I got accepted into both Choate and Hotchkiss for 9th grade, but i’m struggling to pick between them since they are both outstanding schools. Can anyone please give me some information about them that might help me make a choice between the two?
firstly- they are both amazing schools. As someone who had spent a lot of time at hotchkiss as well as choate, I feel like I have a pretty well-rounded view of them. These are more scathing reviews, so take them with a grain of salt! For the negative I put on both- they’re not a big thing, just what I’ve noticed each is more prone to.
Hotchkiss: VERY rural- not much around. Amazing facilities- especially for sports (2 hockey rinks!). On a lake, so they have a great sailing program. Definitely some snotty people, not so much of a kind vibe.
Choate: Potentially a little bit more progressive, but up for debate. Not in the middle of nowhere! Also amazing facilities, but I would argue it is a bit less pretty. A bit bigger and it seems like you can get a bit lost/ not known.
This is pretty general, but feel free to reach out with more questions. I think the most important thing, if possible, is to revisit. I did not know where I wanted to go in the slightest, but during my deerfield revisit day, it just felt right. I think they will be your biggest asset, and I strongly encourage you to try to revisit.
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Outsranding options – congrats!! I’d attend the re-visit days and choose the school that feels right.
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Congratulations! You are choosing between two excellent schools, and you cannot make a wrong pick. But remember that there’s also no “right” pick, so don’t drive yourself crazy–just be confident that either place could be great for you as long as you are friendly to everyone, try new activities, learn to ask for help and support, and are kind to yourself when things don’t go your way.
At both schools, you will run into some snobby people, and you’ll learn how irl snobs are different than they are in movies. At both schools, you’ll meet people who are kind and funny and chill and interested in the things that you love, and you’ll meet people who love things that you have never heard/seen/tried…which will lead you to new things you love. You’ll meet people who are nice enough but kind of bland.
Both schools will have teachers who inspire and challenge you; teachers who believe in you and help you become the best version of yourself. Both will also have a few boring teachers and teachers you don’t vibe with.
Both schools will have lots of options for food, and the food will range from “fine” to “great” depending on the dish and your taste. Both will have an ice cream machine that rarely works. Do take note of differences in number of seated meals, and the dress codes, since these things might be quite different.
But it’s also high school, which will be hard at times in a whole range of ways no matter where you are. I’m a long-time boarding school teacher, and the 3.5 schools I’ve taught at would be considered quite different by the commenters on these threads, but in my experience, they were far more similar than you might think. I’ve been happy everywhere I’ve worked–because I stay open to finding joy every day. (Except at the .5 school, ugh.)
Here’s one extra metric I’d personally use in addition to looking at programs/facilities/etc: “on a day when it’s grey and raining and I’ve got too much to do and my projects aren’t going well, and I hate the way I look and my stomach hurts but I’m not really sick and I’m just not …what do I want to be walking past?” For me, I like to see lots of trees on campus, I consider ponds and streams a major plus, and I like certain styles of architecture. When I’m grumbling along, being somewhere beautiful and inspiring often gives me a little boost to keep going. Some people feel better if they can walk into town, or if the dorms are separated by grade or not. What comforts you when things aren’t great?
You’ve got two great options. You’ve got this!
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Agree that it is important to attend revisit days if affordable. Nevertheless, revisit days can be a bit misleading as everyone tends to be on their best behavior.
If you cannot revisit, then Choate Rosemary Hall may be the safer choice since it has more students enrolled so there should be more diversity & more options that interest you.
Both are outstanding options. Look for the differences.
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Interesting website which should make you feel good about your options:
Obvious error is the column listing “senior class size” as it should read “average class size”.
What is most important to you ?
For us, it was 100% boarding (no day students) and no PGs in addition to small class sizes and outstanding college placement results. Also, preferred schools with multiple classroom buildings (like a small college campus) rather than with all or most classes in the same building.
Do not be mislead by the rankings on the website that I attached as all of the top 10 could legitimately be an individual’s #1.
