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NMH Magazine : Winter 2007
Speaking of NMH
Tom Fagan ’08
Nicole Dance ’09
Blisse Wilkinson ’07
Blake Carver ’07
Emily Tisdale ’07
Svetlana Kobtseva ’10 At an admission open house last fall, six student panelists sat, legs dangling, on the edge of the stage in Grandin Auditorium, while their audience—prospective students and their families—asked any questions they wanted. Parents posed most of the questions (small surprise) and the student panel fielded them deftly, while Head of School Tom Sturtevant moderated the event, occasionally adding his own two cents. What did the discussion yield? How does NMH come across to potential applicants? Read on to find out.
Tom Sturtevant: Those of you in the back, we invite you to come grab a seat here closer to the front. There are plenty of seats here in the front. There’s a full scholarship under one of them. (Loud laughter.) Welcome to the student panel portion of the visit day. My name is Tom Sturtevant, and I’m head of school. The students here are the ones who carry the answers to your questions about NMH. Needless to say,
I’m paid to tell you it’s good (laughter)— but the students are going to tell you the truth about
their experience. They know better
than anybody.
What made you want to come to NMH?
Emily: I looked at a bunch of prep schools and really liked NMH and Deerfield Academy. My parents said, “We’re going to have you go to NMH, because if you go there you’ll become a better person.” I was 13 and I was, like, “All right,” even though I didn’t know what they meant. (Laughter.) But no, it’s totally true. The people here are so nice and relaxed. And NMH is a lot more diverse than other schools, not just ethnically; the people you meet have all kinds of interests and come from all over the world.
Blake: I got into nine other prep schools, but I chose to come to NMH because of the community here—it was the most welcoming. On one other school tour,
I asked, “Hey guys, what do you do for
fun here?” And he was, like, “Fun? Not
at our school.”
Blisse: I come from Brooklyn, New York, and I was attending a private school where there were only 55 students in eighth grade. I talk a lot and I’m into social things, and that school was too small. I visited this campus and knew it was where I wanted to be.
Svetlana: I like the size of the school. It’s not too big that you don’t know anybody, and it’s not so small that there’s only one type of student. It’s also very diverse.
What are the benefits of a boarding school versus a day school?
Blisse: I’ve done so many more things than I ever would have done at home. My PE class this term is sailing. I would not be doing that in Brooklyn!
Emily: In one sense, it’s a slumber party all the time: you live with your friends, you constantly have something to do. In another way, I’m able to focus more than I would at home, where there’s the distraction of TV and going out with friends. But the best part about boarding is the independence it grants you. Recently I went to Dartmouth for an official visit for crew, and my host said, “Oh, are you sure you don’t need me to walk you around campus?” I was, like, “No, I can do this. I’m fine.”
Blake: In high school I put the “pro” in procrastinator. (Laughter.) That’s why I ended up having to do a PG year. Study hall here is awesome because from eight to ten, everybody’s working.
Tom F: I spend probably the largest amount of time here of any day student. I get here at seven in the morning and leave at about seven at night, depending on sports commitments and other things. It’s a very welcoming community for day students. If you try to fit in, there’s no problem.
How do faculty help students when they’re struggling?
Emily: During my freshman year, I took a class called Comparative Politics. I’m not politically oriented at all, and I failed one of the first quizzes. I went to my advisor and was, like, “I’m really stressed out. I can’t do this class.” She said, “No, no. You can do it.” She talked to me and my teacher and kept checking with me to see if I needed any help. Now I could totally handle that situation on my own because they build you up to that point.
Blisse: I have a math midterm right after this meeting; last night my teacher had the class over to his house and we worked on problems that might come up on the test.
Tom F: That’s what I was going to come to. If you have any problems academically, there’s math and language help every night, but your teachers are always willing to help. Both my teachers, if I ever need help, will meet with me in their classroom or their house.
If there’s one thing you could change about NMH, what would it be?
Tom Sturtevant: Next question? (Loud laughter.)
