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Narrowing Your List

You’ll find helpful tools and resources to aid in narrowing your list down to the best schools that meet your requirements. Determine the benefits of Quaker education, learn how girls benefit from single sex education and get 5 reasons to start your search early.

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International Boarding Schools: Canada

Updated October 07, 2019 | by Robert Kennedy

Spotlight on boarding schools in Canada.

The objective of this article is to give you a brief overview of boarding schools in Canada. Explore them. Contact them and ask questions. You will find all of the admissions staff at these schools most eager to assist you as you search for the right boarding school for your child. While Canada is a foreign country, most of these boarding schools are a short flight from most major American cities. Obviously, flight times from Asia or Europe are much longer. Canada enjoys a reputation as a progressive, welcoming nation. The educational standards are high in all of the schools listed below. The curricula vary from school to school as is the case with all private schools. Research in depth what each school teaches as that can have a major impact on the college application process in the future.

Immigration matters

Lakefield College School spells out clearly what international students need to do in order to study in Cana. "When international students are planning to attend a school in Canada, there are Canadian governmental documents that must be completed during the application process. The student must apply for a Study Permit before enrolling in a Canadian school. International high school students studying in Canada are also required to have an adult legal guardian living in Canada. In addition, students will also need to arrange for health and dental coverage while attending a Canadian school." The immigration process takes a great deal of time. Do not leave this important step to the

Updated March 05, 2021 | by Robert Kennedy

Why Choose a Boarding School in Florida?

Explore 13 great reasons to benefit from choosing a boarding school in sunny Florida.

Photo Courtesy of Admiral Farragut Academy

There are many benefits as to why students should attend boarding school, but what does Florida offer that other locations cannot? Well, if you’ve ever been to Florida you may be able to answer that question rather quickly. Here we list 13 reasons that may have you convinced to choose a boarding school in Florida.

In 2015, Florida became the first state ever to welcome more than 100 million out-of-state and international tourists. In addition, more people moved to Florida than California for the first time in nearly a decade. There’s a good reason, too. The weather. Year-Round outdoor activities. The cost of living. Job growth and opportunities. Sporting events. The cultural arts. Music festivals. The ever-improving infrastructure.

Not only is Florida a great state to visit and live, but it’s also an incredible place to learn. With 10 college-prep and boarding schools in Florida, the state offers a nice mix to choose from. But why is attending boarding school in Florida better than anywhere else? Here are just a few reasons:

The Weather

Sunny and Tropical

Nicknamed the “Sunshine State,” Florida boasts an average of 361 days of sunshine a year. Did you know that St. Petersburg holds a Guinness Book World Record with 768 consecutive sunny days? St. Petersburg is just one of many places in Florida where sunshine reigns supreme. giving students an opportunity to enjoy outdoor activities all year long.

No Snow

There are just 20 states that average less than 15 inches a snow each year. Florida is

Updated November 25, 2020 | by Robert Greene, M.S., Ed.S., NCSP

Advice for Athletes Applying to Independent Boarding Schools

Tips for athletes applying to boarding school.

You are considering attending an independent private boarding school as a student-athlete. Perhaps you’ve even been encouraged to apply to one or more schools because of your athletic ability. While your family and the admission staff at the schools will help you through the process of applying, remember that you still have your work cut out for you.

You must complete the steps required of all applicants in a timely manner. You should express genuine interest in the school’s athletic program. And most importantly, it is your job to learn as much as you can about each school to be sure that it would be a good fit for you, not only in terms of athletics but overall. Here are some tips for you and your family as you apply to independent schools and consider your options.

The Admissions Timeline

Ideally, you’ll begin researching and visiting schools in the fall, or about a year before you plan to enroll. While applications are most commonly due in January, it takes time before then to have completed any standardized tests and submitted any required transcripts and recommendations. (See more below.)

Make sure you and your family have in hand all the information you need to meet all the application requirements of every school in which you are interested. Pay careful attention to deadlines for applications for admission and financial aid: they vary from school to school.

Even if you’ve been recruited or had contact with a school’s coach, it is the admission office you

Updated April 24, 2021 | by Robert Kennedy

What About Schools With Riding Programs?

Does your son or daughter ride? Are you thinking about finding a private school which will suit both your academic requirements and your child's penchant for riding? Let's look at a couple of schools with riding programs.

Does your son or daughter ride? Are you thinking about finding a private school which will suit both your academic requirements and your child's penchant for riding? After all, your daughter began riding in seventh grade. One of your neighbors had a small stable with a couple of horses. She had ridden professionally years ago. Now that she was retired, she had taken on a few riding students and was showing them how to ride as well as how to take care of the horses. Your daughter has participated in several shows and loves riding. So, it makes sense to find a school which will allow her to enjoy her riding as well as give her the college preparatory academic curriculum which she needs.

A quick search of Boarding School Review looking for schools which offer equestrian programs yielded a list of 67 schools. After you filter that list for location, religion, and size, as well as any other criteria which matter to you, you will be able to come up with a short list of schools to visit and evaluate. In the meantime let's look at ten of the schools in my search results so that you can get an idea of what is available. We will inspect schools which have their own equestrian facilities as opposed to schools which offer riding programs based at a local stable not located on campus.

Chatham Hall School, Chatham, Virginia

I personally always thought that the Litchfield Hills in Connecticut

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Characteristics Of The Best Schools

Updated November 23, 2020 | by Robert Kennedy

What are the characteristics of the best schools? We explore what makes some schools the best schools.

Every now and then the question does occur to me, as it should to you, exactly why is it that I think a certain school is one of the best schools. Inevitably I have to conclude that the best schools have all of the following characteristics. What's more, they have them in abundance. Now, before you start thinking that I am only talking about older established schools, that ain't necessarily so. I am aware of a couple of newer schools that fit neatly into the category of best schools simply because they have all of the characteristics explained below. So let's take a look at what I think the traits of the best schools are.

Great leadership

The best schools have strong, dynamic, dedicated leaders. They are led by women and men who have a clear vision of what they plan to accomplish. They also have the experience to execute their plans in order to achieve that vision. The head of the best school is a superb fund-raiser. She is a capable administrator. She leads by example. She expects the best from everybody in her school community.

This video from Loomis Chafee illustrates the school's global perspective.

The solid support of the trustees

I know of several schools which could have been great. But they never made it because their fractious board of trustees kept getting in the way of progress. Change is never easy. But oftentimes it seems that boards have a rather difficult time with change.

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