The decision whether to go for a boarding school isn't exactly an easy one. Many factors make this decision a tough one to make. Criteria include separation from your family and friends, financial costs and many others. Are the reward worth it?

Boarding School Vs. Other Options

There are a few things that you should consider and compare. Local schooling options can be compared to boarding schools in many ways. Local schools, such as private day schools, magnet schools and public high schools can also provide extremely bright student bodies and capable faculty. The academic and extracurricular offerings of such schools can also be as challenging.

The Advantages of Boarding Schools

Generally, boarding schools have small class sizes in which teachers can engage every student in the class. Classroom settings are designed to encourage student participation and to facilitate direct eye contact among everyone in class. The majority of boarding school faculty have advanced degrees in either some field or other.

Abundance of high quality resources – There are no dearth of student resources at boarding schools. Some of them are: library, theater facilities and athletic complexes. Mostly, these resources are much superior than those offered by local schools.

Academics at boarding schools generally operate at much higher standards. Students are encouraged to ask 'why' and tackle challenging problems.

Boarding schools generally feature a diverse range of course selections, plenty of AP options, and a wide range of topics. Moreover, there are also a wide range of athletic and extracurricular options. Many boarding schools even offer opportunities to study abroad in different countries for a term or more.

College counseling departments- The college counseling departments at all boarding schools are mostly well-staffed. In fact, it is commonly acknowledged that hostels take college counseling quite seriously. Most counselors have a rich experience and are able to greatly help applicants to identify their ideal college. Moreover, they can also offer crucial advise on how to obtain scholarships.

Certain benefits that are unique to boarding schools:

In many ways you'll find that boarding schools are quite unique. There goes a saying that 'boarding school is an education in and of itself.' This is more than true and the opportunity to live in a boarding school imparts an individual with a level of learning that is as valuable as the education that you get in a classroom.

Boarding life teaches one to make choices that matter and take responsibility. It teaches one to live all by himself/herself and to take responsibility for his/her own actions. Although there's a definite structure within a boarding school, one still needs to make many choices regarding issues, such as how to spend time, what activities to pursue and how to maintain a reasonable balance between work and entertainment.

Boarding life is like a new adventure and makes on explore many new aspects of life. It provides one a unique opportunity to have a lot of fun and form intense friendships for life. One learns to interact with fellow mate coming from a wide range of geographic, racial, and socio-economic backgrounds. An individual is exposed to a number of challenging settings everyday, such as the classroom, athletic fields, extracurricular groups and dorm settings. One also has access to faculty throughout the day.

At boarding schools, education attains a new meaning. Boarding schools have a mission to not only merely educate students in the classroom, but also to help them grow into better-rounded individuals. Hence, one should also try to keep in mind their less directly measurable benefits in addition to the educational benefits.