<p>I'm just curious if anyone has any views as to what some of the most "Southern" boarding schools are. By this, I'm not just referring to boarding schools in the South, but rather to schools where an incoming Northerner might say, "Toto, I have a feeling we're not in New England anymore." In other words, kind of an in-your-face Southern feel.</p>
<p>EVD, what about schools like Episcopal and Woodberry Forest, which are unmistakably southern in feel, and in Virginia, but not the Deep South? Or maybe Asheville School in North Carolina? </p>
<p>Then, there are a class of schools that are NOT truly “southern” but that might feel that way to a northerner. These are the NJ-PA-DE schools, which to my mind feel almost “region neutral”, unless you think there really is such a thing as a middle Atlantic vibe. I am talking about St. Andrew’s (for which I’m an advocate on this forum) and the Mid-Atlantic Prep League schools (L’ville, Mercersburg, Hun, Blair, Peddie, Hill).</p>
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<p>Ha! A few years ago a friend of mine and I were in a pub in northern Kentucky, about 100 yards from the Ohio (River) border. A New Yorker at the bar told us, “I’ve never been in the South before.”</p>
<p>“You still haven’t,” said my friend and me, almost in unison.</p>
<p>How about the Webb School in Bell Buckle, TN-- the South’s oldest, continously running BS? Founded in 1870 by the father of the founder of the Claremont, CA Webb School.</p>
<p>Ha! As someone who grew up in the deep, DEEP South, Kentucky not being the south made me laugh out loud. There’s really only three Southern states (and Florida isn’t one of them).</p>
<p>How dare you Neato! The inner Tar Heel in me is very offended! BUT, you’re probably right about the “real” South these days, although only three? I think 5 and FL is certainly not one of them. I’d vote for Woodberry here, most of the males in my family went there (I escaped to become a Yankee) and it certainly feels more “Southern” than any school I’ve visited. The Asheville School, while in NC, is located in the most progressive town in the “South” which is cool for school culture with the variety of spots to eat, look at art and buy vintage hipster clothing…however, I don’t consider Asheville “southern”. Episcopal has the influence of DC which makes it a bit less southern in feel. As always, just my take here.</p>
<p>Another fine Southern prep school is St. Andrew’s-Sewanee located in Sewanee, TN, which is also the home of The University of the South.</p>
<p>Ha! Have to agree with Neato, Florida is NOT the south. Never has been, never will be. </p>
<p>The mid-atlantic schools did not strike me as southern. Different from the schools in the northeast, yes. But southern? No.</p>
<p>I would count Asheville as southern. There are progressive cities and towns in the south (contrary to popular belief).</p>
<p>Woodberry Forest. That’s the one. Can’t tell you about girls schools, but maybe Madeira?</p>
<p>Good assessment, Pops. The MAPL schools do feel different but not really southern. Even though Mercersburg, for instance, is only 10 miles or so from the Mason Dixon line, they still have oatmeal instead of grits for breakfast.</p>
<p>What about McCallie? I’m sorry that I don’t have more knowledge of southern schools. But when was a kid, I thought boarding schools only existed in novels.</p>
<p>Never mind; irrelevant comment.</p>
<p>I think the Goldwater map of 1964 does a pretty good job of identifying the true “Southern” states (LA, MS, AL, GA, SC).</p>
<p>That said, there are pockets of the South to be found elsewhere: Parts of Arkansas, the Missouri boot heel, a few counties in North Florida, and a good bit of North Carolina and some of Virginia.</p>
<p>I’m interested for my daughter, so Woodberry Forest and McCallie are out. They would be at the top of my list otherwise.</p>
<p>Not sure what an “in your face Southern feel” would mean, especially to a Northerner, and not at a school actually in the South. </p>
<p>I did say that the mid-Atlantic schools are NOT truly southern. But that said, St. Andrew’s draws a lot of kids from North Carolina, then again smaller numbers from Georgia and Florida, Texas and Alabama. Should I count the large group from Virginia? Well, I’ve met a number of these kids, and, of course, while they’re “cosmopolitan” in their outlook, they do have southern airs. The effect of having these kids is outsized because of their impact on a group of only 300. To a Northerner, SAS will definitely, imho, feel far different than Middlesex and St. George’s, Pomfret or maybe even Groton. But not, I suppose, “in your face Southern”. One applicant ultimately enrolled at another school described it as having a pronounced “Indie feel”.</p>
<p>The Asheville school has a real southern feel. I’m sure they serve grits for breakfast.
BTW, don’t tell anyone in NC that they are not in the South. When I moved there for my first job out of college, they called me a yankee even though I grew up below the Mason Dixon line.</p>
<p>What is in-your-face southern feel? I’m moving to the south. What do I need to Know? Is it about social norms and culture? I traveled to NC, and I doubt muf’s observations would be true in present day NC.</p>
<p>I’ve lived in both the North & the South. Southerners are friendlier, more polite, and less full-of-themselves as compared to Northerners (especially NYC). And the weather is better.</p>
<p>FWIW, I think much of NC is Southern. But they have had such an influx of Northerners over the past 30 years that parts of it are like Florida.</p>
<p>I actually hate plain grits, and most Southerners do not eat grits for breakfast. But I do love spicy cheese grits. How could one not?</p>
<p>A lot of urban Southerners work hard at trying to sound like they are from the Mid-West. I don’t hear people from Texas trying to hide their accents. So I would say a place where everyone wasn’t trying to talk like they were from Chicago would be a bit “in your face” Southern. Likewise, it’s become very politically correct in recent years for liberal Southerners to wear a hair shirt and say how sorry they are that their ancestors fought for the Confederacy. Well, uh, no.</p>
<p>I have heard great things about Indian Springs School in Alabama. It’s just a bit too far from home for us to consider.</p>
<p>Madeira, Foxcroft, Chatham Hall…aren’t those the big 3 girls’ schools? Others in the vicinity if you want coed… Episcopal, Mercersburg, Asheville.</p>
<p>Despite calling San Diego home for 16 years, we are from and currently live in NH. With that said, Episcopal High School (EHS) feels southern to us, in a refreshing way. We love the southern colonial architecture and feel. Episcopal boys address elders with “Yes Sir” and “Yes Mam.” And yes I agree and appreciate the fact that our reference point is different than someone from the deep south. :-)</p>
<p>The school has 435 students and 65 FT faculty. I cannot be certain, but many of the faculty have southern roots. My DS’ advisor is from SC and cooked a “southern bbq” for them in the fall. Their 2013-2014 directory indicates current students enrolled from these “southern” states:</p>
<p>AL - 7
GA - 16
LA - 5
KY - 2
NC - 47
TN - 3
SC - 19
VA - 136</p>
<p>An interesting follow up. This past weekend, we attended EHS’s spirit weekend and met a fellow freshman dad from GA, originally from AL. He also has twin daughters who are in 8th grade and are conducting their “southern school” search. We were sharing our love for EHS and I realized this thread’s question would be appropriate to ask him? Does EHS feel southern enough for a family from AL/GA? He said “absolutely.” His son looked at other schools in the south, including Asheville, but kept coming back to EHS as his #1 choice. Dad said, “EHS provided other tangibles and intangibles, especially sense of community and school spirit.” </p>
<p>Spirit Weekend features “The Game”, the longest running high school football game in the South. After witnessing the Friday night student bonfire and watching “The 113th Game” vs Woodberry Forest on Saturday, regardless of where you are from, this school’s community spirit is special and will make you feel like EHS is home.</p>