The Location and Campus: Best? Worst?

Prep School Admissions
1

<p>I was thinking about schools(arn't we all?)... I'm confident that I'll get a great experience anywhere. I was thinking about things that I would "like"(Not necessarily needs). I really loved Andover(the town and the school)... because of the town. I visited Hotchkiss several hours before I drove into the Andover Inn... Hotchkiss is in the middle of no where. Zero cellphone service(Even the interviewer didn't have bars... So 3 different phone services: still nothing). Andover isn't a big city, but it sure beats Hotchkiss.
I just want to know what everyone thinks about the location of any school they want to mention.
JUST A NOTE: Don't compare the campuses of schools that are very different in terms of their finances. Example: Woodberry Forest and Exeter. It just isn't fair to trash one really. </p>

<p>I hear SPS, Andover and Exeter(Exeter not so much) are all in great locations in relation to "town". Hotchkiss and Deerfield are really out in the middle of no where... All of them have great campuses. I really loved Exeter's vibe of motivation and Andover's energy. I loved Hotchkiss because all classes(except science) were in one very large building.</p>

<p>Things like: How close is everything on the campus? Are all of the buildings fairly upkept(is there a HUGE eyesore)? Any new buildings you really liked? Any really cool features?(Like Hotchkiss's DNA Machine)</p>

2

<p>As far as location, I thought Lawrenceville was in the best spot. We found lot's of restaurant options close by. I would guess its proximity to Princeton allows for lots of opportunities for other activities. Also, the campus is gorgeous. I am surprised people don't talk about it more often on this board.</p>

3

<p>SPS is in concord...its pretty much just as hige as A/E, but I like how everything is in an organized manner. Like...I KNOW when im in the school and I know when I'm in concord lol. I liked Exeters campus, but I couldn't tell when I was in Exeter or when I was in Exeter Academy lol. Same with Andover.</p>

4

<p>I have to agree with you Emdee; I love Peddie for my son for the very same reason (amongst others) The Highstown/Princeton is very vibrant area and yes, location is one of the important factors in our school choice. (Props to the OP for raising an underworked issue) Quick proximity to NYC, our hometown is also a plus. I'm not sure why but we were never wild about many of the schools in very rural locations.</p>

<p>The Hill, which is a stunningly beautiful school, is located in a town with stark contrasts to its look and feel. Pottstown seems economically depressed and I wondered what type of relationship this disparity fosters between townies and students.</p>

5

<p>In visiting upwards of 15 schools, I thought Tabor's campus was so unique and beautiful compared to all the other schools I looked at. For those of you who don't know, the entire campus sits on Sippican Harbor, which spills out into Buzzards Bay. I liked how the campus felt to me, all the buildings are covered in weathered shingles (it reminds me very much of buildings on Nantucket) except for Lillard Hall, the dormitory for all the freshman which is the oldest building on campus and is in the Tudor style. A lot of dorms sit right on the waterfront and so many students have a direct water view just feet outside their window, it's pretty awesome considering to get that same view you would have to purchase one of the multi-million dollar houses that sit on the harbor. The buildings also feel more like independent houses than academy halls which is refreshing. One building I thought was really impressive was the Marine Science Center, which was constructed literally on top of the water. As for location, when you're in town it feels like you've gone back decades. It feels like a small seaside community with a town beach, a general store and post office and little shops, but then also it's almost right in between Boston and Providence (about 45 minutes to either) and only 20 minutes to Cape Cod. So there are trips almost every weekend to one of the two cities, also there are frequent school trips to theatre productions or museums in Boston and Providence. I think it's the perfect place to get a small town boarding school feel, but then also have the ability to get off campus and not be in the middle of nowhere like some other schools. </p>

<p>you can see a photo of the campus and location here: <a href="http://www.skypic.com/ma/8-9720.jpg%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.skypic.com/ma/8-9720.jpg&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>also there are some good ones here: Tabor</a> Academy - Tabor Academy</p>

6

<p>Exeter--I liked the town and the compactness of campus. It wouldn't take too long to walk from class to class. Overall I liked it a lot.</p>

<p>Andover--I liked the town, the buildings were beautiful, but I didn't like how spread apart they were. The inn I stayed at (The Andover Inn) was the worst inn I stayed at for by far the highest price. The beds were old, no private bathrooms, and the plugs were not standard. TV did not work. My parents said that if I go to Andover they'll just have to room with me when they visit. lol</p>

<p>Choate--Looks STUNNING on the outside, where there's this big structure that says "Choate Rosemary Hall." Outside buildings are pretty, but inside there the most outdated of all the schools I looked at. Not well maintained.</p>

<p>Deerfield--Charming. The Koch Science Center is sooooooo cool and I saw a Physics classroom with a friction-less surface. How cool is that? Inside was only slightly better than Choate's, could be better maintained. More in the middle of nowhere than Hotchkiss. We couldn't even find a restaurant, just a HUGE candle shop that a lover of candles could certainly spend a whole day in.</p>

<p>Groton--Love the idea of the circle and how you can't walk on it. Everything is set up around the circle, and I adore it! The dorms were my favorite of all, but the classrooms weren't all that great.</p>

<p>St. Paul's--Best exterior dorms. Simply stunning architecture, especially that Chapel. Inside the dorms wasn't anything compared to the outside, but it was still clean and organized and livable. St. Paul's I think had the best campus, aside from the lack of an integrated Math/Science building. The math building needs some work, and math is my thing...:)</p>

<p>Hotchkiss--Best interior dorms, and some new dorms that are amazing on the outside. The common rooms had flat screen TVs, very different from other schools. I love how the new dorms are going green, and were built efficiently. Loved how all the classes were in mostly the same building, but wish they had lockers just like a regular school so you didn't have to carry a bookbag around or go back to your dorm between every class. Despite what people say, I thought the town, Lakeview was charming and ate at an amazing restaurant with a prixe fixe called Chives.</p>

<p>Middlesex--Same circle idea as Groton, but not quite as good. I didn't like the messy paths crossing through it. I like the overall setup of the campus. Just a side note: the food was downright awful and the worst of all the schools I saw. :(</p>

7

<p>Andover: Andover is a very large town. There are hotels a few exits up and down I-93 (I assume you all took exit 41 to get to Phillips). Andover Inn is not your only option.</p>

8

<p>Being from far away, we went with the literal. Andover Inn, Exeter Inn, Sally Hart Inn at Choate Rosemary Hall, etc. Plus they were the closest to the admissions office, so they were practical choices, and they were very knowledgeable with directions and had helpful advice for interviews.</p>

9

<p>Ya.. Andover Inn seemed like the best choice(It was by far the most reasonable for the quality and closeness). The food was amazing AND I saw like 5-10 students and I talked with some of them. I was the only admissions brat that would talk to the students... It was really awkward. Can't everyone be super social?</p>