Westover School - Review #3

What stands out above all else is the quality of teaching at Westover. The faculty are passionate about their subjects, and inspire this passion in their students. The faculty are 100% dedicated to their students, and are always willing to meet to provide extra help, even at night or over a weekend.

At Westover I gained a true sense of self. I also gained the skills and knowledge to be a leader in any area i pursue. It's something I see in all Westover girls - regardless of what they studied at Westover or in college - they are natural leaders that other people gravitate to.

My advice for kids going to boarding school is this: Go with an open mind. Be eager to learn, and not just in the classroom. The opportunities for learning are everywhere: classroom, sports field, dining room, a friend's dorm room. Take these four years to learn as much as you can about yourself, your friend, and the world. You will never have an opportunity like this again.

I participated in Westover's Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) program, and it led to me pursuing engineering in college. My pursuit of sports in high school also instilled in me a true appreciate for having a physical outlet in my life. Today, I am an engineer and I also run a personal training business on the side. I don't think either of these career tracks would have happened if not for Westover.

When picking a school, you want a school where you walk in and immediately feel at home. Where you feel inspired to learn, to play sports, to be a better person. Westover had that impact on me the second I walked in the doors. I felt uplifted, happy, and inspired. Don't settle for anything less!

The workload and expectations set upon us were extremely challenging. As students we were held to extremely high standards, and the full effect of this wasn't realized until I got to college (Villanova University) and found my courses to be very easy by comparison to my high school classes. In college, I truly appreciated that Westover had taught me how to think critically, present my thoughts in writing, and speak in front of a group. One thing that stands out about Westover is that, for a small school, it offers a huge variety of courses. Students have the ability to personalize their academic pursuits to match their interests and strengths. I focused on math and science, while many of my friends focused on art, art history, or language. There were plenty of course options, including advanced and AP classes, in all these areas.

I was always an athlete growing up, so it was important to me to find a school that would allow me to continue my pursuit of athletics while primarily focusing my efforts in the classroom. At Westover, all students were required to participate in sports, and sports were integrated into the regular schedule. This is something I truly appreciated, because having sports as part of my daily life was an outlet for me. Sports gave me a chance to clear my mind of academics and push my body to a new level. Fifteen years later, I still strive to maintain a balance of physical and mental challenge in my life.

Although I am not particularly artsy or musical, I found many opportunities to get involved at Westover. I participated in the Glee Club, an a cappella group, and the Handbell Ensemble. What I liked most about the arts and music program at Westover is that there were set times in the schedule for these classes, so I didn't have to stress about fitting them in as extracurriculars. All students were encouraged to participate, and student participation was extremely high.

Many of our extracurricular activities focused on giving back to others. This instilled in me a passion for serving others.

The dorm life is one of the aspects I most loved about Westover. Having the chance to live with my best friends from age 14-18 was such a rewarding experience. Anytime we weren't in classes, on the sports field, or studying, we were hanging out with our friends. Through our conversations we explored the world, each other, and ourselves. We developed a sense of self and a confidence in ourselves and our beliefs that most girls age 14-18 can't dream of. Westover was definitely not a "suitcase school." Many of our students were from different countries and States and couldn't go home on weekends. Even day students often chose to spend part of all of their weekends at the school.The dorms themselves were very welcoming and felt like home. Rooms and closets were plenty large. Dorm parents were warm and caring and always available. After freshman year we were able to choose our own roommates.

The dining room served buffet style meals for all breakfast and lunches, and for 4 dinners a week. Three dinners a week were "sit down" style meals (with assigned seating). I appreciated these meals because we had to sit down, slow down, and enjoy the company of students and faculty we might not otherwise interact with. I never had a complaint about the food at Westover - I always found plenty of options for things to eat. Sunday brunch was always my favorite because of the omelette station.

Westover is located in Middlebury, CT which is a small town. There weren't a ton of options within walking distance, but that was never a problem, since the school itself was the center of the students' social lives. The school would offer bus rides to the local ball (approximatley 10 minutes away) on weekends.

There were plenty of opportunities to interact with other boarding schools, and there were often dances and other social activities planned with our brother schools. Additionally, Westover often had performances or events at the school on Friday nights. However, our social lives at Westover were mostly focused on our relationships with other Westover students. Similar to what I wrote above, having the chance to live with my best friends from age 14-18 was such a rewarding experience. Anytime we weren't in classes, on the sports field, or studying, we were socializing with our friends. We'd order dinner on the weekends, watch a movie, and talk all night. Through our conversations we explored the world, each other, and ourselves.