5 Myths About Boarding School Debunked

Where and how your child learns can significantly impact their chances for success. A boarding school education can be a superior alternative when considering schools. Here, we’ve compiled the most common misperceptions about boarding school from parents. Browse through them to learn the truth and discover more about boarding school.

MYTH: Boarding schools are very rigid and formal, and my son/daughter will have to wear a uniform every day.

FACT: Each school has a unique campus look and feel, and level of formality. Not all schools require uniforms. Some schools maintain a level of formality because it’s a special tradition on campus. For instance, Formal Dinners at CRMS take place about twice a month. During this time Community members dine together for “family style” meals, where students serve their table of peers and faculty, just like they would at home.

MYTH: Parents only send their kids to school because they have an unhappy home, or are punishing them.

FACT: Boarding school presents an alternative learning environment where happy, well-adjusted kids thrive. A loving home life is a wonderful springboard to boarding school, and allows each student to grow and learn in a new environment, becoming more independent and confident. Kids who are looking for more challenges academically, more diverse friends and more opportunities to try new sports or activities see boarding school as the opportunity of a lifetime.

MYTH: My child will get into an Ivy League university if they attend boarding school.

FACT: No school – private or otherwise – can guarantee that. While many boarding school graduates do attend prestigious schools, there are no promises for Ivy League acceptance. What we can guarantee is that the character, independence, and critical thinking skills that a boarding school education instills allow students to adjust more quickly and seamlessly to university life.

MYTH: Without parental supervision, boarding school students are more likely to get involved in drinking and drugs than kids who live at home.

FACT:Not according to research. In fact, 95 percent of boarding school students say that their social lives do not revolve around drugs and alcohol, compared to 82 percent of private day and public school students. Along with having ethics standards and codes of honor, your child will be surrounded by like-minded peers who care about education and being the best student/person they can be.

MYTH: There is little to no free time each day for students to relax and just hang out with their friends at boarding school.

FACT: Each school is unique, and while most weekdays are fairly structured, there is typically an hour or two of free time each evening. There are many opportunities and events in dorms and classes as well for students to just be teenagers and relax among friends.