<p>Spooner, ChoatieMom makes good points as usual. Adolescent challenges will happen whether at home or BS, including broken hearts, stupid decisions, and all the passion and awkwardness that goes with the age. However, what dorm parents, advisors, admins and faculty may lack in familial knowledge of your daughter, they make up for in infinitely greater and more frequent experience with adolescent girls your daughter’s age, maturity and innocence. It’s kind of a trade: experience for parental intimacy. </p>
<p>See if you can lay your hands on the bi-annual Independent School Gender Project results, a study conducted among a selection of boarding schools constantly mentioned on this site. Technically, the results are only meant to be shared among the participating schools, but if I were looking at Schools today, I’d ask if they participated and, if so, would they share the results with you. It’s helpful, especially for parents of girls.</p>