@cababe97 everyone’s situation is different. My eldest chose to go to junior boarding school because she was bored academically and was teaching other kids in her public school classes. She loved her JBS experience and was challenged academically. She was given the opportunity to try many different sports and she studied with people from all over the world. The school focused on teaching all of the above that you mentioned being: kind, good, compassionate, and hard working. Their classes did not revolve around test or essay prep. The kids get a solid academic foundation that prepares them for these through their class work. It also made the transition to prep school very easy for her. My second child who was in public school asked for me to also enroll him (he started in 5th) in JBS after he saw the opportunities his sibling had. My youngest also joined them (in 2nd) by choice and for family convenience due to conflicting vacation schedules. If at any point they would struggle or want out I would have no problem moving them but all three truly love their school. They get to pick their sports, clubs, instruments, etc. and we make it a point not to overschedule them outside of school. There are many junior boarding schools out there so I don’t think you can lump them all into one. It has to be a good fit just like prep school. I’m sorry that some of your friends had bad JBS experiences but this has not been the case for our family. Our kids are happy and grateful for the opportunity they have. BTW we did not send them so they could get into prep school. We honestly did not know much about private prep schools when they started JBS but I definitely think it helped with acceptance.