<p>Hey... this is mainly for people applying to Choate who have questions about it, etc. And cate, I'll try emailing you my answers but if you post 'em here that's fine.</p>
<p>I can't remember my other questions...but I did pm them to you. Tell me which email address you sent your reply to!</p>
<p>These are the questions I do remember:
-What are classroom discussions like? Is it like a lecture, conversation, sharing of perspectives, stating of facts, etc.?
-Do students focus on studying? Relaxing?
-Is there a sense of belonging and solidarity or are there a lot of cliques?</p>
<p>Oh whoops. I just read your post in another thread about my last question. Disregard that. :)</p>
<p>Hm, I'd say there's more focus on studying than relaxing, but it's also a work hard/play hard environment. Like, kids here will start homework after sports practice instead of lying around and not doing anything, so they're motivated, but there's also a LOT of time each day (at least for right now; the workload isn't impossible) to hang out and decorate your room and chat online.</p>
<p>Classroom discussions- I love English class because my English teacher is awesome (Mr. Loeb) and he's totally crazy and hyper. We have great discussions and the table is like Harkness- it's like an oval.</p>
<p>In my math classes there's a U of desks, but in Math and Science it seems to be more that they're telling us things but each step of the way, we're asked if we understand idt, so that's helpful because it's progressive. </p>
<p>Language classes- - it's hard to get a feel for these because they're spoken only in the language, but if you try to understand it and everything and be organized, you'll do fine.</p>
<p>Thanks Olivia. :) </p>
<p>Does Choate have a "big-school" feel?
Do you know any international students? How are they?
How is the dorm life?</p>
<p>Intl. students - they're great. I talk to some on a regular basis. My friend Helen is from China but my dad said that she acts like an American teeanger- he found it funny. There's a good contingent of international students here. If you have trouble with English or don't know big words, one of my friends said it's hard to understand Physics and learn the definitions of words as well as the new terms themselves. Student mingle well and sometimes you don't even know where someone is from until a week after you meet them. One of my friends is from the Philippines, I think, which I didn't know until now. So it's not a problem. </p>
<p>Big school feel -- it is a big school but it's also rewarding to be able to say hi to every one in five-eight people you see. And this number will grow smaller through the years as you meet more people. Schools with 400 or less, I've heard, start to feel small by graduation. Choate is considerably smaller than A/E (by 300-400 students) and students of all classes mingle well, though there is a hierarchy - seniors get their own section in the Dining Hall, and sophomores and juniors sit together, and freshmen have their own section. This is kind of helpful, because it helps you know people in your grade better because you know that everyone there is a freshman, but it might make it harder to know other sophomores/juniors/seniors. However, if you make an effort to meet upperclassmen, you'll see that they actually are excited about the new freshmen and WANT to meet you. A senior now told me this last year, and it's helped a lot. The main thing about Choate is to meet a lot of people, because there's diversity in the best way, and you don't want to go through your career there knowing that you had a soul mate or great friend you never met because you felt that there was a gulf between you (which there usually isn't). </p>
<p>Dorm life - great. I love living at boarding school. I realize sometimes the magnitude of it, but it's great to be able to study, live, and talk to your friends 24/7. I'm not homesick for my parents at all, but it's an adjustment making new friends and realizing that you're leaving your old ones. But that's something you need to realize when you're living away from home. As the first week passes by, people start to kind of converge into hanging out with specific people, but there aren't any "groups" formed yet. At Choate it's not very clique-y, which is a different environment for me, because I'm used to having one group of friends, but I don't know how this will evolve over the years. It certainly fosters person-to-person communication. </p>
<p>Back to dorm life. Freshmen girls were housed in Nichols and Squire this year and last year they used Pittman because of an influx of freshmen girls. This switched this year, so Pittman isn't used for freshmen anymore and Mem (Memorial House) has always been the freshmen guys' dorm 'cause it's so big. I'm in Nichols on the basement, and my room is maybe, the second or third biggest in the dorm (out of 25-30!). It's really great. My roommate is nice but we don't hang out much. My friends will randomly come into my room and tackle me and stuff, so it's great. I have a lot of fun in the dorm. Every week or so the dorm might order Chinese or you can with a friend. Or pizza or anything. Or you could go into town - but that usually happens on the weekend.</p>
<p>Study hours are from 7:30-9:00 and 9:30-10:30. From 9:00-9:30, there's a break when you can go outside. Vendors (pizza, Chinese, ice cream, candy) come to Choate and sell certain items, so if you missed dinner or need an extra meal or a soda for energy because you need to study, meals cost about five bucks each (a small Pizza, chow lo mein, sweet and sour chicken, etc.) It's really great and a good break to chill with friends after studying.</p>
<p>Sounds like a great school! I compared the viewbooks of Choate and Hotchkiss - I liked Hotchkiss better. But based on your feedback, Choate seems just as nice. I'll probably end up applying to reaches/matches and no safety.</p>
<p>Good to know there is a Filipino there. But I guess I wouldn't be bringing much diversity. </p>
<p>-How much freedom do you get regarding your schedule? (do you get to choose your courses? are there a lot of required courses?)
