it was a great day – we’ve visited a few times already but got a lot of new information, and we continue to be happy and comfortable. DS had a great time and said it felt like home to him.
One take-away, for anyone going to a school with a formal dress code for boys (jacket, tie, real shoes) – I will not be buying any expensive blazers or shoes. It poured down rain all morning and the campus was covered with puddles, and of course the boys are out without umbrellas, raincoats, etc. A lot of wear and tear on the clothes; I do not see any Brooks Brothers in DS’s future. Nor does he need a raincoat.
Have fun everyone!
A 4:30 am wake-up call for DS & I. Flying across the country for his Revisit tomorrow. Yawn
@buuzn03 enjoy your trip! Spending one on one time with your child on these trips is one of my favorite parts of the process!
@Korab1 thank you! Just got settled at the hotel, with Cheesecake Factory to go in hand!!! Hopefully, my pants will fit tomorrow… [-O<
Can’t wait to read your recap!
@buuzn03 have fun and go pick up some elastic waist pants;). Comfort is key.
Alright, I’m finally getting around to making a post about my revisit at Exeter which was pretty cool.
The whole day started off with a talented (not surprised!) jazz quartet. Then the director of admissions made an amusing speech and the principal made yet another interesting speech. After that, a student panel talked and they pretty much told me what I already knew, haha -> work, lots of work, great people…
My student host that I met shortly after that was very sweet. I immediately felt like a student there, and everyone in her dorm was really friendly and welcoming. The first class that we attended was her pre-calc class and students put their “problem sets” on the board and explained their reasoning on the problems they had put up, and the teachers touched on a few components that they hadn’t brought up. Physics was the next class. Many students were confused (as was I) and they discussed their confusion until (some) resolution was found.
I was actually quite pleasantly surprised by the food at Exeter. I have to admit it was better than MX, and there was great variety in the foods. I got a soup and salad, but there was about a couple dozen other options.
Following lunch, my host had athletics, so I went with one of her dorm friends to their english and history classes. Let me say those classes were very interesting. There was full blown out constant discussion and little mediation by the teachers. I was really inspired by how involved the students were in their classes and the way they articulated their thoughts.
My visit to PEA reaffirmed my liking of harkness and of the school as a whole. Although there is a HUGE amount of work, students there told me that you can definitely get it done during the day.
I’m going to conclude my overview with this: I got myself an Exeter sweatshirt :)), so I think it’s pretty certain I will be attending there in the fall. I’m so excited but also naturally really worried.
@lusitari what grade are you (possibly) entering at exeter? my friend goes there!
Ahhh this is so great! It’s awesome to have people know where they’re going next year already. The math class at Deerfield was exactly like that @lusitari
So, we are back in our hotel room after a full revisit day. The day started with registration tables covered with little stuffed lions, which DS noticed right away…then he was told he could have a pen, flashlight and as an afterthought, they added or a lion(I think they expected only the girls to want them)…he quickly snatched up the lion. :)) as we made our way down to the gathering area, another prospective student saw his lion (he nestled it in the pocket of his jacket, with the face poking out…you gotta know this kid and his humor). Anyway, next thing we know the kid runs back upstairs with his flashlight and comes back with a lion… :)) Then, our son’s host happened to walk by and noticed us…introduced himself and immediately took him off to class with him…shortly thereafter, there was an Offaly pairing of hosts with visiting kids and then parents were taken to listen to a panel of students and faculty.
After that, we attended the all-school meeting & I got a glimpse on how DS was interacting with his host & other students. There were brief performances by some students and some fun games, where winners won cute prizes.
Parents went to some classes, I attended Literature On Trial, which was taught by a former lawyer. They take classic novels and have to write briefs, defend or prosecute characters from the story. At the end of the semester, they put on a mock trial where faculty, active lawyers, etc make up the “court” and jury and the students have to present their cases in front of the school. It was very interesting.
After classes, we went to lunch. And unfortunately, that is all I’m going to say about that. Because other than being able to talk to host parents, faculty, coaches…the actual lunch made me want to cry. :((
We were then reunited with our kids and went to another panel of students & faculty. There were some impressive musical performances and great student anecdotes. Several of the kids talked about their newly instated integrative learning program, where they work with Harvard Medical School, Tufts Law School, MIT, etc on projects they’ve (the students) developed, while others will be traveling to places like Iceland or Bhutan to finalize their projects.
They gave tours of dorms, etc again, for those who wanted to get reacquainted with the campus. We stopped and talked to coaches who offered cell phone numbers, etc for questions this summer. Then, we went to the bookstore and bought paraphernalia for DH and DD…and a shirt for DS.
All in all, the day was good. DS said the kids all seemed super-cool and he could definitely see himself there. I was impressed by how many people recognized him by name without his name tag (DOA, two coaches, interview tour guide). Also, several kids who were not his host stopped him in the hall later in the day by name and asked how the rest of his day had gone, what classes he had gone to, if he had any questions…this is what impressed us about SMS in the first place–the people. There is such a sense of family/close-knit community there. I really think everything happens for a reason…this is where DS is supposed to be. I hope he sees that after his experience today.