Brooks School - Review #8

The student/teacher bond is unparalleled. Years after graduation I return to see my adviser, dorm parents and teachers and it's as if I never left. The small student body enables the students to participate in whatever they choose. While one may not make Varsity Soccer and the A Capella group in their first year they have the opportunity to join JV soccer and one of the many other music programs in order to develop their skills and try again next year. Brooks School truly does give its students every opportunity to succeed.

The friendships I formed are definitely the best thing that came out of Brooks. Although we all live and go to school far away we always see each other over breaks and I stay in touch with many of them daily.

Go in to boarding school ready to try anything. The tight-knit relationships of upperclassmen is intimidating at first but it shouldn't scare you away from joining teams, speaking up and having a great time.

Small, friendly, challenging and beautiful.

Brooks School in the spring is still one of the most beautiful things in my mind. Anyone who is looking at Brooks should spend a day there in the spring.

At Brooks you're surrounded by some of the smartest individuals the U.S. (and the World) has to offer. This said it was never cutthroat. While everyone competed to get the highest grades possible students were still aware of when a fellow classmate fell behind. The safety nets put in place for a struggling student are impressive. With a combination of friends, faculty and tutoring its near impossible to fail so long as you still care.

With 3 sports required freshman and sophomore year, 2 sports required junior and senior year, and a multitude of incoming athletes every year, the Brooks Athletic department is nothing short of stellar. While I was never an all-American or new England champ many of my teammates went on to dominating every aspect of their sport.

I was an avid music student and led both the mixed and all-male A Capella groups in my senior year. I played piano for 4 years in Jazz Band and it was fate that my assigned adviser turned out to be the music director. The facilities at Brooks are admittedly sub-par yet I truly believe that "It is what you make it". With a good teacher to student ratio the possibility of private lessons, new classes and new music groups is very real.

The extracurricular activities are widely available to students. They are scheduled around classes and sports and there is a group for everyone. I participated in the Phillips Brooks Society which is mainly a fund raising group to support Brooks.

The closeness of the dorms is something a valued very highly. I was a member of Peabody House and Russell House for 2 years each. Having 20 or so boys (freshman to senior) living together is a challenge but also a huge amount of fun. Rooms were not cramped but not incredibly spacious, everyone had stocks of canned soup, mac and cheese and treats from home and their was a microwave available. Dorm parents cooked late night meals for us on Saturday nights and usually rented a movie and brought out soda for us. Quiet hours were always put in place after 10:30/11:00 and 24-hours during exam periods.

Fantastic food. Gorgeous dining hall. Your won't find anything better at a boarding school.

I was very happy to stay within the "Brooks Bubble" because everything I needed was on campus.

Buses were available to the movies/mall on Saturday nights. A weekend activities committee decided what events were put on during the weekend. These events included: movies, dodge ball tournaments, dances, dorm competitions, etc. I can truly say that there was always something to do.