Which junior boarding schools in New England have the best academic reputation? While Eaglebrook or Cardigan Mountaln School may offer the best ice hockey teams, how do academics weigh up between them and with other schools in the region?
There are only a handful of junior boarding schools, and all of them offer solid academics. Whichever one your son attends, it’s more about how he does at school that matters than the school name. Each one has a slightly different culture. (I assume you have a son because you mention Cardigan Mountain which is all-boys.)
I have a son who attended Rectory School for 3 years (grades 7-9) as a boarder, and it was a great experience. I highly recommend Rectory for junior boarding.
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I agree with @owlfox9mom - there just aren’t that many junior boarding schools. They are all offering strong academics to prepare for senior boarding school. The kids who are top students get into top schools after.
Best thing is to pick a school with the best cultural fit. My child attends Rumsey Hall and it has been an amazing experience all-around: academics, athletics, extracurriculars and socially.
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When your kid attends boarding school, you are basically picking the people you will be co-parenting with. That is even more so with jr. boarding school. To me, that is so much more important than the small differences in academics.
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My son attended Fay School (as a day student) and feedback from secondary schools is that the academics are rigorous. I heard this directly from MX and Groton. It seems to be a stepping stone for Andover, MX and Loomis (based on where kids have gone last few years) Athletics are unpredictable depending on the class of kids and who stays for 9th.