It really depends on the dorm. Some are newer and more renovated others are older. To be honest the dorms are part of the experience so even if you don’t like a certain aspect of a dorm I bet you others don’t either and you can unite in complaining about. Tons have kids have passed through there. Beginning of spring and fall are so hard because it gets warm and muggy and there is no air conditioning in any of the dorms, but again, it’s a nice united experience and a memory that you will carry with you for a lifetime(don’t worry in the winter there is heat) @Nico.campbell
Hey! Don’t give up!Try again. You never know. If you still can’t get in next year, maybe Choate wasn’t meant to be. Maybe you were meant to go to some other incredible school and excel there. No matter where you end up, as long as you put your heart into, it will be an incredible experience! @Allenz6107
What times do the sports teams practice (and on which days)? Is there anywhere I can find an avg. daily schedule? When do the roommate surveys come out?
And more broadly, what do you think is special about Choate? Why did you pick it? Why is it worth it? Thanks!
It depends on the sports team. School ends at 2:55, so a practice could start at 3:15 or 3:20 or 3:30. They tend to be around 2 hours long each day. Again this depends on the team and whether or not you have a game. Farming only meets 2 or three times a week (A personal favorite of mine) Do not be fooled. Intramural crew in the fall is not really intramural. It takes up about 3 hours of your life each day, 5 days a week. I would know, I did it my freshman year.
I think that it is truly special the connections you make with people. It feels like you are bonded forever. I chose it because I felt comfortable there. It was as if I was meant to be there. It is a hard feeling to describe, but once you visit the campus and other campus’s you will know what its like. You’ll feel like you belong. It will be hard to gage at first because of all the cheerfulness and stuff but at some point during your visit, try and block out the noise. As for my experience, It has totally been worth it. But it is what you make of it. Do not come to this school (or any other school for that matter) with preconceived notions (again, easier said than done) @applejuice007
you should do crew there is no sport i recommend more. even though it takes up a lot of time it will Change ur life TRUST me. It’s lit its a great team and we love crew 
Hey! I recently got accepted to Choate and I am so excited to visit! In all honesty, are the students at Choate competitive in an academic sense? I’ve heard that top schools can be really cutthroat. How is Wallingford? Are there fun things to do there? Thank you! B-)
I came from a middle-class public school, and honestly I found Choate to be less academically competitive than my middle school. There was no “what did you get on the test?!” sort of interrogation. From my personal experience, I didn’t experience anything cutthroat until senior year with colleges, which is a nasty experience but unavoidable wherever you go. I found Choate to be the least cutthroat out of all the schools I looked at.
5-10 minute walking distance from campus includes an old-fashioned candy/ice-cream/cupcake store, two unique seat-yourself type places, a casual burger place, and two fancy restaurants. We also participate in a Meals on Call service, which will bring you food from all over Wallingford including Starbucks, Chik-fil-a, Panera, Chipotle, Domino’s, real pizza, and others I’m sure. There’s a big movie theatre with recliners and a trampoline park that are only a five-minute weekend shuttle away. If you’re really stir crazy, they run free shuttles every other weekend to New Haven, which has the best pizza (Pepe’s is better btw), shopping, and all sorts of unique food options. NYC is a two-hour train ride away, and Boston is about 3 hours away.
Choate itself puts on tons of stuff. Every other weekend there’s a club-style dance with techno-style dance music, skimpy clothes, etc. There are two or more student productions every term. If you’re into sports games, our football team hasn’t lost a game since my freshman year, and school’s pep club (Boar Pen) sponsors a game every weekend so people show up and have a good time. We also have visiting performers from time to time. All of this is free, btw. We also have a Tuck shop that sells milkshakes and burgers (in a new student’s building for next year, which looks fantastic) and a Starbucks-style cafe in the math building.
If you have any other questions, feel free to ask!
Hey! I just got accepted into Choate for 9th grade (super excited!). Is the environment academically competitive? How do you receive private lessons for instruments (e.g. violin, trumpet, etc.)? How heavy is the workload in 9th grade (approx. how many hours each night)? I’ve also heard rumors that Choate has a lot of socially exclusive cliques, is that true? Also, what are some state/national/international awards that students from Choate have been awarded? For me, the tuition is a little on the high end (I’m a boarding student), I know this was briefly discussed before, but what are some selling points, is it worth it (especially for a boarder)?
Are freshman all together in a given dorm (or 2)? Or are all the dorms mixed with freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors?
I am sooooo excited for revisit day you guys :-bd
Unless it has changed, all freshman boys live in Mem House and allfreshman girls all live in Nichols.
Some freshman girls live in Squire/Stanley now as well. It is a much smaller dorm than Nicols. ALL 3rd form boys live in Mem.
@aali27 So many questions! I will try to answer them to the best of my (mom) ability.
I would have to say that the environment is academically competitive–but in a a good way. You WILL be challenged! As for private music lessons, you need to go back to your enrollment/welcome packet. There is a contract for private music lessons in it so that you can sign-up for them. Cliques. . . There are cliques at every high school. . . I think most kids find their place and also interact and hang-out with a variety of students. Most of the students seem to know most of the students! As for Awards-- I couldn’t say off-hand, but I know that there a quite a few famous alums and some former Olympians (girl’s hockey comes to mind) as well.
I think that for the right kid, boarding at Choate is definitely worth it!
@ChoatieMom Do a lot of students ever get singles at Choate? I definitely don’ want one my freshman year and probably not my sophomore year, but I’ve been thinking maybe in the later years… I know that a lot of schools (like Middlesex) have enough singles so that every students gets at least two years in one :-?
What’s girls field hockey like? (Overall vibe, cliqueyness, intensity, practice schedule, etc.)
and what’s girl’s soccer like? ^
@Nico.campbell: ChoatieKid had a single freshman, sophomore, and junior year. He had a roommate two of his three senior trimesters, but finished out in a single. So, yes, definitely. On the roommate survey he filled out in the summer prior to entering Choate, one of the questions asked about whether he preferred a roommate(s) or not. He said he preferred a single and was assigned to one. You won’t know, though, until the day you move in.
After freshman year, rooms are assigned by lottery.
@Nico.campbell Nico-one of my kids is in a single. Easy to get at Choate and costs are the same if you request one.
@applejuice007 – I think all of the girl’s teams really bonded last year!
@ChoatieMom @itcannotbetrue Thank you! 
I’m so excited to visit
@applejuice007 – Ooops, to answer all of your questions, games are on W and Saturdays. Thirds may have fewer games than JV and Varsity, however. Practices usually start around 3:30 for many outdoor sports in the Fall and go for a few hours. The thirds teams are not that intense IMO.