GUEST STUDENT OF THE WEEK: Rohan is a freshman at Dartmouth (and loves it) having gotten in ED for the Class of 2023. He's here to debunk myths regarding admissions and student life at his school. ASK HIM ANYTHING!
Make sure to check out our May Checklists for HS Juniors and HS Seniors. Consult these quick resources to get you started on the process this month.
As we work to adjust to the current reality, make sure to check out these dedicated COVID-19 resources: our directory of virtual campus tours, our directory of extended deadlines, as well as the list of schools going test optional this fall.
Replies to: Exceptional & Unique Offerings in BS - let’s update this!
Not sure what "Masters" is under Weekly Saturday Classes, but it's not The Masters School - which should be added under Saturday Classes - Never
The Masters School uses Harkness for all classes
Has a Dance Company for credit
Has not one but several robotics teams (see Zetetics below)
Has video production courses (under Filmmaking)
Has Senior Speeches
Has an Ethical Leadership program, including Seminars in Ethical Leadership
Has a four-year Engineering Program (The curriculum is aligned with Common Core State Standards, Next Generation Science Standards and International Society for Technology in Education Standards.
Through the partnership with the Rochester Institute of Technology, students earn college credits.)
Has a robust Zetetics program, with cybersecurity, computer science, and robotics teams.
Tag me with a note about what to add/change, and I’ll update it every few days.
100% BOARDING (for current info, search by % boarding at boardingschoolreview.com):
* Advanced Academy of Georgia * Blue Ridge School * Camden Military Academy * Carlbrook School * Carson Long Military Academy * Episcopal HS * The Gow School * Grand River Academy * Hampshire Country School * Hyde School - Woodstock, CT * Leysin American School in Switzerland (LAS) * Marine Military Academy * Midland School * New Mexico Military Institute * Oak Creek Ranch School * Oliverian School * Robert Land Academy * St. Andrew's School, DE * St. John's Military School * St. Paul's School * St. Thomas More School * Scattergood Friends School * Squaw Valley Academy * THINK Global School * Wolfeboro: The Summer Boarding School * Woodberry Forest School
80%+ BOARDING (see note above):
* Berkshire * Blair * Cate * Culver (90%) * Deerfield * Exeter * Forman * Groton (85%) * Hotchkiss * Kent * New Hampton School * Salisbury * Thacher (90% - most day students are faculty kids on campus) * St Mark's
5 DAY BOARDING
* Masters * Winchendon * Worcester Academy
CHAPEL/RELIGIOUS SERVICES REQUIRED:
* George (Quaker mtg)* Kent * Peddie (2x/wk, not religious) * St. Andrew’s * St. Mark's * St. Paul's (4x/wk) * Salisbury (2x/wk)
CONVOCATION HANDSHAKES:
* Choate
EVENING ARTS
* Putney
FARM
* George (organic garden) * Hillside (Jr. BS) * Hotchkiss * NMH * Putney
GROUP HUG BEFORE VACATIONS AFTER CHAPEL:
* St. Paul's
HEALTH & WELLNESS PROGRAM:
* Emma Willard (w/ residential option - ‘The Wellies’)
HORSE PROGRAM
* George * Kent * Orme * Thacher (mandatory, core to school’s approach to building character, self-awareness, & leadership)
HUG LINE BEFORE CHAPEL:
* Concord
INDOOR ROWING TANKS:
* Brewster * Brooks * Deerfield * Kent * St. Paul's
JOBS ON CAMPUS ( Req.)
* George * Kent * Loomis * Madeira (internships in DC) * NMH * Peddie * Putney
"NEW GIRL"/"OLD GIRL" PAIRING - CIRCLE OF LIGHT - SINGING IN THE GARDEN - RING CEREMONY
* Miss Porter's
NIGHTLY HANDSHAKING:
* Groton * St Mark's
ONE-SANCTION EXPULSION (1-strike you're out)
* Concord (certain infractions) * Emma Willard (certain infractions) * Hotchkiss * Peddle * Pomfret * St Mark's (certain infractions)
OUTDOOR PROGRAM
* Berkshire * Cate * Orme * Proctor * Thacher
THE PORTER PLAN
* Miss Porter's - house (dorm) directors’ primary responsibilities on campus are within the dormitories, w/o additional responsibilities of teaching or coaching.
