<p>I am an African-American male. I was accepted to a really prestigious boarding school in NJ to start my sophomore year of high school. As with most prep schools, most students will be Caucasian. I’m from a school where the population is probably 95% black and 5% Latino. How do I adjust to my new environment? Will I have trouble making friends? I start in September and I’m really nervous :/</p>
<p>Check out these two threads: <a href=“Black ABC Scholar mixing in with people at school - Prep School Admissions - College Confidential Forums”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/prep-school-admissions/1623473-black-abc-scholar-mixing-in-with-people-at-school.html</a> and <a href=“Black Female Students' Social Experience at Hotchkiss, Peddie, Lawrenceville and Blair Academy - Prep School Parents - College Confidential Forums”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/prep-school-parents/1648312-black-female-students-social-experience-at-hotchkiss-peddie-lawrenceville-and-blair-academy.html</a></p>
<p>Good luck, and congratulations on your acceptance!</p>
<p>First, congratulations on your acceptance! Second, I can understand why you might be nervous because you will be facing something new and different, but remember that ALL the other new students will be feeling nervous too for their own reasons. Be yourself, keep an open mind and I think you will be surprised at how many friends you will make. My son entered his school as a sophomore and he said the first two or three weeks were really hard because he had to adjust to a new living environment, a very different work load, and make friends but it all turned out well. Try to remember that there will probably be new students who are going to school here in the U.S. for the first time and they will be experiencing a different kind of “culture shock” and I think you will probably find that the kids in your new school are not as different from you as you might have thought. Even though many boarding school are seen as “exclusive, prestigious, etc” I don’t think the students are race conscious. Rather than seeing you as the new African American kid, I think they will see you as the new kid who is really good at science, or art, or soccer, or whatever it is that you are into. Good luck!!!</p>
<p>Thank you so much. You answer definitely put me a bit more at ease. </p>
<p>** Disclaimer: sorry for any typos. **
Hey Njguy, being someone who is sort of going through the same thing (though my school is mostly white), I can understand how you may feel a bit scared to go to school with all these seemingly alien people who don’t understand your humor/music preferences/traditions. However, you shouldn’t dwell on that but rather embrace whatever differences you may have, own it, and educate others through the way you choose to present yourself. Of course I don’t know how you like to express yourself, but know that you belong at the school you are going to because you have something special to bring to the plate. And whether or not that is athletics, art, or unexplainable knowledge, know that you will have a great time and that it’ll be well worth it once you get that diploma :)</p>
<p>Thanks Boardingjunkie. You gave some great advice.</p>
<p>I started at Hotchkiss as a sophomore this year and I have to say it is one of the most accepting schools I have attended in terms of race, sexual orientation, and gender preference. There are certainly more caucasian students than African American or Latino especially, but it doesn’t make a large difference (at least to me). The best advice I can give you is to not worry about race. I completely understand why you would be nervous, but speaking from my experience at Hotchkiss people are very nice and really don’t care about the color of your skin. For me, whether or not I made friends with people was completely based on their personality and I’m sure if I asked any of my friends they would say the same thing. So don’t worry! Be excited you’re going there because I’m sure it’s going to be a great experience!</p>
<p>what’s abc stand for?</p>
<p>A Better Chance</p>
<p>Surround yourself with people who you like. FRom what I hear most prep schools are gernerally nice in terms of student body understanding. Congrats on the acceptance!!! =)) Is it the Peddie Schoool? If u don’t mind,which school is it?</p>
<p>I’m going to write you a message rather than post here. I’m a boarding school teacher with a slightly different perspective.
