Hotchkiss School review by Yale University student.
Classes at Hotchkiss truly reflect what a college is going to be like in the future. The range of courses is broader than many universities, and in the rare instance that a class is not offered it can be studied independently. The classes are small, capped at 12 if I remember correctly and the teachers are more than incredible. I studied spanish for 2 1/2 years before Hotchkiss and didn't know a thing, within two years at Hotchkiss I was fluent. The classes are difficult but they make the translation to even the most difficult of colleges and universities smooth. The faculty are absolutely amazing!!! They are so much more than teachers and are as accessible as your best friends. The community is very tight knit and many evenings were spent hanging out in teachers apartments with friends. The science building ha slabs for just about everything-there are instruments I had never seen and I'm not even a science student. The art department is incredible, the teachers are hands on and very experienced, there are opportunities to study film, theater, creative writing, African American studies, classical languages, you name it. Amazing institution.
The college counselors are great. They are very well-connected and have been doing their jobs.... Get the real inside story on college counseling at Hotchkiss School as experienced by former pupil and Yale 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...
Admission is tough and Hotchkiss has an admissions rate of less than 25% (tied for.... Get in-depth insights and personal advice on admissions to Hotchkiss School by former pupil and Yale 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...
Facilities are top notch, believe me even the best universities pale in comparison-that goes for classrooms, athletic facilities, dorms etc. There is nothing round. So it is safe, but very isolated. This is great in terms of focus. The train station is 20 minutes away and then it is only 2 hours from NYC. There are shuttles to CVS, supermarket etc on Sundays. The campus is breathtaking, look at the website. Hotchkiss involves itself in community service in Lakeville. There are dances (with other schools and only with Hotchkiss), student productions, carnivals, Holidays (no school), school wide tournaments, Jeopardy tournaments, a magician,.... Get the real inside story on quality of school life and extracurricular offerings at Hotchkiss School as experienced by former pupil and Yale University student — Login or Sign Up to access full review