Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Never in a million years would i send a kid to boarding school. My college friends who came from them had either very messed up home lives which made it preferable or logistical reasons (parents stationed in developing countries with no good educational option). I am sure it is great for some people, but not worth the loss of closeness with the kid ( who is still a kid).

It's true that most kids in American boarding schools come from "messed up" home situations. Most of the other kids are foreign.

Day school person here -- but man do you all sound insular and provincial.

Not OP. Most of the opinions that say, " I did not go to boarding school and would never consider sending my child to boarding school b/c..." Are not particularly helpful.

From those with actual experience, it sounds like the best choice is to consider if your child wants to go.

As for boarding school is for kids with "messed up home lives, etc", OP is talking about Andover not reform school. Andover accepts around 20% of applicants less than most colleges.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Never in a million years would i send a kid to boarding school. My college friends who came from them had either very messed up home lives which made it preferable or logistical reasons (parents stationed in developing countries with no good educational option). I am sure it is great for some people, but not worth the loss of closeness with the kid ( who is still a kid).

It's true that most kids in American boarding schools come from "messed up" home situations. Most of the other kids are foreign.

Day school person here -- but man do you all sound insular and provincial.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Never in a million years would i send a kid to boarding school. My college friends who came from them had either very messed up home lives which made it preferable or logistical reasons (parents stationed in developing countries with no good educational option). I am sure it is great for some people, but not worth the loss of closeness with the kid ( who is still a kid).

It's true that most kids in American boarding schools come from "messed up" home situations. Most of the other kids are foreign.

Day school person here -- but man do you all sound insular and provincial.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Never in a million years would i send a kid to boarding school. My college friends who came from them had either very messed up home lives which made it preferable or logistical reasons (parents stationed in developing countries with no good educational option). I am sure it is great for some people, but not worth the loss of closeness with the kid ( who is still a kid).

It's true that most kids in American boarding schools come from "messed up" home situations. Most of the other kids are foreign.

Anonymous wrote:Never in a million years would i send a kid to boarding school. My college friends who came from them had either very messed up home lives which made it preferable or logistical reasons (parents stationed in developing countries with no good educational option). I am sure it is great for some people, but not worth the loss of closeness with the kid ( who is still a kid).

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I would never send my 14 year old to boarding school and I don't understand those that do. We have so little time with our children as it is.

Sounds like the 14-year-old is condemned to a local university where you'll see him every day and do the laundry to prevent self-devastation.

Sure, that's a logical next step. Kids whose parents don't want them to go to boarding school end up living at home. Somehow, my parents thought boarding school was a horrible idea and i still ended up at harvard and fully employed and self sufficient. Who'd have thunk it. Clearly, i am not alone.

To echo that, I went to one of the top 5 institutes in the country and attended public school. So did most of my friends. The few that went to Choate, Exeter, etc had maturity issues. Most failed our first semester which woke them up to the fact that the party was over. So yeah...

*gave
Since PP have specifics I will too. I went to MIT. Most kids went to public high school.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I would never send my 14 year old to boarding school and I don't understand those that do. We have so little time with our children as it is.

Sounds like the 14-year-old is condemned to a local university where you'll see him every day and do the laundry to prevent self-devastation.

Sure, that's a logical next step. Kids whose parents don't want them to go to boarding school end up living at home. Somehow, my parents thought boarding school was a horrible idea and i still ended up at harvard and fully employed and self sufficient. Who'd have thunk it. Clearly, i am not alone.

To echo that, I went to one of the top 5 institutes in the country and attended public school. So did most of my friends. The few that went to Choate, Exeter, etc had maturity issues. Most failed our first semester which woke them up to the fact that the party was over. So yeah...

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I would never send my 14 year old to boarding school and I don't understand those that do. We have so little time with our children as it is.

Sounds like the 14-year-old is condemned to a local university where you'll see him every day and do the laundry to prevent self-devastation.

Sure, that's a logical next step. Kids whose parents don't want them to go to boarding school end up living at home. Somehow, my parents thought boarding school was a horrible idea and i still ended up at harvard and fully employed and self sufficient. Who'd have thunk it. Clearly, i am not alone.

Anonymous wrote:

Oh for gods sake. So send her for a semester or summer abroad.

Or send her to public school, where she'll meet tons of kids from other countries.

This "hook" would not suffice as a global education for my child.

Anonymous wrote:

I would never send my 14 year old to boarding school and I don't understand those that do. We have so little time with our children as it is.

Sounds like the 14-year-old is condemned to a local university where you'll see him every day and do the laundry to prevent self-devastation.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most 8th graders have instinct, gut, and mind. At least mine does. He can read, review school websites and talk to students, teachers and coaches at boarding schools. He has visited some schools and even sat in on classes, joined a team practice and spent an overnight. I'm sure an 8th grader can get a good read on whether he likes or dislikes a situation. They have opinions. At least mine does.

Of course kids know what they "like". In fact, most of them know by age two, btw.

How do you feel about the drinking and drugs "options" your kid will have at boarding school?

While most caring parents can't even control that at home, let alone at a far away boarding school. And don't kid yourself. NO ONE cares about your kid, half as much as you do.

Anonymous wrote:Most 8th graders have instinct, gut, and mind. At least mine does. He can read, review school websites and talk to students, teachers and coaches at boarding schools. He has visited some schools and even sat in on classes, joined a team practice and spent an overnight. I'm sure an 8th grader can get a good read on whether he likes or dislikes a situation. They have opinions. At least mine does.

Oh for gods sake. So send her for a semester or summer abroad.

Or send her to public school, where she'll meet tons of kids from other countries.