I’m so glad DS2 is saying goodbye to PARCC tests.
They wasted five class days for the test.
This year has been crazy with protests, walk-outs by high schoolers, families opting out, scheduling daycares as some schools won’t let the kids stay in school or not let them leave the school while opting-out, etc. Some kids were in principal’s office for bringing math workbooks. Only reading books were allowed.
I let DS take it rather than opting out. It was so easy for him that he finished three books during the week after he finished the dumb test. I love that he got uninterrupted free reading time though.
One of his friends was not lucky. He was pulled out from his class and was forced to take a make-up PARCC test. I heard that he asked for a lawyer but was denied. Some middle schoolers are serious but the school doesn’t realize that.
What a great thread! I’m so glad the question was asked because the replies have been very helpful as we start our BS search. In my child’s case, we found we needed to expand the geographic radius to access schools that have everything we want in one place. Once I realized a lengthy commute was probable then BS seemed more practical as an option.
Coming from the perspective of a NJ resident, I don’t understand the attraction of boarding schools. Between the generally excellent public schools, the top magnet schools in every county and great parochial high schools, it seems like a royal waste of 250k. The profile of college acceptances in an apples to apples comparison is no better, and in fact worse than some public choices.
@BatesParents2019 I don’t want to come across as bitter/angry/insert negative adjective here, but I would like to give you my reasons for wanting boarding school.
I’ve always been a poor kid in a diverse town. Single parent, income <$20K, town with large okay public schools. In middle school, I was incredibly unhappy; I was bored, not challenged, and often felt dragged down.
I applied to boarding school three times (spoiler: I’m finally going!) because I want to be surrounded by motivated peers. I’ve always craved a tight community and close relationships with my teachers, and these are things I expect at boarding school.
Notice that I didn’t mention college. I have an idea of the type of school I’m interested in (similar to Bates, perhaps 
), but it’s up to me to get in, not my school. College will take care of itself.
Just my two cents!
^^^ I’m at a loss to identify the “top magnet schools” in NJ’s Salem, Cumberland, Cape May counties, nor, probably in Gloucester and Atlantic, or even Warren and Sussex. As a whole, yes, New Jersey has public schools that compare favorably with other states, but as in most things, the averages hide some glaring local anomalies. Plus, as Xystus points out, driving distance in several of the referenced counties makes for difficult commutes.
I’m an NJ parent living in a highly rated school district who sent a kid to BS. Not because of differences in college acceptance, but for differences in social and learning milieu. Favorite quotation from our former public school–D2 was in 10th grade, fellow 10th grader in AP physics says “I got a 93 on that test–my mom is gonna KILL me.” My very unconventional D2 did not find kindred spirits in our school system, but loved her last 2 years at a quaker boarding school where she was challenged in small class and surrounded by kids who were learning for the sake of learning rather than for the sake of college admission.
There is a culture of anti-intellectualism that pervades even the best public schools and love of learning is considered to be a social stigma. Once you consider alternatives to this, it is hard to accept the standard course of education laid out for the general public. IMHO, there is no question that boarding schools offer a superior education and experience to gifted students who are ready for the academic and social challenges. The only reason that this argument exists is because of a very steep tuition that requires a great deal of sacrifice for almost all families.
Same argument is echoed 3-4 years later when kids are considering great state school and living at home vs. top private school requiring living away from home.
My daughter has been homeschooled and a full time community college student. She excels in and enjoys her college classes. She has friends in her classes, albeit much older than her. I am still not sure that a boarding school will offer significantly better academics. Academics and college prospect could be her price to pay by choosing to go to a BS.
I am planning to send her next Fall because she wants to experience independent living, surrounded by both age & intellectual peers. She wants to take it slow and fully enjoy her childhood. And I agree that it might be the best choice for increasing her overall lifelong happiness.
@heartburner…my sentiments EXACTLY
@jwalche: In a nutshell, “YMMV”! Someone may get the best possible academic training from homeschooling, some may get it from a good public school, a private day school, or a combination of online classes, regular classroom education and a community college. It depends on the individual’s available resources, circumstances and their learning style. Over time, elite boarding schools have gained their reputation for excellent academics and other offerings, but it’s never meant to be for everyone, and it may well not be the “cup of tea” for your kid.
Same can be said about college prospect. “YMMV”. BS and what it’s offering can help some kids, be a neutral factor to some, and even hurt some others. However, there’s no reason to think that elite boarding schools are doing worse in college placement than any other types of school. If anything, they do have excellent college counseling, long standing relationships and solid reputation with elite colleges, and more importantly, track records of graduates being well prepared and doing well in colleges.
