Hello, as enrollment day is coming up soon on April 10th, I have had a hard time choosing between if I want to attend Loomis Chaffee or Milton Academy. For context I will be a boarder, as I am coming as an international. Additionally, I will be a repeat freshman. I want to focus on visual arts, dance, and some math or science. I hope to transform my visual arts into some sort of design. Also, I want to start math at about a pre-calculus level when I am there. I don’t do that much in sports except alpine skiing and some track and field. What are some tips or experiences to help me decide?
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Did you visit them? Loomis, while still having a significant day population, is mostly boarding. Milton is about 50/50 and in a more urban area. Both have different vibes, both are great schools.
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Yes, I was just at their revisit days. Loomis felt a little more homey for me while Milton gave me the impression that I could grow into that school.
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Don’t underestimate the travel experience. Milton is much closer to a major airport.
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That is true, however, even from Boston I need a minimum of 2 flights. From Bradley International in Hartford it is about 3 flights, potentially 2 if they start having some more connections to Europe. Also, Boston isn’t that safe of a city if I want to walk around on the weekends. Windsor is pretty calm though.
The problem is both those schools have a lot of boarding kids that live close so there is a mass exodus on the weekends. Might want to ask your AO about that.
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between milton being urban and boston being unsafe, i feel like i live in a different area than what is being described.
how would you describe your experience in boston? (I want to keep in mind that I am still quite young, I am 15.)
milton is in a town near boston. family orriented and middle income for the state. the area around the school is quite nice IMO. Crime is lower in Boston than in most major US cities.
Where are you from?
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I’m coming from Eastern Europe; specifically Bulgaria. We have quite a low crime rate as well.
False. I’m just back from a walk, went over to Seaport. Yesterday, my wife and I walked to Back Bay and then over to the South End for dinner. Boston is a very walkable city, with many perfectly safe areas.
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If what you want is access to a major city, Milton>>>Loomis. Hartford is the city near Loomis (Windsor is just a small suburb), and Boston is far, far better than Hartford.
I would say my primary focus would be the actual schools themselves, location would kind of come secondary.
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Loomis does not go dead on the weekends. In fact most day students end up going to campus for all the weekend activities the school produces.
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Okay, seems fair enough. Would it be safe enough for me and a friend to walk around since we are teenagers? (I am 14 and she is 14).
The sidewalks of Newbury Street were thick with teenagers yesterday. I could say the same about Seaport about an hour ago.
Both good schools, but edge to Milton.
Both nice towns, but edge to Milton.
Both reasonable to get to, but edge to Milton.
Windsor vs Milton crime - edge to Milton.
Boston vs. Hartford crime - edge to Milton.
You should choose how you want, but I think I am correct.
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Okay, thank you for the clarification. It’s just kind of hard for me to know since I’ve only been there once.
Having gone to both HS and college nearby, I never had issues in Boston. I will say that you may be overestimating the amount of time you’ll get to spend in Boston and, while Milton borders the city, the distance from the Academy to the border or from the border to downtown isn’t that close.
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Originally I was leaning towards Loomis more because of the visual arts, but Milton comes very close as well. I would say arts at Milton is more about music. I prefer visual arts though. The student involvement and skill at Loomis feels stronger. I visited the Milton campus a couple of days ago and they are big time on music. I feel like Milton will also provide some better stem programs for me as well.