<p>Out of the really solid boarding schools discussed here (not only gladchems but sort of NMH and up), which have the most “free” environments? Things that would contribute to this would be amount of free time, ability to go into the surrounding town whenever, loose co-ed visiting rules, decent lights out time, etc etc. </p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>Taft seemed pretty ‘free’; NMH, Williston, MX, SPS also seem pretty ‘free’</p>
<p>SPS’s motto is “freedom with responsibility”, and I think they’re pretty lax on a lot of rules. I heard that NMH is pretty relaxed, and Andover felt really relaxed when I visited, one of the reasons I didn’t like it.</p>
<p>Concord seems pretty laid back, no?</p>
<p>Choate has a pretty liberal student body.</p>
<p>Concord is definitely laid back, you can go explore the town without even signing out… Awesome!</p>
<p>Yeah another vote for SPS. The kids there seem very relaxed/down to earth. Not to mention the dress code isn’t very strict and they let you leave campus.</p>
<p>choate 100%</p>
<p>i think st. andrew’s de is pretty laid back</p>
<p>alelu, not sure if I would say SPS is “lax on rules”. There are rules and they are enforced. Violation of a Major Rule will lead to immediate expulsion. Freedom with Responsibility is more about they expect you to be mature enough to accept personal responsibility for your own actions. They assume you can be trusted and they will treat you as mature young adults. But if you prove that you cannot handle the trust then there will be consequences. Teens have, do and will make mistakes. I have made mistakes, You probably will too. The primary burden is on you to accept that responsibility. The assumption is that you will figure out when to sleep, when to study and when to wake up.</p>
<p>SPS I have friends there and they said is REALLY free just like their motto.
CRH is the only BS that has parties every weekends.</p>
<p>Does anyone think Hotchkiss or Deerfield are laid back?</p>
<p>I meant they are lax as in like there is no like internet cut time and people can have phones and the dress code. More a lack of rules than not enforcing rules.</p>
<p>I have a child at St. Andrew’s, a wonderful school not much talked about here on CC. It is highly academically demanding with excellent college placement, small (300 students), close-knit, 100% boarding, most faculty live on campus. It is very warm and nurturing, but not sure I would call it laid-back: it has one of the more structured residential environments (study hall, lights out, dress code, required meals, required Sunday chapel, etc.). The school works very hard to ensure that students have a balanced life, and I would say that there is less noticeable stress and competitiveness among students than in most top boarding schools. There is also little to no drug or alcohol use on campus, unique in my experience with schools. Another of my children went to Exeter; the two schools couldn’t be more different and both schools were perfect for the child who went there.</p>
<p>Hmmm never sure where some of these “facts” come from. At SPS the internet goes down from midnight to 6 am. Yes, you have phones in your room. There is cell service, but some limits on usage. The dress code is more relaxed than some and more relaxed than it used to be (coats and ties are no longer required for classes, but are at some other times). There are no shortage of rules (see: <a href=“https://www.sps.edu/ftpimages/36/download/Student%20Handbook%200910_FINAL.pdf[/url]”>https://www.sps.edu/ftpimages/36/download/Student%20Handbook%200910_FINAL.pdf</a>). </p>
<p>But as I said, they will treat you with trust unless you prove incapable of handling it. Alelu, I think you will find the rules are similar to those you will find at Deerfield next fall.</p>
<p>Anyone think Hotchkiss or Deerfield are laid back? Anyone?</p>
<p>I’m sorry let me rephrase that? How do you view Deerfield and/or Hotchkiss? Are they laid back or strict in your opinion?</p>
<p>deerfield and hotchkiss are very preppy. they’re pretty different from a school like SPS…</p>
<p>i’ve heard quite a few people call hotchkiss a “pressure-cooker” but others have said the opposite, so… i’d say to visit the school to get a feel for yourself, if possible :P</p>
<p>Deerfield seems pretty strict and seems very preppy. The school loves tradition and still has pretty strict rules about most things. It’s more like boarding school was like in the past.</p>
<p>I’m surprised Milton hasn’t been mentioned. It struck me as a very liberal school (one of the reasons I didn’t wanted to enroll) and the school motto is: Dare to be true. It encourages every person to be himself/herself and not conform with the rest etc. They don’t have dress code, sit down meals and so on. Also the school was founded by liberal philantropists.</p>
<p>Deerfield and Hotchkiss are similar in that they have a formal dress code and their academics will challenge you but not in a bad way. </p>
<p>After classes it’s pretty chill and there are lots of dances, feeds, etc. Both schools like to have fun during the down times. I have more experience with Hotchkiss and it’s no way a pressure cooker!</p>
<p>I mean Hotchkiss has no a tolerance rule as far as drugs, alcohol… one strike you’re out deal. But that’s pretty much the only thing they are ultra strict about and traditions and school spirit and pride and diversity are super important and that’s a good thing as far as I’m concerned.</p>
<p>I was accepted at Exeter and NMH as an upper for the 2010-2011 school year. I know that NMH is much more liberal in nature, but I was wondering if even with the rigorous academics Exeter would be a place to have fun. The impressions I got from Exeter were that it was highly academic, and social life was compromised. Is this true, and can it be overcome?</p>