The Hill School

Any Hill Parents or soon to be Hill Parents on here? My son will be going there this fall, and my husband graduated from there almost 30 years ago. I know traditions and everything, but Husband comes from the time before internet, cell phones, Skype, electricity (Kidding!) so he can’t answer a lot of my questions, and I think the admissions office is getting tired of me. Just looking for a friendly person to talk to…

Also, if anyone has experience with Boy Scouts during boarding school, that would be fab, too.

I am happy to answer any questions!

  1. I know they require iPads…will he need a laptop, too?

  2. Are the beds really so horrible that he will some kind of topper in addition to a plain old mattress pad?

  3. How is the food? 30 years ago it was apparently pretty good, says the man who will eat cold pizza that has sat out for three days.

  4. shower shoes…yes or no?

  5. What is/are the thing(s) that he should bring that we might not think about?

THANKS!!!

I don’t go to Hill, but some of these apply to all boarding schools.

  1. Yes, he will thank you for buying him a topper.
  2. Not a reason to select a BS :slight_smile: Not as good as Mom’s, but it does the job. Most schools range from pretty go to outstanding. He will not starve.
  3. Unless he’s a fan of athlete’s foot, yes!

LOL! Bad food won’t stop him, he’s a lot like his dad in that fashion. I was just curious. :slight_smile:

  1. Yes, he needs an iPad… you can buy him one through the school. If you do not, make sure it is the model he needs- currently they use iPad Airs. They really do not need a lap top- some kids have them. One of mine does, the other does not. Extra chargers are good to have too- my kids always need new ones!
  2. & 4 ) a mattress topper are shower shoes are needed!!
  3. my kids do not complain about the food. they are big fans of the student grille, walking to Little Italy’s or wawa and ordering in when they want a change (or more food).
  4. don’t buy too much- they will let you know after a few days/weeks what they are lacking. And, they run shuttles to Target, Wegmans, etc on the weekends. A fan, rubbermaid type container for under the bed and full of snacks, headphones, umbrella, raincoat, bathing suit (they have a swim test the first week). Things to do in his downtime such as sports equipment, video games, movies, posters for his room….

Hope that helps!!

also, check out the parents’ section on the school website if you have not done so already. It has not been updates for 2015-16 (except for the Health Forms); however, has packing lists, iPad and textbook information.

The list of things you might like to bring includes a comfy chair or small couch…Are the rooms big enough for that?

Lamp…regular lamp, desk lamp, floor lamp…what?

Do you use the laundry service, and how is it? How many laundry bags will he need?

if your son is going to be a 3rd former in the Fall, he will most likely be in Dutch or Dell dorms which are big enough for a small chair and/or nightstand (an actual nightstand or cubbies).

desk lamp for sure!
kids who use laundry service get a laundry bag- laundry service is once a week… I recommend it especially with the dress code.

Does “dress shirt” have to be boring solid color, or can it be striped, plaid, etc,? (See, I told you I’d have all kinds of dumb questions…and a plaid shirt can be very tasteful with a solid tie and a blazer…)

From what I saw at our visits to Hill, the shirt and blazer can be any color. Some kids are known for their unique style.

ask away! I am happy to answer all that I can….
the dress shirt and dress code does not have to be boring at all- boys wear all different colors/stripes/dots/patterns of pants, shirts, blazers, ties.
they do enforce dress socks in the Fall & Winter, and leather belts and shoes year round.

My D was a day student so I can’t really add much but I’m happy to see Hill getting some love here. I think the newish headmaster is really doing great things for the school.

I can also answer some questions as D1 currently attends The Hill as a 4th Former (S1 L’Ville… Makes for interesting dinner conversations)

  1. I know they require iPads…will he need a laptop, too?
    iPad is required, there is a Tech Sheet Available advising which model is required… In addition to purchasing, they have rentals available… If you do purchase, refurbished iPads can be bought through Apple at a considerable discount.
    You will need to have a Bluetooth Keyboard and a Stylus with lots of replacement Nibs. Laptops are not required but do come in handy for some projects.

  2. Are the beds really so horrible that he will some kind of topper in addition to a plain old mattress pad?
    Lot of kids have them but D1 was happy not to have one… What will be useful is Bed Risers to allow better storage under the bed… We found a medium side to be the best.

