Alt text: Two cheerful male students at Interlochen Arts Academy stroll along Osterlin Mall, their laughter embodying the joyful camaraderie of boarding school life.
Boarding schools, often romanticized in popular culture from Netflix’s Wednesday to the Charlotte Holmes book series, are more than just a fictional concept. Approximately 35,000 students in the U.S. choose to attend these unique institutions, seeking an immersive educational experience. But What Is Boarding School really like? How do they operate, and is it the right choice for your family?
To provide a clearer picture, we’ve consulted with students and administrators from Interlochen Arts Academy, a leading boarding arts high school in the United States. Their insights offer an exclusive look into the daily realities and unique advantages of boarding school life.
Defining Boarding School: More Than Just Residence
What Exactly is a Boarding School?
At its core, a boarding school is an educational institution where the majority of students live on campus rather than commuting daily from home. While some boarding schools may admit local day students, the defining characteristic is the residential experience. Students at these schools live, learn, eat, and socialize within the school grounds, typically only returning home during scheduled breaks. Although universities also offer on-campus residence, the term “boarding school” typically refers to institutions catering to elementary, middle, and high school students.
Types of Boarding Schools
While the original article focuses on arts boarding schools like Interlochen, it’s important to understand the diverse landscape of boarding education. Boarding schools aren’t monolithic; they come in various forms, each with a distinct focus and ethos. Understanding these different types can help families find the best fit for their child’s needs and aspirations.
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College Preparatory Boarding Schools: These are the most common type, with a primary focus on rigorous academics designed to prepare students for competitive college admissions. They often boast challenging curricula, Advanced Placement (AP) courses, and a wide array of extracurricular activities.
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Arts Boarding Schools: Like Interlochen, these schools specialize in intensive training in visual arts, performing arts, music, dance, and creative writing. They offer aspiring artists a pre-professional environment with dedicated faculty and state-of-the-art facilities.
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Military Boarding Schools: These institutions emphasize structure, discipline, leadership development, and character building within a military framework. They often incorporate aspects of military training and tradition into their curriculum and daily life.
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Religious Boarding Schools: Affiliated with specific religious denominations, these schools integrate faith-based values and teachings into all aspects of the student experience, from academics to residential life.
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Therapeutic Boarding Schools: Designed for students with emotional, behavioral, or learning challenges, these schools provide a supportive and structured environment with therapeutic interventions alongside academics.
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Specialty Boarding Schools: This category includes schools with a niche focus, such as those for students with learning disabilities, or those emphasizing outdoor education, or international studies.
Life at Boarding School: A Day in the Life & Beyond
Daily Schedule: Structure and Flexibility
Contrary to dramatic portrayals in fiction, boarding school life is structured yet engaging. A typical day at a boarding school shares similarities with any other school, but with the added dimension of residential living. Students attend classes, participate in extracurriculars, and dedicate time to studying.
The academic day usually starts between 7 and 9 a.m. and concludes between 3 and 6 p.m., depending on the school’s timetable and individual schedules. Specialized schools, particularly arts or athletic institutions, often integrate focused training into the daily routine. For instance, at Interlochen Arts Academy, “Arts Block” dedicates three hours daily to artistic discipline classes and rehearsals.
After classes, students have time for various activities: socializing, homework, studying, or participating in clubs and sports. Evenings are generally structured with study hours, activities, and downtime, all within a supervised environment. While “midnight hijinks” might be off-limits, a rich and fulfilling social life is a central part of the boarding school experience.
Extracurricular Activities: A Wide Range of Options
Boarding schools are renowned for their extensive extracurricular offerings. These activities are not merely add-ons; they are integral to the holistic development of students, fostering interests, building skills, and creating a vibrant community.
From sports teams and music ensembles to debate clubs and drama societies, the range is vast. Interlochen Arts Academy, for example, offers five varsity sports and over 30 student-run clubs, encompassing academic, affinity, athletic, and arts-based interests. This breadth of choice allows students to explore existing passions or discover new ones.
“[Student organizations] are a great way to explore your interests, try new things, and make friends outside of your classes,” notes Camille Colatosti, Provost at Interlochen Center for the Arts, highlighting the social and exploratory benefits. The proactive nature of these organizations is also emphasized; students are often encouraged to initiate new clubs if their interests aren’t already represented.
Alt text: Three Interlochen Arts Academy students are captured in motion as they walk to their next class, showcasing the vibrant and active campus environment typical of boarding schools.
Residential Life: Building Community and Life Skills
Living on campus is the defining aspect of the boarding school experience, fostering immersion in the school community and the development of crucial life skills. For many students, boarding school is their first experience living away from home, offering a unique opportunity for personal growth.
Most boarding school students share a room, often with one or more roommates. This shared living space is a microcosm of community living, teaching valuable lessons in compromise, communication, and respect for shared spaces – skills that are highly transferable to college life and beyond.
Megan Walton, Vice Provost of Student Life at Interlochen Arts Academy, points out, “While living with a stranger can be a challenge, it’s also a wonderful opportunity to gain new perspectives and form a lifelong connection.” Roommates often become a student’s first friends and support system on campus, easing the transition into boarding school life.
Boarding schools provide 24/7 supervision and support through a dedicated team including residence hall staff, dorm parents, counselors, and health professionals. Residence hall staff play a crucial role in ensuring student well-being, enforcing rules, mediating conflicts, and organizing social activities that build community within dorms. They also often contribute to the school’s social-emotional learning programs, further supporting student development.
Meals are typically eaten in a communal dining hall or cafeteria, fostering social interaction and a sense of community. Modern boarding schools are also highly attuned to dietary needs, offering vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and other options to accommodate diverse requirements. Many campuses also include cafes or student stores for snacks and supplemental meals.
