Academics: Advanced Placement

The pandemic has forced many students to reconsider their plans for going off to college. That's because of concerns about safety and COVID protocols on college campuses. The other factor is whether learning will be in person or online. After all, a college education is costly. So, spending a fortune on online classes does not sit well with most parents who usually pay those hefty college fees.

But I am already at a residential school. Isn't it the same as being at college? Since you are attending a boarding school, you understand the need for strict safety protocols. Vaccinations, temperature taking, hand washing, masking, and social distancing are norms you have become accustomed to while at school. Furthermore, everybody in the school community abides by those protocols or risks being asked to leave. However, your school is tiny compared with most colleges. Now, that's only one factor that makes attending college riskier than being at your small boarding school.

The other consideration is that most college campuses tend to be open and insecure. Anybody can gain access whether or not they are authorized. Contrast that with your school's campus with limited entry points secured by gated access and security officers.

The final consideration is the teaching. What will happen if there is a COVID outbreak on the college campus? Will all classes be taught online? Will the college close? Will the dormitories close?

Against this backdrop of uncertainties, if you are in your last year of

American boarding schools have been popular with families from countries outside the United States for many years. The International Education Specialists website lays out five reasons why this is so. Why Study In The USA? 5 Reasons and Benefits Make USA The Best discusses international students in American universities. But the same reasons apply to residential high schools here in the United States.

Canada, the United Kingdom, and several European countries also have residential high schools. They certainly offer families options. So, why then are American boarding schools so popular?

Learning the English Language

There's nothing like a language immersion program to develop a young person's fluency in English. And that's precisely what boarding schools in the United States offer. All classes except foreign language classes such as Spanish and French are taught in English. In addition, English is the language used in most extracurricular activities and sports programs that schools offer. As a result, students for whom English is their second language must speak, read, and understand English, both oral and written, during classes, on stage, and the playing field.

Being immersed in an American boarding school's academic and community life also means that students quickly learn how to speak and think in conversational English. In their daily routines, they pick up the common, everyday casual expressions that you and I take for granted. However, they also learn to switch to more formal phrases when the occasion warrants it.

With all this in mind,

You applied to several boarding schools. But your first choice didn't accept you. Instead, it waitlisted you. What exactly does this mean? And why do schools waitlist applicants? What do you do now?

I can tell you from my first-hand experience that you wonder what you did wrong. Did you make a poor impression at the interview? Were your scores not good enough? The questions are never-ending. As a father whose two daughters both went to boarding schools, I remember well all the second-guessing. So, I am writing this essay from the candidate's point of view and yours. Please share it with your child who has been waitlisted by one or more of the boarding schools she applied to.

What does waitlisting mean?

Most schools typically offer more applicants places than they have for the theory and experience that they will receive enough acceptances to fill all their seats. Calculating the actual yield from the acceptances they have sent out is something experienced admissions officers know how to do almost instinctively. For example, let's say the school has places for 100 students. It could send acceptance letters to 100 applicants. But what happens if only 75 of those families accept the places offered? Having 25 empty seats will wreak havoc with any private school's finances.

That's where the waitlisting comes in. The admissions officers know that if they offer a certain number of applicants over the actual number of places they have available, they will receive the necessary

2020-2021 have been unusual, depressing years as we all coped with the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet, notwithstanding all the gloom and doom, there was some good news in 2021. Several announcements of major gifts to private schools have lifted our spirits and given us, and the recipients, hope.

In October 2021, Berkshire School in Sheffield, Massachusetts, announced that an alumnus had left a bequest to endow three faculty chairs. Also in October, the Frederick Gunn School in Washington, Connecticut, reported that a current trustee and his wife had endowed a faculty chair. The munificence of these donors supports the stated mission of these schools.

The Berkshire School's mission statement notes:

"Rooted in an inspiring natural setting, Berkshire School instills the highest standards of character and citizenship and a commitment to academic, artistic, and athletic excellence. Our community fosters diversity, a dedication to environmental stewardship, and an enduring love for learning."

This video offers an overview of Berkshire School.

In its mission statement, The Frederick Gunn School states:

"In 1850 Frederick Gunn established a school based on the belief that strength of character was the goal of education. Today, The Frederick Gunn School rests on the four cornerstones of character: scholarship, integrity, respect and responsibility. Character is forged in a cohesive, diverse community informed by a challenging college preparatory curriculum, a