St. Andrew's School, DE - Review #9

The amazing quality of relationships is unique to the St. Andrew's experience. The school's effort to refrain from a technology dependent social culture forces students to interact with each other. Also, the wonderful student-teacher relationships creates an enjoyable educational environment rather than a stressful one. The majority of the faculty resides on campus and are dorm parents, coaches or advisors. Being in college, where you are pretty much on your own, makes me appreciate how involved teachers were in my life. Even the headmaster made an effort to get to know his students. Having concerned teachers makes a huge difference when you are away at a young age. Another unique aspect of our school is its size. Our small population allows for smaller classes, more intimate dorm life, better student-teacher relationships and a more easy going culture.

The things that I feared the most about St. Andrews became the things that I appreciated the most at the end. Chapel was a turnoff to me when I applied but it became a good time to reflect although I am not a particularly religious person. The limited access to the internet was unsettling to me but it forced me to talk to my classmates and form life long relationships. If I could go back to my boarding school application process I would not go to a different school. St.Andrew's helped me figure out a lot about myself and what I need for a good educational environment. Because of St. Andrews I feel like I am more than just a student but a member of society who can make a difference.

The biggest advice I can give is be yourself and be open minded. People will love you for your quirks and your differences and you should be open to the differences of others.

I will always miss the culture at St.Andrews. It is really difficult to explain what I mean by "culture" but it is a combination of social life, teachers, activities and more. The moment you drive onto the beautiful campus you feel the warmth of the St. Andrews culture.

What you think you might want in a boarding school might not be what you actually want so be open in the application process. I thought I wanted a big school but in reality a small school was the best thing for me.Also, find that faculty member that you click with because it will truly make your experience at St. Andrews that much greater.

Our classes were small and they were more discussion based rather than lecture styled. I came from a public middle school where rote memorization and repetition could get you the best grade but I could not get away with that in high school. St. Andrew's classes will challenge your thinking and ask you for your opinion and thoughts. Even our science and math classes try to be more interactive. What I loved loved loved about St. Andrew's was that it was not obsessed with numbers. We have AS (Advanced Studies) courses as opposed to AP courses because we don't cater to the tests. We don't have classes dedicated to SAT prep or ACT prep because we don't believe that those test are any real indication of a student's intelligence. That can be unsettling to some parents but it didn't hurt me in the college process.

Our athletic department has grown since I graduated. The quality of facilities has greatly increased. For the most part, participation in sports is required. An alternative is participating in the play. St. Andrew's athletics has a good combination of healthy competitiveness and sportsmanship.

Our arts center is relatively new. We have a great photography, painting, drawing and sculpture classes. There are many options if you are interested in music such as the Jazz Ensemble, Orchestra or multiple singing groups. Theatre is available every season and there are acting lessons available. The dance program is relatively new and has grown since I graduated. The majority of the community is involved in the arts in some way and the greatest proof of that is our arts weekend.

St. Andrew's has many extra curricular activities and if you are looking to create one, it is pretty easy. We also have many volunteer opportunities. What I like about St. Andrews is that unlike most schools, we do not have mandatory community service. That being said, a substantial number of students participate in volunteer work.

Dorm life is one of the aspects of St. Andrews that I miss the most. We are unique in that we do not have internet access in our dorms but there is internet access in the common rooms. To most incoming freshman that can seem like the ultimate turn off but by the time your time in high school is coming to an end, you realize how important that was for the dorm culture. The point of limiting internet is so that our social life isn't solely made up of time spent on social media websites. Dorm parents or Residential leaders try to play games or make late night snacks so that students spend time in the hallways. All boys live in founders hall which is the huge main building. Girls live in more separate small dorms. Dorms are divided depending on your year. Seniors are spread around campus to serve as mentors to the younger students. Most of the rooms are doubles.

Breakfast in mandatory for all students but seniors. We have sit down lunch every day except Wednesdays meaning we have assigned seats that rotate every two weeks. On Wednesdays nights we have sit down dinner prior to chapel. The quality of food is pretty good and the dining staff is really good to adhering to food allergies.We also have break which is a time slot in between third and fourth period and snacks are available to students during that time.

There are small restaurants around town but you may need a bike or prepare yourself for a long walk (which could be fun on a nice day). On weekends, there are vans that go to the mall, to the movies, neighboring restaurants or unique events. We have a local grocery store and Walmart trips for your personal needs. My favorite thing about town life was the food. Honestly, I didn't find myself needing to leave campus very often.

I miss social life at St. Andrews. There are so many different kinds of people and you get know all of them. I remember when I visited everyone was so nice and I thought it was so weird. I thought it was impossible for everyone to be so kind on a daily basis. In reality, we are generally happy. The people are kind and quirky with good humor. Even the teachers are quirky and add to the school social life. The front lawn is the center of social life on campus in the fall and spring.