Selecting a good prep school to send your child or ward is a daunting decision. But not to worry, In this article, I’ll show you some of the best preparatory schools in Connecticut to send your ward.
Going through kindergarten and elementary school are the early stages of childhood education. This is given to ensure that a child can acquire the necessary knowledge band and skills required at their age.
At the end of elementary school, there’s a need to enroll a child in higher studies that will help guide them toward choosing a career of interest. Parents should provide preparatory school education to the child to guide him toward a bright future and an amazing career, allowing him to live an exceptional and independent life.
In this article, we will outline and discuss the best prep schools in Virginia where you can send your child or ward.
Meanwhile, see the table of contents below for an overview of what you’ll find in this article.
Table of contents
What is A Prep School?
According to Wikipedia, a college-preparatory school can refer to public, private independent, or parochial schools primarily designed to prepare students for higher education. It is a type of secondary school.
The term “prep school” in the U.S is usually associated with private institutions that have very selective admission criteria and high tuition fees, catering to students in the range of 13 -18 years. Prep schools can take the following forms;
- Day schools
- Boarding schools
- Day and Boarding schools
- Co-educational or ( both boys and girls) schools
- Single-sex (either boys or girls only )
What is the Purpose of Prep Schools?
There is just no parent who doesn’t want the best for their child. Everyone wants the very best for their child.
You would need to send your ward to a prep school for many reasons. The first is what you’ll find in the next line.
Prep school lays the foundation for a successful career and adult life. Truth is, every child is different and unique in their way and needs some special kind of treatment to really get on the right course. Interestingly, it is at this young age that excellent foundations can be laid, and a sense of aspiration created.
Academic rigors are quite in prep schools, stretching out the best in the child. Aside from helping the pupils and students become academically sound, prep schools offer additional value on many other levels.
Prep schools offer a wide and varied curriculum, enhanced by a diverse and complementary extra-curricular program. Extra-curricular activities such as these introduce children to new skills, engage them in social activities, develop positive learning traits, and help to shape their lives positively.
Every child has talents and skills, and some of these are more difficult to find and recognize, but what a good prep school education does is unearth these latent abilities. Some of the extra-curricular activities students engage in include sport, music, drama, art, and design.
What Age Can a Child Go to Prep School?
According to developmental Psychologists, the best age for a child to attend a boarding school is from ages 12 to 18. It is believed that between this age bracket, students can understand their parents’ plans for them positively without any hard feelings.
How Much Does It Cost to Attend A Prep School?
The cost of prep schools varies. This is largely dependent on the quality of education and the quality of facilities in the school.
It is important to understand that some prep schools are of a very high standard and are not cheap.
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the average cost of one year of private elementary school is $7,770. One year of private high school is $13,030. This is basically for day students.
If your ward is going to attend a boarding school, know you’ll be spending up to $50,000 or more per year. This may be huge but the benefits are way bigger than that amount.
What are the best Prep schools in Connecticut?
There are many good prep schools in Connecticut USA but we will be listing and writing briefly on only 8 of them.
Our Ranking Factor
To effectively rank the best prep schools in the U.S, we used the following ranking factors. Hence, they include;
We checked their rankings to ensure they occupy good positions on other sites.
A school’s acceptance rate is the prep school’s rate of granting admission to students. It is described that the lower the acceptance rate, the higher the quality and reputation of the school.
The student-to-teacher ratio is the number of students that are assigned to one class teacher per time. It measures how much the students connect and engage with what they are being taught.
Our final criteria for judging these schools is the number of students that are in each of them.
Here below is a list of the best prep schools in Connecticut. Do follow closely.
- Avon Old Farms School
- Choate Rosemary Hall
- Ether Walker School
- Hyde School
- Kent School
- Marianapolis Prep School
- Miss Porter’s School
- Oxford Academy
- Pomfret School
- Salisbury School
Let us quickly look at the schools below.
SEE ALSO: 13 Best Therapeutic Boarding Schools in the World | 2024
1. Avon Old Farms School
Avon Old Farms School is one of the best prep schools in Connecticut. The school was founded in 1927.
Avon Old School has a total enrollment of about 406 students aged 8-16.
The school has an enrollment rate of 100% and a student-to-teacher ratio of 7:5. There are about 57 teachers in the school. There are over 300 students, aged from 14 to 18 years of age, who attend.
Avon also has a very aggressive athletic program, and arts program, in addition to teaching the usual courses needed to prepare students for college. The courses include English, Math, and foreign languages.
The school also has an athletic program that includes, basketball, hockey, baseball, swimming, tennis.
Tuition at Avon is $54,550 for boarding students and $41,300 for day students.
2. Choate Rosemary Hall
Choate Rosemary Hall is one of Connecticut’s top prep schools.
