Hello forum,
My son is a euphonium player. He just finished a three-week course at Interlochen and qualified for AMIS Asia to perform the euphonium. A strong music program at a boarding school will be a big draw for him.
He’s a third-generation legacy applicant for Andover. What other schools should he consider if he’s looking for something a little smaller (Deerfield size would be ideal) but still has a very strong music program with good depth, especially in brass to support his euphonium playing?
For sports, he plays rugby, but it seems that no schools offer it except Middlesex? He also swims, but he’s not fast enough for varsity—maybe JV—or he might switch to water polo, which could be a good transition. Perhaps a good way “combine” rugby and swimming?!
Middlesex (the Massachusetts boarding school) doesn’t have rugby. You might have found another Middlesex. I would look at Canadian schools - they might have it. What about Brentwood College School? As for US boarding schools strong in music and a bit smaller than Andover, I’d start with Hotchkiss and Lawrenceville.
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Are you sure there is euphonium at Andover?
Third generation at Andover is a massive plus and the new music center is amazing. You won’t find a better facility at most universities.
One thing we learned is that if you’re an Andover legacy, you’re not getting into Exeter unless you put a full court press telling them you’d go there instead of Andover if you get into both and give them a strong rationale. So I’m saying they’re not on your list.
SPS and Choate are the only ones that come to mind, but not an area I can provide any expertise
Schools that are similar to Deerfield in size (540 to 610 students) are Hotchkiss, Peddie and SPS. Taft is also 600ish in size, but it does not have a swimming pool.
The next group would be Choate, Lawrenceville and Loomis Chaffee –– which have 800-900 students each. The bigger the school, the more variety you are likely to find in the orchestras. I am pretty sure L’ville has a chamber orchestra with a robust brass section, so definitely look into it. You can easily find out by emailing or calling the music director (for every school).
In terms of sports, rugby is simply not popular Stateside. One option is to get used to wearing a helmet and convert to American football. Having said that, many schools do offer water polo as a fall sport, so your son could find a start there.