Kinds of Schools

As a church musician with a deep interest in education, I've spent years covering various aspects of private schools. Recently, I decided to explore America's Roman Catholic boarding schools. These schools are those bastions of faith-based education that have shaped generations of leaders.

What I discovered was fascinating: just nineteen schools across the country, each with its own unique character but all sharing a commitment to academic excellence and Catholic values. From the historic Georgetown Prep to the picturesque Santa Catalina School by the Pacific, these institutions tell a remarkable story of American Catholic education.

The snapshots of the schools use information that these schools have uploaded to Boarding School Review. I have added links to each school's social media and websites so that you can explore these schools as you search for a school that fits your needs and requirements.

Finally, when you click the school's link, it will take you to Boarding School Review where you can review a wealth of data about each school as well as a Quick Facts panel on the right side of the screen.

About the school:

• The Academy of the Holy Family (AHF), a Catholic high school for young

One of the best things about boarding schools is that there is a school out there somewhere that is a good fit for your educational objectives, however varied those might be. As you begin to draw a picture of the kind of school that works for you and your child, you could discover that the structured environment and leadership training military boarding schools offer are attributes you are looking for.

As one parent to another, I'll raise my issues with military schools. Also, I want to disclose that my eldest daughter took part in the ROTC program at MIT while she was at Harvard. I had no idea she was interested in a military career until she announced she was in ROTC. No clue! So, don't hesitate to think outside the box. Assume nothing when looking at boarding schools. You and your child could visit one of our exemplary military school campuses and decide that it has everything you are looking for.

When are military schools a good option?

So, what about military schools? When might you consider sending your son or daughter to one? I'll answer those questions and more, but first, let's settle some things before proceeding.

• Military schools are NOT places where you send a child with discipline or other behavioral issues.
• Military schools are NOT reform schools or schools for troubled youth.
• Military schools ARE genuine learning institutions with a specific focus, i.e., military training.

When a healthcare professional such as a psychologist

I asked William Ellis, Associate Headmaster for Enrollment Management, Director of Admission, and Director of Financial Aid at The Kiski School in Saltsburg, Pennsylvania, to discuss educating boys. Bill very kindly offered the following essay in response to my request. ~Rob Kennedy.

Boys’ residential college preparatory schools are more important now than ever before. Statistics, surveys, and polls all show that boys’ achievement is not as strong in high school as their female counterparts. Women outnumber men in four-year colleges by a nearly three-to-two ratio that has been growing since the late 1970s. Some would say a boy crisis in education is brewing or already here. I was at my niece’s graduation from a large, highly competitive university where anecdotally the Chancellor was a woman, the keynote speaker was a woman, the president of the senior class was a woman, three of the four honorees were women and an amazing 65% of the graduates were women. Having been raised in a house of four strong sisters and a superb Mom (Dad and I were outvoted often), believe me, I am proud of all of the strides made by women since I was a boy, and I do not think their journey is complete by any means.

Having spent the first 25 years of my career at independent coed boarding schools, I have had a front-row seat to this phenomenon, of consistently outperforming the boys. My colleagues used to ask me “What’s wrong with the boys?” At first, I

The International Baccalaureate covers the entire K-12 spectrum with three distinct educational curricula. In this article, we focus on American private schools which offer the Diploma Programme. This rigorous course of studies targets high school students ages 16-19. Colleges and universities the world over recognize the IB Diploma. The International Baccalaureate organization must authorize schools before they can be designated an IB school. The adherence to a strict set of standards and protocols is essentially what makes the IB Diploma so valuable. Let's take a look at boarding schools that offer the IB Diploma Programme.

Annie Wright School, Tacoma, WA

Founded in 1884
Number of students: 820
Grades 9-12. Day students Pre-K-12 ; Boarding 9-12
Religious Affiliation: Non-denominational

Annie Wright School has a PK-8 division for day students that is co-ed. The high school houses two single-gender academic programs with an Upper School for Girls and an Upper School for Boys and a coeducational extra-curricular experience. The campus is located on 10 acres in the north end of Tacoma. The school has been an IB school since 2009. See the Annie Wright School profile for complete details regarding curriculum, sports, extracurricular activities, costs, etc.

Cheshire Academy, Cheshire, CT

Founded in 1794
Number of students: 400
Grades 8-12. Coeducational
Religious Affiliation: Non-denominational

Cheshire Academy is situated on 102 acres in the historic Connecticut town of Cheshire. The school has been an IB school since

It may seem odd that with so many quality boarding schools in the USA that any American high school student would look north of the border to enhance their education. What could possibly motivate young Americans to venture to Canada for high school? Well, the many brave souls who have begun this voyage of discovery have quickly realized the merits of such an option. Consider some of these points that our current American families know, and prospective families might want to consider, about a Canadian boarding education:

You are not alone. There are many Americans in Canadian boarding schools (for instance, nearly 10% of the entire boarding population at my school, Brentwood College School, are from the USA!).

Rolling Admissions

For the most part, there are no specific application deadlines in Canada. You can pretty much visit any school at any time of the year and, if you are a good candidate and there are still spaces available, you could be offered a place without waiting until March or April. Most schools will even allow you to wait until you find out if you are accepted to some American schools in the spring to make a decision. It does take the pressure off families that simply want to know if they are accepted.

This video gives us an overview of Bishops College School in Lennoxville, Quebec.

No SAT?

Americans may also