Westover School - Review #11

I remember when I first visited Westover. I had visited two other boarding schools that day, but Westover stood out to me over the other schools because of its beautiful campus and obviously strong community. As I walked through campus on my tour, Westover students stopped to greet me and to welcome me. Even though I was not a student at the time, I felt welcomed and as though I belonged. I was nervous because I was coming from the Bronx and was not white. As a student, I continued to feel welcomed and Westover's tight-knit community was very apparent. Everyone supported each other, students and faculty alike. Teachers went out their way to engage their students. They taught using the Socratic method, not by giving us the answers, but by making us think and making us draw our own answers. When a student spoke in class, she never felt stupid by speaking her mind because everyone respected and supported each other. Small class sizes also allowed each student to get the individual attention she needed. If a student needed extra help, teachers were always available for conferences. Westover was just such a great education in so many ways.Another unique aspect of Westover is its spirit teams and traditions, which foster community. I loved all Westover's traditions. Each person had a role in them, and no one felt left out.

I made wonderful friends that I will have forever (as corny as it sounds).

My advice is to take full advantage of what your school offers you.I wish I had been more confident at Westover. I did very well but I could have done better. I went into the school thinking that everyone else was smarter and better than I because I was coming from a terrible school system in the Bronx and the majority of the students were not.

Everything--I wouldn't change it for the world.

Be a West.

Although Westover had a rigorous workload about which many students complained, Westover prepared me for college because I was used to juggling many things at one time. I was able to be an athlete, a scholar, a member of many clubs--all at the same time.Westover also did not rank its students, nor did it publish students' GPAs. What was most important was that the student was learning.Teachers were always available to help a student.

Athletics were great. I was given the opportunity to play on a team--something I had never done before in the Bronx. I loved all my teams at Westover--we had fun and we did well. We also have strong sports programs and have won league competitions in field hockey, volleyball, softball, lacrosse, and basketball.Because Westover is a small school, it does not have as many sports offered but that did not bother me while I was there. They have a cross country team now, which they did not have while I was there.

We had awesome arts courses at Westover. I took Visual Arts, Graphic Arts, Basic Photography, Ceramics, and Digital Photography.I also did the spring play my freshmen year and I took a theatre course my sophomore year.I liked that Westover allowed its students to truly express themselves.

We had many extracurricular activities. I was in WISE (Women in Science and Engineering), and it made girls more confident about pursuing math and science careers.There were many activities to choose from although some clubs were not always as active as they should have been.

Dorm life was so much fun!Westover rooms are big and we have walk-in closets, so students are content with room situations.Dorm parents also are our parents away from home. They always are available when students need them, and they have late night homemade snacks.Westover's dorms are all in one building, which fostered an even stronger community.

I loved Westover food--especially Sunday brunches! Yum!

Not much going on in the town. There is a shopping hamlet and a pizza place within walking distance. If you wanted to go to the mall, it was a 20 minute drive to Waterbury. We were content at Westover and thus stayed on campus most of the time.

Social life consisted of: going to dances with boys' schools, going to the mall, getting involved in a community service project, ski trips, talents shows and skits, and just hanging out with your friends on campus.