Can anyone who has toured or gone to these schools tell me their take on general culture of the schools?
In particular, my daughter is interested in a school that has a range of different backgrounds/lifestyles. She resists a school that feels like everyone is similar. We will likely tour Choate, Hotchkiss and Andover at this point. Open to any suggestions of other schools that fit the bill of diverse in walks of life and backgrounds.
I’d suggest a wider net. Are you invested in staying in New England?
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Deerfield Academy (Massachusetts), St. Paul’s School (New Hampshire), Lawrenceville (New Jersey).
I read “wider net” to mean schools with higher acceptance rates. With which I strongly agree!
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Choate vs Hotchkiss vs Andover
You will find more similarities than difference amongst these 3
Again, more similar than different.
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How would you describe the similarities in Choate, Hotchkiss and Andover?
How about adding schools like NMH, Mercersburg, St. Andrews, or Middlesex?
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I’d definitely take a look at George School in PA if you are looking for a community that is committed to both diversity (in many respects) and inclusion. It has a pretty different feel from many of the schools mentioned here, but aligns well with what you are seeking.
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Also, check out the “hidden gems” post in this subforum.
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Each of these three schools is “diverse in walks of life and backgrounds.” The main differences between Hotchkiss on the one hand and Andover/Choate on the other is one, Hotchkiss is virtually all boarding while the others are more like 75-80% boarding, and two, Hotchkiss is considerably smaller than the other two and likely offers more oversight of the students by the faculty, etc. I would also say that although Hotchkiss certainly tilts strongly liberal politically (especially among the faculty), outwardly conservative students can still thrive there academically and socially. I am not sure that is the case at Choate or Andover.
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Can you clarify what you mean about Choate or Andover in your comparison to Hotchkiss? Do you mean that Choate and Andover lean more conservative than Hotchkiss and that outwardly liberal students wouldn’t as easily thrive at those 2 schools? OR do you mean, Choate and Andover still lean liberal but a conservative leaning student may not have as easy of a time at those schools as they would at Hotchkiss?
The latter. In other words, my impression is that conservative students would have an easier time at Hotchkiss than at Andover or Choate.
My impression is different. Every boarding school mentioned in this thread leans left, but conservatives will find their home and their people at Andover and Choate. It may be easier at Hotchkiss, but you’re really splitting gossamer threads
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She needs to look a little deeper in determining what she specifically wants in a school. This will not only give your family a better idea of how to expand your list, and also enhance her application.
Look at some progressive schools, e.g. Buxton School, Cambridge School of Weston, Putney School.
Read about Quaker schools (George School).
Look at at schools with nonstandard teaching philosophies, e.g. Chapel Hill Chauncey Hall (Theory of Multiple Intelligences), High Mowing (Waldorf), and Ross School.
This list is far from exhaustive.
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We have friends and family who attend and work at each of these 3 schools.
Each has morphed from being a relatively non-diverse, preppy institution, to culturally highly diverse. While 1%er families are overrepresented, there is some socio-economic diversity due to generous financial aid policies.
They are also extremely rigorous, with Choate and Hotchkiss almost catching up to Andover in terms of sheer average workload.
Faculties and admins at each are left-leaning, and students are generally progressive. IMO male athletes in particular are split prog/conservative, but conservatives tend to keep fairly quiet about their political views, resulting in a heavily progressive vibe on campus and in the classroom. Humanities course offerings and summer reading lists further shed light on these schools’ institutional political leanings.
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My daughter is at Choate. We come from a small town which is not very diverese. She is so happy to live among a diverse community (even beyond racial diversity). All of the schools are wonderful and I can’t say how she would have done elsewhere but her experience at Choate has been amazing. I spend quite a bit of time there as we are only 2 hours away and I try to meet her for a meal or event weekly. I have gotten to know some faculty and administration and they are dedicated to their mission of educating these kids. No boarding school is perfect and Choate is intense (as will the others be) but my daughter’s time so far has been transformative.
I agree with others, cast a wide net. There are a lot of similarities among the schools, and particularly the top schools, but there are some differences that may influence the right fit for your child. For example, Hotchkiss is a gorgeous campus but for my daughter is was very isolating. She loves being able to walk to the cute town of Wallingford with her friends at school. So let your child explore; visit as many schools as possible and have her reflect soon after leaving a campus about what she liked/disliked.
Good luck!
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Thank you. That was a very thoughtful answer. I appreciate it.
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I would suggest examing the Heads of School at each institution and try to get a feel for their vision and how well they’re perceived by their respective student bodies. Stephen Murray of L’ville is particularly impressive in my mind.
Next, if possible, try and gage school spirit and or how happy and or stressful the students seem. You Tube videos (although often contrived) are a good source for these types of impressions.
Finally, assess endowments. It’s one indication of alumni support and generosity. it also may indicate how much a school invests in upgrading and building new facilities.
Choate, for example, has a relatively weak endowment but that might be attributed to the fact that the school regularly adds new buildings and improves campus infrastructure (athletics notwithstanding). Choate’s latest example being an impressive new Admissions Center in the heart of campus. Of course, Andover is among the best when it comes to size of endowment and recently added a wellness facility and music center.
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The boarding schools with the largest endowments are (top 12):
Phillips Academy at Exeter
Phillips Academy at Andover
Deerfield Academy
St. Paul’s School
Hotchkiss School
Culver Academies
The Groton School
Lawrenceville
Woodbury Forest
Milton Academy
Choate-Rosemary Hall
Mercersburg Academy
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Worth breaking down in endowment per student. Changes the picture somewhat. Sorry I don’t have the data at hand and am too lazy to do it myself right now.
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