SATURDAY CLASSES - NEVER:
* Andover * Choate * Concord * Deerfield * Governor’s * Lawrence * Loomis * Masters * Middlesex * St. Andrew’s * Tabor * Thacher * Westtown
SATURDAY CLASSES - OCCASIONAL:
* Cate (every other week) * Exeter * Hill School
SATURDAY CLASSES - WEEKLY:
* Berkshire * Brewster * Brooks * Forman * Gould * Hotchkiss * Kent * Kimball Union * Lawrenceville * Loomis * New Hampton * Peddie * Pomfret * St. George’s * St. Paul's * St. Mark’s (all pass/fail electives) * Salisbury * Vermont Academy
SENIOR SPEECHES (speeches given weekly by 1-2 senior students)
* Cate * Concord * Masters * St Mark's * Thacher (Senior Exhibitions) * Westminster
SIT-DOWN FORMAL MEALS:
* Berkshire (1x in Fall & Spring) * Blair (generally 2x/wk) * Brooks (2x/wk, Fall & Spring) * Cate (1x/wk) * Deerfield * Episcopal * Groton (wkly, fall & spring) * Kent (1x/wk) * Loomis (wkly, fall & spring) * Mercersburg * Millbrook (1x/wk) * Miss Porter's (2x/wk) * Peddie (1x/wk) * Portsmouth Abbey * St. Andrew’s (DE) * St. Mark's * St. Paul’s (3-4x/term) * Salisbury (2x/wk) * Thacher (4x/wk)
SWIMMING REQUIREMENT:
* NMH * St. Mark's (for crew only)
ZOO (ACCREDITED)
* Millbrook
A C A D E M I C S
ACADEMIC SUPPORT
*Berkshire * Brewster * Cheshire * Cushing Academy * Darrow * Dublin * Forman * Gould * Kents Hill * Kimball Union * Mercersburg * Millbrook * New Hampton * NMH * Pennington * Pomfret * Solebury * Suffield * Vermont Academy * Winchendon * Worcester Academy
ARABIC:
* Choate * Deerfield * Exeter (Seniors w/ another language only) * Loomis
ARTS CONCENTRATION PROGRAM:
* Choate
AVIATION SCIENCE (flight school)
Berkshire
BLOCK SCHEDULE:
* Forman * Pomfret * St. Mark's
CAPSTONE REQUIRED:
* Mercersburg
CARIBBEAN STUDIES
* Lawrenceville (Island School) * Tabor (on a schooner 2 weeks)
COLLEGE MODEL ACADEMIC PROGRAM (fewer classes per semester; each semester covers entire year's worth of material)
* NMH
CLASSICS DEGREE
* Exeter * St. Mark’s
DANCE COMPANY (for credit):
* Concord * Deerfield * Loomis * Masters * St. Paul’s * Westover
ENGINEERING (4 YR PROGRAM)
* Masters
ETHICS COURSE - REQUIRED:
* Brooks * Cate * Loomis (not req.) * Masters * Miss Porter's School * St. Mark's (req. Saturday class IV form) * Salisbury
FILMMAKING:
* Cate * Choate * Concord * Dunn * Exeter * George * Loomis * Masters * Peddie * Putney
HARKNESS TABLE:
* Blair * Cate (English/Humanities) * Concord (in language/humanities) * Exeter (all classes, including math & science) * Lawrenceville * Loomis * Masters * Mercersberg * St. Andrew's * St Mark's * St. Paul's
IB:
* Annie Wright * Carlisle * Cheshire (CT) * Dwight School * EF Intl Academy New York * George School * Mercyhurst Prep * Mid-Pacific Institute * Montessori HS (OH) * Mount Saint Mary Academy * New Hampton School * North Broward Prep * St. Andrew's (FL) * St. John’s (MN) * St. Timothy's (MD) * Stoneleigh-Burnham * UWC-USA * Verde Valley
INGENUITY LAB
* Forman
INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS:
* Blair * Brooks School * Choate * Exeter * George (service learning) * Hotchkiss * Lawrenceville * Loomis * NMH * Peddie * Proctor *St Mark's * St. Paul's * Westover
ISLAND SCHOOL:
* Berkshire * Exeter * Lawrenceville (Semester in Bahamas)
LIVING IN COMMUNITY (req.\ class):
* George * St. Paul's
MARINE SCIENCE - ADVANCED:
* Portsmouth Abbey * Cate * Santa Catalina * Tabor
MOD SYSTEM (Academic calendar = 3 courses at a time taken for 6 weeks):
*Cambridge School of Weston (CSW)
MOUNTAIN CLASSROOM:
* Proctor (full trimester camping/academic adventure)
NAUTICAL SCIENCE