Recreation and Social Life: Fun and Engagement
Boarding school isn’t all academics; it’s also a place for fun, recreation, and social development. Schools organize a wide array of on-campus and off-campus activities to keep students engaged outside of class and study time.
Weekend activities, movie nights, sports leagues, trips, and special events are common features of boarding school life. These activities provide opportunities for relaxation, socializing, and building friendships outside the academic context. Many schools also have unique traditions and annual events that become cherished parts of the student experience, fostering school spirit and lasting memories.
Staying Connected with Family: Bridging the Distance
Recognizing that distance from family can be a concern, boarding schools prioritize communication and connection between students and their families. Schools employ various methods to keep families informed and involved.
Regular newsletters, parent portals, virtual meetings with faculty, and invitations to school events are common practices. Interlochen Arts Academy, as mentioned, actively encourages parental involvement through newsletters, performances, family weekends, and virtual appointments.
Furthermore, boarding schools schedule regular breaks throughout the academic year, allowing students to return home for extended periods and reconnect with family. Fall break, holiday break, spring break, and a long summer break are typical, ensuring students maintain strong family ties while benefiting from the boarding school experience.
The Advantages of Boarding School Education
With numerous excellent public and private day schools available, the question naturally arises: Why choose a boarding school? The advantages are multifaceted, extending beyond academics to encompass personal growth and preparation for future success.
“Whether you want to focus on arts, athletics, or academics, boarding schools offer students a variety of advantages over traditional public or private schools,” states Camille Colatosti, highlighting the diverse benefits. These advantages can be categorized into several key areas:
Academic Rigor and Excellence
Boarding schools are often synonymous with academic rigor. Established with the explicit aim of providing exceptional education in an immersive environment, they foster a culture of learning and intellectual curiosity. The residential setting minimizes distractions, allowing students to focus deeply on their studies.
Curricula are typically challenging, with access to Advanced Placement (AP) courses and specialized subjects often not available in traditional schools, such as advanced sciences, classical languages, or unique electives. These specialized offerings can ignite new passions and provide a head start on college-level work.
Faculty at boarding schools are often highly qualified and dedicated, many holding advanced degrees and possessing significant teaching experience. Small student-to-faculty ratios ensure personalized attention, mentorship, and individualized feedback, fostering a supportive learning environment.
Fostering Independence and Responsibility
Boarding school inherently cultivates independence and practical life skills. Students learn to manage their time, organize their schedules, take care of personal chores like laundry, make responsible choices regarding food and health, and manage their living space. This newfound independence is invaluable preparation for the demands of college and adult life.
Micah Blair, a harp major at Interlochen Arts Academy, reflects on this, saying, “Over the past two years, I have become more independent and learned to trust myself… Because of this experience, I am confident I will thrive in college and smoothly adapt to the new environment.”
Grace O’Connor, a Film & New Media student, chose boarding school specifically for this reason: “I knew that going to a boarding school would help prepare me for my future by teaching me how to be independent and how to take care of myself… the knowledge that I was going to be able to learn things about myself from being put in a college-like situation as a teenager.”
Lifelong Friendships and Global Networks
The 24/7 nature of boarding school life fosters deep and lasting friendships. Students live, learn, and socialize together, creating bonds that often extend far beyond their school years. These friendships are forged during a formative period of life, making them particularly strong and impactful.
Furthermore, boarding schools often attract a diverse student body from across the country and around the globe, creating a rich and international network of peers. This global exposure broadens perspectives and builds connections that can be valuable both personally and professionally in the future.
Grace O’Connor highlights the unique nature of these friendships: “While most people your age are still living at home with their parents, you’re learning and growing alongside your friends during one of the most influential and important stages of your life. These people become your family.”
Alt text: A dynamic ensemble of Interlochen Arts Academy theatre students perform during the Fall 2022 “Collage” performance, showcasing the collaborative spirit and artistic energy fostered in boarding school environments.
Specialized Programs and Unique Opportunities
While many boarding schools excel in general academics, some offer specialized programs in areas like arts, athletics, or STEM. These specialized schools provide unparalleled resources, expert faculty, and unique opportunities that may not be available elsewhere.
For students with specific passions or career aspirations, a specialized boarding school can be transformative. Interlochen Arts Academy, as an arts-focused institution, exemplifies this, offering aspiring artists access to professional-caliber training and performance opportunities.
Micah Blair, the harp major, chose Interlochen because it was “the only school where I could receive the proper musical training as a harpist,” emphasizing the specialized resources. Ari Han, a violin major, highlights the performance opportunities, including playing with members of the New York Philharmonic, experiences rarely available to high school students outside of specialized boarding school settings.
Is Boarding School Right for You?
Choosing a boarding school is a significant decision that requires careful consideration. It’s essential to weigh the advantages against the commitment of living away from home and the financial investment. Boarding school isn’t for everyone, but for students seeking an immersive, challenging, and community-oriented educational experience, it can be exceptionally rewarding.
Families considering boarding school should:
- Reflect on the student’s needs and personality: Is the student independent and adaptable? Would they thrive in a structured, communal environment? What are their academic and extracurricular interests?
- Research different types of boarding schools: Explore college preparatory, specialized arts, military, religious, and other types to find the best fit.
- Visit campuses and speak to current students and families: First-hand experience is invaluable in understanding the school’s culture and environment.
- Consider the financial aspects: Boarding school is a significant investment. Explore financial aid options and ensure it aligns with the family’s budget.
Boarding school offers a unique path to education, fostering academic excellence, personal growth, and lifelong connections. For the right student, it can be a transformative experience, preparing them not just for college, but for a successful and fulfilling life.
Ready to explore further? Learn more about Interlochen Arts Academy and consider downloading resources like “11 things first-time arts boarding school students should know.” to aid in your boarding school journey.
