I’m a student interested in competing with varsity teams, especially soccer and basketball. I would also like to try new sports. I want a school that has good academics but isn’t a pressure cooker. Also, I would like a school that has a good reputation with colleges. Additionally, I prefer a school with the ability to go off campus and be near civilization for the weeekends. Which school should I choose?
Are you asking just out of those three or are you asking people to come up with a list of schools for you?
There are a lot of old threads that will likely be helpful for you.
If only it were that easy. These three schools are extremely competitive to get into. You don’t get to choose unless/until you get in. No matter how qualified you are, you can’t assume you will get into any of these three. The vast majority of applicants don’t. Your question is like asking “which Ivy should I choose?”.
The good news is you can get what you are looking for at a bunch of different schools beyond these three. If you read the “hidden gems” thread, among others, you will get a jump start on your research. If you can, apply to at least six (some say more like 15) schools with various acceptance rates.
Good luck and please come back with more questions. You will find a lot of support here.
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To the OP - I get it…but I am a little confused…
If you are interested in competing with Varsity teams at BS - as you indicate “soccer and basketball” those two sports will pretty much eat up your Saturdays Fall and Winter terms. This means that your desire to “go off campus and be near civilization for the weekends” might be limited.
I can speak for Deerfield having strong soccer and basketball teams with a spirited fan base (especially for your sport of basketball). The academics at Deerfield are rigorous and it’s been our observation that the grading rubric (at DA) is tougher than Taft or Loomis. You can look at the school profile - grade distributions or earlier posts about grading at Deerfield.
Now, if it is fun weekend life with a good dining scene, I personally recommend you check out St Georges. Before COVID, students would take the “Dragon Wagon” into Newport for dinner/shopping/hanging out/ trips to the Candy Store 
I am not sure how much nightlife the other BS’s offer that are closer to Boston….maybe someone else on here can weigh in?
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I’m open to all schools
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There are dozens of boarding schools in America that fit your description. Perhaps you could help me help you by stating why you picked out these three schools?
In terms of proximity to civilization, Loomis and Taft both have a town that is close to campus. Deerfield’s setting is bucolic, and your ideal weekend getaway will require a drive (Amherst is 30 minutes away by car).
By “good academics,” did you mean the breadth and depth of course offerings, quality of teaching, or standardized test results of the students? Inevitably, there will be a correlation between academic strength and your stress level. You just cannot expect to have the cake and eat it too.
Finally, when it comes to college placement, all three schools are popular with colleges and have been sending top grads to top schools for over a century. Matriculation data are easily available on their websites. Do some homework and you will have a better picture.
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At the risk of being harpooned, I am going to share a truth missile about some of the more competitive boarding schools out there. If DA is still on your list, it will be a challenging journey. Many of the students come into 9th grade with advanced placement in Physics, Math, Chem, Languages, etc. You are expected to be independent and self-driven. At many BS’s (ours included) you need to be strategic and do the extra work. If you like to stretch yourself and be challenged a lot, then you will want a rigorous school.
By contrast, there are other schools out there that engage in more hand-holding and spoon-feeding. They really do want their students to succeed. What one school defines as success might be different than what another views as success (eg Survivor mentality). At some schools, there will be more rote learning and memorization. Other schools may have material that is more complex that you will need to decipher yourself. Be prepared to apply what you have learned (or taught yourself ) on tests, rather than just regurgitating material.
I generally believe that some are more academically and socially challenging than others. There are significant differences in the quality of teaching AND in teacher involvement. I think AO’s do a good job of selling a school, but you need to talk to current parents and students.
I also have observed a shift over the course of 4 years (5 counting 8th grade observations) at boarding schools.
- Teachers seemed stressed and burned out
- Students seem overwhelmed
- Many schools have changed their class schedules or courses often over the past 4 years. At DA, there have been 4 class schedules and 4 testing schedules in 4 years (add AP testing schedules and that’s 5)
- I think some schools or HOS’s were hopeful (more like naive) in thinking that everything would be the way it was before COVID.
- I hear that some schools have a staffing shortage
- Class sizes at a few schools we know (including DA) have increased.
- College counselors are stressed and maxed out on # of students.
- Many teachers left or retired last year.
- There is a change among many BS’s and not yet sure what it is…but there is something off.
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My theory is that schools are having a difficult time with all of the rapid fire changes that have been happening in the past few years culturally. I went back to look at the common data sets for the past 4 years available for Ivy+ schools, plus other admissions info available on school websites. There are clear demographic changes that impact prep schools- fewer private school kids, more people of color, more first gen are being admitted. That has to create pressure on the boarding schools.