* Portsmouth Abbey * Tabor
OBSERVATORY
* St. Paul's * Thacher
OCEAN CLASSROOM:
* Proctor (10 wks in fall aboard 130’ schooner sailing to Caribbean; also offered in spring—16 wks & open to non-Proctor students for credit)
ON SNOW PROGRAM (competitive skiing/snowboarding, certifications in ski instruction, ski patrol or adaptive skiing and instruction for beginners)
* Gould
RAINFOREST PROGRAM
* Forman
ROBOTICS TEAM:
* Forman * George * Masters * Peddie * St. Mark's * Winchendon
SACRED TEXTS:
* Groton
SCIENCE RESEARCH PROGRAM:
* Berkshire (Math Science / Environmental) * Brooks * Choate * Emma Willard * Concord * Exeter * St. Mark's * St. Paul's (Engineering) * Thacher (Astronomy)
SHAKESPEARE SEMESTER:
* Episcopal * Exeter (trimester in Stratford-Upon-Avon)
SIGNATURE EXPERIENCE:
* Peddie (in Advanced Research Science, Arts, Asian Studies, Creative Writing, Languages & Robotics) * St. George’s (Semester at Sea) * Winchendon (ColLABS - either do a “deep dive” into a new topic that interests you w/ other students & teachers, or design your own independent study or internship)
STAINED GLASS/ HOT GLASS:
* St. Paul’s
INDUSTRIAL ARTS
* Proctor
WINTER TERM (Period of time during a vacation where students return to campus for non-traditional classes of their choice)
* Berkshire * Brooks * Forman (many off campus/travel) * Lawrence * Millbrook * New Hampton School * Pomfret * St. Mark’s (NOT in Winter; last 3 weeks of school, mainly off campus)
WOMEN IN SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
*St. Mark's * Westover
Emma Willard and Miss Porters?
Thanks!
You can add Noble and Greenough and Belmont Hill to 5 day boarding. Note: Neither school offers 7 day boarding.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esports
100% BOARDING (for current info, search by % boarding at boardingschoolreview.com):
* Advanced Academy of Georgia * Blue Ridge School * Camden Military Academy * Carlbrook School * Carson Long Military Academy * Episcopal HS * The Gow School * Grand River Academy * Hampshire Country School * Hyde School - Woodstock, CT * Leysin American School in Switzerland (LAS) * Marine Military Academy * Midland School * New Mexico Military Institute * Oak Creek Ranch School * Oliverian School * Robert Land Academy * St. Andrew's School, DE * St. John's Military School * St. Paul's School * St. Thomas More School * Scattergood Friends School * Squaw Valley Academy * THINK Global School * Wolfeboro: The Summer Boarding School * Woodberry Forest School
80%+ BOARDING (see note above):
* Berkshire * Blair * Cate * Culver (90%) * Deerfield * Exeter * Forman * Groton (85%) * Hotchkiss * Kent * New Hampton School * Salisbury * Thacher (90% - most day students are faculty kids on campus) * St Mark's
5 DAY BOARDING
* Belmont Hill * Masters * Noble and Greenough * Winchendon * Worcester Academy
CHAPEL/RELIGIOUS SERVICES REQUIRED:
* George (Quaker mtg)* Kent * Peddie (2x/wk, not religious) * St. Andrew’s * St. Mark's * St. Paul's (4x/wk) * Salisbury (2x/wk)
CONVOCATION HANDSHAKES:
* Choate
EVENING ARTS
* Putney
FARM
* George (organic garden) * Hillside (Jr. BS) * Hotchkiss * NMH * Putney
GROUP HUG BEFORE VACATIONS AFTER CHAPEL:
* St. Paul's
HEALTH & WELLNESS PROGRAM:
* Emma Willard (w/ residential option - ‘The Wellies’)
HORSE PROGRAM
* George * Kent * Orme * Thacher (mandatory, core to school’s approach to building character, self-awareness, & leadership)
HUG LINE BEFORE CHAPEL:
* Concord
INDOOR ROWING TANKS:
* Brewster * Brooks * Deerfield * Kent * St. Paul's
JOBS ON CAMPUS ( Req.)
