Boarding School Interview
Getting to Know Vermont Academy
Sean Brennan, Vermont Academy’s Head of School talks about the strengths and underlying values of VA that he has come to understand during his first year as head.
Relationships knit VA into a tight community. VA students benefit from healthy relationships with involved adults. Everyone helps; kids help; adults help. Paraphrasing Brennan- Everyone working [...]
Getting to Know Bridgton Academy
Chris Webb, Bridgton Academy (Bridgton, ME), Director of Admission, elucidates how the academic, social, and athletic of their post graduate population shape Bridgton’s programs. The school’s the only prep school for postgraduate young men.
All of Bridgton’s students hold high school diplomas and they (and their families) have come to the decision that an extra year [...]
Getting to Know Eagle Hill School
Dana Harbert, Admission Director, sat down with me for a Getting to Know interview to introduce the approaches that make Eagle Hill School unique in its role as a college preparatory boarding school for students with learning differences and ADD.
Highlights from our conversation include:
-Flexible academics and approaches to learning differences.
-Strong Arts program and culture.
-Dedicated teachers [...]
Planning for Your Boarding School Admission Interview
We’ve covered the admissions process over years, suggesting plans, scripting timelines, and providing “how-to’s.”
Stoneleigh-Burnham School published a concise “5 Steps to a Better Interview!” to their blog.
It’s a good, quick planning guide if school interviews are part of your application season.
Although it shares much in common with our writings (Boarding School Interviews), I most like [...]
Getting to Know Colorado Rocky Mountain School
Next up in Getting to Know, my conversation with Tracy Wilson from Colorado Rocky Mountain School (Carbondale, CO).
We kicked off the segment by learning about the incredible outdoor opportunities available to their students. Did you know that CRMS students can compete in a mountain biking league? From there, the majority of our conversation focused on the [...]
Getting to Know Chapel Hill-Chauncy Hall School
Today’s edition of Getting to Know introduces Lisa Zannella, Director of Admission, Chapel Hill-Chauncy Hall School (Waltham, MA).
Highlights from the conversation include learning about their specialized Ninth Grade Program, the type of student that excels at the school, CHCH’s learning center & ESL programs and how the school creates customized learning environments for each student.
Getting to [...]
Read MoreGetting to Know Chamberlain-Hunt Academy
Buz Lowry, Director of Development, Chamberlain-Hunt Academy (an all-boys, Christian, Military boarding school) brought me up-to-speed on the school’s long history, it’s military tradition and it’s focused approach to educating students in a structured military boarding school environment.
Read MoreGetting to Know Baylor School
In this segment of our “Getting to Know” series for the IECA Speed Meeting event, I spoke with Cindy Clark, Associate Director of Admission, Baylor School (Chattanooga, TN).
Baylor, a coed day & boarding school, offers grades 6-12 with boarding beginning in 9th grade.
Our conversation touched upon a range of items- from learning about the school’s [...]
Families Find Benefits in Boarding Locally
Michael Birnbaum of the Washington Post published a piece last Tuesday on Washington, DC families uncovering the benefits boarding school close to home, “The Locals Live and Learn: Private School Families Say Boarding Makes Sense in Washington Region.” Such arrangements provide the independence and benefits boarding life for students and the opportunity to [...]
Read MoreBoarding School Visit, Thoughts and Resources
Writing about Matilda Battersby’s article, “How to get past the spin at school open days” in The Independent (Looking Beneath the Gloss of Your Prep School Visit) jogged my brain circuits into remembering that we’ve written articles covering the school visit, interview and a host of other admission topics over the years that families might [...]
Read MoreAn Educational Consultant’s Impressions of St. Paul’s School
I arrived on St. Paul’s School campus to the buzz of “twin day.” Every student was having fun and I saw some very originally dressed twins.
Waiting in the admission office several families had arrived at the same time including a family from Brazil who had a very heavy interview schedule while in the states. [...]
Enjoy & Embrace the Admission Process and its Opportunities
It’s fall, and admission staffs from schools all over the US and Canada are mobilizing their forces to look at the next wave of new students for their schools. Whether it’s at a school fair, a reception, or a chance meeting at a school visit, professionals in the admission industry are excited to meet potential [...]
Read MoreLooking Beneath the Gloss of Your Prep School Visit
Much of what we’ve written over the years to help families approach the admission process focuses on stripping the gloss and making sure that school strengths fit well with student potential. We’ve covered reading between the lines and presentations, the lingo of school catalogs, evaluating your student, what questions to ask of schools and [...]
Read MoreDon’t Judge a Book…
I know you’ve heard this one before – “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” Well, I want to encourage you to keep that phrase in mind as you navigate your way through your own boarding school selection process. There are many schools, literally hundreds, to choose from and each has their own uniqueness about [...]
Read MoreSelecting a Private School: It’s not easy nor should it be
After fielding questions from a caller inquiring about our school (The Webb Schools), it is inevitable that I get:
“So, where can I find your ranking among other boarding schools?”
Happens all the time. Much to their dismay, I have to tell them that there is no such thing and happily so. Yes, there have been multiple [...]
