5 Reasons to Choose a Boys' School

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

Military schools seem to go in and out of favor with the general public.

• Perhaps that has to do with some rather common misconceptions about what military schools are and how they operate.
• The truth is that America's military prep schools carry on a proud tradition of academic and personal excellence, which has withstood the assaults of negative media attention and changing education trends.

For the 2026-27 school year, Boarding School Review lists 13 military boarding schools serving 3,531 students in the United States and Canada.

Let's debunk five common misconceptions about military schools.

1. They are retirement outposts for retired officers.

Hollywood loves to portray military schools as retirement outposts for disgruntled officers with enormous grudges against just about everything and egos to match. (Think Taps with Timothy Hutton and George C. Scott.)

• The truth is that most military schools have a headmaster who is styled a commandant or superintendent according to military nomenclature.
• Becoming an administrator in a military school is a logical next career step for an officer who has retired from active service, usually in his '40s or '50s. Their egos? Most of them are pretty average.
• Their job is to run the school, hire the best faculty they can find, and manage the finances. That's what any headmaster does.

Running any boarding school these days requires immense amounts of administrative savvy combined with a

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

Teaching or working in a boarding school is quite unlike any job in a day school. Why? Because in most schools you will live above the store as it were. Most faculty, deans, and heads of school as well as some key support staff such as the admissions and development directors are housed in school accommodations as part of their conditions of employment. Boarding School Review continues to describe boarding school teaching in 2026 as a multifaceted role that can combine classroom instruction with residential and extracurricular responsibilities.

For prospective teachers, that residential component is an important consideration. Working at a boarding school may involve responsibilities that extend beyond teaching classes. Depending on the position and the school, faculty members may coach teams, advise clubs, supervise study periods, participate in weekend activities, or help oversee residential life. Candidates should review the specific expectations attached to a position before applying.

Home and School

Boarding schools are self-contained communities. Students and faculty eat together. They share relaxing times watching TV and playing games together. That is because teachers and staff in a boarding school function in loco parentis. They take the place of parents literally and figuratively. They play a powerful role in shaping and guiding their young charges while they are at school. Because the students cannot escape at the end of classes, they cannot avoid teachers' strong influence on them. This is

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

Boarding schools have their own jargon, just like any activity or affinity group has. Here are some of the more common terms and acronyms that you are likely to encounter as you explore boarding schools.

ADD/ADHD

ADHD, or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, was previously known as ADD or Attention Deficit Disorder.

• In all probability, you won't notice signs of ADHD until your child starts school.
• If he exhibits any symptoms of ADHD, the school will bring it to your attention.
• The next step is to have him evaluated professionally.
• The syndrome is treatable.
• There are hundreds of private schools that have experienced, professional staff who can work effectively with children who learn differently.
• Explore that option thoroughly.

For 2026, Boarding School Review lists 166 boarding schools offering programs or support for students with learning differences. Families can explore Boarding School Review's learning differences boarding schools and current information about ADHD from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

This video shows the Forman School's approach to teaching students with learning differences.

ACT

ACT is an acronym for the ACT program.

• ACT and the SAT are the two most common college standardized tests of academic readiness for college-level studies.
• Most private schools offer test preparation for the SAT.
• If you prefer to have your child take the ACT, make sure that

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

Choosing a boarding or private day school is a process involving several steps.

• Fortunately for you and me, the web makes the first step much easier.
• Sites like Boarding School Review and Private School Review take the work out of finding schools.
• Use our Applications Calendar to keep you organized.

Step 1: Identify Schools

Let your imagination and wishes run wild at this stage.

• Look at any and every school that catches your fancy.
• Take time to explore each school's website.
• Many of them have excellent video tours.
• Read what the students have to say about their school.

Both Boarding School Review and Private School Review have student comments.

• Many school websites have comments as well, although you probably will find that those comments are pretty positive.
• Boarding School Review and Private School Review do not filter student comments.

Bookmark school web addresses or swipe and paste the URLs into a spreadsheet.

• That makes the next step in the process easy.
• You should end up with a list of 15-20 schools, but don't worry if you have more than that.

Don't worry at this stage about which school is the best one for your child. More about how to deal with that question later.

Step 2: Narrow Your List

Narrowing your list is one of the more time-consuming parts of choosing a private school.

• Why? Because you need to sit down with your