School Life

By Shari Bunks Geller, parent of Blair Academy alumni

I survey my son's room. High school graduation is just two weeks away. College is no longer on the horizon but our next step forward. I am looking to see what he will need to take with him and what he will leave behind. Looking around his room, I am keenly aware of how our world has expanded more than we could have imagined just four years ago when we applied Michael to high school. Boarding school was consciously not on our radar when we began our high school search.

At the start of his eighth-grade year, our son said he would like to apply to boarding school. My husband and I seriously discussed boarding school as an option. We both attended good public schools growing up. We had decided against our public high school as an option for our four children and were committed to sending them to an independent day school. While neither my husband nor I came from families with a boarding school culture, we had many friends whose children attended boarding schools across the country. We have frequently cautioned that once a child visits a boarding school, all-day schools will pale in comparison. The facilities, the campus, and the notion of a different level of independence are alluring to a fourteen-year-old. Although our conversation was serious, we quickly agreed that we would not consider boarding school.

We investigated our local day schools. We toured,

This article has been updated to reflect 2026 data and recent developments.

Graduating from boarding school marks a significant milestone. It represents not only academic achievement, but also years of personal growth, independence, and community living. Choosing the right gift for a boarding school graduate requires thoughtful consideration, balancing practicality with meaning.

In 2026, gift trends have evolved to reflect changing student needs, including a greater emphasis on technology, wellness, and college readiness. This guide highlights updated ideas to help families select gifts that are both useful and memorable.

What Makes a Great Boarding School Graduation Gift?

Boarding school graduates are typically preparing for college or other next steps that require independence and adaptability. The most appreciated gifts tend to fall into three categories:

• Practical items for daily living
• Tools for academic and professional success
• Personal keepsakes with long-term meaning

Because these students have already experienced residential life, they often value gifts that support their transition rather than novelty items.

For a broader perspective on how boarding schools prepare students for independence, see https://www.boardingschoolreview.com/blog/preparing-students-for-college-at-boarding-schools

Practical Gifts for College and Independent Living

Dorm and Living Essentials

Even though boarding school graduates are familiar with dorm life, college living presents new challenges. Practical upgrades are often appreciated.

Consider:

• High-quality bedding or mattress toppers
• Durable laundry bags or organizers
• Compact storage solutions

Students entering college often face smaller living spaces, making organization-focused gifts especially useful.

Travel and Mobility Items

Boarding school students are typically accustomed to traveling between home and campus. For graduates,

One of the most important considerations in choosing a boarding school for your son or daughter is what goes on in the classroom and in the larger school community. In other words, what are they teaching, and how are they teaching it?

You must never assume that, just because a school enjoys a solid reputation, has been there forever, and looks wonderful on the surface, it will provide the kind of teaching you want and expect for your child. Doing your due diligence with respect to the curriculum and how it is taught has to be one of the most important parts of your school evaluation process.

This video compares what is taught in private schools with what is taught in public schools.

Here's how to proceed.

• Observe
• Question
• Research

Observe

When you visit the school for your admissions interview, try to do so while the school is in session. Summer visits are often more convenient for all of us, but you won't be able to observe any classes. Summer sessions do not usually offer a typical classroom experience. So you cannot judge the teaching or what is being taught by what you see during the summer. The teaching staff is frequently not the same as the faculty who teach during the year. Because it is summer, the whole atmosphere is much more relaxed.

When you visit the school and observe a class, is the class size small?

What If Things Go Wrong?

You are thinking about boarding school. But you've heard that the work is tough. Furthermore, they will expel you in a heartbeat if you are caught doing anything seriously wrong. Is this true? Is that the way boarding schools work? Let's look at the facts.

1. The academic work is difficult.

There's no escaping the truth about academics in private schools. Academics are the reason a private school exists in the first place. The academic standards are high. There is a lot of homework. There are a lot of subjects and a lot of ground to cover in every class. Sometimes, the lessons are hard to understand. Just remember, whenever you feel discouraged that you were admitted to the school because you thought you could do the academic work involved. The school-based its decision on your academic transcripts and admissions test scores.

MJ The Student Actuary offers some study tips for complex subjects.

The difference between taking on challenging work in a boarding school versus a public school is simply that nobody in the boarding school will let you sink. Why? Well, for one, the classes are small. For example, your teacher will know you have problems grasping a math concept. You will not be humiliated in front of your peers. If you don't believe me, read the codes of conduct for any boarding school and see just how seriously

Hazing used to be widespread years ago in all kinds of organizations, including boarding schools. While it occurs much less frequently, hazing is still out there. So, we asked Dr. Hank Nuwer, a nationally recognized authority on the subject of hazing, to share his expertise with us.

We parents always worry about what goes on when we are not around to supervise our children. We all know that getting into mischief is part of growing up. Inevitably, it is going to happen. But we also want to know that there are well-known limits and accepted standards of behavior, especially when we send our children off to boarding school.

Hazing is a practice that used to be rampant in schools and organizations just about everywhere. Fortunately, in these times, in which smartphones, social media, and reporting systems make it extremely difficult to keep bad news out of the public eye, hazing is far less tolerated in boarding schools. That is a positive turn of events.

As Dr. Nuwer clearly notes, boarding schools are indeed virtually free of hazing. That is because boarding schools insist on a high standard of supervision and community life designed to protect their students from any kind of harm. Most schools have a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to hazing. It is one more reason why boarding schools are safe schools. They take their in loco parentis responsibilities very seriously.

Is it true that hazing is no longer found in U.S. boarding

. . .read more