<p>I actually told my friends I was applying back in November, at first it was shock, then it was “Why would you want to go to boarding school?!?!” I explained, then they said, “You can’t just leave us!” I then told them it wasn’t definite. Later on, a few talked to me about it individually and said that if it’s what I truly want, they will support me 100% (then they threatened to come to my school and do some atrocious things if I don’t contact them at all XD)</p>
<p>sounds like you got some cool friends azpandaman. yeah we all reacted pretty similar when a mate told us he was packing going to westminster school in september:P good friends are always supportive:)</p>
<p>I think only you know friends, so you should decide on who to tell and who not to. I’m currently in high school and too and a majority of people said “Why do you want to go to boarding school,” “Are your parents sending you away” and " What’s wrong my current school." I regreted telling adults and some of my friends. Just make sure you know that they will be understanding and supportive.</p>
<p>@helloel, yes, it was excused. I gave them a note from the interviewer saying I’d visited that school on that day.</p>
<p>Exactly, ivyguy! Coming from the Midwest, boarding school is still seen as “being sent away” or going to like, a reform school or something. Last year when I applied (and was wait listed) my school teachers and even deans ended up acting quite differently towards me. Like, as if I slapped them in the face by applying to just one boarding school. And then teachers started mentioning it to me in class, and one even stated in the middle of class that I was wait listed. That was beyond embarrassing, especially since no one (not even my best friend) knew I had applied!</p>
<p>pinkandgreenprep: that sounds awful!!</p>
<p>98beebee: yeah, I thought it wouldn’t be excused so I did a bunch of work ahead of time. But it turns out my high school doesn’t think it’s that big of a deal and I’m pretty sure they will excuse it. My mom just sent an email to see if it would be excused.</p>
<p>@sabbington: Oh, it’s not really an aspiration. I move internationally very frequently, and I suppose the coffee scenario would be nice, but- I dunno. It’s probably just me, but all my friends are cut into sections: from this country, that school, etc., and it’s difficult to hold conversations about the present most of the time, since I always live/work/play in a completely different continent.</p>
<p>With that said, yes, my current friends know that I’m applying; yes, I will try and keep in touch; but no, I’m not too optimistic about the chances of that happening longterm. Maybe I’m just pessimistic.</p>
<p>Maybe I’m pessimistic, too…</p>
<p>As someone who told my friends 2 years ago I would be going to bs, i am in touch with none of them today. its not that we didnt try but between the different breaks and loss of common things to talk about, most friendships from old schools are gone in bs</p>
<p>The closest friends I had/have, were in middle school before I went off to high school. I see them just as much as I would if I were at BS right now and only home on breaks. I see my friends from my high school everyday, so it would be weird not seeing them everyday. But it wouldn’t be too sad because we’re not too close. Losing my middle school friends was/will probably be harder than if I get into BS and lose my high school friends. So my main point is, the strongest relationships that I have won’t change because I will see them just as little as I do now. Though those friendships are slowly deteriorating already, it didn’t have anything to do with me applying to BS, we just all go to different high schools lost touch, and we changed.</p>
<p>I totally agree with CherryRose. Even though they’re your best friends now, people WILL change in high school. When I come back for break, I might hang out with them, but really it’ll be very awkward. After all, if you’re at boarding school, you’re in a different world than the rest of your friends. My group of friends will probably disband after high school, so going to boarding school won’t have that much of a change. I made it very open that I was applying (basically to the whole school!) and I haven’t received any negative treatment. It’s really too bad that others that have had that bad experience. Just hope that you’ll be able to go. My friends have been very dramatic about the whole thing but they haven’t been overly negative. They don’t want me to go 100%, but they know that I want to and do support me a tad bit.</p>
<p><em>sad smile</em> It just makes you think, though… where is the real strength in friendship?</p>
<p>Gahh, I’m so bad at lying! The teachers that I asked for recs I’ve told the truth to about where I’m going when I go on visits, but to everyone else I just make up stuff. I mean not completely make up stuff, I just leave out a really big part of the truth. Like for last weekend I just told everyone I was visiting friends and looking at colleges up east, I don’t know what to say about this weekend though, since I’m going on more visits! Where should I say I am going? Because people will catch on if I say I’m visiting friends, again.</p>
<p>I told my friends that I was going on a super secret spy mission and they got the message that I was not going to tell them where I was actually going.</p>
<p>@helloel: What’s so bad about just telling them? If they’re truly good teachers/classmates, they should understand. If they don’t, then screw them. ;)</p>
<p>I don’t want to tell them unless I decide to go. Because they will all treat me differently once they know. Nobody at my high school really understands boarding school and would be offended if I stated that I want to go. So I don’t want to start any drama until/if I get in and decode to go.</p>
<p>Am I the only one who told everyone? Haha I guess it was a kinda stupid move on my part, but I’ve been totally open with everyone that I’m applying. I’m not sure why, it just felt like the right thing to do. No one has treated me differently about it and I think my friends would be more hurt if I told them right before I leave. I guess by telling everyone that I’m applying it gives me an extra umph to get in, but I know whatever happens happens for a reason. (Awkward sentence to the extreme!) I don’t really feel comfortable keeping it a secret and by being so open I’ve actually encouraged others to apply 
I guess I’m just really optomistic about going to boarding school but I know it’d be a little embarrassing if I don’t get in. To anyone who’s worried about telling friends I really don’t think you should be because THEY WILL UNDERSTAND. Boarding school is pretty foreign at my school, but people still educate themselves about it and try to understand so don’t be worried about what others think. You might as well tell them and keep everything open because I’d be REALLY hurt if I found out my best friend would be leaving to go to boarding school and didn’t bother telling me until we only had 2 months left together. Just a thought for everyone.</p>
<p>I didn’t really want to, because then what if I didn’t get in? It would be pretty embarrassing to me. Plus, I asked a teacher for recs, but he’s going to be my electives teacher next year too. So it’s gonna be kinda awkward. “Hey, Mr. Teacher, I didn’t get in! But that just means I can be with you next year too. YAY!” not.</p>
<p>I dunno. If the issue ever came up, I was pretty much like “Got a problem? Then deal with it.” With that said, I didn’t go around yelling it in people’s faces. But I will get defensive if anybody asks and subsequently tries to raise something. That’s just me.</p>
<p>I was really open about it. I mean, only my close friends know, but it’s come up a couple times with them and people are like, Wait, what??? behind us and all. But it’s not some big secret, so why treat it like one? If you don’t get in, then… well, at least my friends will know why I’m mopping about. =P I also have a friend who is in my grade that is applying, though we don’t have any of the same schools on our lists.</p>