Nicole: A teleportation device from the lower modulars to the dining hall, ’cause I gotta tell you the truth: you really do have to walk a lot around here. When you’re hungry right before lunchtime and your teacher lets you out late, you just want to get to the dining hall. And in the winter, it’s especially tough.
Tom Sturtevant: By the way, we deliberately made the choice of being spread out as a campus. There are schools close to us in size that spend the whole day in one building. So part of your experience at NMH is to go outside. Yeah, it’s cold. Two years ago they closed all the public schools in Vermont, but we stayed open.
Blake: I have no idea what I’d change. Maybe put a Johnny Rockets restaurant on campus or something. Although I have to say the food at Alumni Hall is amazing, far better than at any school I visited. It’s edible (laughter) and it’s really good.
What about negative peer pressure?
Emily: I’ve been here four years, and I’ve never been offered or pressured into using any kind of illegal substance. I know that’s a common teen pressure in my hometown, but everyone here is really respectful of each other in a way that isn’t common anywhere else. People listen to your opinions and honor what you want to do.
Blake: I think there’s much less negative peer pressure here than at public school. Since you’re boarding, bad situations aren’t really available to you. Back home, someone would call you and say, “Hey, bud, Sammy’s parents are out,” but here it’s a community of scholars, so it’s not really a distraction.
Tom F: In terms of the substance abuse thing, those influences do not come
find you here. You don’t have to worry every day if somebody’s going to make you smoke or drink. Academically, this
is a college prep school, so there’s a lot
of academic pressure but it’s really pressure you put on yourself. I compete with my friends for grades because I feel I can handle it, and it helps me academically. Some people don’t want that pressure, and they can choose not
to put it on themselves.
NMH talks about community a lot—what does the school do to encourage it? For instance, do you have sit-down meals?
Tom Sturtevant: We have great traditions, like Mountain Day, the Pie Race, and Rope Pull, where everybody does something together. We also have strong house-based programs, so your dorm serves as a microcosm of the school. We don’t have formal sit-down meals on a regular weekly schedule, but we do have them on an occasional basis, usually by class. The seating capacity of our dining hall is about 650; with our students and faculty, we’re too large to sit together in that way.
Emily: Coming here from a small, private girls school, I was worried NMH would be overwhelming, but it’s not at all. We have Hogolympics for all the dorms to compete against each other; we have advising meetings where we meet in small groups; and we have classes and sports teams. We get to know the whole school through these little pockets. By the way, I’m glad we don’t do sit-down dinners. When I was visiting schools, I went to Deerfield and they ate quicker than I did. I didn’t get more than a couple of bites in! NMH lets you eat on your own time according to your own schedule.
What’s best about going to school here?
Tom F: The opportunities that you have, from trips abroad to minor courses to sports and PEs. I took up rock climbing as a PE this term. It’s great.
Nicole: There are so many different types of people here from all over the world. You learn so much from them. It’s a culture shock, but it’s really cool to learn what other people have to say.
Blake: It’s gorgeous out here. I like that. Also, the school gives you an opportunity to be a well-rounded person. At my old school, an athlete was an athlete. But here I’m taking drawing next term, and I might be involved with one of the plays, which I never thought of doing before. It’s eye opening.
Blisse: If there’s ever something I feel the school needs, whether it’s a committee or a multicultural group, I love the fact that you can always start something new here.
Svetlana: It’s a really good place to express yourself. You don’t feel like you have to live up to some standard. You can try new things, improve in whatever you enjoy, and be yourself.
Thanks to our student panel:
Tom Fagan ’08 International ambassador, Model UN participant, Ultimate Frisbee team member, admission tour guide, day student
Nicole Dance ’09 Singer in Select Women’s Ensemble and Concert Choir, field hockey player
Blisse Wilkinson ’07 Senior class president, student leader, track and swim team member
Blake Carver ’07 Lacrosse, crew, and wrestling team member; postgraduate
Emily Tisdale ’07 Student leader, student newspaper editor, crew member, community service participant
Svetlana Kobtseva ’10 Cross-country and basketball team member, Russian Olympiada participant
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