<p>The only accepts I've gotten so far are Stevenson & The Hill. I was wondering if anyone could tell me anything about The Hill? I haven't been able to visit so I really have no idea what it's like other from the pamphlets they've sent.. The campus looks huge! Any thoughts? Mainly, I just want to learn more about The Hill that you can't really get from reading their site & pamphetss.. >3<</p>
<p>I guess you mean The Hill School. Well, I've been there a few times, and they have done a lot to improve the campus and facilities. The campus I found is a bit congested, but it is still quite beautiful. As for the size of the campus, it is pretty average I think. According to BSR, it is the same size as Mercersburg (my alma mater), but I know that Mercersburg has more land than Hill, in part because Hill is in the middle of Pottstown, which is a moderately sized town, and Mercersburg is bounded on three sides by farmland. </p>
<p>I believe the dress code is still formal there as well, but many people like that. </p>
<p>Oh their field house is very nice too.</p>
<p>Will you be able to go to the revisit day? I think it would be very worthwhile for you to do this.</p>
<p>well I'm international so it'll be really hard for me to visit.. :(</p>
<p>There is someone on this board who goes to The Hill, but I forget his username. He doesn't post very often. If you do a search of "Hill" or "The Hill" you might be able to find him. Then you can pm him with questions. There is also a parent -- MAPLparent I think, and I think he/she has a student at Hill. They would be good resources for information on The Hill. Hill admissions should be happy to put you in contact with current students, especially if you cannot go to revisit.</p>
<p>Wait, I thought MAPLparent had a student at Blair, not Hill. Maybe MAPL will come out and say for certain.</p>
<p>I am very familiar with Hill. It is an excellent school and I think you would like it. They do still have formal dress. The campus is not big, but the facilities are excellent. Pottstown itself isn't great, but you have good access to King of Prussia, Valley Forge etc.</p>
<p>Hill is sounding really good. :) I'll most likely end up going to it.</p>
<p>The dress code I'm a bit iffy on. The current school I go to has a uniform, but everything is tailored from a certain shop according to school standards so it's not really like how they have it at Hill. Wel, oh well! There are more important aspects other than uniform..</p>
<p>The Hill School has a very good reputation. It is on the traditional side of boarding schools with coat and tie dress code and twice a week chapel. It is on the opposite side of the spectrum from Stevenson which is California casual. While you can get an excellent education at either, you should think about what type of environment you would be most comfortable in.</p>
<p>I guess my main problem would be that I can't visit either location then to see for myself, heh.. </p>
<p>How strict is Hill in regards to study times and sign in times? Do boarders get very little freedom there?</p>
<p>lemonkins -- I think it would be a good idea for you to contact The Hill admissions and ask for a few current students for you to email or im with your questions. Because they accepted you, admissions is eager to have you attend. I am sure they would be happy to arrange this for you, especially because you cannot attend the revisit.</p>
<p>i got accepted to the hill this year. Looking forward to indoor track because it looks awesome from it's website. also looking forward to the revisit days but not the 9 hour drive. I hear its really strict on everything.</p>
<p>9 hours drive better than a 20 hour flight. ;)</p>
<p>Hill is very traditional, but very friendly. There is no uniform, but boys must wear sport coats and ties and girls have equivalent requirements. Pottstown is not grest, but the campus is beautiful with outstanding facilities. The school is also close to Philadelphia as well as Valley Forge and King of Prussia. The faculty is great both in the classroom and out and the Headmaster David Daugherty and his wife Kay are the best. Hill has a storied past and an incredible roster of alumni. As part of the MAPL, Hill has long standing rivalries with Blair, Peddie, Hun, Mercersburg and especially Lawrenceville. The Hill/Lawrenceville rivaly dates back to 1887 and is the 5th oldest in America.</p>
<p>PS I apologize for my name being in CAPS. I entered it that way by mistake and you can't go back and change it.</p>
<p>MAPLPARENT, you can PM a moderator and they can change it for you.</p>
<p>I hate to say this, but I have a close relative who is in his first year at The Hill, and I'm not too crazy about what I've heard about it from him. First of all, there is some heavy duty drug use at that school. I mean HEAVY DUTY. Also, he knows many students who are up to all hours of the night--not getting their work done. The supervision is pretty bad --all the way around. However, when kids DO get caught, they ARE booted out.---and MANY get booted out each year. Perhaps this is the case at most boarding schools. </p>
<p>We decided not to send our D to a boarding school because of this situation. She is too young to deal with stuff like that, and I don't think I would want to shell out my money to a school that can't supervise their students properly. </p>
<p>Perhaps boarding school is right for some kids, but we'll be sticking with a local day school, so we can raise our D ourselves. I'd hate to give her up so soon anyway. College is right around the corner, and she'll be mature enough then to hopefully make the right decisions when put in difficult situations.</p>
<p>Interesting perspective rockyroad!</p>
<p>Yup. There are drugs at every boarding school including my D's. In fact she has told me who has been caught and who she figures is likely to get busted. </p>
<p>The truth of the matter is that the day school your daughter will be attending will have drug problems too. It probably is better than the public school where there is probably a less intrusive set of teachers and administrators. </p>
<p>But prep schools that are primarily populated by boarders (few day students), can control more of the student's environment for more of the day than the day school can. The can (and do) search students' rooms regularly and with the kids in close proximity can keep listening to hear who is probably having a problem.</p>
<p>I can understand your decision. Many people would rather drive than be a passenger. You feel you have more control over your D's destiny when she sleeps at home at night. And you prefer that direct control. That is OK, especially if you don't think she has the maturity to handle those situations without you around.</p>
<p>I share your sentiment about giving up my D too soon. She's home on break right now and it really makes me appreciate the time I have with her more. But when she goes back in a couple of weeks, I know she is happy and well cared for and I'm not that selfish as to deny her what she wants and is good for her.</p>
<p>I wish your family well.</p>
<p>Yes, Hill, like most every school in America, public, private, boarding and day, has some drugs, but it is no worse than and no better than its peers. I am always somewhat skeptical of anecdotal stories from close relatives. I also suspect from the tone of your letter that you do not believe in boarding for high schoolers and that you never seriously considered boarding school for your daughter. That's fine, there are pluses and minuses to everything, but don't malign a school you obviously know nothing about.</p>
<p>Yeah...they kicked ALOT of kids out this year from what i heard. If they have this at the hill....they must have this at other BS around the world....cough eton cough....</p>
<p>Eton rules. :D</p>