Too often graduating high school students move the tassel on their cap while fretting about the plans they had thought through so well just a few months prior.  In this moment of panic, it may seem that that low-paying, non-benefit reaping summer job may just become a full-time gig.  Pair this with the thought of living at home until they’re 40 and you may just have a full-blown breakdown on your hands.  Before launching into “the world is ending” mode, it’s important for the student to take a deep breath and consider their options.

Macchu Picchu

Believe it or not, colleges have students asking to defer their offers of admission every year.  However, the reason for a deferral should be legitimate and the intention to enroll the following year should be genuine.  A common reason for deferring an offer of admission is a simple one: the student just isn’t ready yet.  Oftentimes a student needs a year to mature and grow as an individual.  Many students have a desire to travel, volunteer, or work so they can discover their vocational strengths before launching into an academic arena filled with uncertainty.  A great option for a student fitting this description is a Gap Year Program.

Carpe Diem

Taking a year off before heading to college is something that many universities actually encourage, including Harvard.  In fact Harvard’s Dean of Admission, William Fitzsimmons, wrote an article entitled Time Out or Burn Out for the Next Generation outlining the reasons why a student should take a year off before beginning their university studies.  According to Fitzsimmons approximately 50-70 students defer their entrance into Harvard to take advantage of opportunities such as a gap year.

Patagonia

Gap year programs have been commonplace in the UK for years and have recently been gaining popularity worldwide.  A booming market has been created for students wishing to consider gap year options including international travel, language studies, and volunteer work. A bonus for some gap year participants is that many programs offer college credit for participating.

Carpe Diem Grupo Maasai

One program offering participants university credit is Carpe Diem Education’s yearlong Latitudes Program.  Latitudes participants can study environmental conservation in Tanzania, scale “Mount Doom” in New Zealand, or learn Thai in Southeast Asia along with other students.  In addition, the Latitudes program includes a 12-week solo volunteer/study placement in the student’s country of choice.  Recent participants have studied kung fu in China, worked with street children in Guatemala, and mastered organic gardening in Patagonia.

Mount Doom

Another gap year program offering extensive travel opportunities for students is Where There Be Dragons. One example of a Dragons program is the Himalayan Studies Semester during which students spend 10 days in a Buddhist monastery, learn bronze casting in Kathmandu, and explore a rural Nepali village. Another program, The Rhythms of West Africa, provides students the opportunity to take drum and dance lessons, study the Fulani culture while in a home-stay, and explore human rights issues in Dakar, Senegal.

A Fulani Woman

Students interested in traveling throughout Central and South America will find value in LEAPNOW’s “LEAPYEAR” program.  Aside from being immersed in the Spanish language, students in this program will participate in a yoga and meditation retreat at the foot of a Guatemalan volcano, complete a 2-week service project with a local NGO in Nicaragua, and trek through the Sacred Valley of Peru to Machu Picchu.

Macchu Picchu

No matter what their interest, any student interested in taking a year off before college can find a gap year program that is right for them. Gap year programs provide students with the opportunity to grow and mature as young adults before beginning their university studies.  The opportunities to explore the world and volunteer make these programs a truly wonderful experience.

If you’ve got the future Paula Abdul or Nicole Scherzinger living under your roof, then the Grier School’s Summer Intensive Dance Program could be a great option for them.  Girls ages 12-17 will spend several hours each day during the Pennsylvania school’s 3-week program, held June 24-July 13, learning ballet and jazz technique, choreography for performance, and exploring several dance styles.  In addition to dance instruction, participants will also have the opportunity to enjoy traditional “camp” activities such as swimming, outdoor sports, and creative writing.

Grier Summer Intensive Dance Program

For those parents who regularly catch their young one reading by flashlight under the covers at midnight, you may want to consider the Summer Session at the Cardigan Mountain School in New Hampshire.  With a wide array of academic offerings, your bookworm will probably enjoy classes such as Literary Luminaries and Grammar Gurus.  Girls and boys in grades three through nine can choose to participate in either a 3-week (June 23-July 14) or 6-week session (June 23-August 2) at Cardigan.   In addition to the academic component, Summer Session participants will also participate in fun weekend trips and afternoon recreational activities.

Cardigan Mountain Summer Session

Boys and girls ages 7-17 with learning differences or attention issues, such as ADD/ADHD or Dyslexia, will benefit from the summer program offered by the Linden Hill School in Massachusetts.  Held July 8-28, the Linden Hill program combines academic coursework with recreational activities such as fishing, hiking and mini-golf.  The academic component of the program focuses on maintaining skills developed during the school year, not on remediation, and is intended to provide participants an opportunity to prevent regression over the summer months.

