What If Things Go Wrong?

At some point in the process of choosing schools for your child, you will have to engage in the exercise of comparing certain criteria. As much as private schools can be compared – for they really can't be compared – you still need to keep track of basic information that matters to you and your consultant.

Basics like tuition costs, acceptance rate, and dress code which matter to you should be part of the spreadsheet you set up to compare schools. We are using three schools for the purposes of this illustration. But you probably will want to have as many as 10-15 schools in your first group. Once that is done you can begin eliminating the schools that don't suit your requirements as you begin to develop a short list of schools to visit and examine more closely.

Where do you get the data? It's very easy to find on this site. On the splash page near the top is a drop-down menu titled Comparisons. Choose any criterion you like. Then click on schools that interest you. All the data you need is listed for you in each school's profile.

Here's an example of what your spreadsheet could look like. We have chosen basic data but you can list whatever criteria matter to you in the first column of the spreadsheet.

The media loves to focus on things like elitism and how boarding schools are just for troubled kids. Let's look at the truth.

Boarding Schools Are Just for Rich Kids

False. Since about 2000, private schools have been very proactive in seeking out qualified applicants, regardless of their economic circumstances. Basically, if you qualify academically and have good recommendations, you can get in.

Furthermore, most schools offer financial aid packages. These vary from school to school, as each school is a standalone corporate entity with its own policies and procedures regarding financial aid. Several schools now offer a tuition-free education where family incomes fall below a specific threshold, typically between $75,000 and $100,000 annually. In 2026, some highly endowed boarding schools have expanded those thresholds even further because of increased accessibility initiatives.

Many families are surprised to learn how extensive aid programs have become at leading institutions such as Phillips Academy Andover and Phillips Exeter Academy.

If affordability is one of your main concerns, you may also want to read Financial Aid for Boarding Schools: 2026 Guide.

Boarding Schools Don't Let You Have a Life

False. While it is true that boarding schools will supervise your whereabouts at all times, the idea that you won't have a life is simply false.

In fact, there will be so much to do at boarding school that there will be times when you will wonder how you will be able to fit it all

Boarding or residential schools occupy a unique niche in the K-12educational world. Here are some facts to help you understand how these schools work and who they serve.

1. There are over 300 boarding schools in the U.S.

Most boarding schools prepare their students for college-level work. Hence the name "college prep" or "prep," which you will see in many school names. Most boarding schools are coeducational. But there are about a hundred schools that are single-sex schools. They accept and teach only boys or girls.

There are several types of boarding schools. Alternative and therapeutic schools serve specific needs, such as emotional and disciplinary issues. Still, other schools offer programs for students with special needs such as dyslexia, ADD/ADHD, and other learning differences. They have the skilled, highly credentialed staff to ensure the best possible outcome for your child. They focus on college preparation as well. Military schools combine academics and the military training many young people and their parents demand. As you review the boarding school profiles on this site, you will discover that there is a school for every need and requirement.

Boarding schools today are poles apart from their stereotypical Hollywood images, as havens for children of privilege or refuges for troubled teens. Research proves that contemporary boarding schools serve a diverse body of motivated students who study and live in supportive, inclusive academic communities where they learn about independence and responsibility – values that help them achieve success at higher

Schools for Students with Learning Differences

Every parent deals with learning issues as their children progress through school. Not understanding math concepts is one thing, but what if you suddenly realize your child can't read? He cannot process the characters on the page to make sense of them. That's a whole different thing. You need to deal wu can plot a course of acith this issue as it will not disappear. Read the information on All Kinds of Minds. Understand that there is much research on learning differences and disabilities. Realize that processing information, developing good study habits, and much more are essential aspects of what you are dealing with. The National Center for Learning Disabilities lays out a road map for you.

If you let this go on without remediating it, he will have more significant issues as he heads into adolescence. You cannot allow him to become discouraged. It makes so much more sense to begin helping him right now. To delay merely postpones the inevitable.

Assessment

The first thing you need to do is have him assessed professionally. You will receive many opinions from family and friends. These people mean well, but their observations and opinions cannot be considered authoritative. Your child's future is at stake. Spend the money to have a thorough evaluation performed by an experienced professional. You must find out the parameters of his learning disability. An in-depth assessment will look at every aspect of how he processes