For Students

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

At some point in your evaluation of boarding schools, you will examine the academics.

• You've done a bit of reading about the reasons for sending your child to a private school.

• Academics broadly include teaching style and philosophy, the number and depth of subjects offered, and curriculum.
• Let's discuss curriculum and specifically one of the most commonly used, Advanced Placement (AP), as it is known colloquially.

The Advanced Placement logo is a trademark of the College Board and it's in the Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

What is AP?

AP or Advanced Placement Program is a high school program offered by the College Board in 40 subject areas.

AP courses provide college-bound high school students with a level academic playing field. It doesn't matter whether you are a high school student in Dubuque, Iowa, or Darien, Connecticut, because AP courses and their end-of-course examinations follow common course frameworks regardless of where they are offered.

• The course content follows established AP frameworks.
• The teaching objectives are the same.
• The preparation for the final examinations is the same.

College admissions professionals can compare student academic achievements with confidence because the AP program provides common course and examination standards.

• They know precisely what AP means when they see it on your transcript.
• They know exactly what your AP scores represent.

That is the intrinsic value of AP Courses and their examinations from a

As you approach the end of high school, you might be considering whether to head straight to college or take a different path.

• For many students, the idea of diving into college right away can be daunting, especially given the significant investment of time and resources.
• If you're currently at a residential school, you might wonder if staying for an additional year or taking a gap year could be beneficial.

Your experience at a boarding school has likely taught you the importance of structure and community, which can be valuable as you consider your next steps.

• However, college campuses are often much larger and more open, which can present different challenges compared to the secure environment of your current school.
• Additionally, the transition to college life involves adapting to new academic demands, social environments, and personal responsibilities.
• If you're unsure about what to do next, staying at your school for an additional year or taking a gap year might be worth considering.
• Both options offer unique benefits that can help you prepare for college and beyond.

Let's explore these possibilities in more detail.

This TedTalk explains why everybody should take a year off before going to college.

A Post-graduate Year

Staying put in your present school for another year has several advantages. First of all, you know the school and its faculty intimately.

• A postgraduate year will allow you to explore

As you work your way through the school search process, you will do your due diligence carefully. A school's website and social media pages are helpful. Visiting schools in which you are interested is very important. Hearing the positive things men and women have to say about the schools which they attended is also instructive.

Here are comments which alumni left on our Facebook page. I have edited them very slightly for capitalization and punctuation. Some alums attended boarding school in the 50s, 60s, and 70s. Others are more recent graduates. Some mention the school they attended. Some do not. No negative reviews? Sure. But you can read those elsewhere on social media.

In their own words.

• Best thing is if you want to go. I pressed my parents to send me. They didn’t want me to leave home. We loved each other, and I was an only child. But I wanted to go into the Navy and learn about naval school; so they let me go...Ben

• I went for 9th-12th grades. At first, I struggled, but by 12th grade, it was like home to me...Nancy

• Outstanding school, wonderful experience. The only regret is I was only able to spend my senior year there...Curt

• A wonderful education and, although the boarding rules were strict, I made lifelong friendships!...John

• Men of Integrity are hard to find these days - but there were many at Choate - I graduated in 1959....Tim

• My opinion is that it is the best school in the world,

At some point in your boarding school search process, your daughter will ask questions about life at her new school. After all, she has her routine at home and in her current school. But when she goes to her new boarding school, that familiar routine will disappear and be replaced by a new one. Naturally, she will have concerns and questions. Here are some general answers to many of the questions which she will have. Always ask the admissions office at her new school for authoritative answers to your and her specific questions.

This video tells you what one student brought to her boarding school.

Can I use my smartphone?

May I use my smartphone at school? McCallie gives a typical answer in its handbook: "Students are encouraged to use both common courtesy and common sense in the use of technology." And, by the way, the school handbook is your guide for 95% of your daughter's questions. The rules and regulations contained in the school handbook will be explained thoroughly during orientation. Mailing or receiving calls, texting, and sending emails are generally prohibited in classrooms, dining rooms, and other public places.

Can I use my laptop and tablet?

Boarding schools have Acceptable Use Policies that govern the use of computers at school. These policies will be explained during orientation. Discuss them with your child so that he knows the consequences of not following these policies.

May

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Editor's note: In 1957-58 my cousin Peter Denis attended a boarding school in Switzerland. He very kindly answered my questions about his time abroad at school. ~Rob

What prompted your parents to send you to boarding school overseas? Which school did they send you to? How did you get there?

My parents wanted me to improve my French. So they sent me for one year after high school and before university to Ecole Nouvelle de la Suisse Romande, Chailly sur Lausanne, Switzerland. I was the third in a series of five people who had followed such a plan. The idea was to live in the boarding school together with the students doing regular studies. I was enrolled to learn French, which I had already been exposed to over eight years growing up in my hometown of Montreal, Quebec. This Swiss school had a French second language program with dedicated teachers to accommodate students from around the world. The 18 students in my class came from the US, Norway, Sweden, Iran, and Germany, to name just a couple of the countries.

There was no penalty for speaking English, but if you were going to survive, you had to learn French. Once your French was at an acceptable level, you were placed in the regular classes.

I traveled to Le Havre, France, via a Cunard steamship from Montreal. Then I spent five days in Paris