Choate Rosemary Hall review by Harvard University student.
Choate Rosemary Hall has an excellent, if not undoubtedly best, academic program and standards. First, Choate's academic program centers on the belief that the best preparation for college is a liberal arts education. Thus, there are 3 year language requirements, two year history requirements, four year English requirements, and two or three term Arts requirements. In addition, science and math are four year requirements. Second, there is a wide selection of class to choose from: from the regular level course, to Honors, and finally Advanced Placements APs. There are well over 20 APs that the school offers, and Choate is often a hub for AP takers from all over the Wallingford, New Haven, and other areas. That said, it is extremely difficult to get into the top classes. Usually, one is recommended for Honors level classes at the start, or more frequently after the completion, of Sophomore year. Grades of A- are required in regular, prerequisite courses before recommendations for the AP sequence courses can be given. Workload is as follows: from what I have heard from my peers while at Choate, Regular level courses are often medium workload courses at best. However, though one can choose these courses and excel in them with a decent amount of effort, they are not the best ones to beef up your college resume. AP level courses and Honors level courses on the other hand require a lot of hard work. Choate teachers are often merciless with the amount of work they assign in these high level course, because they expect students enrolled in these courses to have obtained the necessary knowledge, skills, and academic work ethic that is required. In other words, they can be seen as college level courses and require a lot of effort, and often out side of the classroom meetings with teachers. The teachers, from my own experience, are great. All of them have BAs - bachelor degree, most have Masters (a great percentage of which have two or more Master degrees) and a decent amount have PhD. They know their subject matter cold! There may be one or two teachers whom one may not like, or whom are perceived as unfair graders. But most are experts and truly very kind individuals. Class size is just right: no more than 15, often only 12. Teachers will definitely know you on a first name basis by the second day, and learning is swift and effective!
College counseling at Choate is good-but not the absolute best. First, compared to public schools.... Get the real inside story on college counseling at Choate Rosemary Hall as experienced by former pupil and Harvard University student — Login or Sign Up to access full review
Sample insights on college counseling
They have contacts at most of the major universities and feel perfectly comfortable picking up the phone and advocating for a student to get accepted somewhere they feel is a good fit for that student. However, these counselors are certainly not magic bullets. They cannot guarantee that a student will get into an Ivy League university...
For those wishing to move on to Oxford or Cambridge, the provision is second-to-none. In the months running up to application and interview, every subject faculty offers classes (often run by former Oxbridge tutors) exploring further areas of their subject as well as offering advice on personal statements, interview technique and more...
Best advice is this: Pursue your interests passionately in junior high school while.... Get in-depth insights and personal advice on admissions to Choate Rosemary Hall by former pupil and Harvard University student — Login or Sign Up to access full review
Sample insights on admissions
For the interview, dress conservatively. Try to be very clean and put together. Also, I was a tour guide for two years and at the end of every tour, we were asked to evaluate the candidate so if you think the tour is not apart of the process, you are very wrong. Ask questions and be interested. Also, tip for the parents: the kids speak on the tour. Do not ask their questions for them...
Most younger siblings have an easy time in the admissions process. I can only think of one case of a younger sibling not being admitted. About half of the students who entered with me had come from public schools. The remainder came from private K-6 schools, or had transferred from other New York private schools The Elizabeth Morrow School and St. Bernard were two of the larger feeder schools...
Choate is an tight-nit community that is safe, secure, family-like, and often a comfort zone as a second home. Housing is excellent. Dorms are first rate (especially the new 2008 multi-million dollar dorms!) dining hall service is excellent (though you may get tired of it simply because you may grow too familiar with it). There is minimal association at best with the town of Wallingford; it is as if Choate is its very own town. There is absolutely no crime; and if there be some freak incident it is often isolated to two or three.... Get the real inside story on quality of school life and extracurricular offerings at Choate Rosemary Hall as experienced by former pupil and Harvard University student — Login or Sign Up to access full review