  3. How is the food? 30 years ago it was apparently pretty good, says the man who will eat cold pizza that has sat out for three days.
    The food at the hill is actually really good for the most part… D1 says that their regular fare is better than what is served on Parents Weekend…

  4. shower shoes…yes or no?
    YES!!!

  5. What is/are the thing(s) that he should bring that we might not think about?
    Decorations for the dorm like posters and shelving will come in handy. We purchased a collapsible wagon to keep in the dorm. This comes in very handy come move in day and moving items to the storage pods at end of school year.
    I saw someone mentioned laundry service, we found this not that necessary as there are washers and dryers in all the dorms and not only saves money but teaches better time management and responsibility. If you are really frugal, the Dell (Lake in the middle of campus) also offers opportunity though not recommended… I would not worry too much about slightly wrinkled clothes, it is part of the fashion.

    Another item of necessity is a cell phone… Again you can save $$ by getting a plan that allows WiFi to be used for calling… Wifi service seems to be fairly ubiquitous on campus.
    Be sure to try the Desert Pizza (Developed by Hill students) at Little Italy (For Parents, good place to buy carry out bier while overnighting in Pottstown), but Giuseppe’s across from the School on East High Street is really good, but no Bier…
    They will love you for every if you have Netflix and Hulu accounts, as Dr. Lake puts it “Lights out is a myth”…

I can chime in about Boy Scouts although not at The Hill. Our son was a Life Scout when he entered BS as a ninth-grader and thought he would be able to continue along the path to Eagle Scout with a troop close to Choate that he contacted during the summer before entering. In reality, there was no time (at all) to participate in an off-campus activity, so he worked with his home troop leadership to put together aggressive summer and break plans to ensure that he could complete his Eagle requirements before turning 18. This meant that he was unusually heavily-immersed in Boy Scouts during his summers and during the long winter breaks. Last summer (between junior and senior years) was one nail-biter as he completed his project and board-of-review just one week prior to returning to BS and turning 18. If he did not pass his board of review before returning to school in the fall, he would not have made it.

My advice is to have your son meet with his Scoutmaster before leaving for BS to discuss in detail what he has left to do to achieve his Eagle rank and then map out a plan to ensure he can complete all requirements in the time he has allotted. This means that his troop leadership has to buy in to his unavoidable part-time participation in his troop and also ensure that he can serve in the required leadership positions that the Eagle rank requires. Do not count on partnering with a local troop.

As for college applications, spending summers in Boy Scout activities and achieving his Eagle rank will be among the best indicators of leadership potential as well as grit, determination, and endurance that your son can highlight to the colleges he applies to. Scouting is an extremely deep EC and if there is any way he can continue along the path and achieve that rank, it is well worth doing, first for his own deep sense of accomplishment, and second for what it says about his ability to go the distance. Our son feels that earning his Eagle is his most important life accomplishment thus far, even ahead of graduation from BS and entering one of his first-choice colleges. Once an Eagle, always an Eagle.

Surprised no one has posted this link yet, but it covers just about everything under the sun that you may think to bring:

http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/prep-school-admissions/311892-the-ultimate-supply-list-for-boarding-school.html

But the main take-away should be “less is more.” You can add/take-away at breaks. CK comes to school each year with one large suitcase, one roller bag, and one backpack. He ships his electronics to/from. Thank heaven we don’t have a girl.

I’ll second that.

Same here, and I ship nothing.

@skieurope: You rock! Every BS kid should try to be like you. Seriously. I’m surprised you even opted for college when you clearly have a meaningful career here on CC.

Thank you @ChoatieMom on comments on scouting and congratulations to ChoatieKid for his Eagle!
We are also assuming that once DS starts BS in the fall he won’t do much scouting there. It will be just the summers and breaks. This summer will be the race to as many activities/requirements as possible. We will be looking into Merit Badge Day type of activities where he can complete requirements of a badge in a whole day or two days (such as Lifesaving or Swimming, etc) I may look for such events near BS (I.e. driving distance) during long weekends when I visit him. He is 1.1 merit badges away from Life rank so he will be (he better be :slight_smile: ) a Life Scout before starting BS. Fortunately our troop is quite accommodating. Once a boy did Eagle Board of review over Skype as his family moved to Australia. Still, DS will have to discuss serving his position only during summers with his current scoutmaster.

Thanks, but my CC salary is not enough to live on, and I don’t think my parents will supplement it. :slight_smile: So, it’s off to college we go.