Salisbury School: Admissions Blog

The traditional application deadline has come and gone, but your family has an interest in pursuing boarding schools.  Is it too late?  This blog post takes a look at applying to prep schools after standard deadlines.

While there may be the risk that a school does not have certain enrollment openings based on grade, almost all boarding schools will admit and enroll new students during the late spring and summer months.  And, in fact, most schools will tell you that they interview and enroll some of their top applicants during this time period.  Strategic admissions offices plan for this. 

Boarding school admissions decisions will soon be released.  This can be a stressful time for many students and families, and there is sure to be a mix of emotions as schools notify individuals of their decisions.  In this blog, we take a look at the admissions decisions you may receive and what to do next. 

We’ve all been there. Your history teacher assigns you a topic, you spend a week or so in the library researching, and you write a paper with a well-developed thesis, making sure your citations are correct and your grammar, spelling, and punctuation are on point. You turn the paper in and after a few days, you get it back with a grade. The teacher moves on to the next thing, and, while you surely developed your skills during the process, it’s not long before the paper is a distant memory other than its place in the grade book and, perhaps, the bottom of a backpack. That’s usually the end of it, but it doesn’t have to be. 

You've clicked submit and are waiting for March 10 when admissions decisions will be released. You may be one of the many students wondering, should I follow up on my application? In this post, we'll tackle some of the most commonly asked questions admissions offices get after applications are submitted. 

Most every mainstream boarding school has a "learning center."  This is different from a school specifically designed for students with learning differences.  So, how does one differentiate between the offerings at mainstream schools?  This is especially difficult when all schools use terms like "structure" and "support" and "tutoring."  In this post, we'll offer some key points to considering when exploring boarding school learning centers.

In a supportive and engaging single-sex environment, students establish a foundation for making responsible decisions, forge healthy relationships and step out of their comfort zone to explore their full potential both inside and outside of the classroom.    

Renowned educators and psychologists have published volumes on the value of a single-sex education. While young men can and do excel in many types of educational institutions, schools designed for boys nurture confidence and inspire growth, while fostering academic success and the development of a young man of character in a balanced and supportive setting.   How do single-sex schools foster this personal growth and development?: 

"An extra year of school?"

"I'm being held back?"

"Won't I have to take all the same classes?"

Often the idea of repeating a year of school is associated with a negative stigma and looked at as a punishment.  However, repeating a year of school, particularly for a boy, reaps benefits that pay dividends in the future. 

As we enter the peak of the admissions visit season, you've seen campuses, toured with students, and chatted with admissions officers.  With a list of schools to which you plan to apply taking shape, your family is discussing what differentiates each school and hopefully talking about "fit." On paper, prep schools can all look the same and data points like student-to-teacher ratio, percentage of day and boarding students, number of AP classes offered, college matriculation lists, etc. are all incredibly similar.  The key differentiating factor among boarding schools lies in each school's culture.   The feel of each school is what makes these institutions unique....and perhaps that feel is the most important factor as you and your child look to enroll at a school that will enable him/her to thrive, grow, and succeed in meeting his/her educational goals.

Considering a boarding school option can be an emotionally difficult decision for both parents and students.  Parting with family and friends and establishing new friendships doesn't come easily to everyone.  So why even consider making such sacrifices?  What is it about the boarding school experience that can complement your educational formation so well?  Here, we take a look at the value of the boarding environment at Salisbury School.