* George * Kent * Loomis * Madeira (internships in DC) * NMH * Peddie * Putney
"NEW GIRL"/"OLD GIRL" PAIRING - CIRCLE OF LIGHT - SINGING IN THE GARDEN - RING CEREMONY
* Miss Porter's
NIGHTLY HANDSHAKING:
* Groton * St Mark's
ONE-SANCTION EXPULSION (1-strike you're out)
* Concord (certain infractions) * Emma Willard (certain infractions) * Hotchkiss * Peddle * Pomfret * St Mark's (certain infractions)
OUTDOOR PROGRAM
* Berkshire * Cate * Orme * Proctor * Thacher
THE PORTER PLAN
* Miss Porter's - house (dorm) directors’ primary responsibilities on campus are within the dormitories, w/o additional responsibilities of teaching or coaching.
SATURDAY CLASSES - NEVER:
* Andover * Choate * Concord * Deerfield * Governor’s * Lawrence * Loomis * Masters * Middlesex * St. Andrew’s * Tabor * Thacher * Westtown
SATURDAY CLASSES - OCCASIONAL:
* Cate (every other week) * Exeter * Hill School
SATURDAY CLASSES - WEEKLY:
* Berkshire * Brewster * Brooks * Forman * Gould * Hotchkiss * Kent * Kimball Union * Lawrenceville * Loomis * New Hampton * Peddie * Pomfret * St. George’s * St. Paul's * St. Mark’s (all pass/fail electives) * Salisbury * Vermont Academy
SENIOR SPEECHES (speeches given weekly by 1-2 senior students)
* Cate * Concord * Masters * St Mark's * Thacher (Senior Exhibitions) * Westminster
SIT-DOWN FORMAL MEALS:
* Berkshire (1x in Fall & Spring) * Blair (generally 2x/wk) * Brooks (2x/wk, Fall & Spring) * Cate (1x/wk) * Deerfield * Episcopal * Groton (wkly, fall & spring) * Kent (1x/wk) * Loomis (wkly, fall & spring) * Mercersburg * Millbrook (1x/wk) * Miss Porter's (2x/wk) * Peddie (1x/wk) * Portsmouth Abbey * St. Andrew’s (DE) * St. Mark's * St. Paul’s (3-4x/term) * Salisbury (2x/wk) * Thacher (4x/wk)
SWIMMING REQUIREMENT:
* NMH * St. Mark's (for crew only)
ZOO (ACCREDITED)
* Millbrook
A C A D E M I C S
ACADEMIC SUPPORT
*Berkshire * Brewster * Cheshire * Cushing Academy * Darrow * Dublin * Forman * Gould * Kents Hill * Kimball Union * Mercersburg * Millbrook * New Hampton * NMH * Pennington * Pomfret * Solebury * Suffield * Vermont Academy * Winchendon * Worcester Academy
ARABIC:
* Choate * Deerfield * Exeter (Seniors w/ another language only) * Loomis
ARTS CONCENTRATION PROGRAM:
* Choate
AVIATION SCIENCE (flight school)
* Berkshire
BLOCK SCHEDULE:
* Forman * Pomfret * St. Mark's
CAPSTONE REQUIRED:
* Mercersburg
CARIBBEAN STUDIES
* Lawrenceville (Island School) * Tabor (on a schooner 2 weeks)
COLLEGE MODEL ACADEMIC PROGRAM (fewer classes per semester; each semester covers entire year's worth of material)
* NMH
CLASSICS DEGREE
* Exeter * St. Mark’s
DANCE COMPANY (for credit):
* Concord * Deerfield * Emma Willard * Loomis * Masters * Miss Porters * St. Paul’s * Westover
ENGINEERING (4 YR PROGRAM)
* Masters
ESPORTS (Electronic Sports)
* Stuart Hall
ETHICS COURSE - REQUIRED:
* Brooks * Cate * Loomis (not req.) * Masters * Miss Porter's School * St. Mark's (req. Saturday class IV form) * Salisbury
FILMMAKING:
* Cate * Choate * Concord * Dunn * Exeter * George * Loomis * Masters * Peddie * Putney
HARKNESS TABLE:
* Blair * Cate (English/Humanities) * Concord (in language/humanities) * Exeter (all classes, including math & science) * Lawrenceville * Loomis * Masters * Mercersberg * St. Andrew's * St Mark's * St. Paul's
IB:
* Annie Wright * Carlisle * Cheshire (CT) * Dwight School * EF Intl Academy New York * George School * Mercyhurst Prep * Mid-Pacific Institute * Montessori HS (OH) * Mount Saint Mary Academy * New Hampton School * North Broward Prep * St. Andrew's (FL) * St. John’s (MN) * St. Timothy's (MD) * Stoneleigh-Burnham * UWC-USA * Verde Valley