@panpacific I agree that elite boarding schools are doing better in college placement than most of schools, and on far with selected a few day schools. As YMMV, I have been challenging dd so much with her homeschooling that I honestly believe she would be less challenged even at an elite boarding school, and even lessor at a not-too-elite all-girls boarding schools that she is planning to apply. She got her California high school diploma equivalent at 10.
But that’s the beauty of it. I used to believed that maximizing her academic and artistic potential was not only my right but also a moral duty as an Asian homeschooling parent. Now I think it was just silly. She can be a little less successful and become a lot more happier. Daughter will bank enough California community college credits for University of California transfer before heading to a boarding school next Fall. That’s her safety net for college if she doesn’t get a good freshman college admission 4 years later.
I know I don’t sound very optimistic. But I think I shouldn’t be since she is an Asian girl with financial aid. If she would homeschool for the 4 years during high school age, she would be distinguished from other high performing Asian girls. I am happy with it either way. There are some prices to pay as well as free gifts to receive for being an Asian girl in the U.S.
^^ I see your point now. I agree she will probably not get more “challenging academics” from the BS she will attend, nevertheless she will learn some things valuable she wouldn’t back home. And I will send you a quick PM about colleges.
When we started homeschooling 7 years ago, she was emotionally and morally mature for age, and couldn’t get along well with majority of age peers who were still developing in that area. But now she finds majority of well educated age peer girls (not yet for boys) are very mature and pleasant to hang around.
Being able to do that day and night would bring both growth and happiness. She will learn many things HIGHLY valuable that she wouldn’t as a homeschooling child. We feel that she has spent enough time with us and ready to leave our nest.
I also want her too join a racially diverse group before she gets older. Somehow vast majority of homeschooling girls around her have been Whites even though she is an Asian. I hope she could meet and connect with well educated girls in other races including her own. But we can’t find enough of them homeschooling and can’t find suitable age peer girls to hang out even for occasionally.
I am a little confused @jwalche-- if your D received her High School equivalency diploma at age 10 and already has substantial college level course work under her belt, will she have not already completed the vast majority of any high school curriculum, boarding school or otherwise? Certainly most of the top boarding schools offer college level courses but certainly not enough to keep a student enrolled for 4 years at the college level. Or even 2 years with a full course load for that matter.
@HarvestMoon1 While she has substantial coursework, all but one course are studio art and art history. Also, because she has spent so much time on arts, her all academic area had to be condensed, skipped, or otherwise substituted with variation of art course. For example, I minimized her English writing and focused on reading. Then used art history to cover world history and writing as well. Her math is not at what it could be. Music was dropped 1.5 years ago. Spanish was dropped 1 year ago, etc, etc. Sacrifices have been made so she can do arts 20~30 hours per week.
Our original plan was that she does junior transfer to a local 4 years college next Fall with a Fine Arts major in Spacial Art. Most of the lower level general educations were either met with some art course or exam credited with CLEP.
But now she wants BS. She wants to take it slow, experience what only teens can experience, learn what she has skimmed or skipped. and think about her future with more options. She might still end up majoring arts, or find another passion and keep arts as a hobby.
In a nut shell, we think she will have plenty to learn at a BS for 4 years.
I’m going to show this thread to my boy the next time he accuses me of being a tiger dad. 
The highschool equivalency is CHSPE (California High School Proficiency Exam) It has three sub tests - reading, writing, and math. While reading was easy for her, she barely passed writing and math on a second test with some luck I think. Then we approached local community colleges with her art portfolio for admission. She had already done enough of 2 hours long high school art class and wanted/needed longer and more advanced instructions.
Ironically, her art history professor and adult classmates convinced her for BS. She has been very happy with her college art class, but she is willing to give it up for BS experience.
For the first time, she is going to take several academic courses this year - English, science, Spanish, history. She is afraid of falling behind, and plans to catch up academics before BS starts next Fall. Her own choice and not mine. It will also help her to transfer to UC in the future if she doesn’t get a good freshman college admission, since UC doesn’t give credit for CLEP exams.
@jwalche Got it. But your original 2 posts gave a very different impression,
@HarvestMoon1 I understand. I have an uncommon case and it’s hard to explain well without lengthy postings. Perhaps I need to improve my writing organization skills.