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Looking at Schools
Do you like large schools or small schools? Are you most comfortable in a city, small town or countryside? Are you interested in attending a school that has a religious or military orientation? Would you like to attend a school that is only for boys or girls?
Single-Sex Schools
Single-sex schools, those for boys only or girls only, are some of the oldest boarding schools in the country. As a student at one of these schools, you will have the chance to study in a less socially distracting atmosphere. For girls, single-sex schools can often provide greater opportunity to pursue leadership roles in both academic and extracurricular life.
Military Schools
Military secondary schools have the same advantages as other private schools but also instill the values and importance of teamwork, dedication and discipline. Uniforms and drilling are often required.
St. John’s Northwestern Military Academy in Delafield, Wisconsin, helps students overcome academic difficulties. Although the majority of students enter the academy as academic underachievers, for over a decade, 100% of the school’s graduates have been accepted to a college or university.
ESL “Bridge” Programs
“Bridge” programs, running from April until June, provide students with intensive English training as preparation for the academic year beginning in September. These classes concentrate on reading, writing and speaking as well as U.S. culture and social expectations. It’s beneficial to attend one of these programs the April or summer before you plan to enter a boarding school.
Postgraduate Programs
Many schools offer a postgraduate program, a one-year course of study for students who have finished their high school program but are not ready to enter a university. The postgraduate curriculum usually concentrates on reading, writing and mathematical skills. Foreign students can especially benefit from this program since the course of study is flexible and you can structure it around your specific academic needs.
Summer Schools & Camps
Students attend summer schools for academic credit and as a supplement to their regular academic program. Summer camps, on the other hand, specialize in outdoor recreational activities, sports, art, music and drama.
There are many summer schools and camps that offer ESL training as well as the opportunity to interact with English-speaking young people. Typically beginning at the end of June, these programs last anywhere from six to ten weeks and will provide you with a wonderful opportunity to spend your summer months learning English, making friends and experiencing U.S. culture.
Academy By The Sea has an oceanfront campus in Southern California, where students have the opportunity to surf, body board, and enjoy other water activities. The school offers a four-week program that is a balance of academics and recreation. The students take supervised, weekend excursions to nearby California area attractions, such as SeaWorld, Six Flags Magic Mountain, Universal Studios, and much more.
Religious Schools
Some schools have a strong tradition founded in religion and will frequently integrate religious services and classes into their regular curriculum. Most institutions, however, welcome children from all religious backgrounds and respect their differing philosophies.
Travel Programs
Washington Academy in Maine makes use of the local environment for field trips and longer excursions. Students take a week-long ski vacation to a condo at nearby Sugarloaf resort. The school also sponsors whale-watching and sailing trips on the coast of Maine and hiking, cycling and kayaking in Acadia National Park. There are also trips to Boston and New York City.
These trips are chaperoned by faculty members and are combined with educational and recreational experiences.
Schools with Homestays
Several schools offer a homestay option as an alternative to living in a dormitory. By living with a U.S. family you gain the comfort of a home-life and may have greater opportunity to participate in activities outside of school and within the community.
For example, students who are comfortable with their English may participate in the Public School Program at Educational Consortium Institute (ECI) in California. They enroll for a semester or a year at a local public high school and live with a host family.
Residential Experience
At Darlington School in Georgia, life is centered on a English “house” system unique among U.S. boarding schools. Most teachers live on campus in residential Houses with their students. They form relationships with one another that last a lifetime. All teachers and boarding and day students in the Upper School are members of one of the six Houses.
The heads of each House also serve as the School’s admission officers. Students join Darlington by being admitted to one of the Houses. Student prefects manage the life in the Houses and also sit with the heads of house on the House Senate where they help to shape the rules by which everyone at the school lives.
Outdoor Opportunities
Outdoor opportunities for students at Nawa Academy in California include rockclimbing, hiking, backpacking, and river rafting. Students also visit San Francisco, Lake Tahoe, Ashland, Oregon and other points of interest.
Making the most of Maine’s natural resources, Washington Academy offers a course in coastal ecology. Students explore tidal zones, wetlands, and the open Atlantic Ocean while learning about ecosystems, salmon restoration, alternative energies and forest management.
Work Experience
In addition its boat building program, Washington Academy offers a course in marine engines to develop working knowledge and experience in operating and repairing diesel engines with marine applications.
Service Learning and Life Experience
At several boarding schools, students perform community service as part of all aspects of school life.
At The White Mountain School in New Hampshire, students volunteer at varied nonprofit agencies, retirement centers, grade schools and recycling centers. Students run clothing and toiletry drives for several homeless shelters in the state, traveling to them to deliver items and volunteer. One of the greatest successes so far has been the revival of a local soup kitchen.
For one or two days each May the school moves off campus to maintain trails, stock streams, paint walls of buildings in the community, rake campsites and clean litter.
Community Service Odysseys are intense, week-long experiences. Students spend a week working for Habitat for Humanity in Mississippi, assisting with an art exchange program in Haiti, or building chicken coops and fixing up buildings through rural community development in Central America.
Nawa Academy students often volunteer to help the local elementary school and the local park service with trail maintenance, habitat rehabilitation, watershed projects and much more.
More Featured Articles
Education Fairs
Fairs at a glance: Student education fairs give you a chance to speak directly with representatives of U.S. universities, language programs and summer schools. You can visit each school's booth, talk with people who teach and work there, and take home brochures and applications.
Finding the right boarding school for you
The right school will encourage you to accomplish your goals and ambitions while providing the environment to help you succeed.
Learning English
Choosing a secondary school and an ESL program may be one of the most important decisions you make in your lifetime. These steps below should be helpful.
Why Spend Your Summer Studying in the United States?
Thousands of young people from around the world attend a variety of summer programs throughout the United States.
Special Needs and Learning Disabilities
Many boarding schools in the United States are dedicated to young people who have difficulty reading or paying attention in class. Other boarding schools enroll a few special needs students in each class and devote special instruction to them
Considering an Arts Program?
While traditional boarding schools offer excellent academic and broad athletic participation, a number of them also have excellent arts instruction. These schools have outstanding faculty in the arts, specialized facilities, and utilize advances in contemporary technology to provide an inspiring education.