Colorado Rocky Mountain School just sent me an email encouraging me to apply as their deadline is in mid-February. Just wondering if anyone has any info. The ssat average percentile seems to be high (73) compared to their acceptance rate (75). Is this a “hidden gem”. Any info would be appreciated.
In my opinion, yes it is a hidden gem. Also it’s not for everyone, it has a progressive educational approach, it’s small, it’s in the Rockies not New England…Founders branched off from The Putney School.
I recommend that you check it out.
alooknac, Do you have any personal experience with the school? I would love to get your opinion on how challenging the academics are. That is the only thing holding me back from applying. Also, are you aware of any possibility of students at CRMS going to courses at Colorado Mountain College, since it seems pretty close to the school? I have some friends going to the public high school I am zoned to that attend some courses at the local university near the school so maybe it’s a possibility??? Thanks in advance.
I don’t have personal experience with CRMS although I do with The Putney School.
CRMS has a respectable list of college acceptances
http://www.crms.org/admissions/college-placement/
and four glowing, detailed reviews at boardingschoolreview.com.
I doubt that they send their students to courses at the nearby college as that is kind of contrary to their view of education. You can learn about their philosophy, courses offered, etc., on their website and through the reviews I mentioned above.
Google this for a very informative pdf:
Preparing Our Students For An Extraordinary Life www.crms.org
My first thought was do you ski competitively or at least love snow sports and the outdoors very much? I’ve heard very good things about CRMS, it comes up constantly as a recommendation for my older kid, the words “hidden gem” have been used in describing it. A few years ago, I was at a high school fair for my kids and ran into an old friend who was then an AO for CRMS. She had very good things to say about the school and the fact that she was there told me that the school takes academics seriously. That being said, one of my kids who is applying to some schools that you indicated in October, that you intended/may have already applied to, is also a strong skier with national ranking. If I wanted my kid to continue competitive ski career with very good academics, CRMS would definitely be in our list of schools. My kid really liked the CRMS website when BS was just a possibility, because of all the outdoors and all the snow sports offered, not just skiing. That kid isn’t applying to CRMS because we don’t want to continue with competitive skiing, and is ok with it, and first choice doesn’t have any skiing at all. It takes up too much time with travel and training away from classes. My kid has a classmate, I know the child and parents pretty well. One of the parents went there for the skiing, loved it, is an alumnus who probably donates every year, and their child is only applying to one school and that is CRMS because it provides everything child wants, including competitive skiing and strong academics. That’s what I know about CRMS, great academics for the kids that love outdoors and allows them to continue their snow sports. That may be why their acceptance rate is high with high scores, it’s self-selecting because for a good part of the school year, the main recreational activity is skiing or snowboarding. If you don’t have a passion for snow sports, I wouldn’t recommend going there.
If CRMS fits your criteria, did you look at NMH and Holderness?
Thanks for your response libaya, I do love snow sports as I used to go skiing every week when living on the east coast. The outdoors atmosphere attracted me to the school hence the reason that is the only safety school I’m even considering applying to. I did look at NMH and Holderness, but part of my appeal to CRMS was its location in Colorado, not New England. If you have any other info on CRMS, feel free to post it here. Thanks
I know the school quite well. My little sister is a graduate, my father is on the board and I taught in nearby Aspen for 5 years and many of my middle school students attended CRMS after graduating. CRMS is absolutely a hidden gem and one of the most beautiful schools I have ever visited. I have taught for 15 years in boarding schools and feel strongly that CRMS offers an incredibly unique education to a really awesome group of students. Their head of admissions is a good friend and they have worked really diligently to expand the geographic diversity of the student body. Their snow sports program is accessible to all levels and their outdoors program in unparalleled in US boarding schools. PM me if you’d like to chat more but I highly recommend that you check it out!