St. Andrew's School, DE - Review #11

Read more details about St. Andrew's School, DE on their 2024 profile page.
St. Andrew's School, DE
5

About the Author:

Years Attended Boarding School:
2005-2009
Sports and Activities:
Student gov (school president), soccer, wrestling, lacrosse (captain), choral, environmental club, bagpipe marching band.
College Enrolled:
Middlebury College
Home Town, State:
Trappe, MD

Reflections and Advice:

1.) What do you think makes your school unique relative to other boarding schools?
A commitment to financial aid and the social, financial and ethic diversity it fosters. Kids really did come from truly varied backgrounds. Also, an almost complete lack of an alcohol and drug culture.
2.) What was the best thing that happened to you in boarding school?
I obviously became independent at school and I learned how to survive and prosper amid intense academic setting.
3.) What might you have done differently during your boarding school experience?
Very little. I had fantastic time at St. Andrew's and would take much of it back.
4.) What did you like most about your school?
The spirit and community that is born out of a strikingly diverse group of kids thorn together in a spectacular setting with dedicated faculty.
5.) Do you have any final words of wisdom for visiting or incoming students to your school?
Get out on the pond and in the other parts of the massive 2000 acre campus. Also Hillier corridor for life, not that you have any choice in your freshman housing. I lived their again my senior keeping an eye on underclassman and loved it just as much.

Academics:

1.) Describe the academics at your school - what did you like most about it?
Rigorous. We worked hard. That being said I think It payed off. You learned how to manage your time and get things done within the often overwhelming setting of academia. Discussion was always emphasized both in small classes and the circular shape of all classroom seating. English and writing was also emphasized which really strengthened my abilities as a writer. The arts program was also fabulous and some of my favorite classes were in the studio. The facilities and faculty of this department were particularly good.

Athletics:

1.) Describe the athletics at your school - what did you like most about it?
You are obligated to play a sport each season though their are ways out of this such as theater or community service which seems to become increasingly available to upper clansmen. As a result of the obligation sports are a huge part of the culture of the school. Their frequency and time-commitments helps foster both physical and mental discipline and helped build strong bonds with one's classmates. I would say that these good times with teammates were my favorite part of high school athletics.

Art, Music, and Theatre:

1.) Describe the arts program at your school - what did you like most about it?
As I already mentioned I loved the studio art program. I was an art "major" which meant I took studio art as a normal class as opposed to a two period one my senior year. We got our own studio. It was a blast. Some of my fondest memories of my final year at SAS were in that room blaring music and painting or drawing into the night with friends. The other arts department are also strong fostered in part by the relatively new, state-of-the-art building that houses them. The orchestra and choral scholar (elite singing group) are particularly impressive and the acapella group is fun and well-attended.

Extracurricular Opportunities:

1.) Describe the extracurriculars offered at your school - what did you like most about it?
There is a wide range of clubs at SAS. In terms of ones I participated in the The environmental club was active while I was a student and was constantly striving to make the school a more sustainable place- usually with at least enthusiasm from the administration. I was also in the chapel choir and the small bag pipe marching band that was started while I was a student. One of the more fun groups I was a part of was and the polar bear club. Once a month we would jump in the lake at 7:15 am. I was the co-president in my senior year.

Dorm Life:

1.) Describe the dorm life in your school - what did you like most about it?
I can only speak for boys in this regard. Girls lived in a couple scatted dorms about campus. In contrast, all the guys lived in the second and third floor of the main building. As you might imagine this was rowdy, raucous and always fun. The rooms were always adequate and I always enjoyed dorm (or more accurately, corridor) life.

Dining:

1.) Describe the dining arrangements at your school.
The dining hall was fairly basic. More interesting was the meal schedule. Every school day but Wednesday we had family style lunch with an assigned group of students from each grade and a couple professors. Non-seniors would then rotate being waiter, plate clears etc. It was a good way to get to know people and teachers though you could occasionally be stuck at bad tables. One Wednesday night before chapel service we had a more formal family style dinner instead.

Social and Town Life:

1.) Describe the school's town and surrounding area.
The school is very insulated from the town which is ok because Middletown doesn't have that much to offer- basically all the amenities of roadside, strip mall America and that's about it.
2.) Describe the social life at your school - what did you like most about it?
Social life was constricted but usually fun. Seeing as we had Saturday classes it was all about that night. The school and the student run student activities committee to a good job of getting things together for then. Despite this I find most of my better memories come from odd moments on corridor, at lunch or at school meeting.

Daily Schedule:

Weekday
8:00 AM
English
8:45 AM
Studio Art
9:30 AM
Calc
10:15 AM
Break
10:30 AM
Free Period (do homework)
12:15 AM
Family Style Lunch
1:15 PM
Spanish
3:30 PM
Lacrosse practice
6:00 PM
Dinner and hang out with friends
8:00 AM
Study Hall
Weekend
8:15 AM
English
9:00 AM
Spanish
10:00 AM
Free period (homework, snack)
11:00 AM
Environmental science
1:00 PM
Lunch
2:00 PM
Get ready for soccer game
3:00 PM
game
6:00 PM
dinner, hang with friends
8:00 PM
dance in student center
11:00 PM
On dorm time
Read more details about St. Andrew's School, DE on their 2024 profile page.

Alumni Reviews Review School

Review
Description
St. Andrew's School, DE Alumni #1
Class of 2018
5.00 6/22/2019
Dartmouth
St. Andrews not only has the most incredible ethos but uses that ethos among the student body to do good. The small student population allows no one to slip under the cracks, and it’s the. . .
St. Andrew's School, DE Alumni #2
Class of 2015
5.00 7/19/2016
Davidson College
I think that the small student body and close knit community of St. Andrew's makes it very unique. With a student body of only about 300 students, you know everyone's name and they know yours. . .
St. Andrew's School, DE Alumni #3
Class of 2009
5.00 9/11/2012
Temple University
St. Andrew's feels like a second home to me. The teachers are not only dedicated to education and fostering critical thinking in all disciplines, but also in making the school a comfortable and friendly environment. . .
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Quick Stats (2024)

  • Enrollment: 320 students
  • Yearly Tuition (Boarding Students): $66,400
  • Acceptance rate: 26%
  • Average class size: 12 students
  • Application Deadline: Jan. 15
  • Source: Verified school update