About Prep School

What Exactly is Prep School?

Good question. It’s more than you can imagine. Picture living on a beautiful residential campus with all of your classmates and teachers, studying in small classes with great professors, and spending your afternoons and weekends immersed in exciting sports, extracurriculars, and social activities. There are a number of features that set boarding schools apart from traditional public and even private schools.

You'll Learn a Lot.

A boarding school education is among the best in the world.

For starters, the educational experience is second to none. Highly qualified and passionate teachers. A diverse curriculum. Small classes—which means you'll interact more with your classmates and instructors. And, yes, boarding school students do spend more time studying than kids in other schools. That's a good thing. No one ever regrets getting smarter!

You'll Make Lifelong Friends.

Campus life promotes learning—and friendship.

There's also the promise of an exceptional campus environment. Boarding schools are frequently found in beautiful locations. Picture great architecture set along a stunning coastline, or at the foot of a snowcapped mountain. You'll live on campus in dorms with your classmates and friends—as well as with your teachers and mentors. You'll build lasting friendships with folks from all over the world and create unforgettable memories. And you'll be busy. Boarding schools offer a rich variety of sports to play, plus plenty of clubs and student organizations to join. You might go from lacrosse practice to a French club meeting, or from a swim meet to a film club gathering. Almost all boarding school students participate in one way or another. But what you do is up to you.

You'll Have Room to Grow.

Boarding schools treat you like a young adult.

Maybe the most popular advantage is that—brace yourself—boarding schools give you your freedom! But don't get too excited. You might think of it as "controlled freedom," probably a little less freewheeling than you had in mind. There will still be caring grownups keeping an eye on you. Remember what we said about living with your peers? You'll also live in the same dorms with your teachers. You'll have a mentor. You'll have a curfew. You'll have responsibilities. But you'll also be treated like a young adult—and expected to behave like one. In other words, boarding schools give you an unmatched chance to grow up, develop independence, and prepare for college and life.

You'll Shape Your Future.

Boarding school graduates go on to do great things.

And last, boarding schools prepare you for that important but somewhat vague reality your parents are always going on about—the future. Boarding school graduates go to the best universities, and a lot of them go to graduate school. They are highly successful in their professional careers, and they tend to give back too. All in all, not a bad outlook, huh?

Want to learn more? Go to boardingschools.com.

About BoardingSchools.com

 The Association of Boarding Schools (TABS) is the force behind BoardingSchools.com, the official home of prep schools and the definitive guide for students and families. The Asheville NC based not-for-profit organization serves roughly 300 member schools across the United States, Canada, and abroad. Visit boardingschools.com for more information.