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Both schools have amazing academics, sports and facilitiies. My impression is that Choate students may be more diverse (not sure about this one). The campus is in my mind the key difference. Hotchkiss is isolated and if that won’t bother you and you like the beauty then that might be the spot for you. On the other hand, if you want to be able to walk around town, then Choate is the place. My child is at Choate and absolutely loves it. Hotchkiss was too isolated for her but every kid is different! Good luck and congratulations!
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The obvious errors are in the “most influential alumni” section, which are comically wrong — e.g. Mary Poppins went to Andover.
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They also listed John Kerry as an Andover alum. It should be SPS instead.
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Also, John McCain is listed as an SPS alum, but he went to Episcopal High School in Virginia.
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Please bring the conversation back to topic. Thank you for your understanding.
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I’ll assume we’re done discussing obvious errors on a 3rd party website. For any student, but particularly ones deciding on a secondary school, it’s more helpful that experienced users share the knowledge that just because something is on the Internet doesn’t make it true
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There was already a lot of wisdom in the previous responses. One major difference I would point out is in the academic pathway. Hotchkiss has certain requirements in the Humanities, and will likely be rigid for the first two years. Choate, being 40% larger than Hotchkiss, offers a more extensive course catalogue and allows flexibility in designing your own pathway. For example, some kids decide on their Signature Programs and start their deep dives early. Hotchkiss also has advanced scholar programs, but they are very very selective. I believe they are offered the summer after junior year.
Being in a bigger school means that you will have access to more clubs and activities, but it also means it’s harder to stand out if your activity of choice is a popular one.
My impression is that Hotchkiss has a tighter student body, as it is smaller and most of its buildings are clustered together. Choate campus is quite spread out into 4 quads and requires a lot of walking. I recommend that you revisit both, engage with teachers and students, ask a ton of questions and take notes. Both are great schools and I am sure you will end up where you belong. Good luck!
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Choate campus is close to the cozy town with cafes, shops and a Walmart. Hotchkiss students will have to get their supplies by e-commerce or making use of weekly shuttles to a nearby town.
Academically, both schools are top notch. The main difference is that Choate is well known for its STEM programs, especially robotics. Hotchkiss more noted for the integrated humanities curriculum.
Choate has about 880 kids; Hotchkiss about 610. Bigger size generally means stronger sports teams, if it matters to you.
Choate has a strong visual arts program while Hotchkiss’ music facilities are world-class.
These are two great schools. Good luck making your final choice.
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I’ve been struck by the difference in post-admission attention and communication between the two schools. Choate has held events for admitted families, lots of communication from AO’s, coaches and athletics director. It’s been pretty quiet from Hotchkiss after the admission notice and congrats from the AO. Is this a “real” difference in styles between the two schools? I like to think it’s not a difference in enthusiasm for our kiddo (they both admitted her, that should be enthusiasm enough!).
It could just be that Choate is trying to enhance the yield. I know it is a metric that the current administration takes very seriously. And it looks like they are practicing what they preach, which is great.
I am not sure what happened with the folks at Hotchkiss. Have you or your DD sent in questions/requests that should have been answered?
Both are great schools- though quite different from each other. Be carefully re: making your decision based on Admissions marketing. Are you able to attend the revisit days? While slick marketing is part of the day it is a chance to re-see the schools with fresh eyes. A time when you are not trying to impress while thinking about the interview and potential on-site tests- about wondering if they will like you enough. This is the time to really listen and observe often what is not said as much as what is. What are kids saying and doing that are not buddies for the day. Asking good questions that matter away from the noise in your mind on the first visit. Also you now are considering your 4 years with a keen focus on only a few schools.
If you are not able to revisit, reach out to the schools and ask for what you need to help make a decision.
I would not rule out an option bc one was a squeakier wheel, though it does make it easier for you to get to know them. Lots of schools save these activities for re-visit days.
