Well, since you read about the Seven family’s journey of discovery, you’re pretty well informed about SAS.
Elizabeth McGiff is the Ceramics teacher there, and I do think that she’s pretty wonderful. The entire Visual and Performing Arts department is good. My two kids have enjoyed working with several of the faculty in different areas of the department, with welcome results.
St. Andrew’s is all about the “well-rounded education and different life experience”, inasmuch as the school encourages wider participation by a smaller number of students (300) to populate so many programs and teams. “Specialized” students are admitted, but the greater number are kids who are “generalists” and pick up new activities along with the others they have experience in. Those who want to drill deep into math, singing, soccer or whatever are generally able to excel but have a broad experience to boot. Really advanced Division 1 prospects certainly will find larger schools with more competitive environments to be attractive alternatives to SAS. The general climate in this all-residential community fosters wide interpersonal associations as well – few kids hide themselves within cliques and behind program doors because an inclusive, supportive “ethos” discourages the stereotypical patterns often associated with the high school experience. Watch performances on the video feeds found through the website/Livestream/YouTube/Facebook pages and you will sense just how much unity the students feel with each other and the faculty/staff. It might suggest the kind of “fit” you’re looking for.