<p>What I’m saying is that with the majority of people on this board not being current bs students what you see of the student body while your visiting is sometimes far from the truth.</p>
<p>I’ve only skimmed through the many comments in this thread, but I’ll say this: I observe students at Exeter daily. I work closely with many of them and get to know them well. I would say that the average student LOVES being here. He or she works hard but also finds the time to do A LOT of other things. Anyone who spends any time in a dorm can attest to this. The typical evening includes hanging out in each other’s room, playing videogames, watching TV, eating pizza, running after each other, and, yes, eventually studying as well. Weekends include playing frisbee, playing football, hanging out, more videogames, dances, etc. And when I talk to kids in their rooms or one on one, I’m typically confronted with kids who are full of energy and enthusiasm for what they’re doing, excited about the next class, the next game, the next party, the next art show, etc. So if you’re picturing a place where people spend all their waking hours studying and walk from classroom to library with their head down, this really isn’t it. Standards and expectations are certainly high, but kids who get in are kids who can handle them and enjoy the challenge. Of course, there will be times when kids are tired or stressed out, but that’s true at any school where you actually learn something. If you have a chance, try to get to know some current Exeter students, so you can judge for yourself; my guess is that you’ll be surprised at how remarkably “normal” they are. Yes, smart and hard working, but essentially very regular kids who do and love what all teenagers do and love.</p>
<p>Thanks PEAteacher, I was relieved to hear that. S is going to Exeter this fall and Exeter is his dream school.</p>
<p>Thank you PEA teacher. This has been exactly my son’s experience at Exeter. There is not one amongst his circle of friends who could be classified as a hermit. These boys work hard and play hard. He had a blast this year - plans for the summer visits between houses have already started as the rooms start to get packed up. Though the summer break is welcome, he is excited about next year - as is his peer group.</p>
<p>I know I’m a little late to this, but OP, you’re bragging that Exeter is advertised in Angels and Demons? Really? That movie was almost as bad as the Da Vinci Code… If I were an Exonian I certainly would not be bragging about it ;)</p>
<p>Life at a high end prep school is amazingly similar to life in med school/intern/residency, or life in law school/junior at law firm/consulting firm. 60 to 80 hour weeks; work hard play hard. </p>
<p>Those high status/high pay jobs are not “fun” or “easy.” Prep school teaches life at that rhythm. Public school, of the “home at 2:15 no homework” - just don’t. They don’t teach the rhythm needed to be successful at high status/high paying jobs.</p>
<p>That rhythm or lifestyle is the leading product that prep schools sell.</p>
<p>Tom,
Dan Brown was a teacher at Exeter. Just because a movie is bad in your opinion does not mean the book is bad.
Toadstool, sorry but you cannnot compare Md school to prep school. Way more pressure in med school plus if you make a mistake, its someones life not a poor grade. While I agree prep teaches how to preform under pressure your logic would mean that only those who attend preps would get high status/pay jobs. There are plenty of people who are Drs. Lawyers etc who didnt do the prep route.</p>
<p>I haven’t read this entire thread but all I think Ultima is trying to say is that boarding school isn’t all it’s cut out to be. Yes it is a lot of fun but it’s also very stressful and requires a ton of work. Don’t expect to be going to hogwarts and don’t think that work is going to be fun, because its not. I don’t think Ultima is as far fetched as you guys are cutting him out to be. I know several kids who have the same opinion he does.</p>
<p>hockeymom, “bad” in reference to books is relative because it’s all down to opinion. IN MY OPINION, Angels and Demons was a little bit on the trashy side and read as if it was written to be turned into a movie - and it was. THAT’S JUST MY OPINION.</p>
<p>Idk…I just get the perception that a lot of BS kids are just looking for something to complain about. Lots of people are stressed with tons of work that don’t go to boarding school, yet they don’t have the pleasures of many things BS kids get. Just sounds like some people look for stuff to whine about in almost every situation.</p>
