I’m in the process of applying to schools, and all of these schools are on my list. I want to play football and lacrosse but also want strong academics. I do not want an overwhelming academic workload, but would be fine with 3-4 hours of homework per day. I also want time for a social life. I’ve taken Exeter and Andover off my list because I’ve heard from nearly everyone that those schools are overwhelming and they are not good for students who want to balance academics and athletic development.
Are the schools I mentioned good for someone who wants a well-rounded high school experience?
if you were to compare the championships and records of the schools you listed across all of the sports you would find Andover and Exeter at the top. Especially in girls sports.
If they were so poor at providing opportunities for athletic development, that wouldn’t be so.
The bottom line is, you will find awesome athletes at all of these places, and also find that the academic requirements and expectations are high across the board. It’s what makes them exceptional college candidates for the fancy schools.
The resources (fields, tracks, boats, weight rooms, etc.) are there and top notch. It’s up to you to compete on both dimensions.
You can’t put “Don’t want an overwhelming academic workload” and Choate, Deerfield and Lawrenceville in the same paragraph.
So on the plus side, serious athletes at boarding schools may save a lot of transportation time. That is no small thing in a packed schedule.
But otherwise, the sorts of boarding schools you are looking at largely expect their student-athletes to have excellent time management in general, and be efficient with school work, such that they are not personally overwhelmed by their class requirements.
And I don’t think that is going to work for every student-athlete. For some, absolutely. For others, they are likely going to need a somewhat lighter academic load. I note I believe most of them SAY you should only need 3-4 hours of study/homework per day, but realistically some kids take longer.
My guess is if you really want to minimize the risk of finding it hard to balance academics and athletics, you might want to start checking out some of the “Hidden Gem” boarding schools frequently discussed here. In fact, I think if you started a Match Me sort of thread where you explained in detail what you were looking for, including but not limited to this concern, you would get a lot of great suggestions to check out. Note not all Hidden Gem schools will necessarily be a lot less intense academically, but I think this community could collectively help you focus your search in helpful ways.
I am applying to boarding schools and wanted help in picking a school that’s right for me. If you could give me advice, I would help.
I’m looking for a school that isn’t extremely large, isn’t academically cutthroat and provides support, but is also rigorous. I am also wanting to play football and lacrosse or maybe baseball. I want to develop as an athlete and potentially get recruited. I want my teams to win and be successful in their league.
I want to maintain excellent grades but also want to keep a social life. I don’t want the most pressure cooker environment. I am fine with doing 3-4 hours of homework per night on average. I want a warm environment where people know each other.
My family is not very high-income and we will be applying for financial aid. We will need a very generous financial aid offer for me to attend boarding school.
The 2 schools I recommend for students who want supportive/rigorous without being “pressure cookers” are Blair and Peddie (MBurg too, but not in your case because their football program is meh). If your primary goal involves getting recruited, boarding school isn’t always the best option since most high level high school athletes play their sport year round, which can be tough at boarding schools. You should reach out to the specific coaches at schools you are looking into to get a sense about development and how they support athletes who want to play in college. Many, if not all, boarding schools have recruited athletes so it isn’t impossible… but many are PGs or day students. You can look at individual IG pages to see what sport/where recent students athletes have gone. Good Luck!
I also note it can be tough to maintain two or three serious varsity sports in HS and be recruited. Not impossible, but I know some kids looking to be recruited who felt they needed to focus in.
Have you looked at any Midwest boarding schools, like say Cranbrook or the Culver Academies? Also possibly Shady Side Academy, which is in Western PA (they are mostly day, but athletes in particular more often board). I note all these are usually much higher ranked in lacrosse than football.
Be aware, @OrangeDragon , that athletes who show up on a roster from BS may only have been there for a PG year. These players were of interest to a college coach but needed some kind of "finishing ". That may have been academic or it may have been another year of getting bigger and stronger.
Also be aware that athletes at BS who go on to play in college may have been playing year round, including on elite club teams. That’s often easier for a day student than a boarder.
It doesn’t mean that the BS to college route isn’t possible, but you will need to do due diligence. Football, btw, is one of the sports that remsind school, rather than club, based.
I like what @ridleyroo says here. You’ll get what you’re looking for from Blair.
Google Olivia Miles. Dom Darius as well. For otherworldly athletes, there is a pathway to great schools through boarding school athletics.
Peddie as well, and football players (with great academic stats) needing aid should get a long look there. Mercersburg would be your sweet spot IMHO but they ended their football program in 2025.
I asked this on your other post..Are you a recruited athlete? Have you competed at a high level at these sports? If not, research if it is even possible to earn a roster spot/playing time, if there are lower level (jv, club) teams, etc.
Hun is good in your sports. Their boarding program is smaller. You can make their academic program more or less rigorous.
Take a look at Canterbury, St. Georges, and Avon Old Farms.
Because you’re trying to figure out what level of both play and athletics would work best for you, the more options you look at, the more clear this may become.
Part of this is about your abilities (academic and athletic) coming in, your goals over time, and what you’llvneed to reach them. Part is about how you’ll feel in the context of the program. And part is simply what feels right to you in terms of vibe.
Picking your high school experience is a wonderful privilege so make the most of it.
Yes, this is true in everyday practice, but on game day, travel from, say, Choate to Exeter takes 3+ hours one way, making it an all-day Saturday affair.