Concord Academy - Review #2

The courses that I was able to take bordered on college-level courses. Since the course load consisted almost entirely of electives -- not just English, or Honors English, or AP English -- I was able to explore subjects in depth. I took classes such as the History of Ireland, where we discussed the history from the beginning of human existence on the island all the way through current day. I took Literature of the Infernal, where we discussed Dante and read Maus. I was even able to take Earth Systems Science and Meteorology, which (along with my wonderful teacher and adviser) led me to pursue a major in Geology.

Probably the best thing that happened to me at CA was (re)discovering my passion for the natural sciences. I'd always loved watching documentaries and reading about weather, space, natural disasters, and environmental science, but I hadn't realized that I could actually pursue that passion until I took my Earth Science, Meteorology, and Environmental Science classes at CA.

Make sure that you have people that you can talk to, whether that's an adviser, a friend, a therapist, or another teacher or coach you trust. At some point, you're going to need that support system, and you shouldn't be afraid to ask for help.

I loved my teachers and my classes, and of course I loved my friends. CA prepares you so well for college, provided that you take it seriously -- at least some of the time -- to learn the time management, classroom, and social skills that this school tries to teach you.

Make sure you love your adviser. Switch if you don't quite 'click' (don't worry, they don't take it personally). I had a total of three advisers over my time at CA, and each one was wonderful, but my last adviser was definitely the best adviser I could've had during high school.

I absolutely loved the classes. There were so many that I wanted to take but never got the chance; but every class I did take went very in-depth about the subject. I also enjoyed the semester classes, which left a lot of flexibility in my schedule. I loved almost all of my teachers; there were one or two that I didn't really enjoy, but I could tell that they still loved teaching -- my learning style was just a bit different than their teaching styles.

Honestly, didn't really participate in athletics unless I had to, so I chose activities like Yoga or Hiking Concord to fulfill the requirements. I did have several friends that enjoyed the tennis and track teams, though.

I took all of the Photography courses that were offered. Cynthia is an incredible teacher, and I learned so much from her. I loved that we got to take ownership of the process - we developed our own film, and worked in the darkroom, mixing our own chemicals. Photo taught me patience and persistence, as well as time management. I also took a few Painting and Drawing courses, and the quality of the materials and instruction was also excellent there.

I liked that I got to meet so many people who I might not have interacted with ordinarily. There are a lot of different micro-communities at CA, and I was fortunate to get to be a part of so many.

I didn't actually board -- CA is half boarding and half day. However, from what I saw, the rooms were mostly pretty nice, and I know they're renovating the dorms.

The food is okay. Break (you get snacks and coffee in the dining hall after first block) is always a hit. I liked that there were always enough tables and chairs for everyone to sit.

Concord is a lovely town; there are several restaurants and cafes nearby, and some fun little shops to go walk around. If you get bored, there's always the train to Boston! Plus, it's definitely nice to be so close to so many beautiful forests and rivers.

The school was small, but not so small that I had to know everyone personally. I had several groups of friends, and I enjoyed the flexibility that afforded me.