INGENUITY LAB
* Forman
INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS:
* Blair * Brooks School * Choate * Exeter * George (service learning) * Hotchkiss * Lawrenceville * Loomis * NMH * Peddie * Proctor *St Mark's * St. Paul's * Westover
ISLAND SCHOOL:
* Berkshire * Exeter * Lawrenceville (Semester in Bahamas)
LIVING IN COMMUNITY (req.\ class):
* George * St. Paul's
MARINE SCIENCE - ADVANCED:
* Portsmouth Abbey * Cate * Santa Catalina * Tabor
MOD SYSTEM (Academic calendar = 3 courses at a time taken for 6 weeks):
* Cambridge School of Weston (CSW)
MOUNTAIN CLASSROOM:
* Proctor (full trimester camping/academic adventure)
NAUTICAL SCIENCE
* Portsmouth Abbey * Tabor
OBSERVATORY
* St. Paul's * Thacher
OCEAN CLASSROOM:
* Proctor (10 wks in fall aboard 130’ schooner sailing to Caribbean; also offered in spring—16 wks & open to non-Proctor students for credit)
ON SNOW PROGRAM (competitive skiing/snowboarding, certifications in ski instruction, ski patrol or adaptive skiing and instruction for beginners)
* Gould
RAINFOREST PROGRAM
* Forman
ROBOTICS TEAM:
* Forman * George * Masters * Peddie * St. Mark's * Winchendon
SACRED TEXTS:
* Groton
SCIENCE RESEARCH PROGRAM:
* Berkshire (Math Science / Environmental) * Brooks * Choate * Emma Willard * Concord * Exeter * St. Mark's * St. Paul's (Engineering) * Thacher (Astronomy)
SHAKESPEARE SEMESTER:
* Episcopal * Exeter (trimester in Stratford-Upon-Avon)
SIGNATURE EXPERIENCE:
* Peddie (in Advanced Research Science, Arts, Asian Studies, Creative Writing, Languages & Robotics) * St. George’s (Semester at Sea) * Winchendon (ColLABS - either do a “deep dive” into a new topic that interests you w/ other students & teachers, or design your own independent study or internship)
STAINED GLASS/ HOT GLASS:
* St. Paul’s
INDUSTRIAL ARTS
* Proctor
WINTER TERM (Period of time during a vacation where students return to campus for non-traditional classes of their choice)
* Berkshire * Brooks * Forman (many off campus/travel) * Lawrence * Millbrook * New Hampton School * Pomfret * St. Mark’s (NOT in Winter; last 3 weeks of school, mainly off campus)
WOMEN IN SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
*St. Mark's * Westover
Lots of boarding schools have equestrian programs with competitive teams that ride English style (Chatham Hall, Ethel Walker, Foxcroft, Kent, George, Thacher).... Some schools even allow or encourage kids to bring their own horse.
Fewer schools have Western Riding available (Thacher, Orme, Ojai Valley School)... but only one school has a Horse Program that is both mandatory and central to the school's approach to building character, responsibility, and self-awareness (Thacher.).
And what is a mandatory “Capstone”?
(Only one school listed.. is it a senior research paper? If so, other schools have equivalents.
“Winter Term”? The description sounds a lot like Thacher’s Mayhem, except that it is after finals in May, not winter.
Washington Intern program (seniors work on capital hill)
Offers 17 curricular study abroad opportunities on 5 continents. Highlights include: Ghana, St. Petersburg among others
Offers 23 different offsite opportunities outside the school year such as volunteering in New Orleans, visiting Cuba or exploring design thinking workshops and touring startups in Silicon Valley
Grainger observatory
Russian language (4 year program)
Exeter innovates: New courses that are Interdisciplinary. Such as Bioethics & green umbrella learning lab (sustainability)
Trimester system