There are so
many options for school these days. You can home school or choose a public,
private or boarding school. How do you know which one is right for you?
Boarding
school is a great option for families who tend to fall into one or all of these
categories:
·
Can
afford the tuition, with or without financial aid
·
Have
limited local schooling options
·
Have
a child who is very involved in extracurricular activities and plans to go to
college
We’ll
explore each of these below.
Boarding
School Tuition and Financial Aid
Perhaps the
most limiting factor when it comes to boarding school is the cost of tuition.
You might be thinking, “I barely have a college fund started for my child. How
can I afford boarding school?”
It’s true
that some boarding schools can cost upwards of $40,000 per year, but there are
plenty that are relatively more affordable or that offer financial aid.
Fortunately, in most cases you get what you pay for: a solid academic foundation,
a familial environment, plenty of activities to promote leadership and boost
confidence, promotion of life skills and independence, and sports to keep up
with physical health and to create teamwork.
Travel
Considerations
Location is
a huge consideration when it comes to boarding schools. As long as the boarding
school is nearby, your child can still come home to spend time with the family
on weekends. Some of the best boarding schools in California are located within cities around the
state, creating a potential 4- or 5-hour drive for families who live in the
rural regions.
In fact, it
is rural families who often consider boarding school in the first place. When
the nearest school is 10 miles away, shuttling your child back and forth for
activities is difficult if not impossible to work into your own schedule. And
the local school may not be known for its excellent academics. The best options
may be too far away to travel to on a daily basis.
Full
College Prep
Boarding
schools certainly focus on rigorous academics in order to prepare students for
college, but these schools take the “college prep” experience to the ultimate
level. Boarding school students are immersed in on-campus life, learning how to
get along with roommates, how to make new friends, and how to be independent.
Of course,
since boarding schools are for children and teens, there is still an element of
supervision and care provided by the staff. Your child will not be left to
totally fend for himself or herself. Boarding schools tend to structure the
entire day, for example, to help students balance course work and
extracurricular activities. However, your child might be expected to do his or
her own laundry, something that even college freshmen don’t always know how to
do!
If your
child has big dreams to go to a prestigious college, to enter a highly
selective program or to go to graduate school, boarding school can help make the
transition to college easier than ever thanks to its immersive nature.
Likewise, if you worry your teen might struggle transitioning to college and
would like to offer him or her the opportunity to start out in a similar but
more supportive and structured environment, a year or two at boarding school is
the perfect solution.
What Does
Your Child Want?
The most
important point to consider is whether your child is interested in the idea.
Try to lay out all the benefits of boarding school and to visit a school or two before
you accept his or her final decision. Boarding school can be a great
experience, but your child won’t likely enjoy it if forced into it.
