Have you considered boarding school?

[Anonymous]

Hey, I'm always spreading the idea of boarding school. I'm applying this year and I think that people in the DC area should consider this. Here are some common questions:
But I don't have 40,000$ to spend on education EVERY YEAR!
Some schools were started before this country and some have a billion dollars in funds. If you make below 80,000$ you get a full ride. Scholarships are offered up until the 225,000$ a year mark.

Can I see one?
45 minutes south of DC! Episcopal High School in Alexandria! I would visit it if you want to get a feel for it.

I did CTY/Duke TiP... Will I get into the best schools?
TiP is the top 0.5% of kids... Boarding school is far more selective. Only half of my friends from TiP were accepted to the top schools.

Is it a really good education?
YES! Schools over over 200 classes, and many times you won't find better classes/teachers even at most colleges!

Average SAT score? Where do these kids go? Why should I spend the money?
The average SAT score natioanlly is 1500. Boarding school average is 1800-2100, plus your child will take classes that you thought would only be possible in college... Every Alumni I interviewed with told me that College was EASY. They had amazing worth habits and they were the only ones in their classes that had seen most of the material in some form or fashion. They all went to top notch colleges. Some schools send 15% of their students to Harvard. Year after year. Some send 25% to Yale year after year.

A student(ME) was asked why boarding school. This is their personal reason, and I think it really highlights the type of kids that apply.

I don't live with doubt. I do things, I don't regret opting out, because I don't opt out.
I couldn't live with myself if I knew that I didn't pursue every opportunity. A 3rd grade education is the average in my family before we came to America. I was born in the states and that alone is an amazing opportunity. I speak English. Another amazing advantage that I gained from being born here. Why miss an amazing opportunity I could grasp? I've been told my entire life that I was a failure. I was doubted, and often despised. I grew up very angry and narcissistic. I've been told that I'll be moved down to lower classes if I can't "keep up". I prepared to spend my entire life working a truck in Jersey when I was told I was unintelligent. I accepted their reality as reality. I decided to substitute my own and now I'm happy. I took an IQ test to see if I qualified for a program and I killed it by over 20 points. An IQ score is derived from the tested mental age being divided by the physical age. Then you take that ratio and multiply it by 100. I didn't tell the school. It took me a while to learn to ignore what other people say and figure out things for myself. I got into all honors classes and I take 1 junior and 1 senior class to keep myself busy. I'm taking 3 AP exams as a Sophmore(Three times the number taken by the most advanced sophmore. I'm taking more than most seniors and I got picked over seniors for an advanced mathematics competition that is a real world theory analysis on chaos theory. I got picked over them and that got me respect). Sorry to brag, but I've come a long way from what I expected of myself AND from what I was told I would become.
I know nothing can stop me, because challenges arn't there to stop us. They are there to give us the opportunity to show how much we want something
I live in the moment. The moment that I wanted to go was the moment I knew I would have to do it... Or at least try.

The end. Nothing more. My thoughts, take them for what you will.

Index of schools:
http://www.boardingschoolreview.com/

Top school list:
Rank College Preparatory School Location Ivy League+ MIT Stanford Placement(%)+ SAT Score +Harvard Placement+ Rank MIT Placement Rank+ Yale Placement Rank +Stanford Placement Rank +Princeton Placement Rank+ Student/ Faculty Ratio+ AP Courses+ Boarding Grade School Type+ Day Student+ Tuition+ Board Student Tuition +Endowment

