Is boarding school a good idea? High school?

Question

ok ive had a lot of problems this past year (feel free to read my other questions for more info) and i really just want to get into a good college so i want to go to a private school. But i really want to get away from my house which is a mess and drives me insane! i can never get any work done at it. So i thought maybe i could go to a boarding school. I mean i live in ma so there are tons near by. I just feel i would be able to handle myself and get through life as finally happy if i stand on my own 2 feet. But then again i dont know if its running away from my problems or stuff but should i? Im going into 8th grade this year so i have to apply soon. PLEASE help!!!!

Answer 1

if your parents would pay go for it, i would love to have that oppurtunity but my parents can't pay.  

Answer 2

If your parents can afford it, then why not! Try it out! Find a good one and go! It's all about the CASH!  

Answer 3

You are blessed with time. Many others seeking advice on boarding school often only start to consider going to boarding school the last few years of high school. Since you're entering 8th grade this year, you basically have a great deal of time to think things over. Boarding schools in the U.S. range in tuition from the low of $30,000 to the high of $45,000 (not including added expenses). You didn't mention the need for financial aid, so this is one less thing to worry about. If you do need financial support of some kind or another, then there's no need to worry. If you don't already have great grades (the grades you need for full or partial financial support) you have plenty of time to make great grades and then transfer to boarding school.

Boarding school is a good idea, for most people. It WILL help you stand on your own two feet. Independence is one of the core rewards of a boarding school experience. Other rewards, that you must work hard to achieve, include being a member of a close academic community, a community where you will form very close friendships that will most likely last a lifetime. You mentioned not being able to concentrate at home. At boarding school, almost everything is scheduled. I found this facet of boarding school a relief. I didn't have to worry about finding time to do homework and everything else, it was all scheduled. I didn't have to worry about being constantly interrupted, as study hall was for studying and studying alone.

I don't think it's a good idea to get a flavor of public or private high school and then transfer to boarding school the following year or so. This will almost certainly confuse you academically. Most boarding schools are now "pushing" their students towards the International Baccalaureate (IB) programme over the Advanced Placement (AP) program. I don't know which one you want to pursue, but they are very different, and switching from one to the other will just confuse you. So with that in mind, I would recommend entering boarding school your freshman year. You have a quite a bit of time to figure out what boarding school you want to go to, but you shouldn't wait. If you intend on entering boarding school for your 9th grade year, I wouldn't wait to apply past October of 2008 (only 2 months away). The sooner the better. Obviously the application deadlines are usually in March, April, or May, but the faster you get on their radar, the better. Entering boarding school your freshman year will let you develop strong friendships and an even stronger relationship with the school you're going to. This experience is priceless as far as I'm concerned.

However, there is a downside to entering boarding school next year. While four years of boarding school seems to be just a good thing, it also means four years of $30,000-$45,000 per year. Most boarding schools, especially the better ones, are towards the higher end of that price range. So when you add extra expenses, you're looking at around $200,000 for your secondary education, at least. And if this isn't a problem for you, then that's just another thing not to worry about, but if it is a problem, then you'll have to consider whether or not you can deal with the pressure of constantly having high enough grades for 4 years of financial support.

I usually recommend going to an established, relatively famous boarding school over the lesser known, less established boarding schools. Massachusetts is one of the best states for this type of school. Phillips Andover, Middlesex, Milton, etc The New Hampshire boarding schools are also close, such as St. Paul's or Phillips Exeter. A good ideal to stick with in your boarding school search is: Never settle for less. If you don't get accepted into any of your top choices for boarding school then it is oftentimes better not to go at all. But hopefully this isn't an issue for you. Best of luck.

Here's a list of all the well-known boarding schools in the United States (listed by state): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_boa...

And Boarding School Review where you can find all the information imaginable about each individual boarding school: http://www.boardingschoolreview.com/

Answer 4

okay i went to boarding school in year 10; and i loved it. it taught me independence and and i had the most amazing time with new friends and plenty of adventures.  as for study; they allocate times for study and set rules which is good and it teaches you self control and commitment.

but you are only in grade 8 remember. and the toughest thing i faced was homesickness, but then again i was 1000km away from any family.  8th grade isn't that tough, from grade 10 onwards is the important stuff.

i think you should do your first year of high school at home and then you will know how you are doing with home life and study, if you are struggling then consider boarding school for grade 9 onwards.

good luck, hope this helped.