St. Paul's School (NH) vs Sidwell

[Anonymous]

My kid is lucky to have these two options. Going in, we were dead set on Sidwell, but he got into St. Paul's unexpectedly. We weren't really considering boarding schools but decided to just apply as a safety measure if we didn't get any top DC private schools. St. Paul's just looks like an incredible experience.

Any advice?

[Anonymous]

I'd visit St Paul's for admitted students day and then decide. Your kid really has to want to go to boarding school and can't be pressured for it to be a good experience.

It's 100% boarding, which I'm sure you know, which means there's probably a good campus life. I went to boarding school as a day student and had a great experience. That being said, I'm not sure I'd be willing to send my kids to boarding school as boarders and would likely choose Sidwell. I personally think they're on par academically.

[Anonymous]

I would never send my child to a school that had to have an independent monitor installed by the state because the school persistently failed to protect children from abuse.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/13/us/st-pauls-school-sex-abuse.html?unlocked_article_code=1.TFA.sDKl.Y_4VT19skq-x&smid=url-share

Sidwell would be an easy choice for me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid is lucky to have these two options. Going in, we were dead set on Sidwell, but he got into St. Paul's unexpectedly. We weren't really considering boarding schools but decided to just apply as a safety measure if we didn't get any top DC private schools. St. Paul's just looks like an incredible experience.

Any advice?

Sidwell.

Boarding school shouldn’t be a backup plan. Your child should want that very niche educational experience with all their heart. He/she should be boarding school or bust. Otherwise, choose the day school (a top tier day school in your case).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would never send my child to a school that had to have an independent monitor installed by the state because the school persistently failed to protect children from abuse.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/13/us/st-pauls-school-sex-abuse.html?unlocked_article_code=1.TFA.sDKl.Y_4VT19skq-x&smid=url-share

Sidwell would be an easy choice for me.

Yikes! 😱

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid is lucky to have these two options. Going in, we were dead set on Sidwell, but he got into St. Paul's unexpectedly. We weren't really considering boarding schools but decided to just apply as a safety measure if we didn't get any top DC private schools. St. Paul's just looks like an incredible experience.

Any advice?

Sidwell.

Boarding school shouldn’t be a backup plan. Your child should want that very niche educational experience with all their heart. He/she should be boarding school or bust. Otherwise, choose the day school (a top tier day school in your case).

+1. This is crazy OP. You don’t give a 13 YO the choice between a school here and a school hundreds of miles from home. It’s not like choosing between Sidwell and Maret or Andover and Deerfield.

[Anonymous]

St. Paul’s as a backup? Must be some kid! That’s impressive. Crazy, but impressive

There is only one way to evaluate this: in person revisits at both schools.