Top Boarding Schools for non-athletes

<p>My D just got her SSATs and received overall 99%. She was injured last year after three years of her sport and may not be able to play any sport. She is highly intellectual but not into the arts. Great grades, most EC's are intellectual. Interviews are top notch (two at local BS were fantastic). Seems like lots of the top BS require interscholastic sports. Any suggestions for her? She is applying for 11th grade-not willing to repeat.</p>

<p>I’m not sure why you are saying that “most top schools require interscholastic sports”. I can’t think of a top boarding school that does. Maybe you mean that nly they require that students participate in some physical activity/sport, which is true, and to my mind a good thing— but there’s a wide range of choices—yoga, search & rescue, and so on at Andover, for example. When someone is really unable to do any of the standard physical activity options, there’s a category for that, too, with appropriate medical permission.</p>

<p>Milton Academy does not overemphasize sports.</p>

<p>Thanks. I didn’t mean to imply that most schools required interscholastic sports, but I did note that a number of the schools seemed to require this. Just trying to narrow our list down. Milton sounds great.</p>

<p>I can only talk about my own school, Stevenson, where it is required that students have some sort of after school activity, but this can be interscholastic sports, intermural sports, arts (theatre, dance, etc), community service, etc. I can not see a school requiring an injured student to play sports.</p>

<p>Does your daughter like playing with little kids or interested in being a doctor? Then she can volunteer at a elementary or middle school (transportation provided) or volunteer at a hospital (transportation provided, but you’d need to arrange it first).</p>

<p>What kind of ECs is your daughter involved with? I consider Stevenson to have some intellectuals with a Model UN team, a literary magazine, etc. The school is definitely not predominantly intellectual, but an intellectual can be very happy here (I consider myself one).</p>

<p>No BS “requires” interscholastic sports. BS require physical activity. This requirement can be satisfied by playing an interscholastic sport or by taking a tradiional “gym class”.</p>

<p>^^Some bs do require participation in a team sport at least once per year.</p>

<p>Many schools require participation in team sports.
Middlesex, for instance, requires 9th and 10th graders to participate in interscholastic team sports all three seasons. 11th graders must play sports 2 seasons and 12th graders 1 season + rec. programs.</p>

<p>[Middlesex</a> School ~ Athletic Policies](<a href=“http://www.mxschool.edu/podium/default.aspx?t=100114]Middlesex”>http://www.mxschool.edu/podium/default.aspx?t=100114)</p>

<p>But to answer the original question, there are usually waivers for injured or differently abled students. In most cases these students are asked to fulfill the sports requirement in a different way, such as by becoming a team manager or trainer.</p>

<p>wcrcmom’s daughter may want to avoid schools heavy on team sports because in sporty schools team play can become a bonding experience for students and it would be a shame for D to feel like she’s missing out.</p>

<p>Wow, I didn’t realize that Middlesex requires so much interscholastic sport. I apologize to wcrcmom for my comment above, as the schools my daughter applied to had no requirements for interscholastics, just some kind of activity requirement with varied options.</p>

<p>Requirements vary greatly. Milton says: all students in Classes III and IV will participate in physical education classes, interscholastic sports or intramural sports in each season. Class I and II students must participate for two of the three seasons. Opportunities exist for learning about athletic training, managing a team, or seeking an independent course in athletics.</p>

<p>My S was not into sports and I recall that he got out of sports requirement for another activity more than one semester - I am thinking it was for Math team at Hotchkiss. He also took yoga one semester.</p>

<p>Schools vary hugely in their policies. I know some small schools really need every warm body on the field, so they can be reluctant to let people find other ways. Others are very flexible. Being the manager of a team is sometimes accepted as well.
Beyond this, look into the school culture. A child may be able to avoid sports, but suffer socially as a result at some schools. (I have none in mind - just a general observation.)</p>

<p>If she’s applying for 11th grade, it may not be a problem. As I recall, many schools relaxed their sports requirements as students progressed. It may be that taking a yoga class, for example, can satisfy the sports requirement, and/or she can receive an exemption from interscholastic sports. It’s worthwhile asking the admissions officers, as these policies are often updated. I would not rely upon website pages for the answer, as the stock answer may not apply to your daughter. Larger schools would be likely to be more flexible on this point, as a general rule, but it depends heavily on the school’s culture.</p>

<p>If she’s facing a long recovery time, you should consider the campus layout. A large, sprawling campus, in New England, with stairs to climb to get to class, may be physically stressful.</p>

<p>Athletics are very important at all of the top prep schools. That does not mean your daughter will be forced to participate if she is physically not able to do so.</p>

<p>Thanks for all the replies. She decided on Hotchkiss,Deerfield, NMH and a few Canadian schools.</p>

<p>I do not know what her injury is, but my son (and a teammate) both had ACL surgery this year. The school (NMH) has been most helpful. The trainers are well-versed in rehab and my son is way ahead of schedule. As far as getting around campus, we were offered schedule accommodations, help from advisors/teachers, etc. My son did not require any of this, but it is there if needed.</p>

<p>Would she consider a single sex school? My daughter did 4 years of theater at Miss Porter’s and no sports. Porter’s requires either sports or some sort of gym class offering such as yoga, pilates (team sport in freshman and sophomore years), dance, or theater.</p>