Is a Therapeutic School Right for Your Child? (2025 Update)

Famous Boarding School Alumni and What They Teach Parents

When considering boarding school for your child, it’s helpful to look at the stories of those who have walked similar paths. Famous boarding school alumni offer not only inspiration but also insight into what makes a boarding environment work—and how parents can best support their children. In 2025 these lessons remain highly relevant.

Why Looking at Alumni Matters

Boarding school alumni provide a “long view” of how students mature, thrive and transition into the wider world. Their journeys can highlight valuable features of boarding school life—academic rigor, independence, social maturity, global perspectives—that matter to parents and students alike.

We examine three prominent alumni and distil five key lessons for parents.

Alumni Snapshot

1. Mark Zuckerberg – Founder of Meta

Zuckerberg attended Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire, one of America’s most prestigious boarding schools. Boarding School Review His experience underscores the role of a boarding school in fostering both academic challenge and social maturity.

What this teaches parents:

• Prioritise schools that offer strong academic programmes, not just reputation.

• Encourage resilience and self‐initiative; boarding offers independence early on.

• Support your child in balancing study, extracurriculars and social life.

2. Uma Thurman – Actress and Producer

Thurman attended Northfield Mount Hermon School in Massachusetts. Town & Country Her

Military Boarding Schools: Are They Still Relevant in 2025?

Military boarding schools have a long tradition in American education. In 2025, families and educators are asking: does the model still hold value? This article examines the status, strengths, challenges, and future prospects of military boarding schools for the modern student.

What Are Military Boarding Schools?

A military boarding school is a residential college-preparatory institution that incorporates a military model of structure, leadership development, uniforms, and often Junior ROTC programs. Unlike service academies, these schools do not require commitment to the armed forces. They emphasise discipline, character building, and academic preparation.

According to one directory, there are 14 military boarding schools listed for the 2025-26 year in the U.S. and Canada, serving approximately 3,700 students. Boarding School Review

Why the Model Still Offers Value in 2025

Leadership, discipline and character

Military boarding schools remain attractive because they deliver a structured environment in which students can develop time management, responsibility, and leadership skills. Research indicates those facets remain key benefits.

Academic preparation

Many schools advertise smaller class sizes and rigorous academics alongside the military structure. For example, one listing noted the combination of academic rigour and personal development.

Unique residential community

Living on campus enhances peer bonding, mentorship and immersion in a distinctive environment. That residential component often sets apart boarding schools generally, and the military model amplifies

Boarding School Summer Programs: Are They Worth It?

Summer offers a unique opportunity for students to deepen learning, explore new interests, and build independence. For families considering a residential option, boarding school summer programs—offered by institutions that operate year-round or open their campus for summer sessions—can appear especially attractive. But are they worth the investment? This article examines the benefits, costs, and key questions for 2025, helping parents, students, and educators decide whether these programs align with goals and budgets.

What We Mean by “Boarding School Summer Programs”

A boarding school summer program typically involves a student living on campus for a period—often anywhere from one to eight weeks—while participating in academic, enrichment, leadership or athletic programming. Some programmes are offered by full-time boarding institutions; others are “summer only” intensive campuses. The setting is residential, which introduces elements of community living, greater independence and often immersive structure.

In this article, the target keyword “boarding school summer programs” will be used repeatedly to align with search intent and improve SEO relevance.

The Potential Benefits

Academic & Enrichment Gains

Research on summer enrichment broadly shows that structured programming can reinforce learning, reduce the “summer slide,” and foster deeper engagement. For example, one recent survey of summer programmes affirms benefits across academic, social-emotional, and physical domains.
Specifically for boarding school summer programs, here are key advantages:

• Focused learning in a low-distraction setting:

How Boarding Schools Prepare Students for Global Careers

In today’s interconnected world, preparing students for global careers goes beyond traditional academics. Boarding schools are uniquely positioned to equip young people with the mindset, the networks and the experiences that enable success on a global stage. This article explores how boarding schools build global-career readiness, with current-year examples and expert commentary.

The Global Career Imperative

The careers of the future increasingly demand cross-cultural competence, adaptability and lifelong learning. Students need more than subject knowledge; they need confidence in diverse settings, networks across borders and a readiness to navigate complex workplaces worldwide. Boarding schools are stepping up to this challenge.

What Makes Boarding Schools Different?

Boards of education, parents and students often identify several advantages in boarding-school settings:

• Residential communities foster independence, self-management and maturity.

• Small classes and 24/7 supervision provide tailored academic and personal support.

• A diverse student body from multiple countries creates a living global ecosystem.
  For instance, a recent review noted that 78 % of boarding-school graduates felt well prepared for the non-academic aspects of university life — far more than students at public schools.
  Similarly, boarding schools are described as cultivating “well-rounded generations for global success” thanks to extracurricular breadth and international exposure.

Core Elements of Global-Career Preparation

Here are the key ways boarding schools prepare students for global careers:

1. Academic Excellence