Hey,
So I’m applying to the hun school and pennington school. I like that hun have good academics, but I don’t like that there’s just one academic building. I like that Pennington school has more than one academic building and kinda haves good academics. What school should I go to?
@jjay2203 Did you visit either school? Are you applying directly or via a program like ABC or Prep for Prep? Read Niche reviews and see if you can reach out to current students of color at the school. Some, not many, but some private schools have groups/clubs for students of color, so see if you could touch base with them. However, it will ultimately be your personal choice and that is why visiting and picturing yourself at the school is important.
These 2 schools have somewhat different vibes. Neither is a crazy pressure cooker, but I think Pennington feels a little more laid back.
Both have a few athletic programs that are super-excellent and that place kids into college programs (and that play a disproportionate role in some years in the college matriculation lists.)
My overall sense is that the Hun may be a little more status concious. Both seem set up to do a good job with LDs. If this matters to you, you will find that each excels in slightly different areas.
Pennington has a reputation for being very friendly. Hun may be a bit more academic. Both are mostly day and draw from the same area, more or less.
If you are accepted to both, attend the revisit days and focus on how you feel at each. We know several families who have had kids at both for just this reason.
After visiting both, I found that Pennington was a better school for the arts. Hun gave me a bit of an “off” vibe with the students, they felt very out of touch with their surroundings, and from what I’ve heard from others online and IRL they seem to think the same thing. I know a student who went to Hun for some time, but moved to the local public school because they found it to be too much of a pressure cooker. Both schools have majority day student populations, so keep that in mind when making your decision.
These two schools have a lot of similarities. Both have a large day student population and smaller % of boarders. The academics at both schools are very similar. Pennington probably has more land – and hence more buildings. But I think thats a silly reason to choose a school over. Look at the teachers, academics, and general vibe before making up your mind.
Decisions don’t come out until March 10, were you already accepted into both?
As someone who is very familiar with both of these schools, I can tell you that there is very little variation in the level of academics between the two, and I would advise not basing your decision on the difference in the number of buildings. I’m not sure if you’ve visited either school, but the campuses, while being similar sizes, have lots of differences, which may be positives or negatives depending on what you’re looking for. I wouldn’t say Pennington has more land, in fact, it appears a bit more compact than Hun. Check them out on Google maps if you haven’t visited.
If you are inclined to share a bit more about your interests and priorities, I’m happy to give further feedback. In the meantime, I hope you get good news from both schools next week!