If you send your son to a junior boarding school, will he be destined to a life of snobbery? Will he be forever out of touch with the everyday problems of everyday people? Will he never understand the value of doing things for himself, such as making his own bed and cleaning up his own messes? Will he take everything for granted?
Of course not. The idea that boarding school is for only for the privileged —or that it creates snobs—is one of the most persistent and most easily disproved myths out there about junior boarding school.
As Ken Howe, Residential Life Director at The Fessenden School, explains, junior boarding school students often learn to be more understanding, more independent, and appreciate their opportunities more than they would at other schools.
“We sometimes hear myths like, junior boarding schools are just country clubs. That’s where the rich kids go. Or that’s where kids go when their parents don’t want them anymore,” Ken says. “None of these things are true. Most of the time, when these comments are made, they’re made without looking at the facts.”
Here are three facts about how junior boarding schools like Fessenden shape boys into open-minded, well-rounded, grounded individuals—not snobs.
1. Affluence is not a prerequisite for junior boarding school.
One of the most common stereotypes of junior boarding school students is that there is no socioeconomic diversity. While many affluent families do choose to send their children to boarding schools, a student body like Fessenden’s comprises students from all economic levels and backgrounds.
Cost does not prevent qualified students from attending junior boarding schools.
“The top priority of junior boarding schools is to accept students who are a good fit for the school. If your family situation or financial situation is such that you could not afford the full tuition, then they’re going to figure out how much they could help you with that,” Ken says.
At the same time, junior boarding schools do have a wealth of resources to draw on, allowing students of all income levels to take advantage of some of the finest academic, athletic, and residential facilities available to middle school students.
2. Junior boarding school students are not coddled.
Ken tells the story of a recent visit from a family to their son’s dorm room.
“They took one look at the room and said, ‘Ken, what is going on here? I’ve never seen his room so clean.’”
Some people think boarding schools are places where students never have to lift a finger. The truth is, regardless of how much work they’re used to doing at home, junior boarding schools encourage their students to take pride in caring for themselves, keeping their rooms tidy, and helping others.
“Some of our boys have never made their beds. They’ve never cleaned up their rooms. They’ve never volunteered to help shovel the sidewalks on a snowy day,” Ken says. “But they get those opportunities here.”
For example, all the boys who live here are expected to keep their rooms clean. Dorm parents use motivators like dorm dinners or evening study nights to keep the boys on task.
Some boys may grumble at first, but, Ken says, “Once they’ve done it, they suddenly realize, ‘You know what? That wasn’t that hard.’”
3. Junior boarding school students don’t judge each other based on income (or anything else).
If the definition of snobbery is looking down your nose at people who are different from you, junior boarding school students are the opposite.
“All the boys at our school all have different things to offer. They come from different backgrounds and different places, with different life experiences,” Ken says.
The interesting thing is, the students don’t see these differences.
“They’re just buddies. They’re just friends for all the right reasons. Someone may have more money than you, but you know what? That’s OK.”
What do you think about when you think about junior boarding schools?
We often find that there is quite a significant difference between stereotypes of junior boarding schools and the reality. What is your image of junior boarding school life and junior boarding school students? Tell us in the comments section below and we’ll do our best to explain what it’s really like.
