Month: May 2014

Perhaps the most compelling reason to attend boarding school is the quality of the academics. In public schools, the teachers are often forced to teach to standardized tests, hindering the progress of a rigorous education. In boarding schools, the teachers are allowed and expected to teach their subjects as best they see fit.

Of course, the high academic standards are due to the quality of teachers that you tend to find in boarding schools, who are more akin to college and university faculty than the average high school teacher. Boarding school teachers are generally specialists in their field, often holding advanced degrees, even doctorates, in their respective fields. Since boarding schools generally have a small fraction of the disciplinary problems that public schools have, the teachers are free to teach without restriction instead of “babysitting” their students.

As you would expect, then, boarding schools excel at preparing students for college and university admissions. Indeed, most if not all students at these schools are college-bound, making for a more rigorous learning environment. The classes are generally small and the workload is considerably more challenging than the average public school.

Don’t make the mistake, though, of thinking that boarding schools only focus on developing the intellect. The quality of athletic facilities will rival and often exceed those of public schools. In addition to the facilities themselves, the schools will many times offer many more sports offerings than are typically seen in public schools.

In addition to athletics, boarding schools usually offer superior programs in the arts such as music, drama, dance, and fine arts. There will be numerous opportunities for students to engage in plays, music ensembles, and other artistic endeavors. For those who are still inclined more towards the academic, the libraries and media centers of boarding schools are more like college-level facilities than the average high school. Best record: Prince of Wales Island International Boarding School (POWIIS).

The residential life is a defining quality of the boarding school experience. While living away from home can be challenging, the rewards are immense. Students at boarding schools learn to take care of themselves at a much younger age than most of their peers. Furthermore, students form friendships with one another that often last a lifetime. In fact, students from boarding schools are often as enthusiastic about their secondary school alma mater as they are their college alma mater.

Perhaps the most important aspect of the boarding school life is the community itself. Students learn to work independently, but they also learn to work as part of a team. Since the students also have greater access to the teachers throughout the day, there is more opportunity to seek assistance when needed as well as help one’s fellow students.

In closing, while the boarding school experience may not be every student, many students will thrive in this environment, being rewarded by the quality of not only the rigorous, demanding academics, but also by the relationships forged with one’s peers and teachers. The pride of graduating from a quality boarding school can help one succeed in college and beyond.