Suffield has a great reputation and is also on the rise I think and very well liked by the families there. Suffield was the only school we found that offers mindfulness - so helpful! We also loved Dublin and they have robust support - it is similar to NMH in a cute, much smaller package. Admissions spent an entire day with us when we toured and took a lot of time getting to know our family. We were looking forward to New Hampton but my daughter was accepted as a late applicant at a few schools before we got the chance to tour there. If you visit Berkshire, I would also consider Mercersberg depending on your interests and locale. NMH is very writing heavy which might be a negative for your son but definitely worth a look. NMH support is not as robust as some other schools in this thread , however, they also do not charge an extra fee to access support and it is available to all students. Berkshireās science building is nicer than most LACs and they are known for great support (you apply to receive it as part of your application and there is an extra fee but it is comprehensive and well integrated)
Does Berkshire charge for support?
yes
To clarify, students can get some support at every school but for certain schools who offer more comprehensive support (daily meetings with academic mentors for example or support for specific LDs), there is an extra fee and sometimes extra steps to apply (usually just your neuropsych testing or IEP etc) for support. It is better to sign up for too much support vs too little because schools plan for a certain number of student hours and it can be hard to add additional support if you do not sign up for it when you enroll.
@CaliMex You know I might be giving out of date info here re Berkshire because I just looked all through their website and lookbook and there is no mention of extra fees for support and surprisingly little info regarding extra support in general beyond the typical ālearning centerā plug. The school may have moved in a new direction since we looked several years ago. Hopefully a parent more familiar with the current support framework there will chime in.
Iāve also found it incredibly helpful to actually speak with the Directors of Academic Support either in person at open houses or over the phone. Once you have an updated neuropsych, most will be happy to look at it and let you know if they can offer that level of support, what it would look like and how they handle the nitty-gritty such as AS/classroom teacher communication, parent communication, etc.
@momof3swimmers I am a current Berkshire student who has some learning differences and I use the academic support and accommodation services- I would be more than happy to tell you about Berkshire support program and/or andswee any questions. Feel free to pm me:)
@cababe97 Do your parents pay extra? I assume FA kids donāt access those services?
@calimax - At many schools there is an extra charge for more intensive service, but the academic support center is open for drop in support for those just needing a bit of help on occasion
In terms of FA, I believe it is figured into your package as the total cost of your education being tuition + academic support, thus, your family contribution would remain the same. I"m not completely sure on that one though.
@momof3swimmers , Hun in NJ may have good resources for your child. I have known 2 kids who were dyslexic who were well served there although it was several years ago. Very few boarders, though, so it wouldnāt be my top choice for someone looking for a more robust boarding experience.
Just heard nice update from a friend whose son is at Forman (Litchfield, CT). His son told him that for the first time in his life, he feels confident about learning ā¦Also, the school encouraged him to try a new sport that he now is excelling at - it was rough the first few months being away from home but now he is really happy and thriving <:-P
So good to hear. We are really trying to determine whether to go the āspecializedā route (Forman) or a neurodiverse school with good academic support (Proctor, New Hampton, etc).
One thing Iāve noticed about parents of kids that need support is they know to prepare early. I"m getting the sense we are all looking a year ahead of families that do not have to factor academic support into the equation. Anyone waiting for decisions THIS March 10th?
Iāve decided that after completing the process next year, Iād really like to write a āDear Parentā letter and pin it to the top of this post about how there really is a school for everyone and not to panic when you read the rest of CC with all the āis my 91% SSAT and 3.8 GPA in all AP classes good enough?ā posts.
Iām following this thread not because my DD needs support (she applied this year) but in case my much younger third grader decides he wants to go to BS. Right now it is hard to imagine that it would even be a possibility (he is on the spectrum)ā¦
We are with you, @vwlizard, thinking toward next year when my now 7th grader will be applying (and M10 will be on a Sundayā¦). We also started early with my current 9th grader, so donāt really feel like itās early ā it worked out just right. CTKid2 needs pretty substantial academic support, and staying in his sport is a complicating factor. He may very well end up going to a day school, where we have some good options, though I feel like there are also plenty of options for BSs with the appropriate level of support (and thank you for starting this thread!). What Iām struggling with (aside from the sports issue) is whether to consider repeating 8th grade, where, and who will advise us on that question.
@CTMom21 - I have a 7th grader, too. Heās already one of the youngest in his class, so would probably benefit from repeating 8th grade, but we donāt really have the option to do that. Our LPS isnāt an option and the JBS near us is exactly everything that I wouldnāt want in a school. I also just canāt afford another year of tuition knowing what we will spend on 4 years of boarding school with no FA.
@calimex There is a fee that comes with private tutoring. I know kids on FA who have tutors though, so while I donāt know the logistics of that works, help is definitely available to everybody. Berkshire also has different academic resource centers that are completely free. Feel free to pm and I can explain them in better detail:)
@vwlizard How about repeating an 8th grade year at a parochial middle school? Several kids I know have done it and taken the additional year to mature and better prepare themselves academically after they graduated 8th grade from LPS. The fees and tuition tend to be lower than other independent school alternatives.
Not really an option for us. He attends a progressive MS and we are looking at progressive BS. Our parochial school is very traditional and heās already maxed it out academically (and maybe socially). Just not a fit for him. It would really set him back. Heās so emotionally ready to go to BS, I just hope that they donāt see him as too young based on his birthday (and size - heās tiny).
My worry really isnāt that heās not ready because he is. Itās that heās being measured against kids that are almost two years older than him in some cases because of repeats and late starts.
I suppose it depends, also, on how rigorous your local parochial school(s) are. There are quite a few options in our area if one is willing to drive. By maturity, I suppose I meant physically, as boys tend to choose this option due to diminutive physiques prior to the onset of puberty, especially athletic boys. This option is not for everyone since these schools may be more traditional, however, this does not preclude many schools from being very aware of social justice issues. We know of very academically gifted students with 95% SSATs and above who have attended such schools and found the experience to be as or more demanding than private high school with honors level classes. One local school annually sends about 20%+ of their students to boarding / independent day schools. We are in the Northeast.
Your concern is very real. My niece had one of the highest IQs for her age group in her county but her parents resisted the recommendation of skipping her up a few grades because she would not have done well socially in a Doogie Howser situation.