U.S. Boarding School – striving for the excellence

By Patrick Ho | Admissions Counselor, Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions

The top U.S. universities are widely renowned for their prestige and selectivity, with a number of schools accepting less than 10% of applicants. However, little do the general public know, U.S. boarding schools are equally difficult, if not more difficult to obtain an offer letter. One of the reasons is the boarding school’s emphasis on a tight-knit community where the average student population is around 300-400 students. With spaces at such a premium, why do families insist on undertaking the arduous application process to gain a spot?

Most students from Hong Kong seeking for U.S. boarding schools usually come from an international school background. It’s fair to say that international schools in Hong Kong provides a good education with a majority of schools using the IB curriculum, which is internationally recognised as the most rigorous curriculum worldwide, yet, why do parents under such an education system still choose to send their children abroad?

U.S. has always advocated the “American Dream” whereby you can come from anywhere and be anything you want in this country. This philosophy holds true in the U.S. boarding school system where discussion is emphasised, creation is encouraged and uniqueness is a norm. Dreamers will flourish in such an environment and in our modern society where ideas are a precious commodity, rather than conforming to the traditional careers, this is where you are allowed to dream.

As I send off students one by one to boarding schools, I often have the opportunity to meet up with them after they have spent a few years abroad. One common occurrence that often strikes me is the development that each student has shown. They are often more mature, composed, have a sense of purpose, direction and responsibility which they didn’t exhibit a year ago, or would certainly not have if they had stayed in their original surroundings. These attributes are often a byproduct of their surroundings such as developing responsibility through simple things such as turning up to breakfast on time, cleaning up their rooms for inspection or having a sense of direction through the exploration of multiple subjects, extracurricular activities and encouragement from teachers.

If you are thinking about sending your children to a U.S. boarding school, I invite you to begin this exciting journey with us!

Mr. Patrick Ho

Associate Member of IECA | TEFL

BCom(Finance), University of Sydney

• 7+ years of experience in admissions consulting service with 100% success rate
• Proven track record helping students gain admissions to prestigious boarding schools including Blair Academy, Choate Rosemary School, Loomis Chaffee School, Kent School, Peddle School, Stevenson School, The Webb Schools, CA and Westminster School.
• Had over 75% if his students accepted to a Top 50 U.S. College including Yale University, MIT, Boston University, University of Chicago.