-Is it obvious on who is receiving aid and who's not?</p>
<p>Thanks again.</p>
<p>Freedom regarding schedule - a LOT. I think there's more freedom with how much bigger the school is. At Choate freshman year you take whatever math class you need (Algebra, Geometry, Alg. II, etc.) either Honors or Regular. You're supposed to take science in this order -Physics, Chem, Bio, but some people skip Chem because it's not a grad. requirement though you should have it for college. I wouldn't suggest that. Basically you're done with science in 3 years (the requirements) but you should also do science senior year. Freshman year you take the same English course, then your Math and Science course, then a Language (they have loads; French, Spanish, Chinese, Arabic, Italian (Arabic and Italian are one-year intensive courses), Russian, etc.) I'm taking French II. For Physics, you either take Conceptual, Regular, or Honors. Honors is if you're in an "advanced" math course, Regular is just... regular, and Conceptual is if you haven't taken Algebra I yet or are taking it currently. At least that's what it says in the course catalogue, but some people here have finished Alg. I and are taking Conceptual Physics. Over the years, you get more elective options, but freshman year it's a lot for ninth graders. They have about six psych courses, I think, more than other schools, a lot of English electives once you enter junior/senior year. It's pretty neat. </p>
<p>FA - NO, it's REALLY hard to tell. I was surprised by this. I can't even pick out the Icahn Scholars - kids getting full tuition paid because they are from a challenged or underpriveleged background or inner-city, and it seems like everyone is the same basically, though you know that 1/3 of your grade is getting FA. It's a non-issue.</p>
<p>I was just going over the personal statement part of the application and saw this question: "Contribution to a school community comes in many forms. Please tell us how you see yourself contributing to the Choate Rosemary Hall community." I do NOT like those kinds of questions. I love the rest though, especially the one about the principal with mind-boggling news. <-- I'm just sharing, no connection about life in Choate. :)</p>
<p>Oh, I just remembered about your design. What was it about? What do you think they liked most about it?</p>
<p>Hey, we're on at the same time!</p>
<p>Yeah, there's different questions on the application every time. One usually pertains to doing or inventing something creative (mine last year was inventing something to help students on the Choate campus, that what was they asked), then the year before it was something like making a commercial to sell brocolli to middle school students.</p>
<p>They also have one about like "describe who you are", as I remember. </p>
<p>For contributions, just describe sports/clubs you're interested in. I liked journalism so I said I wanted to write on the News, I think, then if you need names of specific clubs just ask me.</p>
<p>Hahahaha. Yeah, I'm usually on when it's about 5am there or something. It's almost 11 now, which is way past my bed time. I'm such a baby I sleep at 9:30-10, then wake up at about 6 since I have to be in school by 7. :) </p>
<p>I like journalism too. :) I've never been the best at visual arts. Which reminds me, how is club participation in the school?</p>
<p>The News is one of the biggest clubs on campus; 50 people signed up at ClubFair, where each club has a table and a sign-up sheet. If you sign up, it just shows you're interested and then you have to go to the meeting and decide if you want to stay in the club. People sign up for anything between 3-15 clubs at ClubFair because it's not set in stone yet.</p>
<p>So far I've gone to The News meeting (accidentally skipped Young Democrats), I have ASA (Asian Students Association; I'm not Asian, but I'm interested in Asian culture and they have loads of games and everything) tonight from 9:00-12:30 AM. Then Crossfire is on Monday, and Big Brothers and Sisters (comm. serivce) on Sunday. I probably won't sign up for all of them. 3-4 clubs freshman year is max, I think. But you also have the most time to expend freshman year. </p>
<p>There are some new clubs with only a few members, but most big clubs and comm. service organizations attract a lot of people. They have a few literature magazines, Hillel (a Jewish club, I think), other religion and spiritual groups. Go to Choate, click on Students, and follow the tabs to find a full list or just PM me.</p>
<p>"My friend Helen is from China but my dad said that she acts like an American teeanger- he found it funny"</p>
<p>HAHAHAHAHAHAHA is there another Helen from China or is that me?
omg omg yeah loeb is awesome he's our vball coach:)
oh, and cate_intl : there are quite a few international students here...
crap gotta go shower just had vball practice and got 5 hours of sleep:(</p>
<p>Yeah Helen isn't into answering questions as well as I do. ;) JK. </p>
<p>Yeah he was talking about you, HAHA. How was vball?</p>
<p>Just bumping this. :)</p>
<p>I have a question: (It's more on personal opinion though) Who are the most interesting people you've met/been close to so far? What's the most interesting stuff going on there?</p>
<p>Interesting people - mostly people from other countries who have different perspectives than you do, and also, ironically, people who have interests close to yours.</p>
<p>Interesting stuff - the many clubs that go on here. And the teachers. </p>
<p>Sorry, I'm kind of wiped out, so these answers might not be all that great. :)</p>
<p>Just bumping this. ;)</p>
<p>Well, its nice to see a Floridian Boarding Schooler, makes me feel more confident in my strive to get into a boarding school.</p>
<p>My questions are as follows....</p>
<p>Who decided you were to go to Boarding School? You or Your Parents?</p>
<p>Did you need a large amount of Financial Aid?</p>
<p>If it was you who decided you wanted to go to boarding school, was it hard to convince your Parents to let you go?</p>
<p>What did you get on the SSAT? What Grades Did You Have? What Other Schools Did you Apply to, and which accepted/rejected you? What extracirrcular activies were you involved in, in your middle school. etc. xd</p>
<p>Sorry for all the questions, but Im a curious fellow.</p>
<p>Mistbandit, I've decided to reply to SOME of your questions by PM. here's the response to your last one: </p>
<p>SSAT seventh grade
99 Reading, 99 Verbal, 85 Math </p>
<p>SSAT eighth grade
96 Reading, 98 Verbal, 90 Math</p>
<p>Grades - For three quarters (we go by a quarter system at my old school), I had straight As and A minuses, and around a 3.8-4.0 GPA. Some other quarters, I had one or two B pluses. Mostly a 3.7-4.0 GPA at a competitive feeder private school. </p>
<p>Extracurriculars</p>
<p>Youth Group every week at my town's church
Varsity Soccer goalie
Student Council
Humane Society </p>
<p>Applied to Choate and Andover. Originally waitlisted at both, accepted at Choate. ;) I'm very fortunate to go here, and I love it.</p>
<p>I'll respond to the others by PM.</p>