1 St. Paul's School NH 34% 2049 20 unranked 13 9 17 1 : 5 19 9th-12th Coed School $37,250 (USD) $334 million (USD)
2 Deerfield Academy MA 32% 2040 17 12 18 unranked 20 1 : 5 19 9th-13th (PG) Coed School $27,000 (USD) $36,130 (USD) $308 million (USD)
2 Milton Academy MA 32% 1360 8 8 unranked unranked 5 1 : 5 11 9th-12th Coed School $29,550 (USD) $36,775 (USD) $140 million (USD)
4 Groton School MA 31% 2100 7 unranked 20 unranked unranked 1 : 5 13 8th-12th Coed School $29,890 (USD) $39,850 (USD) $237 million (USD)
5 Middlesex School MA 30% 2010 9 16 unranked unranked unranked 1 : 5 19 9th-12th Coed School $31,075 (USD) $38,850 (USD) $78 million (USD)
6 Phillips Academy Andover MA 29% 2008 11 4 18 unranked unranked 1 : 5 14 9th-13th (PG) Coed School $27,450 (USD) $35,250 (USD) $623 million (USD)
6 Phillips Exeter Academy NH 29% 2073 20 12 unranked 13 10 1 : 5 19 9th-13th (PG) Coed School $26,600 (USD) $34,500 (USD) $806 million (USD)
8 Noble and Greenough School MA 28% 1355 19 unranked unranked unranked unranked 1 : 7 19 9th-12th Coed School $28,900 (USD) $33,300 (USD) $42 million (USD)
9 St. Albans School DC 25% 20 unranked 4 unranked 10 1 : 7 14 9th-12th Boys School $28,860 (USD) $40,824 (USD) $35 million (USD)
10 Lawrenceville School NJ 22% 2020 unranked unranked unranked unranked 9 1 : 8 11 9th-13th (PG) Coed School $30,010 (USD) $36,820 (USD) $200 million (USD)
11 Hotchkiss School CT 20% 2015 unranked unranked unranked unranked unranked 1 : 5 18 9th-13th (PG) Coed School $28,315 (USD) $33,310 (USD) $357 million (USD)
12 Choate Rosemary Hall CT 19% 1332 unranked unranked unranked unranked unranked 1 : 6 19 9th-13th (PG) Coed School $27,350 (USD) $37,300 (USD) $213 million (USD)
13 Hockaday School TX 18% 1990 unranked 12 unranked 2 unranked 1 : 14 19 8th-12th Girls School $20,805 (USD) $38,045 (USD) $100 million (USD)
14 Peddie School NJ 17% unranked unranked unranked unranked unranked 1 : 6 10 9th-13th (PG) Coed School $26,900 (USD) $35,500 (USD) $249 million (USD)
15 St. Andrew's School DE 16% 1305 unranked unranked unranked 19 unranked 1 : 5 11 9th-12th Coed School $35,500 (USD) $170 million (USD)
15 Belmont Hill School MA 16% 1340 6 unranked unranked unranked unranked 1 : 7 10 9th-12th Boys School $27,900 (USD) $33,590 (USD) $47 million (USD)
17 Blair Academy NJ 12% 1855 unranked unranked unranked unranked unranked 1 : 6 21 9th-13th (PG) Coed School $30,000 (USD) $41,600 (USD) $61 million (USD)
17 Taft School CT 12% 1293 16 unranked unranked unranked unranked 1 : 6 19 9th-13th (PG) Coed School $27,300 (USD) $36,800 (USD) $172 million (USD)
19 St. George's School RI 11% 1291 unranked unranked unranked unranked unranked 1 : 5 19 9th-12th Coed School $24,550 (USD) $36,550 (USD) $95 million (USD)
19 Indian Springs School AL 11% 1305 unranked unranked unranked unranked unranked 1 : 8 18 9th-12th Coed School $14,825 (USD) $27,500 (USD) $25 million (USD)
21 Cate School CA 10% 1310 unranked unranked unranked unranked unranked 1 : 5 19 9th-12th Coed School $27,700 (USD) $36,350 (USD) $60 million (USD)
21 Concord Academy MA 10% 2023 unranked unranked unranked unranked unranked 1 : 6 14 9th-12th Coed School $30,580 (USD) $37,820 (USD) $41 million (USD)
23 Cranbrook Schools MI 8-10% 1921 unranked unranked unranked unranked unranked 1 : 8 16 9th-12th Coed School $23,900 (USD) $32,900 (USD) $150 million (USD)
23 Georgetown Preparatory School MD 8-10% unranked unranked unranked unranked unranked 1 : 8 16 9th-12th Boys School $22,650 (USD) $39,650 (USD) $80 million (USD)
23 Loomis Chaffee School CT 8-10% unranked unranked unranked unranked unranked 1 : 5 14 9th-13th (PG) Coed School $28,000 (USD) $37,000 (USD) $150 million (USD)
23 Northfield Mount Hermon School MA 8-10% 1202 unranked unranked unranked unranked unranked 1 : 7 15 9th-13th (PG) Coed School $26,900 (USD) $37,100 (USD) $137 million (USD)
23 Miss Porter's School CT 8-10% 1865 unranked unranked unranked unranked unranked 1 : 8 18 9th-12th Girls School $28,350 (USD) $36,950 (USD) $87 million (USD)
23 Emma Willard School NY 8-10% 1910 unranked unranked unranked unranked unranked 1 : 5 16 9th-13th (PG) Girls School $22,000 (USD) $34,800 (USD) $102 million (USD)
23 Episcopal High School VA 8-10% unranked unranked unranked unranked unranked 1 : 7 18 9th-12th Coed School $35,650 (USD) $126 million (USD)
30 Kent School CT 5-8% unranked unranked unranked unranked unranked 1 : 7 19 9th-13th (PG) Coed School $31,300 (USD) $39,900 (USD) $73 million (USD)
30 Webb Schools CA 5-8% 1300 unranked unranked unranked unranked unranked 1 : 7 19 9th-12th Coed School $27,860 (USD) $39,170 (USD) $15 million (USD)
30 Woodberry Forest School VA 5-8% 1310 unranked unranked unranked unranked unranked 1 : 8 19 9th-12th Boys School $33,700 (USD) $165 million (USD)
30 Culver Academies IN 5-8% unranked unranked unranked unranked unranked 1 : 9 15 9th-13th (PG) Coed School $21,000 (USD) $28,900 (USD) $157 million (USD)

