There are many different boarding school options available in the United States and exploring the strengths of each, will help you make a sound and informed decision as to the best type of school that will benefit your child the most. While boarding schools may seem alike in structure and goals, there are many distinctions that you should know about as you consider different institutions. Boarding schools can be categorized in three major classes, namely, college preparatory boarding schools, junior boarding schools, and therapeutic boarding schools.
College prep boarding schools have the primary goal of preparing students for the rigors of college life (academically, socially, and mentally). These strive to produce well-motivated students with the drive to seek excellence in the academy and to explore great new opportunities. College prep schools can either be all-girls or all-boys, or they can specialize in military, religious, or pre-professional arts programs. Some notable college prep boarding schools in the US include The Phelps School (all-boys), Purnell School (all-girls), Santa Catalina School (religious), Besant Hill School (arts), and Robert Land Academy (military).
Junior boarding schools offer focused education for students in the 8th grade or lower. This focused education offers many distinct advantages for middle school-aged students, ranging from accelerated learning to individualized supervision and guidance, character development, and opportunities to participate in enriched extracurricular activities, like sports, without the traditional distractions. Some popular junior boarding schools in the US include Hampshire Country School (all-boys), North Country School (co-ed), and The Bement School (co-ed).
Therapeutic boarding schools, on the other hand, have programs designed to cater specifically to students having difficulty coping in a traditional school setting. These may be students with behavioural or emotional problems, struggling with substance abuse or with learning differences and other difficulties. Examples of these schools include Brehm Preparatory School, Darrow School, and The Greenwood School.
College prep boarding schools have the primary goal of preparing students for the rigors of college life (academically, socially, and mentally). These strive to produce well-motivated students with the drive to seek excellence in the academy and to explore great new opportunities. College prep schools can either be all-girls or all-boys, or they can specialize in military, religious, or pre-professional arts programs. Some notable college prep boarding schools in the US include The Phelps School (all-boys), Purnell School (all-girls), Santa Catalina School (religious), Besant Hill School (arts), and Robert Land Academy (military).
Junior boarding schools offer focused education for students in the 8th grade or lower. This focused education offers many distinct advantages for middle school-aged students, ranging from accelerated learning to individualized supervision and guidance, character development, and opportunities to participate in enriched extracurricular activities, like sports, without the traditional distractions. Some popular junior boarding schools in the US include Hampshire Country School (all-boys), North Country School (co-ed), and The Bement School (co-ed).
Therapeutic boarding schools, on the other hand, have programs designed to cater specifically to students having difficulty coping in a traditional school setting. These may be students with behavioural or emotional problems, struggling with substance abuse or with learning differences and other difficulties. Examples of these schools include Brehm Preparatory School, Darrow School, and The Greenwood School.