The school has about 858 total enrollment, with about 107 teachers. The enrollment rate at Choate is 99%.
A school is a safe place for kids to learn because their needs are heard when they come through the door, and all the kids who come to the school will be able to choose a course of study that will prepare them for college.
Tuition at Choate is $ 53,510 for boarding students and $ 41,200 for day students.
3. Ether Walker School
Ethel Walker School is an all-girls college prep school in Connecticut. It is actually one of the best boarding schools in Connecticut.
Ether Walker School provides students with an excellent, caring environment and opportunities. This positive environment helps grow their intellectual and artistic talents, promoting good leadership skills. The high confidence, conviction, and courage make the girls more outstanding than other schools.
The school has competent teachers and staff and offers more than 140 courses. The students also participate well in athletics and extra-curricular opportunities. It includes dance, arts, soccer, and volleyball that the school has competed and won in numerous athletics leagues.
Total enrollment is 240, the number of teachers is 51, and the matriculation rate is 98%.
The tuition rate at Ethel is $59,400 for international students and $56,450 for domestic students.
4. Hyde School
Hyde School is a private co-ed prep school in Connecticut.
Hyde School aims to inspire students by focusing on issues beyond academia’s scope, including social growth, emotional growth, the arts, and athletics.
Total enrollment at Hyde is 174, and the matriculation rate is 97%. Tuition at Hyde is $52,000 for boarding students and $28,000 for day students.
Hyde school prides itself on rescuing children who are heading down a destructive path.
5. Kent School
Kent School is one of the best preparatory schools in Connecticut where you can send your child.
The school is known for its qualitative education system in CT. Students at Kent can find a curriculum that has more than 160 courses.
Total enrollment at Kent is 558 and the matriculation rate is 99%.
Kent School has many international students who come from more than 40 foreign countries.
The tuition rate at Kent school is $56,500 for boarders, while day students pay $44,500.
6. Marianapolis Prep School
Marianapolis Prep School is one of the best prep schools in Connecticut.
The goal at Marianapolis is to develop students who have strongly vested interests in their academics and wish to be active members of the school community.
Marianapolis Prep School does not discriminate applicants on basis of gender, color, creed, race, or physical handicap during its administration of educational loans, scholarships, admissions, policies, and other school programs.
The enrollment rate at Marianapolis prep school is 80% and tuition is $54,472 for international students.
7. Miss Porter’s School
Miss Porter’s School is a coeducational private boarding traditional school for students in grades 9 through 12.
Peddie has been listed as one of Connecticut’s top boarding high schools. It has at total enrollment of 331, with an enrollment rate of 100%.
The ultimate goal of the school is to provide students with rigorous preparation for college and to inspire them to strive for the highest quality of citizenship.
The tuition fee here is $56,780 for boarding students and $45,615 for day students.
8. Oxford Academy
Oxford University is among the best prep schools in Connecticut. The school is a public school for grades 8 – 12.
Oxford Academy provides its students with many great educational opportunities and services.
This institution also has many activities and services that are beneficial for its student body. This is especially true for parental involvement within their child’s life while they attend school.
Tuition fee is $58,600.
9. Pomfret School
Pomfret School is among the best prep schools in Connecticut.
The school has a total enrollment of 357 and an enrollment rate of 100 %.
The school is approved by the headmasters’ association, the Connecticut Association of the independent schools, and the admission test board of the secondary schools.
Students are exposed to various subjects like the computer sciences where they learn about web design, audio art, gaming animation, digital cinema, and flash.
Other items that the students learn include the sciences, liberal arts, and foreign languages.
Tuition fee is $55,620 for boarding students and $36,050 for day students.
10. Salisbury School
Salisbury School is among the best prep schools in Connecticut. The school is a London boarding school for grades 8 – 12.
It has a total enrollment of 305 students with an enrollment rate of 100 %.
A child who is sent to Salisbury will be able to begin a path that will take them anywhere they want to go.
Tuition fee is $56,400 for boarding students and $46,400 for day students.
Prep Schools in Connecticut: Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Boarding schools are not only for rich kids. Kids coming from very humble homes can access financial aid to enable them to go through boarding school.
No. Boarding schools are not free but you can get a scholarship to attend a school of your choice.
According to developmental Psychologists, the best age for a child to attend a boarding school is from ages 12 to 18.
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the average cost of one year of private elementary school is $7,770. One year of private high school is$13,030. This is basically for day students.
If your ward is going to attend a boarding school, just know you’ll be spending up to $50,000 or more per year. This may be huge but the benefits are way bigger than that amount.
Conclusion
Attending one of the listed prep schools in Connecticut helps develop a child’s character for good. Under strict supervision, children are groomed to compete for the top spot with their peers. This helps bring out exceptional character and attitude to meet for productive adulthood.
References
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