Anonymous wrote:Funny when DD shadowed at both she Hated Holton but loved SR. She found H to be too cold, the classrooms were too quiet, the fun factor wasn't there among the teachers except Art. Loved the cookies all over the place. She found SR to be warm and inviting, the administrators were awesome, the girls were all friendly and inclusive whether they were fat, cute, short etc., it didn't matter and all get along. They also all had iPads where H was using notebook I think. She's at neither now but has friends at both schools. If DD was the lil bit nerdy, serious minded, looked foward to where she would be in 10 years and mature, then H would be the place for her. I think the work and serious enviroment scared her. I would of loved for her to go to H but it wasn't to be.

Forgot to mention this was for HS. OP H has a welcome to prospective parents night where some of the top students would give individual presentations. Attend and see if your DC can do all what these girls describe in a normal school day.

As a Holton parent, the lower school is very open, fun and welcoming. They don't start using iPads until 6th grade but I think that is a good thing. No 3rd grader should have that type of internet access.

Middle School is transition. Prepares you for High School. Study skills course, speech course, guidance course. 5 major subjects with homework. All play a big roll in how you prepare, get yourself ready and present yourself. Even if your child is the shyest kid, they need to work together, talk in front of peers, etc... The homework increases and more independent projects are due. Final Exams start.

High School is no joke. You have to be independently organized and prepared. You can not slack your way thru. Most kids do multiple activities and still have a lot of homework.

So what I am saying is that you don't have to be a genius to succeed there. They give girls with promise a chance. It is more important to take it seriously, stay organize and work hard. The kids that learn organization and priorities early on, have a much better time in high school and enjoy it, compared to those running around trying to catch up. You can not be unintelligent but there are definitely some siblings and legacies that try to get by in middle school and get knocked off their pedestal quickly.

I think getting into the school by 7th grade is a must. I think moving from a public or easier school in 9th grade would be so hard.

We also looked at SR and NCS too and we liked them all for different things. Holton just seemed so diverse and welcoming of everyone. I am sure chapel can be a good thing but we were happy to leave any religion out of school.

Poors.

Holton Middle School is quite possibly the hardest private middle school in the area (have heard that from persons working with other private schools). I think it is part of a preparation process to get the students ready for rigorous high school. There are plenty of smart girls at Holton, perhaps some smarter than others, but it is not for the intellectually incapable. Sports is a pretty big component, too, but if you are heavily interested in arts that is a good substitute. I would think a student would want to be very interested in one or both.

Like PP suggested, it likely is not for a kid with piercings or wild makeup or bizarrely painted nails, as they actively require uniforms, tasteful makeup, no nail polish, minimal jewelry, etc. A kid who wanted to look avant garde every day would not fit in.

The school is far from cold - and much warmer than others we have toured - the teachers really get to know and care about the students on a personal level. There are staff and students of all sizes, shapes, races there - and they all get along. Not that Stone Ridge isn't the same.

I know 4 girls at Holton. All have Ivy parents and all are very smart academically. They say it is a challenging school.

Holton is academically rigorous. It is a myth that private schools are easy.

I know at least 3 girls at Holton - varying grades - who are lovely, smart, kind girls but none of the 3 are natural academic superstars. So I think all the hype is that Holton is for super bright girls somewhat overplayed.

Funny when DD shadowed at both she Hated Holton but loved SR. She found H to be too cold, the classrooms were too quiet, the fun factor wasn't there among the teachers except Art. Loved the cookies all over the place. She found SR to be warm and inviting, the administrators were awesome, the girls were all friendly and inclusive whether they were fat, cute, short etc., it didn't matter and all get along. They also all had iPads where H was using notebook I think. She's at neither now but has friends at both schools. If DD was the lil bit nerdy, serious minded, looked foward to where she would be in 10 years and mature, then H would be the place for her. I think the work and serious enviroment scared her. I would of loved for her to go to H but it wasn't to be.

Anonymous wrote:OK, but who leaves these schools early.

Girl not doing well academically
girl that wants a coed environment
girl that goes to boarding school
girl whose family can't afford it anymore
girl sick of the same kids and wants a larger school

NP

Holton is so diverse that most kids find a place. There is every race, nationality, religion and SES there. There are overachievers but most girls are just intelligent and work well with one another. It has a strong community feel to it. There are a few girls that are very shy and still have not come out of their shell. But that is the minority. Most of the shy ones (my daughter included) now have a good sense of self.

OK, but who leaves these schools early.

I would agree with the above about Holton, except "competitive," if what you meant is girls competing with one another. My DD is a strong student and thrives at Holton, but she hates competition, and IMO they do a great job of creating an environment where girls are working to improve upon their own best accomplishments, but NOT compete against one another. Compared with certain other schools that are all about competing, the difference is HUGE.

Kids who are easily overwhelmed by rigorous/competitive environments. Kids who prefer to hide and not be drawn out by teachers. Extremely artsy kids with piercings and colored hair. I'm talking about Holton. Don't know about Stone Ridge.

Boysl

I would just like to know since any of these schools would be the second for DD and if it does not work, we are going public, but that would be school number three and I don't want her to move that much.
TIA