<p>What are the benefits of a small school versus that of a big/medium school?</p>
<p>Say for example: Groton v Exeter</p>
<p>This is a “cut and paste” from an old post of mine. Substitute Groton for Thacher, of course, Exeter for Andover. This is a rationale for the Small School. The rationale for the Big School is, of course, the vast (underscore vast) number of academic and extra-curricular opportunities and the extraordinary facilities. But, like I say below, there is more to consider when making a great boarding school choice and it’s highly student driven.</p>
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<p>Part of your decision is big school vs. small. Andover, with more than 1100 students is five times the size of Thacher. Hotchkiss splits the difference.</p>
<p>The debate in our household, after looking at several schools on the East Coast, including Exeter and Choate, was focused on well roundedness. We wanted a School where our son would have an opportunity to be exposed to, encouraged to and actually participate in areas OUTSIDE his core skill sets. We knew he’d excel in the areas where he was already gifted, but we didn’t want him to default constantly to those strengths, which we thought would be too easy (and go relatively unnoticed) in a big School. So many critical habits get hard-wired during these early to mid-teen years. In a small school, your son can pursue math, science, music, and languages to his heart’s content. But it’s what else he’s capable of that will be spotted and nurtured. You will be amazed at the range of his gifts and his self-confidence.</p>
<p>The other reasons that Thacher made sense for us: the combination of academic rigor with a love of the outdoors (if he doesn’t like the outdoors this would not be the right School), the Horse Program (once-in-a-lifetime opportunity), the humility and down right friendliness of every single person we met, which we later discovered is just the way it is, the Honor Code (there are no locks on dorm doors etc) and finally the weather, incredibly beautiful year round and a stunning campus too.</p>
<p>Andover and Hotchkiss are fantastic institutions, but they represent fundamentally different educational paths. Not better or worse in my view, just different.</p>
<p>I’d say it’s a personal preference. Either has its upsides and downsides. If you are not sure, maybe you should look into some mid-sized schools such as Deerfield and Hotchkiss.</p>
<p>To my way of looking at things, 500-700 students is a sweet spot for a boarding school community of 14-18 year olds.</p>
<p>When I went to Exeter I didn’t seem like there 1000 students, but I still like that it is big becuase you can meet many new people.
Another reason I like Exeter is because the dorms have locks and you need keys to acess them. No matter where I am, I don’t want somebody stealing my stuff.</p>
<p>I have to second urbanflops last stement. Honor code or no honor code i still want to be able to lock my door personally. Not that it’d make or break me applying to a school or anything. I was just wondering do andover dorms lock?</p>
<p>Why would you want to live in a place where your stuff might be be stolen? Wouldn’t it be a good thing, if only for a moment in your life, to know something better than a lock and key?</p>
<p>My husband recalls from his BS days that the only thing he ever had to worry about getting stolen from his room was snacks!</p>
<p>Last week we toured a campus where all students left their backpacks (with ipods, etc) outside of academic buildings or on the lawn, dorms unlocked, all bikes unlocked, etc.</p>
<p>This told us something very positive about the school.</p>
<p>Some schools have a continuing problem with ‘petty’ theft, others do not.</p>
<p>Says something about the honor of the school and how good their admissions process is at selecting for character.</p>
<p>Well i admit that does sound very appeaing; to not have to worry about my stuff getting stolen. You have me converted, as long as stuff being stolen is never an issue than I’m fine with no locks. Kind of a turn from before but I can see the sort of atmosphere that sort of trust would be result in. Im actually staring to quite like Thatcher although unfortunately I won’t apply as it makes little sense cost wise for my family to have to fly across the country all the time.</p>
<p>At St. Paul’s there are no locks on the dorm doors. No complaint’s from d of theft or tales of theft.</p>
<p>Lockable dorms don’t necessarily mean there is a theft problem on campus. The option is there to facilitate individual habit, privacy etc. Just because the locks are available doesn’t mean everyone is using it every time they get out of the door. Relax. You got enough to worry about. ;)</p>
<p>small school: (i.e. Middlesex)
pros- teachers have a close relationships with their students; it is much harder to fall through the cracks
cons- everyone knows everything about everyone (it is nigh impossible to keep secrets); fewer people to fit in with (smaller and fewer social groups) </p>
<p>big schools: (i.e. Exeter)
Pros- there is a certain level of anonymity, your social life can remain private if you so wish; more diverse student body means everyone fits in somewhere
cons- you CAN fall through the cracks if you’re not careful, teachers don’t have the time to have such a close relationship with all of their students</p>
<p>i always lock my door, better to be safe than sorry!</p>
<p>I think its reasonable to have locks on the dorms but not individual rooms. At Berkshire they had a keycode AND a card for individual rooms! to me thats a bit much.
I’d much rather go to a school with no locks b/c it means people are trustworthy( or somewhat trustworthy) and it’d be easier to get into your room.</p>
<p>Izzy: thats why I like medium sized schools. they’re a good compromise between the two :)</p>
<p>Izzy - I have a problem with your characterization of Exeter. My daughter is a student there and has not had that experience whatsoever. With individual class sizes averaging 13, there is no getting lost in the cracks. Her advisor has approximately six girls that she advises, again no falling through the cracks. And everyone seems to know everyone else’s business so I don’t think there is much anonymity either.</p>
<p>My view of size of school is to compare it to your other options - public school for some. Our public schools have over 2500 students in each one. Exeter with approx. 1000 is small in comparison and on a much, much bigger campus too. Groton is teeny tiny. I think any size of boarding school is great - at the public you definitely get lost, teachers don’t know you or care to, but the cops are there every day to keep the gangs somewhat under control. Of course I have been told that the gang members are well known by all the staff. And, naturally, the two warring gangs are kept separate by careful bussing in order to make sure each public school is only populated by one of the gangs - not both.</p>