Choate has notoriously conducted their interviews virtually for ‘fairness’ ( will see if that stays after new admin building built) they may be offering the sessions for fairness for those that cannot re-visit. Agree great, nice if all would offer this esp. for parents, but not about the indicator of the day to day experience of your child.
Good luck- as you dig In you will really be able to weigh these very different schools (vs some that are a bit more similar).
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No - not a lot at least (one of the coaches has been MIA so far), juts struck by the difference in style. If it translated to something meaningful (e.g. yeah, Hotchkiss does a consistently poor job at communication/engagement) I guess that would be one small consideration. If it’s just a yield thing and the actual experience for admitted folk is similar, that’s less important of course!
I agree that while an admissions office can reflect the culture of the school, the reality is that it is almost always its own function and quite separate from the day to day.
The other difference MAY have to do with the calendar. I have no knowledge of when breaks are at these 2 schools, but I know, as someone who has worked with schools in a professional capacity, that breaks are taken pretty seriously! It makes sense if you think about it as everyone has to be so all-in when students are on campus, but it can be really hard (impossible!) to connect with folks or get things scheduled when everyone has been given permission to disengage. Or are chaperoning trips, etc. Just a thought.
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I go to Hotchkiss, and I do really love it. There is no doubt that there are difficult days and stress sometimes, but no more than you would find at any other prep school. One of my favorites things (besides the clichés like people, which is obvious; we do have a great student community) is the fact that we’re 96% boarding. That’s not always for everyone but it was a big factor in my decision because it means we consistently have events and opportunities on the weekends, rather than being a “suitcase school.” All of my teachers have been so engaged and responsive, and the administration has as well. I am the head of a club and we actually just planned a school-wide event-- and even brought other schools-- and the admin was extremely supportive, communicative, and helpful; I wouldn’t take the admissions team to be the end-all be-all indicator. Another thing I really like about Hotchkiss is that it is relatively politically balanced, and certainly more so than many other prep schools; a diversity of thought, experiences, and views was really important to me in terms of critical thinking and actual preparation for interactions in the real world. Also re: research programs; I am a Hersey Scholar (historical research program at Harvard) and will be doing my research this summer before heading into my senior year. About 8 out of 60 were accepted, so competitive, but not impossible. It was about the same for the English program at Yale (Macleish). They are also adding Math and Environmental Science at Cornell and ?. Academics are strong in nearly all areas, but I can admit there is some organization lacking in lower level math classes. On the STEM side, lots of physics electives including guitar building, everything from inorganic & organic chem to a class partnership with Stanford in genetic engineering with fruit flies. On the Humanities side, a very good lowerclassmen framework, and an infinite number of very strong and unique upperclassman electives; I would take a look at the course catalog if you have not already. Additionally, although this is not the focal point, we have two lakes (Wononscopomuc is the one you hear about, but there is another) and probably about 600 acres of hiking trails between the lakes, the farm, and the woods in general, which is one of the perks of being rural. We do have a few nice towns in the immediate vicinity though, and I encourage you to check out Millerton, Sharon, and Great Barrington. We also have shuttles to Target, malls, skiing, etc.
As for Choate, they are also an extremely good school. I visited and interviewed, but decided not to apply because it was not the right school for me for a number of reasons. They do have a very nice campus and their athletics are stronger than ours in most (but not all!!) areas, but both schools are athletically competitive. I have a close friend who goes to Choate and loves it; there is community and so many different people to find and enjoy at both places. The special interest/Capstone programs are also certainly of note at Choate. I know that was all a lot, but at the end of the day, it will be hard to go wrong. I love Hotchkiss, I play two varsity sports, one JV sport, club soccer, am the head of a club, and take an additional art class; there is so much to do and so many ways to take advantage of them (I didn’t even play two of my sports when I came here)! I am a tour guide and one of the biggest things I tell people is I wouldn’t spend my free periods giving tours here if I didn’t truly love it. Both great schools, and I am happy to answer any other questions you have!! Good luck!
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