Linden Hill School Summer Program

If your son or daughter is entering grades 6-9 and has a passion for adventure, New Hampshire’s White Mountain School Climbing Camp might just be the place for them.  From beginner to advanced, participants will learn the fundamentals of rock climbing, gear placement, and anchor building from certified American Mountain Guides Association (AMGA) instructors.  Offering one or two-week sessions in July, this camp is sure to be a hit with your young thrill-seeker!

White Mountain Climbing Camp

Any future Lionel Messi or Serena Williams will feel right at home participating in the Baylor School’s Team Baylor Sports Camp.  Sports enthusiasts ages 8-13 can spend the week of June 24-29 on the Tennessee school’s campus training with experienced coaches in sports including tennis, soccer, golf, and volleyball.  Team Baylor participants range in ability from novice to expert and, regardless of skill, will receive individualized instruction.

Team Baylor Summer Program

No matter what type of interests your son or daughter has, there is most likely a residential summer program that would be a great fit for them.  An added bonus to participating in programs like those mentioned above is that, not only will they stay active during their time off of school, they’ll be making great friends and creating lasting memories at the same time!

Brian Fisher (BF): Were Canadian schools initially part of your family’s school considerations? How did Ridley (and other Canadian schools) come to your attention? Did you see some instant advantages to choosing a Canadian boarding school?

Dana Evans (DE): We did not intend to look at any Canadian schools, we were looking for a boarding school for our son. Mostly in the NY/Connecticut area. My son met the admissions representatives from Ridley at a local boarding school fair. Ridley did not stick out as being foreign, Canadian or too far away to consider. He very much wanted to visit after talking with Dr Weller who pointed out that the school was no further than many of the boarding schools that came to the same fair. It just happened to be across the US border – basically it’s Buffalo. But, St Catharine’s, by nature of being in Canada, is way more glamorous than Buffalo!

In retrospect, the main advantage was that he did not have to compete for a spot at Ridley against his classmates and friends. In reality, I believe Ridley is a school with a stronger academic record than some of the ones he was looking at in Connecticut/New York. In that, I think our son made a smart choice that will last a lifetime.

BF: With Ridley, you find yourself in the position of being an international student, how has that worked? For your son? For you?

DE: I think he considers himself just a student. We are quite impressed at the representation of so many countries at Ridley. It gives our son global exposure which should serve him well when he moves out into any career. It could have an influence when he applies to colleges (which I assume will be US schools) but that’s not on our radar at this time. The quality of his education at Ridley will serve him well as he goes through the college process.

BF: Does being an international student family, require any special preparation on your part? How’s the paperwork?

DE: Yes, but involves just a passport and student visa. We had to renew the passport so that it would be valid through his 3 years at Ridley. The visa paperwork was much less daunting than the line at the Canadian Embassy in NYC. After two attempts at the cue, I found a service that handles student visas- with ease and clarity – very simple and straightforward. Even easier than getting a passport. The visa service price was very reasonable – I think just $80.

I do have to figure out the PSAT/SAT/ACT routine which I have to admit has not been at the top of my to do list. And in that vein, we need to make sure he fulfills US requirements for example the foreign language requirement in US is not the same as in Canada.

BF: How does travel and, say parents weekend, work for an American family with a student in Canada?

DE: Travel from NY area is very easy. We fly into Buffalo from LaGuardia which is then only 30 minutes to St Catharine’s. I can drop my other kids at school here, and be there for lunch with time to spare. Often times airfare is less than a tank of gas (big American SUV). Buffalo is a very easy airport in which to travel to and from. Small snow storms don’t shut down the city or the airport like they do in areas to the south. We have found it easy to go up for a day or the weekend. In fact, it’s even easier for our son to get home. All we/he has to do is reserve a seat on the shuttle via the school website and with airline ticket in hand – home he comes.

BF: Did you find some pieces of having an international student in Canada easier than you expected? Some more difficult than you expected?

DE: Not easier or more difficult – just different..

Health Care – With both a knee injury and head injury, I was surprised that the care and follow up was more thorough and comprehensive than he would have received here at home under our private insurance coverage..

Banking – I have yet to figure out the best way to handle money with him. Our primary banks don’t have branches in Canada. There are fees for transactions and currency exchange fees which add up. It seems TD Bank has the best option, though it involves me depositing funds into his account – old fashioned style – since we are Citi and Chase customers.

Cell phone- not the greatest situation….it works best to have someone in Canada get them a phone. He can’t without Canadian papers. So, we just kept the US plan which can add up if he uses a lot of data. So far the cell bill is about 20% higher, but in the big picture, we are glad that it’s easy to contact him and ultimately our responsibility on this end if he loses his phone.

In all, it’s been a great move.

Not Grant Handa. Skip it. Move on to a passage you understand.

While you might not be able to study for a standardized test- in a classic sense- there are certain things that you can learn and practice in order to improve your score. Much involves understanding what the test is doing and how best to approach the test using some strategies.

