BOARDING SCHOOL 101

Ever wonder what it would be like for your child to get an education where they could live and study with peers in a beautiful setting?

The first weekend in November, North Shore parents and their high school-aged students will be able to learn more about 10 of the top boarding schools in the Northeast United States at two events hosted by the Ten Schools Admission Organization (TSAO). The first will be held at the Chicago City Day School on Saturday, November 2, from 2 to 3:30 p.m. The second event will be held at Lake Forest Country Day School on Sunday, November 3, from 1:30 to 3 p.m.

Schools represented include Choate Rosemary Hall in Wallingford, Connecticut; Deerfield Academy in Deerfield, Massachusetts; The Hill School in Pottstown, Pennsylvania; The Hotchkiss School in Lakeville, Connecticut; The Lawrenceville School in Lawrence, New Jersey; The Loomis Chaffee School in Windsor, Connecticut; Phillips Academy Andover in Andover, Massachusetts; Phillips Exeter Academy in Exeter, New Hampshire; St. Paul’s School in Concord, New Hampshire; and The Taft School in Waterbury, Connecticut.

The annual events allow admissions representatives from the 10 schools to showcase the unique aspects of their respective institutions and introduce families to the advantages boarding schools have to offer.

“TSAO events introduce families to the advantages of a boarding school education, discuss why they might consider it as an option for their child, and address any questions they might have,” says Lauren Gold, Director of Scholarship Aid at The Lawrenceville School.

Gold grew up in California and ended up at one of the 10 schools even though her family was unfamiliar with boarding schools. She enjoys hitting the road and telling her story to families that are intrigued by the idea.

“I always give families kudos for exploring this option and supporting their child in going away to school, as it is the path less followed, but it often results in great growth for the student.”

Like many who make the choice to attend boarding school, Gold had her fair share of skeptics.

“Boarding school was unknown to most of my peers in California, but it changed my life,” Gold says. “Now I like to share the value of boarding school with others.”

Amanda Bohnsack, Director of Enrollment at The Taft School, says the events are an opportunity for school administrators to talk about the unique learning environments boarding schools have to offer.

“Because students live on campus, they have the opportunity to learn and be with teachers and peers in the classroom but also the dining hall , the stage, the fields, and the dorms,” Bohnsack says. “It allows students to learn from the time they wake up in the morning until they go to bed.”

Student body diversity is another defining aspect of Taft and its fellow boarding schools in the Northeast.

“There’s not a day school out there that could assemble our student body,” says Bohnsack. “We enroll students from all over the country and the world who bring all of their experiences, talents, and cultures to our campuses. That can’t be replicated in a day school environment.”

For those kids who do come, they can count on dedicated faculty and staff to make sure their high school experience exceeds their expectations.

“As a faculty member, teaching and living in a boarding environment is all-encompassing,” adds Bohnsack. “Yet we get to work with exceptional students and families making it all worthwhile.”

TSAO events will take place from 2 to 3:30 p.m. November 2 at the Chicago Day School (at 541 W. Hawthorne Place in Chicago) and from 1:30 to 3 p.m. on November 3 at Lake Forest Country Day School (at 145 S. Green Bay Road in Lake Forest). Visit tsao.org/events for more information or to register.