What Schools to Apply to?

gofiguresk8 · 10-21-2012, 02:48 PM

I'm looking for liberal schools that have good social science courses. Currently I'm applying to St. Pauls, Andover, Deerfield, Loomis Chaffe, and Hotchkiss. If you think one of these schools would not fit my personality, please tell me.

I'm a social person, and I love meeting new people. I tried to stay away from super small schools because I don't think I'd do well there.

Dance is my passion. All these schools have a dance program, but I know St. Pauls is the best.

I would really enjoy a school with a lot of international students/diversity.

I'd like my school to be near an urban area.

I think I would do better in a school with more of a laid back atmosphere, but I'm open to anything.

I scored in the 93 percentile on the SSAT, all A's on my transcripts, and have 8 extracurriculars. Also, I live in Montana, so I may be able to fill out the 50 state diversity that some schools have.

I'm aware that all of these schools are reaches. Any safety schools to apply to would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance

coconutcake · 10-21-2012, 04:18 PM

Have you checked out Interlaken for the arts in Michigan?

coconutcake · 10-21-2012, 04:20 PM

Oops, I'm sorry. I meant Interlochen. There is an Interlaken in my area, hence the mixup.

gofiguresk8 · 10-21-2012, 06:22 PM

Thanks! I'll definitely take a look those schools.

aaralyn · 10-28-2012, 01:41 PM

As a current Lawrenceville student, I will have to suggest it to you, especially since it seems to fit you very well!

Lawrenceville has a very nice and welcoming community, and in my first two months here I'm pretty sure I've already met more than half the school. I'm also a tour guide, so I get to meet lots of potential applicants too! Lawrenceville has a student body of about 800, so it's definitely not super small.

Dance - Lawrenceville provides dance as a sport option, and also has many dance teams. Lawrenceville Dance Team (LDT) is the very selective girls dance team, Tour de Force is the hip-hop group, L-Krew is the boys dance team, and there is also Lawrenceville Flash Mob for everyone.

As an international student myself (China), I can advocate for the diversity at the school - there are people from all kinds of backgrounds and ethnicities here, and no discrimination at all. It is really an amazing community.

Urban area - Lawrenceville is about 10 minutes from Princeton and 30 minutes from Trenton.

Laid back atmosphere - this is ultimately what made me choose Lawrenceville! Lawrenceville does have the rigorous academics and intense athletics/extracurriculars, but at the same time it is not a pressure cooker school and is nowhere near sink or swim. You get to make many decisions for yourself and no one but yourself is there to put pressure on you. It is not very formal - the dress code is relatively relaxed compared to most schools you're looking at, we can wear denim to classes!

So yeah, that was me selling L'ville.

Let me know if you decide to take a look!

girlgeekmom · 10-28-2012, 05:20 PM

Hmmm... none of the schools you mention has a particularly "laid back atomosphere"

And as for "near an urban area," it REALLY depends what you mean. Andover is relatively close to Boston. Hotchkiss is in the middle of a VERY rural area. The other schools are not particularly "near" urban areas. Do you mean a small city? A major metropolitan area like Boston, NYC or Philly? Aaralyn is right that Lawrenceville is near Princeton, which, while not exactly "urban," has a lot to offer, and Trenton, which, while very urban, has little to recommend it. However, it's also a reasonable distance, via public transportation, to both NYC and Philadelphia.

You don't say whether you're a boy or girl. If you're a girl, given your list of "wants" and your passion for dance, I'd say look at Emma Willard. Troy NY is not a thrilling area, but it's very near Albany, which like many state capitals is a manageably-sized urban area with some decent shopping, arts offerings, etc. It's no Boston or NYC, but you'll meet a diverse lot of people.

When our daughter first was looking, she did not particularly care to attend a girls school (she wasn't against it, it was just not high on the list -- academics and music were the most important considerations). She is now at Emma and finds it a good fit. They have an excellent dance program and a high level dance ensemble.

If you're a boy, of course, Emma won't be a good fit at all.

gofiguresk8 · 10-28-2012, 07:07 PM

Thanks to both of you for your input. I am a girl, so I'll give both those schools a look. Again, Thank you!

alooknac · 10-28-2012, 10:04 PM

Boarding schools do in fact strive for geographic diversity. Most of them proudly announce how many states and countries are represented in their student bodies. So, in my opinion, being from Montana will be a plus although it's just one factor among many.

St. Paul's is a reach for anybody, but they do have a special 100% scholarship for 1 or 2 new students each year (the scholarship continues till you graduate and I believe even includes some college assistance). It is strictly merit-based, nothing to do with financial need. They also have a strong FA program. Since you are from Montana, you should definitely apply there unless you decide it's not the right school for you.

I believe Northfield Mount Hermon has a good dance program and it is more casual (i.e., dress code) than most prep schools. However, it is not close to an urban center.

Also check out Concord Academy, very accessible to Boston.

Check out school videos and reviews on boardingschoolreview.com. I hope you will be able to visit some schools because there is nothing like being there in person to get a feel for a school.

mountainhiker · 10-28-2012, 11:08 PM

You should check out Thacher. We just finished a trip for Parent's Weekend, and the Dance department gave a fantastic performance during the Performing Arts Sampler on Friday night.

The school is small (240 students) but fits your other criteria.

girlgeekmom · 10-29-2012, 01:15 AM

Hmmm... Thinking about Interlochen. It may have been one student's experience, but I recall hearing less than positive things about their dance department. Not from the quality perspective, but in the "unhappy students" vein. Only in dance, not in other areas. Also, Interlochen is nowhere near an urban center...

You might also look on BoardingSchoolReview.com and plug in "dance" as a search. Though BSR's search doesn't capture all the schools with a particular search, it may help to identify some more than we CC folks are coming up with...

SevenDad · 10-29-2012, 11:08 AM

Near an urban area?*

St. Paul's: MAYBE
Andover: YES
Deerfield: NO
Loomis Chaffee: NO
Hotchkiss: NO

*Meaning you can hop on public transit or take a cab to a major city and get back in one day easily. Sorry, I'm not counting Hartford (for Loomis) in this assessment.

@girlgeekmom: On behalf of Trenton (capital of our Garden State), I am offended ;-P. After all, "What Trenton Makes, the World Takes!"

ChoatieMom · 10-29-2012, 01:48 PM

Quote:

If you're a boy, of course, Emma won't be a good fit at all.

I don't know... DS thought the ratio would be about right.

gofiguresk8 · 10-29-2012, 04:44 PM

Thanks for your input. I looked into St. Paul's scholarships and they offer a full scholarship for one student from Montana. I know it's a long shot, but I have a friend who is at St. Paul's right now and she loves it, which is pretty much cementing my desire to go there. The other schools people have been recommending are amazing also, and it's really opened my eyes to all the schools out there.

friendlymom · 10-29-2012, 05:10 PM

gofiguresk8 - I'm a St. Paul's graduate and my DD is now a freshman there, taking dance (although she's not in the SPSBC). PM me if you're interested and I should be able to connect you with people you can talk to about dance and opportunities for people from Montana at SPS.

girlgeekmom · 10-29-2012, 06:16 PM

@ ChoatieMom... verrrrrrry funny ;-)

I'll bet he did.