Read more details about Cardigan Mountain School on their 2024-25 profile page.
Reflections and Advice:
1.) What do you think makes your school unique relative to other boarding schools?
Cardigan is very small with a size of about a little over two hundred boys. One that that makes it unique is the very tight-knit community and by the spring term, you know everyone’s name, even if you have never held a conversation with them.
2.) What was the best thing that happened to you in boarding school?
Cardigan helped me with time management and how to balance school, social life and sports. Especially at a young age, I’m used to being away from home and that really helped me in college and it is not a new experience.
3.) What might you have done differently during your boarding school experience?
I would have definitely branched out more my first year. My advice is to not be afraid to try anything new and be who you are. If you embrace the cardigan community, you will be embraced back and you will grow as a leader and a person.
4.) What did you like most about your school?
I liked the diversity and the overall family feel.
5.) Do you have any final words of wisdom for visiting or incoming students to your school?
Be yourself, buy in and the rest will take care of itself.
Academics:
1.) Describe the academics at your school - what did you like most about it?
Academics at Cardigan were great. With the school being small, class sizes can range from five students to about fifteen students. The support system is amazing. At Cardigan, they have something called PEAKS, which purpose is to teach students how to learn. You can go there for homework help in any subject, outlining your academic day or just going there to hang out and do your homework in a quiet space. The workload is bearable and the Professors are easy to talk to and cooperative. Overall, I would say the academics are great and you have all the support in the world.
Athletics:
1.) Describe the athletics at your school - what did you like most about it?
Athletics are a big part of Cardigan, as you have to play a sport each season. It is very competitive but there are more than enough teams in each sport, so that everyone is at the right level. We play against other junior boarding schools and JV high school teams so you get to face older competition, which is great for development. Sportsmanship is also a huge part, so you’re growing as leaders on the field.
Art, Music, and Theatre:
1.) Describe the arts program at your school - what did you like most about it?
While you there you have the option to either participate in woodworking or art. I decided to do art, and it was great. You also take part in a music class and acting class so you get the best of both worlds. You get to choose in your senior year between woodworking, something called GATES, and art. Overall you have options, as you don’t feel stuck and all of these options are great.
Extracurricular Opportunities:
1.) Describe the extracurriculars offered at your school - what did you like most about it?
Every Thursday after chapel, instead of sports, we participated in clubs. They ranged from small sided lacrosse, two things like four square, handball and etc. Besides that, there are other clubs that go on around campus and since everyone kind of has the same academic day, you don’t feel left out and probably won’t miss out because of classes.
Dorm Life:
1.) Describe the dorm life in your school - what did you like most about it?
Dorm life is like any other school. The dorms are pretty nice, as most of them have been or are in the process of being renovated. Some older dorms might be smaller, but the faculty do a good job of making everyone feel at home. Everyone also has a dorm leader and dorm jobs so it’s really family like, as everyone plays a role.
Dining:
1.) Describe the dining arrangements at your school.
The dining hall is great. The food could be a little better, but in terms of the facility it’s pretty new, and it’s a great space. Outside of buffet meals you have assigned seating and jobs that switch every week so you’re sitting at a new table every week.
Social and Town Life:
1.) Describe the school's town and surrounding area.
It’s only about half an hour away from Dartmouth and the town of Hanover, so on the weekends, they are popular destinations for kids to get off campus and hang out.
2.) Describe the social life at your school - what did you like most about it?
Social life was great. What was great about Cardigan was you had kids from all around the world, so you got to meet different people.
Read more details about Cardigan Mountain School on their 2024-25 profile page.
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I am of white privilege. I played pop warner football in the city of Chicago while attending private school in the area. I also played hockey. The kids on my hockey team, for the most. . .
Cardigan is very small with a size of about a little over two hundred boys. One that that makes it unique is the very tight-knit community and by the spring term, you know everyone’s name. . .
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