Your son’s report cards boast all A’s. His resume is brimming with volunteer experience. His elementary school teachers are standing by to make glowing recommendations. He’s shown prowess on the soccer field or a budding virtuosity on the clarinet.
That should be enough to stand out to a top junior boarding school, right?
Not exactly, according to Chris Young, Director of Admissions and Enrollment at The Fessenden School. Admissions teams at top junior boarding schools like Fessenden certainly do look for students with solid academic records, athletic or artistic talent, and a history of giving back to their communities. But resumes and report cards aren’t all they’re looking at. So how do you get into boarding school?
Engagement stands out at junior boarding schools
Most of the hundreds of applicants that apply to a school like Fessenden every year have shown academic, artistic, or athletic promise. To narrow their choices, admissions officers like Chris are watching keenly during and after campus visits for something else: engagement.
Junior boarding schools want students — and their families — who want to go there, Chris explains. They want students who understand the unique benefits of that junior boarding school and are excited about how they might fit in.
Junior boarding school admissions officers don’t want to feel like any old school will do for you and your son.
“We want to see families that have done their research about our school,” Chris says.
“We want them to be able to speak enthusiastically about the opportunities we offer. We want students who are a good fit for our community — and for whom our community is a good fit.”
Three boarding school admissions tips
Here are Chris' top three admissions tips for junior boarding school applicants. Talk about these with your son as your junior boarding school campus visits approach.
1. Ask informed questions during the campus tour.
“Applicants should have questions about the school based on what their interests are,” Chris advises. To admissions officers, this shows your son is not only excited about a school, but he is starting to envision himself there.
For example, if your son is interested in computers or robotics, he might ask about the Ciongoli Center for Innovation during his campus tour at The Fessenden School (a cutting-edge technology workspace).
Here are some questions he could ask about it:
- How often can I be in the Center for Innovation?
- Which classes use it?
- What kind of technology can I use there?
“Because we’re very focused on project-based learning here at Fessenden, questions like this would show a level of interest to an admissions officer and maybe a good fit for our school,” Chris says.
Depending on his interests, here are some other questions he could ask at junior boarding schools:
- Will I be able to play on the varsity team?
- What other opportunities to play are there?
- Am I limited to a single sport or can I try different options?
- Can I meet the soccer coach?
- Can I see an art classroom?
- How often does the orchestra rehearse?
- What theatre courses do you offer?
- How many theatre productions are planned each year?
2. Talk with other adults besides the tour guide.
Another way your son can show his excitement for a junior boarding school is by talking to the adults he meets on his campus visit: teachers, coaches, dorm parents, etc.
If your son is shy, Chris explains, that’s OK. Tour guides will make introductions. But they’re watching to see how your son takes it from there.
“When applicants speak with a coach or a teacher about their interests, what they’re good at, and what they like doing, it shows their comfort level and their ability to interact with adults that they are meeting for the first time,” Chris says.
How can you help your son prepare for this if he’s shy?
Introduce him to your friends and colleagues: Take every opportunity to get him talking to other adults - not just his own coaches and teachers. As the campus visit approaches, introduce him to your friends and colleagues. The more he speaks to adults, the more comfortable he’ll become in doing so.
Help him talk about his interests: He may need some coaching on how to discuss things that interest him. Practice with him, and when he’s talking to your friends, help him get the conversation going. Then you can coach him along as he talks about his interests and experiences.
You might find that, once he starts talking about something that excites him, your son’s shyness will fall away.
3. Follow up and keep the lines of communication open.
In the eyes of admissions officers, engagement with a junior boarding school should extend well beyond the first campus visit. Thank-you letters and emails are customary, but admissions staff are even more impressed by follow-up questions.
“I usually get a quick thank-you note from the boy and a longer one from the family, but we love when a boy takes it upon himself to ask follow-up questions by email,” Chris says.
A good time for more questions is after you and your son have visited several schools. Follow-up email questions can help you and your son compare the schools you’ve seen, as well as signal to admissions officers that you’re still interested.
