<p>I'm just curious,</p>
<p>for current students: which aspect of your school do you like best and what makes your school special/different from other prep schools?</p>
<p>for incoming students: what made you choose the school you're gonna attend in september?</p>
<p>Why I Chose Choate:</p>
<p>Here are my reasons for liking Choate:
1. I liked the liberal atmosphere. When I read the newspaper that I subscribed to, it talked about seniors who went to Washington and openly disagreed with the senators opinion, about students in the auditorium, who, after listening to a speaker, openly told him their opinions, without regard to what other people would think about them. Just this week, a group of marchers marched to the Headmasters office to oppose the two formal meals they have each week (Im not in favor of them, either!). It just seemed like a really opinionated, but still politically sensitive, environment.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>I liked the fact that the students, when I visited, were extremely friendly. When I walked with my tour guide, she said hi to everyone she saw, or gave them a hug, even though there are almost 1000 people in the school (850). This did not happen at Deerfield. The same thing happened at Andover, but it was more like a wave in the hallway. When I walked with my tour guide, she seemed to know everyone, even freshmen. Shed point out people walking and be like, Thats so-and-so. Hes from Florida too, so he hates the cold here.</p></li>
<li><p>I wanted to find a school with a lot of electives and a good psychology department. Choate is probably the best school with psych courses, because they have about six courses that you can start taking in your sophomore year. Andover, a school with 300 more students, only has two. Choate also has a nursery on campus that is convenient for their Child Development Psych class to use.</p></li>
<li><p>I liked Choates dorms. I knew that when I wanted to go to boarding school, I wanted to be in a place with a roommate, because thats kind of the core of a BS experience. At Deerfield, you have no roommates. You get a single. Some people might like this, but I didnt. You can choose at Choate, but the majority of the people choose to live with a roommate. (actually, more than the majority; there are only 2 singles in freshman year). The rooms are big, but youre in the same room with your roommate. At Andover, you have a kind of common room where your desks are, and then when night comes, you walk into a little closet by the side of your desk, close the door, and fall asleep in a room two inches bigger than your bed. I just didnt like that. </p></li>
<li><p>Also, Choates campus is extremely inviting. Andovers campus makes the school seem larger than it is because the buildings are all the same and you cant tell which one is which. Andover also does not have a pond, and its admissions office building is much less impressive than Choates. The dorms are nicer at Choate because each has a different flavor and style, while Andover is all red brick.</p></li>
<li><p>The best way to decide about a school is to trust your gut feeling. When you visit a school, youll know which one is right for you. When I visited Choate, I had a feeling that I would belong and succeed there. It really works. Though I fell in love with Choate just reading about in online, you might have a completely different perspective once you visit. Its not really JUST the campus - its also the atmosphere. Youll know!</p></li>
</ol>
<p>P.S. I think Andover is a terrific school, and please be aware that I was just comparing the two - don't lash out on me because of what I said . :)</p>
<p>hahaha of course! i just wanted to know people's opinions.
i think choate is a great school too!</p>
<p>anyone else?</p>
<p>I'm going to Hackley (5-day-boarding and day, but I'm going as a day student), but here are my reasons: (in no particular order)</p>
<ol>
<li><p>The campus is beautiful. Most schools in the area are like my current school- just a couple of townhouses smushed together with no quad, no trees, etc. Hackley's buildings are impressive. It's just an amazing enviroment.</p></li>
<li><p>They focus on English. Once a week, the whole school sits down for about an hour to write essays. They pride themselves on their English class and being that English is one of my favorite classes, this is really good for me. I want to actually learn in English class.</p></li>
<li><p>The kids were very sweet when I visited, and I've gone back a few times, so I know that they weren't just being nice to me because I was a visitor. I liked how they treated other people and they didn't seem snotty at all. I'm sure that there are kids that aren't nice, but I happened not to meet any of them. Everyone was just really friendly.</p></li>
<li><p>They are one of the few schools in the Metropolitan area that doesn't have major drug or alcohol problems. Hack has good kids. I come from another school with no drugs or alcohol issues and I think it would have been a little uncomfortable to switch to a school where getting high was the norm.</p></li>
<li><p>It’s close enough to New York not to actually be far away, but it’s far enough away to feel as though I’m somewhere else completely.</p></li>
<li><p>I really like the fact that they're so tradition-based because I love being able to feel like I'm a part of something bigger, and often, that feeling comes from the things that students have done for generations. </p></li>
<li><p>For a day school, they offer quite a lot of classes, they have like every sport and if you want to do gym instead of a sport, they have a swimming pool, a gym (like to work out in), a regular gym, fields, you can go kayaking, rock climbing, do yoga, golf, etc. They have really awesome art classes and they have a music institute on campus so if you want to take lessons, it's not a problem.</p></li>
<li><p>The teachers actually seem interesting, and they really take advantage of Hackley's close proximity to New York and they take their students on meaningful trips. I haven't actually had a teacher from there yet, but the ones that I've met have been really helpful and kind, and from what I hear, caring.</p></li>
<li><p>It just felt right. I know that it's a short answer, but it's true, and more important than any of the other points above.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>I'm going to a day school in Ann Arbor next year.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>The academics are great. They have all the classes that I want, especially the history department where I'm planning to take Political Philosopy, Global Crises, Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, Middle Eastern Studies, Russian Studies, etc. I don't know how I'm going to be able to choose!</p></li>
