Shattuck-St. Mary's School - Review #3

The underclassmen 6th-9th graders lived at the middle school (very convenient for class) and we were required to do volunteer work throughout the summer.

Best thing to happen to me was the group of friends I made and hearing how much I had matured after my first year and the years that followed. My parents were very pleased.

When I first arrived, I wish I wouldn't have been so shy. I think I got too into my own head.Advice to kids looking for boarding schools: be yourself at every point of your boarding school journey. Yes, you will inevitably go through changes (hopefully for the better) but if you ever have the feeling that you're doing or saying things out of character or acting differently than you do at home or when you're in your most natural state, then it's time to do some reflecting to get back to your essence.

I love Shattuck-St. Mary's School not just for the education but for the memories and friends I made.

There is no better feeling than coming through The Whitney Arch--it never gets old!

The academics at SSM were much better than my hometown—challenging and covering a variety of topics. The English courses were by far my favorite because the teachers were clearly passionate about the subjects and selected great books for us to read. The math teachers were also very patient with us, which helped learning difficult math concepts a little less painful.

In my time at SSM, we had intramural sports (volleyball, basketball, tennis, lacrosse, 5K club) as well as the more intensive sports (figure skating, soccer, and hockey). I loved playing volleyball and tennis because we built great teamwork and simply had fun playing. It was also fun to watch friends and classmates in their respective sports because we had such a great school spirit.

We put on three productions each year (one a term). The musicals and comedies were always my favorite to be a part of but also to watch. The best drama we ever put on, in my opinion, was Dracula. Everyone was fully committed to their roles and got rave reviews.

There were activities and volunteer opportunities for every taste. I did yearbook committee, prom committee and helped plan school dances. All of these positions helped foster a sense of community because we listened to each other's needs and the administration supported us.

Living in the dorms was the best part of my experience! If it weren't for the four years I spent in the dorms, I wouldn't have all the memories that I still cherish today. Whenever I think of my time at SSM, I think of how much fun we had living together in St. Mary's Hall. Back when it was shared by 6th-9th grade girls and boys, we would have supervised open dorm hours and plenty of dorm activities so we could bond.Your first year at SSM, your roommate is chosen for you. I was lucky enough to be paired with someone from South Korea which worked out well because we remained friends through the rest of our high school careers.

Food was incredible. They always had something good for us to eat.

Faribault is a small-medium town. There are really only 3 good restaurants within a short walking distance (McDonald's is also walkable if you're craving it badly enough). I personally loved going to The Depot because they had fish tacos and sweet potato fries. The town is very safe. I've only ever heard of one very minor incident occurring with a classmate but that was because they were not being very respectful, so take that with a grain of salt. The people of Faribault are welcoming to SSM students.

There was never a shortage of school activities on and off campus. Between school dances, volunteer activities, bingo, Mall of America trips, movie trips, etc--there was always something for us to do.