In the meantime, Congratulations and when you get nervous, remind yourself of all your hard work and achievement that have gotten you where you are. </p>
<p>I’m white, so perhaps it isn’t my place to speak here but if you look at different school newspapers a few students of color have written some pretty honest articles about racial issues. Maybe that would help? </p>
<p>NjGuy congrats! Assimilation is hard work.Have you seen the Prep School Negro by Andre Robert Lee? Its a great film. I joined CC just now to show you this article that came out recently. My daughter is headed to boarding school this fall, it’s exciting ! It will have it’s challenges but we truly believe high school is going to be fantastic. </p>
<p><a href=“What Happens When A Prep School's Black Student President Mocks Her White Male Classmates”>What Happens When A Prep School's Black Student President Mocks Her White Male Classmates;
<p>^^^ I suppose it’s not so surprising that the polarization in American politics, not to mention American racism du jour, should find its way on to the campus scene at L’ville. I hope that there are far fewer Confederate flags seen there these days than in the past, as indicated. To my mind, it would be worthwhile for Lawrentians to discuss just what these two symbolic gestures, flying the Battle Flag and photographing the Black Power salute, signify in historical context as well as in today’s climate. How ironic that, today, a seventeen-year-old’s power salute is interpreted by classmates as “left-wing extremism” rather than “heritage”. Or just goofing on them. But I hope, in all sincerity, that the L’ville history teachers found some teachable moments this spring.</p>
<p>A freshman from China wrote in the school newspaper about his experience of “diversity” at Lawrenceville here
<a href=“thelawrence.org”>Loading...;
<p>The issue of self-segregation by clique is an old one. Today, it is more obvious on some campuses than others. It’s worth noting and asking about when touring as a prospective student as the school culture is a large factor in the quality of life at any school but especially in a residential community.</p>
<p>Just a word: Lawrenceville merits more than what is depicted in the article. Confederate flags don’t line many boarding houses, and the author took John Marrow’s article way out of context. </p>
<p>Tbh although her actions were quite inappropriate as the student body president, there was no need for her to be asked to resign, or for this story to make national news. I cannot tell anyone how many horrible jokes and derogatory terms I have heard thrown around (from students and even teachers at my previous school) who got no weird looks, or no discipline whatsoever. It’s shameful how much more severe the consequences are for URMs who make/poke fun at white people. I can’t be any less honest than that. </p>
<p>Now I don’t want to start a race riot (haven’t we all had enough of those in our history?), so I’ll stop here. But I guess as a warning for minority students (any sort of minority, not just race), be careful about what you say and post online, but also make sure that you educate your student body through your words and actions that rude comments/gestures made about your individuality will never be tolerated, as they weren’t when Maya Peterson was asked to step down. </p>
<p>I agree with you that there was no need to make this national news.</p>
<p>But of course she had to resign! Is breaking multiple school rules in a row presidential? </p>
<p>Some people believe that racism or bigotry only applies white to non-white or at least that the only type that is worthy of addressing is white to non-white and some have trouble being Intellectually honest about it.</p>
<p>Racism should not be confused with mockery. Maya’s picture was a mocking pose but not racist. I would like to see the school address the issue of the Confederate flag on display. The Confederate flag may have been a battle flag but it has been co-opted by hate groups like the KKK. The swastika was co-opted by Hitler but is still a religious Hindu symbol along with the six pointed star. You see these symbols in Hindu temples. If someone hung a flag with a swastika it would not be tolerated unless they were religiously Hindu. I wonder why all the vitriol was directed towards her? Perhaps as an AA lesbian female she was too outside the norms for the school. One has to wonder why this issue was not addressed. When my kid left for college the health form had six different categories for sex identification(gay,bisexual, transgender etc.) This was a big change from the simple M/F we had. I think it reveals that institutions of higher learning try to be inclusive and accepting. Maybe the school should examine these issues in greater depth.</p>
<p>Here are some quotes from the Buzzfeed article: </p>
<p>“I’m not saying what I did was right,” [Maya] said. “But it wasn’t racist. I was just calling these guys exactly what they are.”</p>
<p>"…Today is a momentous day. I’m sorry to all those rich white men who have failed to elect a president that endorses their greed."</p>
<p>She isn’t racist??? If a white student said anything even remotely as rude and clearly indicated that he/she was speaking of minorities, there would have been hell to pay. Maya has some very serious attitude issues. She is spewing with hatred and meanness. She needs to work on her own problems before she dares to criticize anyone else.</p>