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The White Mountain School - Review #2

Read more details about The White Mountain School on their 2020-21 profile page.

About the Author:
Years Attended Boarding School:	2008-2012
Sports and Activities:	Day Student proctor Sustainability club Photography club Mountain biking Farm & Forest Recreational snowboarding Freestyle snowboarding team Rock climbing, indoor and outdoor A capella Dramatic and Comedic plays Lacrosse Soccer Hiking
College Enrolled:	University of New Hampshire
Home Town, State:	Bethlehem, NH

Reflections and Advice:

1.) What do you think makes your school unique relative to other boarding schools?

Very enthusiastic, young faculty who know a lot about the topics they teach. The same faculty also lead the sport programs, which builds a very strong, versatile teacher-student relationship, which I find to be rather unique to WMS.

2.) What was the best thing that happened to you in boarding school?

Being pushed. I climbed the tallest mountain in New England within three days of being enrolled in the school, which I had never thought possible for myself. By the time I graduated, I was the president of the Sustainability club and a prominent student leader. Not to mention my grades were better than I could hope for.

3.) What might you have done differently during your boarding school experience?

Be yourself, but read social cues. Be open-minded and try everything you can -- take advantage of everything the school has to offer. Once you find the things you enjoy, put as much effort as possible into them.

4.) What did you like most about your school?

The amount of effort the faculty puts in to make you happy and successful.

5.) Do you have any final words of wisdom for visiting or incoming students to your school?

Get into debates in class, and take them seriously. Express your opinion and learn from others' opinions that differ from yours. And take a random sport you think you'll never be able to do again after high school, because, chances are, you probably won't get another chance, unless you end up liking it so much you make it your priority to do it after high school.

Academics:

1.) Describe the academics at your school - what did you like most about it?

The personal relationship you can create with your teachers. You are not just a face in the crowd. Your teacher knows your strengths and weaknesses well and works with them, to optimize your learning experience and your grade.

Athletics:

1.) Describe the athletics at your school - what did you like most about it?

You have a lot of options, competitive and otherwise. And they are consistent enough to get you actually in shape. The sports are the most fun physical activities in the world (ie. rock climbing, snowboarding, mt. biking, whitewater kayaking, etc.) They are mandatory but competitiveness is not.

Art, Music, and Theatre:

1.) Describe the arts program at your school - what did you like most about it?

There was a lot of encouragement to engage in such things and there were several classes offered, but it wasn't a ridiculously good program. I have heard that a fancy new arts building has been installed since my graduation, which I'm sure will add a lot to the curriculum.

Extracurricular Opportunities:

1.) Describe the extracurriculars offered at your school - what did you like most about it?

There were lots and lots of clubs which were easy to join, just drop in for a meeting or two or even create new ones.

Dorm Life:

1.) Describe the dorm life in your school - what did you like most about it?

I was a day student, but people seemed happy with the dorm system. Check-in and lights out hours are always a pain, but what're ya gonna do.

Dining:

1.) Describe the dining arrangements at your school.

For serving such a small community, there was a lot of effort put into feeding everyone and keeping them happy with the quality. Juice, coffee and snack room was open very often.

Social and Town Life:

1.) Describe the school's town and surrounding area.

Littleton is the largest town in the area which has some nice shops and restaurants. There's a wal mart and shaw's and such which are convenient. The real benefit to the surrounding area though is the access to all of the outdoors. Endless hiking, mountain biking trails and climbing cliffs.

2.) Describe the social life at your school - what did you like most about it?

The friends that you create last forever. I am closer with the group of friends I made in high school than I am with the friends I've made in college so far. You just end up spending a lot of time with them. And being such a small community, there are people you will have to see every day that you don't necessarily get along with, but you are forced to accept them as a part of life, which is incredibly valuable in the real world when you are faced with less than desirable professional relationships.

Daily Schedule:

Weekday

7:30 AM	Morning meeting & reading
8:00 AM	Classes
3:00 PM	Sports
5:30 AM	Dinner
6:00 AM	Time with friends
7:30 AM	Study hall. Do homework
9:30 AM	Time with friends
10:15 AM	Check-in. Start getting ready for bed

Weekend

11:30 AM	Wake up
12:00 PM	Brunch
1:00 AM	Hang out with friends.
2:00 AM	Go for a walk around campus/woods
6:00 AM	Dinner
7:00 AM	Teacher-led weekend activity
8:00 AM	Watch movies in a cuddle-puddle with friends in a lounge