My daughter was accepted by NMH, Kent and George School. Now we have to make decisions without revisiting the schools, and have particular questions about NMH and George.
For NMH, we want to know where do kids study during their own time (e.g., study hall time)?
We have this particular concern when we visited NMH school. We noticed the library is very small. The dorm is also very small, with a bunk bed for two students. I figure most of the classrooms would be closed. So where do students typically sit and study?
For George school (in PA), we have never visited. Do they have a spacious dorm where they can stay in the dorm to study? Is the library large enough that students can find place to sit and study during the day, given half are local day students?
George School is IB school, and one-third of students pursue the IB diploma. My question is, if you don’t pursue IB diploma as a George student (but instead just taking a couple of IB courses), would the highly competitive college perceive it as a weak point, given that college usually wants the students to take the most challenging courses available.
The library is large and beautiful! It has smaller rooms upstairs as well. Dorm rooms have places to study in them. There are also classrooms that are available for study as well as other common spaces. I have never heard anyone complaining that they don’t have a good place to study.
Yes, there are rigorous options that are not IB. Many high-achieving students do not do the IB diploma. It’s an awesome program, but it requires a breadth of classes (including foreign language) and many students prefer to invest themselves in robotics or STEM classes instead. Anyone can take IB classes, regardless of whether they are doing the diploma, so most kids will take a couple. It is absolutely possible to get the "most rigorous " designation on your college app without doing the IB. (And those kids do great in college matriculation as well.)
George School has an incredible community. It is very diverse and welcoming, and there is a lot that is baked into its culture that gives students a lot of space to be themselves. I am sorry you are not going to be able to visit. Please feel free to PM me.
In regards to NMH the vast majority of doubles don’t have bunk beds, but I’d agree might be smaller in the 9th grade cottages than in other dorms in future years. With everyone in the dorm studying at the same time my DS never found the limited space an issue. The library is actually bigger than it looks on the tour, as it has a very large area in the basement that is also used for studying. Some students besides their dorm rooms or common rooms, also like to use Rhodes Hall.
Dear @BigBlueSwim and @gardenstategal , Thank you so much for your detailed answer. I didn’t expect such a helpful reply and my concern is eased. Thanks a lot!!
Now I am more seriously concerned whether the school would be safely reopened in the fall. We certainly don’t want to pay for an online class. lol…
We are debating whether to send our daughter to NMH (partly due to the current situation), would love to talk to some current students/parents about their experiences. Would you be okay to speak with me about your NMH experience? Thanks so much! Please PM me.