Deerfield vs. Hotchkiss vs. Loomis

[ens2006]

@highschoolperson;d-2178140

Hey everyone,

I’m an 8th grader who is deciding between the three boarding schools listed above. They’re all really great schools, so it’s not an easy decision. Help me out!

I play the violin, sing and do theater - I love the performing arts. I’m also a big STEM person, and I want a school that has good science, robotics, and engineering programs. I love tennis and soccer.

HOTCHKISS HAS AN AWESOME SOCCER PROGRAM!

Below are some criteria I’m looking for. I have gathered some of this information online, but statistics don’t always tell the whole story.

• Environment: Is is a pressure cooker, hyper-competitive place or students cooperate and have time to pursue interests during free time?
  HOTCHKISS IS PROBABLY THE MOST "CHILL" AMONG THESE CHOICES
• School Culture - Is it too strict/traditional? Or is it more "chilled out"? DEERFIELD IS VERY TRADITIONAL, WHEREAS LOOMIS AND HKISS ARE NOT
• Diversity: All 3 look diverse on paper. Does everyone feel welcome? Asians, Indians, African Americans, Spanish - all represented? HOTCHKISS IS VERY DIVERSE, AND IMO HAS THE MOST COMFORTABLE AND INTEGRATED STUDENT BODY.
• International Opportunities - spend a semester abroad, go on trips, etc. I know they all have them - is any one of these schools particularly good at it? HOTCHKISS HAS VERY STRONG aBROAD PROGRAMS.
• Ability to leave campus on weekends - are you allowed to leave campus on weekends? I may not want to do it, but could I if I wanted to?
• Prestige: Which school has a stronger cachet (rankings fluctuate year over year)? HOTCHKISS CONSISTENTLY RANKS THE HIGHEST AMONG THESE, FOLLOWED BY DEERFIELD, AND THEN LOOMIS
• Campus: School has beautiful, new facilities. Preferably, the campus should be big, and most importantly I want to be someplace where I won't be bored on weekends.

HOTCHKISS HAS A GORGEOUS CAMPUS AND HAS THE NEWEST LOOKING FACILITIES, WHILE LOOMIS AND DEERFIELD ARE MORE TRADITIONAL.