St. George's School review by Duke University student.
St. George's School (Middletown, RI) has traditionally strong humanities and science departments. All of the classes are (maximum of about 15 students), with the humanities classes in a "round table" format (students and teacher sit around a long table or in a circle of desks) to foster discussion. The student body tends to be more collegial than competitive, which leads to a close-knit campus. The faculty are overwhelmingly caring and accessible, largely because so many of them are involved with extracurricular activities (as coaches, club advisors, and college counselors) and live right in the dorms or just off campus. They routinely invite students over for dinner (or to help make dinner), and their families and pets are a major fixture of campus life, making for a warm attitude on campus. One of the most underrated things is I feel the quality of the teachers; something that I didn't realize until senior year was that a surprising number of teachers have doctorate degrees (very few go by the title Dr., though many could). The vast majority of teachers want students to do well on exams, but are far more concerned with the student's progress with and understanding of the material and with student learning. Work load each night for freshmen is about 2-3 hours, sophomores, 3-4 hours, juniors and seniors 4-6. Skills that are focused upon and that become extremely helpful in college include writing (a fantastic English department deserves a lot of the credit for this), analytical thinking, and overall time management.
First, let me say that I wouldn't be at the college I currently attend had.... Get the real inside story on college counseling at St. George's School as experienced by former pupil and Duke 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...
The SSAT is, I believe, the admissions exam of choice, and probably should only be.... Get in-depth insights and personal advice on admissions to St. George's School by former pupil and Duke 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...
One thing to be aware of is that there is a lot of structure to the student's day, between classes, afternoon activities, and study hall, which can be good for students who flourish with structure, or harder on students that enjoy more freedom. But overall, the quality of life is one of the things that makes SG special. The neighborhood is pretty safe, and the proximity of Newport (within walking distance on nice days) makes it a fun yet safe environment for students to hang out, shop, and go out to eat on the weekends. Having the beach just down.... Get the real inside story on quality of school life and extracurricular offerings at St. George's School as experienced by former pupil and Duke University student — Login or Sign Up to access full review