<p>Bullying definitely exists in boarding schools, though it’s more subtle than what you would find in a local public school. Have you read “The Best of the Best: Becoming Elite at an American Boarding School”? Students at the school (Exeter) while denying that they are cliquish, have tight cliques and are not shy about vocalizing disdain for other groups. Unless your child is applying to a very easy-going school, she is likely to encounter cliques and peer-driven unpleasant behavior.</p>