I think the comparison is off, proverbial apples and oranges. The truth is, most boarders at Loomis don’t go into Hartford on a “per” (for permission). Frankly, there’s not much of a reason to hang out or walk around Hartford at all. Most kids would rather go to West Hartford, which is where there’s a good concentration of restaurants. Most Loomis boarders who go off campus are usually going to have dinner, hang out, or go to an event with a day student.
Most kids at Loomis are busy on weekends with sports, theatre practice, studying or other activities. There is always some programming or event on Friday and Saturday nights. I cannot attest to how lively Milton’s campus is on weekends, however.
If you want proximity to a major city with a ton of culture and shopping, that’s not Loomis. It’s also not Choate or Hodgkiss or Pomfret or a lot of other boarding schools.
Loomis is in Windsor, not Hartford. You are NEVER going into Hartford, except perhaps for a play/museum, and even then only likely with a group from school on a bus. Any Hartford crime is a non-issue for Loomis students.
Windsor is safe. Furthermore, if you walk to the shops in Windsor, it will be during the day and with a couple of friends.
The only time any boarding school kids we know have experienced urban crime (apart from fellow students borrowing their bikes/scooters/Airpods) is when they play the shell game in Times Square or cross the Paradise Island Bridge in the Bahamas.
Hope you can revisit, as some will prefer Milton, and vice-versa. There’s a reason Loomis applications have increased almost exponentially - kids really like the place. You have two nice options.
I have stood next to parents of Milton kids timing swim events. Not a happy group, though I hope the new administration there has helped improve morale.
i think the question by the OP regarding crime was around Boston crime. “Nipping it in the bud” would be to say that Boston is a low crime city. Note Milton is further from Boston than LC is from Hartford.
I do not disagree that LC is safe. I have a daughter studying in East London…NBD.
Yeah, I can see why students would want to go to Loomis. I visited both campuses and Loomis looks newer, more innovative. Milton has some older buildings, I would even argue the language department looks like a hospital. Also the dorms at Loomis appear bigger, they have much more places for laundry - the showers are much better there.
We know many kids who are happy at Loomis. I am not advocating for it, just that fortunately, as some others have pointed out, crime need not be a consideration in your choice between the two schools.
It was swim parents from prep schools all over New England. Did people complain about the meet? Yes. Did people complain about their schools? No, with one exception. It made an impression, and I wasn’t the only one who noticed.
I think you choose the school that gave you the “best vibes” for where you’ll be spending the next crucial years of your life. Both suburbs are safe, both bordering cities are safe- at least far safer than most other cities you will ever see in the US. FYI, I’ve visited Boston + suburbs before. Very spread out city and very cute. Hartford is much smaller and not super spread out. Loomis will likely be a little more active on weekends, but Milton has more stuff to do off campus. And you’ll likely have day student friends that you may be able to go home with on a few weekends (I don’t know if that’s allowed, checking the student handbook is a great idea!).
You might be a little more “stuck” at Loomis, where as Milton is probably more lenient with going off campus. Again, an important thing to look into.
Milton is one of the safest towns in MA. The places you will be visiting in MA are fine to walk around.
There are a few differences, but I think they are important. Milton gives you access to Boson which is a big draw, but some of the kids have been “lifers” (attended since kindergarten) so it’s coming into a different dynamic. Having a 50/50 split of boarders feels different than at Loomis where it’s over 70% and everyone is coming in as a freshman. Also, a higher percentage of the boarders will be international at Milton (which you may see as a plus or a negative).
Based on the families I have known at both, Loomis is a “happier” place. Kids seem to enjoy the school.
Of course, there are kids who love Milton and others who don’t like LC, but my sense – very much influenced by the handful of students I have known recently at both – is that LC is just a bit more joyful. Remember that you will be living there, so you want the environment that makes you most comfortable.
Much will depend on what you are looking for. If you felt more comfortable at LC, that might mean it’s a better fit for you.
You can’t make a bad decision in terms of quality or reputation, btw. Both great schools.
Yeah I get that idea of being a little bit more “stuck” at Loomis since Milton has some more opportunities being closer to Boston. Also, yes students can go sleepover with day students on the weekends with only some arrangements that are made.
Having more activities on campus will be better for me, or at least I like to think so, because both schools are quite rigorous. Loomis is a little more intense so I won’t have time to do things really off campus.
Wherever you choose to attend, you’ll at times be hosted on weekends or holidays off-campus by your day student friends or boarders who live in the region.
A lot of internationals at any of the Northeast/Mid-Atlantic schools will also head to NYC on long weekends or holiday breaks. Nice to have the Amtrak to NYC train a minute from the Loomis campus.
It’s not only local/day student families that host. S23 (boarder living 2 hours from home) often had kids come to our house for the weekend to explore Boston or he went to their homes in NYC. On longer breaks, he had opportunities to visit kids all over the US but we only let him do that on rare occasions as we wanted to spend time with him.