Read more details about Albert College on their 2026 profile page.
Reflections and Advice:
1.) What do you think makes your school unique relative to other boarding schools?
Albert College might not be the largest school, but that intimacy was its real strength. You couldn’t hide in the background here; teachers and peers noticed you, encouraged you, and sometimes challenged you in ways you didn’t expect. Albert College was close and not just geographically close, but close in the sense that everyone seemed to know when you’d had a rough day, or when you’d quietly nailed an exam and were too shy to celebrate. Sometimes that closeness felt a little suffocating, I’ll admit, but more often than not, it meant safety, encouragement, and the kind of accountability that’s hard to fake.
2.) What was the best thing that happened to you in boarding school?
If I had to choose the best thing Albert gave me, it’s collaboration. Problem-solving together whether with robots or with messy dorm chores all rewired how I see teamwork.
3.) What might you have done differently during your boarding school experience?
If I could go back, I might have pushed myself into the arts earlier. Advice for new students? Don’t wait for perfect conditions to try something, say yes, even if you feel unprepared. Especially then.
4.) What did you like most about your school?
The people. Teachers who didn’t clock out at 3 p.m., friends who became brothers and sisters, and the strange but wonderful comfort of knowing you weren’t invisible.
5.) Do you have any final words of wisdom for visiting or incoming students to your school?
Don’t miss Sunday brunch. And if you’re moving into residence, do yourself a favour, pack earplugs. Trust me.
Academics:
1.) Describe the academics at your school - what did you like most about it?
Now, I won’t pretend Albert’s academics were easy. They weren’t. But what I appreciated was that it was never just about grades. In Grade 11 physics, we weren’t just crunching numbers, we were asked to connect concepts to design challenges, like, how would this actually work if you built it? That stuck. The workload could feel heavy, especially around IB deadlines (coffee basically became a food group), but it prepared me to stand on my own two feet once I hit university.
Athletics:
1.) Describe the athletics at your school - what did you like most about it?
Full disclosure: I wasn’t a varsity star. My friends teased me about being all brain, no brawn. But intramural soccer? That saved my sanity some weeks. We weren’t chasing scholarships; we were just running around, blowing off steam, and laughing at our own missed goals. The coaches respected that balance with no judgment, just joy.
Art, Music, and Theatre:
1.) Describe the arts program at your school - what did you like most about it?
Even though I never set foot on stage, the arts were impossible to ignore at Albert. My friend Emily starred in Chicago my last year, and I swear, for those two hours, you’d have thought we were in Toronto’s theatre district,JK. That production made me realize just how layered my classmates were, quiet in math class, then belting solos under bright lights.
Extracurricular Opportunities:
1.) Describe the extracurriculars offered at your school - what did you like most about it?
Volunteering wasn’t optional, it was part of the school’s DNA. And that mattered. Food drives, tutoring younger kids, even the messy Saturday mornings at community events because they taught us that showing up counts. Teachers didn’t just supervise. They stacked cans beside us, they froze their toes off in the cold alongside us. That blurred line of students and staff rolling up sleeves together left a bigger impression than any grade.
Dorm Life:
1.) Describe the dorm life in your school - what did you like most about it?
Dorms were a bit busy, warm, frustrating, and hilarious, all in the same week. You learn quickly that sharing a room means sharing moods, too. My roommate and I would sometimes talk for hours past curfew (sorry, Mr. Peters), half-whispering about life plans we had no business making at 17. Those late-night conversations are what I miss most. Privacy was rare, but belonging was everywhere.
Dining:
1.) Describe the dining arrangements at your school.
Look, no one goes to boarding school for the food, but I’ll give credit where it’s due, Sunday brunch was the real deal. Pancakes, bacon, that slightly-too-strong coffee and a chance to sit by the windows watching the snow drift down. Weekday meals could get repetitive, but routine also gave us stability. Funny enough, I kind of miss those trays now.
Social and Town Life:
1.) Describe the school's town and surrounding area.
Belleville doesn’t have skyscrapers or endless nightlife, and honestly, that was fine. Coffee runs downtown with friends became little rituals. A bubble tea place opened near the end of my time there, and it turned into the hangout. It wasn’t about entertainment but it was about carving out your own corner in a small town.
2.) Describe the social life at your school - what did you like most about it?
Some nights, social life meant a projector, a blank dorm wall, and twenty kids sprawled across beanbags eating way too much popcorn. Other nights it was inter-house events where you couldn’t escape the energy even if you tried. Was it glamorous? Not at all. Was it authentic? Absolutely.
Read more details about Albert College on their 2026 profile page.
Alumni Reviews Review School
Review
Description
I went to boarding school at a time when I probably needed structure more than I wanted to admit. What made my school different was how much independence it quietly forced on you. No one. . .
The size is what made Albert College different from other schools. Everyone knew everyone, which created this tight community feel. I was there from 2020 to 2024 as a day scholar but lived in homestay. . .
Albert College gave me structure at a point when I needed it. The school is small, and that shaped my experience. Teachers paid attention to how I worked, where I stalled, and where I improved. . .
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