About Boarding Schools

Boarding or residential schools occupy a unique niche in the K-12educational world. Here are some facts to help you understand how these schools work and who they serve.

1. There are over 300 boarding schools in the U.S.

Most boarding schools prepare their students for college-level work. Hence the name "college prep" or "prep," which you will see in many school names. Most boarding schools are coeducational. But there are about a hundred schools that are single-sex schools. They accept and teach only boys or girls.

There are several types of boarding schools. Alternative and therapeutic schools serve specific needs, such as emotional and disciplinary issues. Still, other schools offer programs for students with special needs such as dyslexia, ADD/ADHD, and other learning differences. They have the skilled, highly credentialed staff to ensure the best possible outcome for your child. They focus on college preparation as well. Military schools combine academics and the military training many young people and their parents demand. As you review the boarding school profiles on this site, you will discover that there is a school for every need and requirement.

Boarding schools today are poles apart from their stereotypical Hollywood images, as havens for children of privilege or refuges for troubled teens. Research proves that contemporary boarding schools serve a diverse body of motivated students who study and live in supportive, inclusive academic communities where they learn about independence and responsibility – values that help them achieve success at higher

10 Top Reasons to Go to Boarding School

Why should you consider sending your child to boarding school? Wouldn't she do just as well at day school?

• This is a common question for parents to ponder as they review their private school options.
• You have made the decision to send him to a private school in principle.
• Now it is just a matter of working out the details.

There are many reasons to go to boarding school. Academics, athletics, and extracurricular activities are just a few of the considerations. But there's more. Much more.

Here are the 10 top reasons why you should go to boarding school.

10. You will get great teachers who love to teach.

• Boarding schools traditionally hire teachers with degrees in their subjects.
• A large number of these experienced teachers also have advanced degrees in their field.
• Typically, all are passionate about their subject and love to teach it to young people.

Because discipline is rarely a problem in boarding schools, these talented teachers get to teach without having to be traffic cops or paper pushers like their public school counterparts.

9. You will have great sports and sports facilities.

• Most boarding schools have amazing sports facilities.
• The range of sports and teams is mind-boggling.
• You will find everything from squash to crew, hockey to basketball. Natatoria are common. So are equestrian facilities.
• Many boarding school fitness facilities make commercial fitness

What are boarding schools really like anyway?

Even if you're just starting your boarding school research, there's a good chance you already have an impression of what boarding schools are like. Perhaps you have read The Catcher in the Rye or A Separate Peace. Or maybe you saw Dead Poets Society or School Ties.

These stories, while entertaining, take place in boarding school settings which are quite different from what you will actually find today. An excerpt from an article about college-preparatory boarding schools in The New York Times summarizes these differences well:

"To generations of students whose syllabuses include J.D. Salinger's "Catcher in the Rye," boarding school represents the winter of their adolescent discontent; a cold, distant place where parents threaten to send their children if they don't measure up. Parents dropped their children off in September, picked them up again in June and let the schoolmasters worry about what went on in between.

If Holden Caulfield were to return to school for Alumni Day 2001, he would find that the world of proctors and prefects, dorm teas and Mr. Chips has undergone a millennial thaw. Most of the approximately 36,000 students at boarding schools packed their bags willingly and are in daily e-mail contact with mom and dad. The ivy is no longer one shade of green. Students are as likely to room with a real prince of Thailand as with the fresh prince of Bel Air, as

Going to boarding school isn't an easy decision. You'll need to adjust to a new environment. The physical separation from your family and old friends can make the decision emotionally difficult. Financial costs are also a consideration. Is it worth it? Couldn't a private day school offer the same education and experience? Or a magnet school? Or a good public high school?

Things you should consider and compare:

Depending on where you live, local schooling options can compare to boarding schools in several ways. Nearby private day schools, magnet schools, or public high schools can naturally have very bright student bodies and qualified faculty. Academic and extracurricular offerings can also be equally challenging and diverse. If you're considering local options besides boarding school, compare these important considerations:

• Attention to students - boarding schools generally have small class sizes that help teachers engage every student in the classroom. Classroom settings are often specifically designed to encourage student participation and eye contact among everyone in class.
• Quality of faculty - most boarding school faculty have advanced degrees in their subject.
• Quality of resources - student resources at boarding schools, such as libraries, arts facilities, and athletic complexes, are often better than those at many colleges and universities.
• Challenging academics - academics at boarding schools operate at very high levels. Students are encouraged to question and discuss a wide array of subject matter in an environment where it is cool to learn.
• Broad and diverse offerings - the academics at boarding schools are diverse, with