<li><p>The kids there are really friendly and it seems pretty easy to make friends. People actually care about school and their grades.</p></li>
<li><p>They have a few sports that I've never played that seem pretty cool that I'd like to try. They're ranked number three in the state for their class, and number one in the Ann Arbor area. I want to play tennis or soccer in the fall, swimming or basketball in the winter, and baseball or lacrosse (haven't played before) next year. Once again I have no idea how I'm going to choose.</p></li>
<li><p>The teachers are amazing! The math teacher made special arragements for me to take a placement test near the end of the summer instead of the beginning because I want to try to get into Geometry Honors, and I'm not really ready for it. The French teacher has done the same so I can start French II next year after I take it at a summer program. </p></li>
</ol>
<p>They really care about their students academically, as well as a person. If you have trouble with anything they'll definitely try to help. They're just overall, really good people.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>The food looks great. They have an auction every year to help raise funds and they raised around $50,000 to make improvements for the lunches and the kitchen. When I spent a day there when I was applying, I thought the food was great. I can't wait to check it out next year!</p></li>
<li><p>The campus is pretty cool. Although it's just one building, the library and theatre are amazing. The area around the school is really pretty. They have a ton of athletic fields.</p></li>
<li><p>It's in Ann Arbor! I've always loved Ann Arbor and I can't wait to go to school there, although I won't really be able to do much right after school much since my mom will be driving me the first year and a half, but the day I turn 16 I'm driving to school by myself so I can stay after and find stuff to do around town. lol</p></li>
<li><p>It's 30 minutes away. If I were to stay at the school I go to now then the bus would come at around 6:45. Next year, I won't have to leave until about 7:20, so that's a lot of extra sleep. :)</p></li>
</ol>
<p>The only negative I can think of is homework. In the handbook thing it says we should expect 30 to 45 minutes of homework each night. I'm taking seven classes so I'm going to have anywhere from 3 1/2 - 5 1/4 hours of homework a night, if I did the math right.</p>
<p>Great thread! Keep the answers coming. They really go to the heart of what each family looks for and it's nice to hear the "it just felt right" comments. That's the one thing we are struggeling with - how to know what the right fit is, everyone says you just know and you all have certainly confirmed that.</p>
<p>It is really important for your child to decide what feels best to him or her. There are so many great schools. My kids were accepted to a few schools that are considered to be "top" choices by many on this board. They chose to go with their gut and to schools that seemed to really fit them. When they took out the prestige level and name of a school and really thought about what their needs were, and what their emotional connections to the schools were, they made what we believe will be the right choices for them. They will be going to excellent schools and we believe they will thrive. They felt that instead of trying to fit into a school, they needed to feel that they already did fit in. When you can say, "this is me and I feel like I belong here," then I think you have the right fit no matter where it is.</p>
<p>Perfect answer by liv&learn. EXACTLY what I felt. Even though Choate is a top school, I felt it would be right for me the minute I stepped on campus and I knew I was home. I think a lot of people here feel the same way about their schools, too. </p>
<p>Meleny --- you should answer, too!
And prettyckitty, and itshelenmelon, and thinkpink123, and Blair, and clz, and chipMonk, and Minna, and Cason, and redpride and LoveMeister. ;)</p>
<p>Why I chose Choate:</p>
<ol>
<li>Their performing arts is, in my opinion and what I have gathered from my research, the best program of all boarding schools. They are very dedicated to helping their art students grow in their area of choice. Plus: they have super alumni to prove this!</li>
<li>You know, how conservative it is. Oh yeah! I mean come on...the president went there! What a great education. Oh wait...wrong school! </li>
<li>I'm not even kidding about this: EVERY KID I SAW WAS SMILING! All of the students seemed SO happy. </li>
<li>The kids have such a say in the way the school is run. This is not a school where the administrators boss you around and make up the rules for you. Choate is very hip! They have children sit in on the board of trustees meeting. I love Choate because they let the kids have a say on EVERYthing. </li>
<li>The campus is spectacular. You know, everyon complains that it has the road running through. But this road kinda symbolizes something to me. It shows that in my town, I've taken the road untaken (much like Robert Frost's poem). It also proves that I'm not bond to this community. It kinda shows that reality is right there. </li>
<li>Like Olivia said, the liberal atmosphere. Go JFK!</li>
<li>The falculty just wanted to help you. The wanted to see you grow as a person, academically and emotionally. Like the students, they all smiled. </li>
<li>So many opportunities!!! Their courses are stupendous. There seems to be a class on everything. I love to learn, and I'm SO glad that Choate will foster my education for the next four years. </li>
</ol>
<p>GO CHOATE!!!</p>
<p>Well, Carolyn, if you look at the kids' protest over sit-down lunches to the actual effect of it... you wouldn't say that they have that much of a say! But that's not to say they don't try to, which I appreciate. :)</p>
<p>I have gone to the Webb School for six years (a boarding/day school) and I just graduated. Although I did not choose of my own free will to go there, I loved every minute of it! Webb gives its students a lot of freedom to explore who they want to be. Webb's boarding community allows students to understand the responsibility of living in a college environment yet still provides the structure kids need to do well in a prep school environment. There are so many opportunities to succeed at Webb and I am so grateful that I spent my years there.</p>