Brewster Academy - Review #1

The biggest thing that makes Brewster unique is the location. Brewster is located right on the water front of Lake Winni, and directly in the center of the town of Wolfeboro. Students are able to fully utilize the lake and the town, which enriches the entire boarding school experience. Having a town so accessible (4 minute walk from the furthest part of campus) has been something that has greatly deepened my appreciation for Wolfeboro and Brewster. Students can go out for dinner, spend time on the docks, go swimming when a lifeguard is on duty, tan on the docks, go boating for a class, go fishing, go shopping. grab a prescription/other needs at rite aid etc. It definitely adds to a students independence, and the lake gives Brewster a unique beauty that is rare and exquisite.

The best thing that's happened to me is easily growing up, I came in as a freshman, as a totally different person. I was immature and didn't fully know myself or what I wanted. Boarding school was difficult at times, but it in a way forced me to be an adult and grow up. I see how mature I am now, and how I can take care of myself, whereas my friends from home still have a lot of trouble doing things that are now innate to me. I look back on the person I was, my priorities and the ways in which I was perceived in the world when I was a freshman and I cannot even recognize myself! I have fully blossomed and landed on a path that will inevitably set me up for success and I cannot thank Brewster enough for allowing me to find myself and strive for the best. When I came in as a freshman, I didn't really see myself as an academic, but leaving, I love learning and cannot wait to learn more in college. I have figured out what I want to do with my life, whereas even a year or two ago i couldn't have said the same. I have so much gratitude to all the people who helped me reach this point of self security and confidence, as well as adulthood!

Honestly, I wouldn't have done anything differently. All of my mistakes were made for a reason, and I learned from every single one of them, as well as grew tremendously from my mistakes. Therefore I have nothing to really regret. Things happened how they were supposed to happen, and I needed up in a really great spot as an outcome so I have nothing to wish different upon myself. The first couple months at Brewster were honestly probably some of my favorite, it was so exciting and new, I met so many great people. Some advice I would give kids would be to not stay locked in your dorm, to say YES to clubs etc. and when people ask you to hang out, that is how you make the most of your experience. Also fully utilize the town, go out to eat and get some ice cream! Stay busy and let things happen. Its okay to make mistakes , just make sure you learn from them.

The community. As I go to college, at Boston University (which is a school of about 33 thousand) I realize that is one thing that I will loose. I will be one of thousands, whereas Brewster specifically celebrates every student. I remember being a freshman and looking up to all of the seniors, knowing all of them by name and thinking, wow they're such adults! So mature-- I want to be like that. Now that I am sitting amongst the seats I once admired so much, I realize that I am a role model to many. The strong community and net of people and connections will be there for life, and that is what really matters. I am ever so grateful for that.

Stay busy! Make sure you join clubs, try sports, try new things! Work hard, you will definitely thank your younger self when applying to colleges, have fun, talk to EVERYONE! Trust your teachers, they are here for you. It is okay to make mistakes, as long as you grow from them and you're on an upwards path. You don't have to do things you genuinely don't want to do, listen to your gut and your heart. Lastly, cherish every moment!

The academics at Brewster varies. I believe that it is as hard as you make it. Both freshman and sophomore year, I cruised through classes in a way, because I did not really push myself and yearn for challenge. However, in the core classes of my freshman and sophomore year, I was still challenged and still had a significant amount of work to do, and learned a lot. However, junior and senior year was very difficult as I ended up taking all accelerated/AP classes, which gave me a large work load and sometimes added a significant amount of stress to my plate. However, I learned a lot and enjoyed my classes. As you get older, Brewster gives you the opportunity to decide how you want to proceed with academics which I like a lot. I could choose my own classes and how hard I want them to be. The core classes are still challenging, but ultimately, for me, it was my on decision to push myself. In doing so, I had a lot of support from teachers and faculty, and never really feel through a loop or down a rabbit hole, which is another thing I really respect about Brewster academics, the amazing and supportive faculty.

The athletic programs has its highs and lows, depending on the year and the crowd. The basketball team has been consistently strong, and it is a really great thing to be a part of such a spirited community. Basketball games are ALWAYS well attended and very spirited, this is one thing that is incredibly unique to Brewster. Other teams however, have their strong years as well as their weak years. My freshman year, the boys lacrosse team was very good, there were many recruits as well as d1 college commits. However, this year, there are only a few D1 athletes and the games are not as well attended. This can be true at any school, however, Brewster has a history of having strong athletes but definitely has its down years. I believe the sports teams at Brewster are very much on the rise. You must participate in one intramural sport a year, which I liked because I had never really played sports prior to Brewster so it gave me the opportunity to try something new and meet new people. It was also a very special feeling to be part of a team..