From the time when kiddo applied to now, it is a very different elite college admissions landscape. The archetypal well-rounded and well-heeled prep school kid is no longer top of the priority list at elite colleges. Spiky kids and diversity are where it’s at. I know this isn’t news, but I imagine it creates an identity crisis for boarding schools - the decreased number of teens overall, plus cultural shifts, plus the consequences of the pandemic, that’s a lot of change for these schools to absorb all at once. What is the value proposition boarding schools offer their long-standing customers, if not a path to elite colleges for their kids? While I have figured it out for my kids, and I know there are plenty of parents here who aren’t all about colleges, but right or wrong, most families assume they are buying a college admissions bump.
Traditional institutions typically don’t change quickly to match the speed of external changes forced on them. My guess is that there’s going to be awkward shifts and misfirings for a while while boarding schools figure out how to please their big donor alums and the newer realities they are contending with. Teacher burn out and turnover makes sense to me in this context.
Or, it could just be that the pandemic did a number on everyone, boarding schools included.
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I think it’s the pandemic, full stop. The stressed teachers and administrators I’ve seen were stressed because of the pandemic precautions and the responsibility for keeping kids safe.
The shift away from prep schools by elite colleges happened more than 20 years ago, this is not a new phenomenon for boarding schools.
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Interesting observations. Do you think staff shortage/departures/retirements have to do with their comp? What is the average salary of an experienced BS teacher or senior administrator? I believe the top HOS are very well paid, with some approaching 7 figures, but I wonder if the salaries of deans, counselors etc. are in line with their responsibilities. Caring for hormonal teens can be a very challenging job. Do they get benefits other than housing/meals and potentially free education for their (qualified) kids?
Their benefits/salaries haven’t changed, though. So that’s not what’s driving anyone to leave. I expect the stress of keeping (hormonal!) kids safe is pretty high. Add to that the vociferous complaints of some parents, and it’s been a pretty tough year and a half.
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Compensation is a factor AND there are other factors in this mix.
IMHO since the COVID pandemic (and all that came with it) the teachers today are less willing to put themselves and their families “at risk” or give as much as they were required to give as BS faculty. That is what we are hearing. I also hear from teachers at DA and other schools that the time demands are just too great.
As we have discussed on other posts, there are many roles that BS teachers have to play. Does the compensation and benefits make it worth it? My student has a teacher who put their proverbial foot down and told the class “I don’t do weekends - weekends belong to me. So, don’t text or email me or ask to meet with me”. OK - I get it. So, this is where the importance of expectations cannot be stressed enough. I believe there is a realignment of expectations between faculty, trustees, admin, parents and students.
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That is so very true. Many of them have to double as coaches/advisors/dorm parents, which leaves them very little private time, if at all. Throw COVID into the mix, then you really need to provide more incentives to retain them.
Perhaps schools could consider offering a special bonus, or maybe the Parents Committee can initiate something to that effect?
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Curious, how do people think the burden compares to public school teachers- who may not coach or live in dorms, but have six periods of larger classes every day? I don’t know how the pay compares, but the alternatives don’t seem to compare well.
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Gosh, it’s odd that the schools I know are so different from Deerfield. At them no teacher could ever say “don’t bother me on weekends.” That would be a pretty surefire way to lose their job.
I agree, the time demands are enormous. But historically they have always included teaching, coaching, and dorm duty. So there’s no change there. Only pandemic precautions have added more work. And, there’s a move away from the traditional “triple threat” model of boarding school teachers. Now, there’s more emphasis on coaching, with real, and good, coaches, not the Latin teacher who’s taught himself a bit about soccer.
BS compensation and benefits are competitive.
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My experience as well. I have never heard a teacher complain about their jobs - Not that there aren’t some who are unhappy. Of course there are. But they are pretty good at keeping up the public face. The pandemic has been rough, for sure, but the vague complaints I have heard have been directed at the pandemic messing with how they do their job and how much they are missing the kids, not directed at the school or the kids. I don’t have insider information though. It wouldn’t surprise me that there is more grousing about helicopter parents than there used to be.
I do think schools have to contend with diversity and gender issues in a way they never had to before, and that might be harder in some schools and for some teachers than others.
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Please refer to the original question and refrain from OT discussions which, while fascinating, belong in its own thread.
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The answer is even more simple - wait until M10 to ask the question, as one it more if the schools will likely take the option off the table.
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I’d say public school teacher pensions are a lot better. Compensation in my district is darn good. And yes, the classes are large, but there is very little one on one assumed or required.
I’ve always assumed that the reason someone would take a position at a BS for less $ is that the intellectual atmosphere is less depressing. Taft, Loomis, Deerfield… such schools attract applicants that are more likely to be interested in learning.