Grant Handa over at Prepped and Polished, a test preparation firm, offers a healthy take on approaching the SSAT reading comprehension section.

While these are Handa’s headings, I certainly recommend reading his explanations of each:

1. You choose which passages to read.
2. Don’t read the entire passage like a book.
3. Separate “specific” vs “general” questions.
4. Be careful on “definition” questions.
5. Be a skeptic.

Fundamentally, practice and learn the test; let go of the need to read in order; be skeptical; and, don’t get bogged down.

Standardized test need not be feared. Practice can help one can gain an understanding how the test and its questions work. Armed with knowledge, students can develop strategies and practices that help them move through the test more efficiently and effectively.

Janet Dunn, Director of the Akin Learning Center at Kents Hill School chats with us about the center's new building and the story behind it.

Kents Hill (a coed boarding school in Kents Hill, ME) has been on the fore of learning differences programs having had a program (that started in Dunn's living room) for 32 years.  The new building is the latest step in the center's journey from living room, to library, to dedicated, purpose built facility.

A seven year process brought the Akin Learning Center from idea to realization.  Like all good architecture the process began with the students and faculty who use the building and worked outward toward design.  The center's new home provides students a comfortable setting into which kids want to come, collaborate, and be proud of what they accomplish.

Kents Hill alumni carry a structure and routine into college and adulthood that they've absorbed from the KHS experience.  They know how to keep a schedule and when to study and they are comfortable and secure in their interactions with teachers and adults.

Additional resources:

Akin Learning Center

Kents Hill School - www.kentshill.org

Boarding schools in ME

Learning differences boarding schools

“…’ADHD is a chronic condition. We can provide symptomatic treatment, but it doesn’t cure the condition. Treatment has to be an ongoing process. Symptoms may change over time, and there needs to be consideration for change in treatment as a child develops,’” Dr. Mark Wolraich, CMRI Shaun Walters Professor of Pediatrics and the Edith Kinney Gaylord Presidential Professor at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center in Oklahoma City told Healthday.(HD)

Quietly present in the study but not garnering the lion’s share of attention is that the doctors are now recognizing ADHD as chronic condition to be managed over a lifetime and for which no cure exists.

Establishing ADHD as a chronic illness raises a host of issues around life-long management/treatment.

• What kids of treatments/interventions come first- behavioral therapies? Medication?
• Can an individual outgrow ADHD? Funding?
• Can classrooms be modified to work effectively with young ADHD students?
• Is ADHD simply part of one’s nature?
• Does ADHD as chronic condition mean a lifetime of cognitive and/or drug therapies?
• Will the ADHD patient be able to self-manage?
• Can we teach ADHD students to self-manage in preparation for adulthood?
• Along with the larger, are we looking at a condition/illness that’s real or something we’ve constructed to explain what we see and can’t fully address or cure?

Dr. Wolraich again:

“I think the most significant changes are expanding the ages from preschool through adolescence. The original guidelines were from 6 to 12, because that’s where the evidence was. We’ve been able to broaden the scope of the guidelines because there was more evidence available for preschoolers and adolescents…

…Although there is less evidence [on outcomes for this age group], the hope is that starting treatment in preschool if a child has serious problems will lead to better outcomes.”(HD)

Behavioral therapy stands as the first line of treatment in the newly included 4 to 6 year old group with medication as a second line alternative.

There is of course an opposing viewpoint and that’s the topic the next post.

“ADHD: Clinical Practice Guideline for the Diagnosis, Evaluation, and Treatment of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in Children and Adolescents”

“New ADHD Guidelines Include Preschoolers, Older Teens”

“Kids As Young As 4 Can Be Diagnosed, Treated For ADHD”

Boarding School for Students with ADHD

St. George's School, Newport, RI

Two notes before talking about my visit to St. George’s School- the first- a note of full disclosure- St. George’s is not new to me. My daughter graduated in 1988.

The second, an acknowledgment of the shool’s physical setting and beauty- the campus is one of the most beautiful locations for a boarding school imaginable. The school sits on a hill overlooking the Atlantic Ocean– breathtaking!

Much has changed since my time as a parent- with new and updated buildings and physical plant upgrades. However, St. George’s still has the same traditions (Honor Code, Pep Rallies, Pie Race, Christmas Festival, Senior Faculty Basketball Game, Prize Day and Graduation) and a rigorous curriculum in a supportive residential community.

St. George’s physical location on the Atlantic provides opportunities and programs found only along the Atlantic coast.

The “Geronimo” a 69-foot cutter-rigged sloop is home to the school’s marine studies program that cruises summer, fall, winter and spring. Students and faculty sail the greater Caribbean Basin and the United States waters tagging sea turtles and sharks not to mention learning seamanship, navigation skills and allowing students leadership responsibilities while they are sailing and continuing their academics onboard the Geronimo.

