We are starting to preliminarily look into flights around Thanksgiving break. It looks like that break will began at noon on November 19 (Saturday). Is it safe to book a flight out of Bradley airport at ~4:00 p.m. that day? I am assuming that the school will run a bus to BDL, but the airport is a solid 75-90 minutes away. Does anyone have a feel for when the school’s transportation would leave campus that day? Thanks in advance and apologies for the detailed question!
Definitely ask the school! Bradley is 1 hour 15 min. from Hotchkiss.
If you ever get into a jam, I recommend Watson Livery.
Also, join the parents fb page where you can ask this sort of question and get good info.
Will do - thanks!
For an incoming female Prep, what are the potential dorm locations? Or does it get mixed up each year? Thanks!
As the biggest underclassmen girls dorm is getting shut down, I assume that the dorm arrangement will be drastically different than it was this year.
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Got it - thanks very much!
Is anyone at the Hotchkiss revisit day today? It would be great to hear any thoughts/impressions from those that attended.
We went to the revisit day yesterday. The put together a great day with performances, panels, tours and mock classes. We were extremely excited and impressed about everything we saw. It seems like a very welcoming and supportive environment.
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Hey There @Amerikid THANK YOU for the thoughtful color on your experience as a Prep at Hotchkiss. Our daughter just got in and is evaluating schools she got into (Deerfield, Hotchkiss, Choate). If you end up seeing this, I wanted to check in and see how the rest of your time has been, namely the academic experience vis-a-vis ability to balance other activities “comfortably” 
and any academic pressure that is there as a junior senior etc. Any thoughts helpful! THANK YOU!!!
Hello,
My past two years have been great! Yes, the academic pressure has increased significantly since my prep (freshman) year, but I feel like this is the case at most peer schools as well. Hotchkiss makes a conscious effort to ensure that students can balance extracurriculars with academics, something that (IMO) really differentiates Hotchkiss from other schools. For example, while many other schools hold orchestra rehearsals in the evenings, Hotchkiss Orchestra holds rehearsals during the class day (as a formal class). This allows musicians to participate fully in sports, clubs, do homework, etc. after school. Personally, I am heavily involved in the music program while participating in a variety of other activities. Overall, I’ve had a wonderful experience here, and I would definitely encourage your daughter to attend revisit days and choose Hotchkiss!
Feel free to let me know if you have any questions or concerns!
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How about Choir rehearsals . Is of held during the day or in the evening.
Choir rehearsals are also held during the day (and count as a class). Enrolling in orchestra, choir, or jazz band for two years all satisfy the arts course requirement.
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Hello! I am currently a lower-mid (sophomore) at Hotchkiss and have had a really great time here. From my experience, freshman year serves mainly as an adjustment year since new students are transitioning to boarding school life and a different academic environment. That being said, teachers recognize this change for freshmen so they may be more lenient with the homework load. That is not to say that classes are not challenging, but more consciously manageable during a time of significant adjustment. I would definitely say that there is an increased amount of expectations as a lower-mid (especially academic) compared to freshman year, but I’ve been able to manage the workload for my classes, co-curriculars, and club leadership well. What I find especially helpful is study hall, which occurs from 8pm-10pm on school nights (with the exception of 8pm-9pm on Wednesdays and Fridays) so that I have time specifically cut out to complete my homework/studying. If you do not finish all of your homework by then, you can also request “late-lights” from your proctor so you can complete homework past lights-out.
Hotchkiss is an academically rigorous environment, but I would say the key to balancing everything is good time management. I have found that on extra-heavy workdays, getting an early start to my homework during my free periods or extra-long lunch blocks is helpful in addition to study hall. Of course different study and time management methods will be different for different people, especially considering the fact that people may be taking classes of varying levels (honors vs. regular, different math/language difficulties, etc) whose workloads may differ.
Hopefully my insight is helpful to you and your daughter, and I would definitely recommend that you come to Hotchkiss’s revisit days!
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