Lack of Air Conditioning at Boarding Schools

Prep School Admissions
1

<p>As some of you may now I am leaving for Andover Summer Session in a few days. I have read in the handbook that dorms do not have air conditioning and they request we should bring our own fans (10 inches or smaller.) My question is - How bad is the lack of air conditioning? Is there air conditioning in the classrooms and other school buildings?</p>

2

<p><a href=“http://www.amazon.com/Honeywell-HW-628-Twin-Window-Fan/dp/B0000CGQYA/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/103-1331630-7710224?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1182482990&sr=8-1[/url]”>http://www.amazon.com/Honeywell-HW-628-Twin-Window-Fan/dp/B0000CGQYA/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/103-1331630-7710224?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1182482990&sr=8-1&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>My son’s in the same boat…except he’s in the South…and he refers to this bad boy as the “air conditioner.” Technically, each fan is less than 10" and they don’t say you can’t have two fans, right?</p>

3

<p>That looks perfect, but unfortunately it has to be 10 inches or less.</p>

<p>Also, any tips on how to stay cool would be great!</p>

4

<p>This is the fan my son uses <a href=“http://www.amazon.com/Honeywell-HT800-Super-Turbo-Performance/dp/B0000BYDUC/ref=pd_bxgy_hg_text_b/102-9379759-9273755?ie=UTF8&qid=1182482990&sr=8-1[/url]”>http://www.amazon.com/Honeywell-HT800-Super-Turbo-Performance/dp/B0000BYDUC/ref=pd_bxgy_hg_text_b/102-9379759-9273755?ie=UTF8&qid=1182482990&sr=8-1&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>He has had it for three years especially for summer programs – it is less than 10", very powerful – and usually available at bed, bath and beyond and maybe walmart.</p>

<p>My son said he was too busy to let the heat bother him – but he does wear shorts, t-shirt and sandals all the time (even in winter). I don’t think he is too fazed by weather conditions.</p>

5

<p>Why does it have to be 10 inches or less?</p>

<p>I’d think it’s going to be REALLY hot, especially if you’re on 4th floor or something like that. My advisor told me one girl almost passed out because of the heat at Exeter summer school… I don’t know if he was exaggerating, though. :&lt;/p>

<p>Dehumidifiers help soo much on stuffy/humid/gross days but they are a little expensive. However, do NOT bring a dehumidifier if you’re planning on keeping musical instruments in your room</p>

6

<p>Three words:</p>

<p>SUCK IT UP.</p>

7

<p>Definitely bring several fans if you can. Most of the academic buildings don’t have air conditioning. Having class outside is very popular during the spring and I imagine during the summer. The library and dining hall have air conditioning, so you will be spending a lot of time in those buildings.</p>

8

<p>the public school that I’m leaving is fully air-conditioned, and the boarding school that I’ll be attending next year just got new a new AC system (woo-hoo!).
but, as far as I know, the school that I’ll be attending is an exception, not the rule.</p>

9

<p>Thanks.</p>

<p>I think I’ll just try to find the fan that hsmomstef recommended and I’ll buy a few of those.</p>

<p>

</p>

<p>I don’t know. That’s just what it says in the handbook.</p>

10

<p>Is it true (I know this is true at Deerfield) that Choate and other boarding schools have heating but no AC??</p>

11

<p>Why do i not picture them getting out a tape measure, and measuring your fan. Even if it is bigger and they do see it, its not like they are going to confiscate it.</p>

12

<p>Jonathon, you are going to have the time of your life. have fun and don’t spend too much time in the books.</p>

13

<p>Olivia - yes, it’s true, as all those fireplaces will tell you – the schools certainly do have heating!</p>

14

<p>does sps have air conditioning in there dorms?</p>

15

<p>Look, it’s NH…it doesn’t get all that hot for an extended period. I’ve lived here all of my life and we have never used AC. My son used a fan at bs and it was fine. He used a small, metal fan that we got at WalMart. It worked very well and lasted all 4 years.</p>

16

<p>Olivia … it’s because they <em>need</em> heating from October to May. Air conditioning would be <em>nice</em> in September, late May, and June. But … it’s not Florida and you can survive without AC.</p>

17

<p>Thanks, cnp. :slight_smile: I guess I’ll bring the fan that I’m also taking to TIP this summer.</p>

18

<p>To give you a more technical explanation … in New England, most heating systems use radiators, especially in older buildings. The furnace/boiler pumps hot water (or steam) through these clunky fixtures that radiate heat into the room … or through hot water baseboard radiators that go along the bottom of the walls. Many newer homes have forced hot air – where the furnace pumps hot air directly into the rooms. If you are pumping air – you can also have the same ducting do the cold air if you add an air conditioning unit. That would be <em>central</em> air conditioning. YOu see a lot of this in Florida … and sometimes they use heat pumps which do pretty well at both heating and cooling until it gets close to freezing temps.</p>

<p>If you are have a hot water or steam system, then you need to either add ducts (air pipes) for the AC and the AC unit outside – or individual room through the window or wall AC units. Expensive retrofit if you don’t need AC a lot.</p>

<p>Newer buildings at boarding schools in New England often have AC – places like libraries especially. A tip for Jonathon – if it’s really hot, hang in the library until it closes so you start the evening cool!</p>

19

<p>Duke’s West campus is air conditioned. If your TIP program is on East campus…bring the fan.</p>

<p>Oh, and here’s the word from Session I: keep pocket knives and other contraband at home. (Duh.) If you dare to press your luck, the admonition about calling parents and giving them 24 hours to fetch their kid isn’t idle talk. Apparently more than a few parents got such a call this past week. (Ugh.) While that eye-opening news got reported, and my son did ask for some tips to make his fan unit work better, he didn’t complain about the heat. Not even a “You gotta help me because it’s really hot here” tossed in for effect. I’m sure it’s warm, but I’m sure he didn’t bother lodging a heat complaint in anticipation that I would offer the same 3 words of advice that fun is fun has shared in this thread.</p>

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<p>It’s interesting, D’yer. When I was in England, at an academic boarding camp thing, I had my pocketknife, and I was using it to sharpen a stick (long story :D). One of the teachers came over and looked at it and said “That’s neat. What kind is that?” I told him, and he was very excited, talking about all the different ones he had. Perhaps that’s the difference between the U.S. and U.K.
By the way–what happens if parents don’t pick their kids up within 24 hours?</p>