The arts at Brewster are slightly less celebrated than the sports, but still very esteemed. The musical is attended by all and classes are well attended as well. There is a one year art requirement to graduate, which allows students to try something they may have never tried before. However, there is much less exposure to the arts since Brewster is historically a sports school. The arts program is very much on the rise, and there are many extremely talented and artistic students at Brewster. The Musical is always impeccable and the arts students seem to love the arts at Brewster and really thrive. The physical art is always amazing, and there are students that move on to seriously pursue arts careers, from what I have seen. There are also many options in arts, such as ceramics, drama, photography etc. However, the facilities are a little bit old, but Brewster is working towards renovating the arts building, as we already have renovated our auditorium which is an incredible space.

There are many great clubs and organizations at Brewster, such as ONE and Gold Key. These organizations have many events that are usually well attended. However, I believe there could be a stronger presence of these events and maybe more options for clubs and organizations, although there is a large foundation for them already. What I like about Brewster's clubs and organizations are that students can start a club/organization at any time, as long as they have a faculty advisor. There are always clubs being started by students, however, not many of them really follow all the way through the end of the year, which is something I would love to see happen. However, the presence of clubs and organizations enriches the Brewster experience without a doubt.

Dorm life mostly depends on the specific year, however, I have had a really good experience in the dorm for four years. Freshman year was a great time in the dorm, I met some of my closest friends who I am still really close with today. It was much stricter freshman year as far as room checks (for cleanliness) and getting to bed on time, however, that helped me create positive habits for senior year as things became relaxed and as I became more and more independent. I feel as though dorm trips can be a more constant event, because I believe dorm bonding is a really important thing. Most of the time students get their first or second choice room requests which is nice that the school considers personal opinion when choosing rooming for students. The rooming situations are usually pretty tight, there is very limited space, however, some rooms are bigger than others. This year I have plenty room, where as my freshman year, things were very tight. It is nice to have friends in the dorm at all times. It has been a very positive experience for me.

The dining hall has a lot of options, which is really important. There is always a lot of variety and option, for when students don't like the prepared hot meals. I have never really been bored with the food, which is surprising since I have been eating it for 4 years. However, some of the hot items are not the most tasty, which in that case I will have soup/salad etc. Also, the nutrition facts are not available for hot items, which I know a lot of students, especially athletes request. No one is really sure HOW healthy the food is, given that the nutrition information is not given, but from what I can judge, it is very balanced and usually pretty healthy. There are also always very healthy/vegetarian/vegan/gluten free options, as well as some not so healthy options. There is pretty much everything in our dining hall.

Wolfeboro is an incredible place to be. The town is adorable, there is always something going on downtown in the fall and in the spring. The winters are pretty brutal and desolate. given the intense winter weather. However, that never stops students from utilizing the town and going out to eat etc. However, the fall and spring are amazing in terms of the hustle and bustle in Wolfeboro. Brewster students are always outside, getting ice cream, hanging out by the docs, swimming. It is a really special place to be. There are about 6 or 7 restaurants in 5 minute walking distance so there are so many options for students when they want to grab an ice coffee or go out to eat on a friday night. There are also running paths along the water, which are utilized by students as well. It is an amazing place to go to school and being part of the Wolfeboro community has allowed me to make connections with people outside of Brewster so it feels less like a bubble of boarders. It is a beautiful and quaint town, that Brewster is lucky to have such immediate access too!

I have had an amazing experience socially at Brewster, I have definitely made life long friends. However, in such a small school of about 380, there is a bit of drama and words travel quickly. Students quickly learn this. However, it is big enough to have choice of friends, but small enough where you know everyone's face. There is a significant amount of diversity at Brewster, which I think is something Brewster really prides itself on. I have met kids from all over, and am good friends with people a lot different from me, who I normally could not see myself meeting or hanging with outside of Brewster, so Brewster is a place to meet all kinds of people. However, it is a pretty small school, and there is not too much privacy in that sense. However, socially Brewster has really helped me encompass the outgoing and gregarious person I am!