Look beyond the surface: Thacher is tiny and can’t compete facilities wise, for example. But if you are interested in Astrophysics or coding the programs that run the Thacher observatory or crunch the data, you could find yourself part of the only high school group presenting papers at Astronomy conferences alongside university researchers.
But I do agree with @Happytimes2001 … If you are already spectacularly advanced and accomplished at anything (sports, STEM, arts) and you know you want to specialize, a large school will have more to offer. Just bear in mind that it may be harder to try other things you are intrigued by but not yet expert at since those classes, teams, and clubs are also more likely to also be saturated with experts who specialized early.
I happen to believe that most kids would benefit from more (not less) exploration in their teen years. It is a great time to take risks and try new things. Leave specialization for college. But for those kids who have a singular focus and are already quite advanced and accomplished, it can be quite exhilarating to no longer be the only one and actually find large group of similar peers at a larger boarding school.
@calimex The school doesn’t have to be bigger just have the right programs for the right kid, Thatcher and Astrophysics for example. I’m sure some kids heard about that program and said that’s the school for me.
And although we didn’t have any of these amazing programs we have done well in life. So they are really just a bonus, IMO. I cannot imagine having gone to a high school with such facilities.
@Happytimes2001@CaliMex thx for the insight, btw, I am the one applying and Im the student. Is there any other schools I should be looking into that have similar STEM opportunities? This list I researched all seem to have great STEM. Btw, I just go my ssat back and got 99 M 80/82 R and 74/75 V, does this show that I am passionate about STEM bc of my math or does it raise into question my English ability?
@badminton4life Congrats on getting 99% on SSAT Math. Does it mean you are passionate about STEM? No.The Math section is pretty easy to study for and is not very granular. It’s not a broad based examination of one’s math skills, and there are other ways of demonstrating one’s interest and prowess during the application process.
I have an advanced STEM kid and imo it is essential that programs are available at higher levels and that there are peers with similar interests. My son did not find this in public school. He found it more in boarding school. I think it’s just recent that boarding schools are focusing more on STEM because it was difficult to get this information when he applied a couple years ago.
A 99 on math does not by itself mean someone is a STEM kid, but it is objective evidence to support other factors in the application that DO say the applicant is a STEM kid. Stuff like advanced math classes with As for grades, STEM ECs (math team, science fair accomplishments, etc), essays about science interests/experiences, computer programming skills, etc. Had you put yourself forward as a STEM kid and scored lower, that would be a bit of a problem…so congrats on your score.
Also, kids have varied interests. Some STEM kids might have other things which interest them a lot and they might end up going down a different path. A high math score means just that, you got a high score. Great.
Also STEM can vary a lot. Some kids will be really into math and others into engineering or science or a combination. Just know what you are interested in and be wiling to expand your horizons. For the most part, most boarding schools have amazing programs in many areas. They are not all equal. But we found most were heads above what you could find in the local public schools especially when you added in all of the additional Summer/other programs. If you have questions about a specific school ask in the forum. Many parents and kids will have direct experience and can answer your questions.