<p>“You know it’s not as cool as it seems…uhhhh…we have lots of work…and ummm, yea, were the only stressed out teens in the world! Don’t come!”</p>
<p>I think many take it for granted…especially when they start thinking it’s a right and not a privilege. Sometimes you just really forget how good you have it.</p>
<p>That’s just my opinion.</p>
<p>Haha, it may be. We’ll see what you say in a year.</p>
<p>In a year, he’ll still be saying it’s a privilege. As will I.</p>
<p>Haha yea, I’ve been through two years of high school already, I won’t forget how good I have it in comparison to now. My school now isn’t bad…but can’t compare to boarding school.</p>
<p>An alumna’s perspective…</p>
<p>Most Exonians both love and hate Exeter, and I’m no exception. For the first few years at Exeter, I found it excessively intense (not necessarily “difficult” academically, but given the location, isolation, and hormonal instincts of adolescents, everything, from a B+ on a test to a fight with a friend, certainly felt like the End of the World) and cutthroat. But by senior year, I came to love the place. My senior year electives were unparalleled, and the experience of living alone gave me the confidence and self-reliance I needed for college.</p>
<p>For better or for worse, Exeter “builds character” - through challenges. I think one tends to come out of it stronger, to be sure, and I certainly would do it all again, but that doesn’t make the fact that it’s difficult enough being fifteen or sixteen without the pressure-cooker environment of boarding school any less pertinent. </p>
<p>That said, I had some extraordinary teachers (RIP Richard Morante), made some great friends, loved my classes, and got really involved in theatre (where I was given the opportunity to direct a play as a “senior project” my senior spring). And while, as someone who grew up primarily in NYC, I never quite got used to the “small New England town” vibe, I occasionally - while attending a university that’s effectively an urban campus, although Oxford is by no means a metropolis - miss the peace, quiet, and, of course, the slightly addle-brained Exeter squirrels…</p>
<p>I guess the best words of advice are - “it’ll be worth it in the end.” And, of course “it all gets better in college.”</p>
<p>Random Question: What are you studying at oxford and do you think your preparation at Exeter helped you gain knowledge for your specific subject at oxford?</p>
<p>Hi there. I’m a first year student at Oriel College, Oxford, studying Theology. (a bit of explanation here; the BA in Theology, which I’m doing, is a secular/academic degree; the B.Th is vocational). To be honest, what I’m studying now is pretty alien to what I did at Exeter (Israelite history, the early church, patristics, Hebrew…) That said, the research, writing, and Harkness/discussion skills have been invaluable in my degree. Given that Oxford courses consist mostly of a weekly independent research essay and one-on-one “tutorial” with a professor, those skills are the most vital!</p>
<p>Can I ask a follow-up question regarding your Exeter experience as preparation for Oxford? My son is currently at a British International School in Tokyo. I am well aware of the competition, A-level requirements, and intense interview in getting into Oxford/Cambridge. But I wanted to get you perspective on the best preparation/edge in admissions. Were you differentiated through your Exeter background and prepared for the UK system w/o studying A-levels? Or alternatively, in hindsight would you have considered a UK boarding school? The British Int’l School that my son attends provides a solid academic background based on the UK national curriculum and probably good prep for UK colleges in general. However, given the intense competion into Oxbridge, I would love to get your perspectives on the types of schools that would offer the best edge in terms of admissions specifically? Thanks in advance.</p>
<p>Dan brown was a teacher at exeter? woahh. thats nice to know… i love his books:)</p>
<p>Which school is more difficult (just in general), Exeter or Andover? I seem to get the impression from many people and just the school environment in general that Exeter is more grueling, but I assume they’re somewhat on the same level with academics and such.</p>
<p>they are probably the closest you can get to academic rigor, Exeter is just known for its WORKLOAD more
but that doesn’t mean Andover isn’t just as hard</p>