The Final Decision!

Claude Anderson
NMH Dean of Enrollment

You have been accepted to several boarding schools and now you want to scout out the one that’s a perfect fit for you. You’d hate to overlook something important, only to find out in September that there was a better choice out there. Below are some tips on how to squeeze the most out of revisit days so you can be confident in your decision.

Make sure you attend the revisit day. Obvious, yes, but important. Most schools will allow you to come on a day that is not the scheduled revisit day, but you won’t get the same kind of experience. 

Talk to faculty. Be prepared to listen but speak as well. Have in mind questions or topics you’re interested in and know something about. Then notice how teachers react to you. Do they try to force their views, or do they allow your opinions to be heard? Is this someone you would like to have conversation with in and out of the classroom?

Make 10 student connections. These interactions are essential to evaluate. Talking with students should give you a good sense of the culture at the school. If you base your view on your tour guide alone, you may not get an accurate picture of the student body. To find the students, try different venues: sit with a small group in the dining room, chat with someone walking around campus, or strike up a conversation virtually, on Facebook, MySpace, or IM.

Block out a schedule. Going through the online or printed curriculum guide, you can get excited about the program. But can you actually take the courses you want? You may want to fill in a schedule form with your dream classes and send it to someone in the director of studies office at the school to see if it will work the way you imagine. Some classes have prerequisites or are only available to seniors, for example. You want to make sure your expectations are reasonable.

Don’t get lost in the facilities.  It’s wonderful to have a tech-heavy science building; a huge field house with an Olympic pool, three basketball courts, and double ice-hockey rink; or a 60,000-square-foot  arts center. Get lost in the moment—for the moment—but don’t ignore important intangible things. Great facilities go a long way to supporting excellence, but it’s great coaches and teammates or great teachers and performers who will really inspire you and enrich your boarding school experience.

Don’t forget about the administration. The dean of students, dean of faculty, dean of academic life, etc. have a big hand in shaping the boarding school experience.  Introduce yourself to them and then hit them with these two questions: Is there any flexibility in adjusting the dress code? And what kind of alcohol policy is best for the community?  The answer is not what is important (even though you may be interested in what they have to say on the subject). What you want to look for is whether they engage with you. Do they ask you what you think? If they do, it could mean that you and your fellow students can take a meaningful part in school decisions that affect student life.  

Can you stretch yourself? Somewhere in the school lies your passion—or passions.  You may already know what they are. Make sure that the school can help you stretch yourself. On the flip side, be open to unfamiliar endeavors. How rewarding it is to discover a new passion! Take a look around and see if students are trying things that they didn’t think about before. Does the community encourage reaching beyond your comfort zone? If so, you might have the opportunity to discover an inspiring new talent.

You have a big decision ahead of you. After you have completed this evaluation, check one more thing: Clear your mind and ask yourself, from your gut, at which school will you be happy and develop your unique talents?

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