[Anonymous]

Sounds good, but I couldn't bear to be separated from my daughter during high school. I'm already dreading her departure for college!

[Anonymous]

Can I send the kid's dad?

[Anonymous]

I would never in a million years consider boarding school for my DD.

Maybe I am judgmental, but I really think people do this when they have "problem children" or b/c they don't want to deal with the normal and difficult issues that arise while being a parent. Correct me if I am wrong but that's the way I see it.

[Anonymous]

I disagree. I personally did not go to boarding school but know a ton of people who did, including my sister. All went voluntarily and almost all loved their experience. They received great educations and were well-prepared for college. Obviously there are downsides too but I don't think it is fair to say it is a way to get rid of kids.

[Anonymous]

One of my parents went to one of those schools. But I would not want my kids living away from us any sooner than needed! We're going to miss them so much.

[Anonymous]

I'm open to it if my son wants it. I think, at 13, he'll be mature enough to make that type of decision. But right now, that's not even on his radar.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm open to it if my son wants it. I think, at 13, he'll be mature enough to make that type of decision. But right now, that's not even on his radar.

Oh, but I must qualify this comment: we're thinking of Sandy Spring Friends boarding, which is very close by. I'd want him home on weekends to the extent practicable.

[Anonymous]

I think in DC there is not much reason for it because we have such great local schools. The people I know who are sending their kids to baording schools live in other parts of the country where even the private schools are not comparable.

[Anonymous]

My friends from DC ended up going to EHS(Episcopal High School) and they love it. 40 minutes to see their parents(Sometimes an hour with traffic) and they have alot of opportunities. How many times has you child's highschool sent students to be assistants for senators? Assistant meaning they go to meetings and do work along the way(NOT DESK WORK, they spend half the day with regular studies and the other half with political studies). They can do that for a term.

[Anonymous]

Is there a place that takes 3.5 y/o children? Maybe just a 6 month program or something?

[Anonymous]

I went to college with many people who had gone to boarding school. Their descriptions of the experience made it sound awful, imho. Seriously, they were so burnt out by college and college wasn't that challenging. They told stories of being miserable the first year or two and marking the days off the calendar. (Think the book "Prep"). Though they were ahead of me at the beginning of college, I was ahead by the end because I wasn't burnt out. They weren't naturally smarter (mainly just richer) and in the end I don't know that their were long term effects to this supposedly superior educational experience.

[Anonymous]

"I would never in a million years consider boarding school for my DD.

Maybe I am judgmental, but I really think people do this when they have "problem children" or b/c they don't want to deal with the normal and difficult issues that arise while being a parent. Correct me if I am wrong but that's the way I see it. "

I went to one of those top boarding schools and the population really isn't problem kids. They are very rigorous and do offer alot of opportunities. I went because there were not good private or public schools in my area. There also was no diversity, musuems or other things in my area. As much as a loved and valued my experiences I am not considering it for my kids. There are so many great schools in this area. If I lived in the middle of the country....

[Anonymous]

Isn't this an ad?

[Anonymous]

No, the thread has not endorsed any school inparticular. Just mentioning this as an option for educational consideration for a 9th-12th grade student.