<p>While I don't LOVE the school that I'm at, there are a lot of benefits. I care about my future, about my grades, and about my general ability to be responsible. I do my own laundry, I clean, I manage time. That is stuff I wouldn't experience until college. There is always a person you can lean on when you're in a community such as in boarding school. I feel like boarding school has given me such a different experience than I would have by staying in my (good) public school. I also have a much deeper appreciation for my parents, and if anything our relationship has strengthened tremendously. I am no longer dependent on them, but they accept that and appreciate the fact that they can trust me. Also, I am writing 8-10 page papers at the school that I'm at, where as my sister, who went to public school and is now at a good college, never wrote a paper longer than 4 pages her whole high school career.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Finances -- We don't have the funds to continue with private day school. Another parent advised us to look into BS.</p></li>
<li><p>Intellectual Peers -- My son is naturally gifted. Wonderful -- yes, but difficult to motivate since it comes so easily to him. Although the academics at BS will push him, it is really the healthy competition of being surrounded by bright young minds that appeals most to us.</p></li>
<li><p>Tranquility in our Home -- I don't want to "get rid of" my son, but he has gone away for three weeks for the last 3 summers. When he is gone, my remaining 2 kids have a much better relationship and everyone welcomes big bro home with open arms. I know all siblings fight, but that doesn't mean I accept the "bad" relationships being developed. I'd PREFER he be within an hour of home so we can visit him weekly. Yeah -- I want the best of both worlds.</p></li>
<li><p>THACHERPARENT said it best -- my son is just wired different. I would NEVER allow my middle child to go to boarding school. Although he is only 9, I just can't see him growing into a young teen who could live away from home. My oldest who is applying for BS for 9th grade -- well he was born independent (hated stuffed animals, never fussed when we took him to school or left him with a relative), curious and a thrill seeker.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>My wife threatened to send our D to boarding school this October, and instead of pleading not to go, she asked “which one". Now we are stuck, but it’s a great place to be stuck. She goes to a good public school and is in honors everything and maintains good grades. She has gone away to summer camp for at least a month, sometimes as much as seven weeks, for the past five years. She is very social and her group of friends is the “United Nations.” She has been to academically challenging camps for the last two summers and has come home excited and appreciative of a culture where "everyone is smart and it’s so great.” So for us boarding school means an environment where the exceptional is ordinary and expected. This is an opportunity to provide a door that she can open and see infinite possibilities. We don't think too much about college yet because we believe these schools will cultivate her love of learning and that will make anything possible. The most important thing is that she is excited about this, it’s what she wants, and we want her to be in an environment where she can be comfortable with her abilities. While touring and interviewing we have seen great communities where she could be very happy.</p>
<p>Eyebrow said, "boarding school means an environment where the exceptional is ordinary and expected" </p>
<p>BINGO</p>
<p>Although we had several outstanding day schools in our area, the commute time was too long & aggitating. Many day schools--both private & religiously affiliated--cater to the parents as much as to the students, while the boarding school attended by our son focused solely on the students.
Additionally, we--as parents-- were interested in some of the Ivy League schools and our son's boarding school traditionally had about 50% of each class accepted to at least one Ivy & 35% matriculated at an Ivy. Somewhat ironically, even though encouraged to apply by three of the Ivies, he did not even apply to a single college or university in the northeast U.S.</p>
<p>Tow key reasons for us: (1) opportunities all so close at hand, both academics and extracurriculars. (2) diversity - meeting students from all different economic, social, religious, family, racial, sexual, etc., backgrounds.</p>
<p>1- Boarding. I love the boarding aspect of it. I've been in a ton of 4 week or more sleepaway camps, and I've loved all of them. Boarding school (like Exeter) would be even better. And not like CTY, b/c most people genuinely want to learn in boarding school.</p>
<p>2-Sports. There are so many sports, most of all crew, which I want to start so badly (and lax, too, but we have that here also).</p>
<p>3-Teenage Moodiness. Right now is not the best time to be with my parents right now. Maybe it's because of my overall stress with the applications, but I've been getting p***** off alot more as of late. It'd be better to come home during long breaks.</p>
<p>4-Everything else part of boarding school that will (hopefully) make it a life-changing experience. Or at least an incredible one. </p>
<p>And as for me, college matriculation was never something that concerned me. I'm not going to boarding school just so I can go to Harvard or Yale. The only time I thought of that was when some of my friends wanted to bash my schools and compare matriculation rates (that didn't turn out too well for them...)</p>
<p>I am new here and greetings to everyone on here.</p>