On campus in Newport, strong visual and performing arts, wide range of sports teams, Speaker Series and laptops are required today.

My tour guide had only one change he would make to this wonderful campus and that would be a “turf field”.

Here’s a collection of comments I heard from my tour guide, students and faculty on my visit:

“At St. George’s I was able to explore, enjoy and wonder…You can try new things I never ran track or played football and I found out there is a bigger world out there!… I went out of my comfort zone and tried new languages and took outstanding science courses…Gained a love for words!…Excitement, family, school community…Having a sense of belonging in all areas of school life. The door is always open!”

Photo credit: pvsbond via Creative Commons

Photo credit: The Williston Northampton School

I was very impressed with The Williston Northampton School (a co-ed boarding & day school in Easthampton, MA).

Students were happy, engaged and eager to tell me what they like about Williston and why they chose it over other schools. I felt an energy everywhere, with everyone, I saw and met on campus from, staff, faculty and especially the students!

Common threads I heard were: diversity, academics, athletics, superior college preparation and broadening academic and cultural opportunities through collaboration with the Five Colleges (Amherst, Hampshire, Mount Holyoke, Smith, U Mass Amherst). Students and faculty utilize this unique learning environment that provides them with daily opportunities to engage and explore outside of the classroom.

I found Williston to be ‘a breath of fresh air’ in all areas from academics, visual and performing arts, athletically with 63 teams and the facilities that are beyond great.

My tour guide was a senior who only had positive comments about her experience at Williston. Of her Williston time, experiences she explained, “Williston gave me the chance to be a leader and have a purpose on the field and in the classroom.” She will be attending Penn next year and playing ice hockey for them – very excited and is ready to have a great senior year.

There are no shortage of opportunities for Williston students to explore new ideas and begin personal discoveries.

Additional resources:

www.williston.com

AQ Educational Consulting

Suffice to say, he’s skeptical; not a fan; and his piece can serve a foundation on why it’s important to approach many types of rankings with a healthy dose of skepticism.

Dodge’s thinking certainly applies to any family engaging in a private or boarding school search.

Of course schools at, or near, the top of the U.S. News rankings will be happy. Social climbing schools will be envious and strive to improve their rankings; and, those confident of the work and role in the market will ignore the goofy exercise and get on with their work.

The problem, though, is that too many people with pay heed to U.S. News, and similar, rankings imbuing them with perceived accuracy and looking at them as guides- of sorts.

Just as with college searches, too many people weigh a boarding or private school’s reputation and perceived ranking too heavily in their school search.

Cure yourself of the ranking and reputation ills

If you don’t already bring a healthy dose of skepticism to such ratings, Dodge can help you cultivate it. He challenges the ratings system on several reasonable grounds.

I’ll leave most of Dodge’s criticism up to you to read choosing instead to highlight one.

The U.S. News rankings in no way, shape, or form take into account the quality of their work with the kinds of students they teach. Dodge encapsulates his thinking using this example:

“…An institution in my back yard, Delaware County Community College, attracts a wide age range and a stunning diversity. Students speak a ton of languages but many don’t have a very good command of English. Many work full time. Many are single parents. A fair number never finished high school but have earned a GED. Many have to scrape to come up with any money at all, let alone tuition and essentials for classes. In other words, for most, college is an uphill struggle. And this college does a remarkable job of putting these students on track, keeping them there, and turning them into professionals or readying them for four-year colleges.

Should I rank DelCo above or below Princeton, Michigan, Harvey Mudd? I submit that the answer depends not so much on data or on how U.S. News might massage them as on what I value. And that’s what a college search should be all about: deciding what things are important to you and then go looking for colleges where you’ll find them.”(IECA)

Choosing a school is a value proposition based on how the program fits who you are and where you are in life. In order to produce the best possible fit this kind of thinking must guide any school search.

College/Private School/Boarding School: Fit Matters Most

The best school, or college fit begins with the student:

• understanding who he/she is
• where he/she stands in their personal development
• what is the educational goal for the student
• then, working to find the school that that meets the student where he/she stands and can, then, grow them the furthest

I’ll extend Dodges thinking using a thought that we share with families all the time.

In America, there’s a school or college for everyone. What’s the best one? The one where you can grow the most.

And, most of the time, the best fit has nothing to with ratings, rankings, or reputation.

Our work on boarding school rankings:

1. Boarding Schools: Don’t Rank Them, Understand Them
2. Boarding School Rankings: Ignore Them!

Photo credit: FrenchKheldar via Creative Commons

The quick interview draws on Chapman’s experience as new parent facing the cost of saving large sums in her family’s effort to plan for two future collegians.

The projected tuition bill for young parents is enormous and there’s no better time to start planning than today.