Guest blogger Ellie Ponti  of Chronotopia writes a bit about sending a child to boarding school:

Imagine an institute of learning where world-class facilities include top-notch science labs and music studios, impressive assembly halls and cozy classrooms. Supportive teachers with advanced degrees inspire and guide to excellence. Prominent artists and scholars come to campus to give lectures and lead workshops. Students have opportunities to spend a year abroad, participate in research, take challenging classes and play sports from field hockey to sailing. At the end, important public figures with their commencement speeches send off graduating seniors to change the world.

This is not a description of a great college. It’s a typical college preparatory boarding high school – a school that, besides superb academic resources, has residential facilities as well, giving shape to a close-knit community of teachers and students who get to know each other, work together and thrive in a supportive environment. Their goal is not just excellent preparation for college, but developing character and skill for success in life.

Students at these schools learn from each other, too, sharing their life, experiences and diverse points of view. They may be coming from the same town, from distant states or other countries. And their friendships continue for the rest of their lives, since these schools are known for their highly involved alumni. They may have gone on to prestigious colleges and started promising careers and life projects, but they feel close and stay in touch. Their support for their school ensures the generous financial aid available to talented students whose families cannot afford the high tuition, thus continuing the tradition of excellence.

Boarding schools are academically challenging, and admission is very competitive, too. What could possibly attract potential students to such an extent that would override their desire to stay close to family and current friends?

Attending has many benefits and families find different reasons to seek this kind of education for their child. For some, it’s the access to academic resources when the ones available locally are inadequate for the student’s aspirations and capabilities. For others, it’s stability, if the family expects moving elsewhere in the future. For still others, the connection to a certain school is a family tradition.

But the most important reason for applying to a boarding school should be the student’s own desire to attend. Boarding school is a great option for an independent young person, who is self-motivated about his or her studies, curious and responsible, open to new perspectives and accepting of others’ points of view.

These schools are so varied – they may be single-sex or coed, religious or with an emphasis in arts, but they all share the prerequisite of a student-driven interest. You can research different options and get more information on the website of  their association, TABS.

It is certainly not a decision to take lightly. In our case, the idea was facilitated by chance, followed by extensive deliberation. We lived in Boston before coming to Texas and my son was attending Milton Academy in his middle school years. Faced with the prospect of moving, after much thought, he decided to stay on as a boarder in high school. He already knew and liked the environment, his teachers and classmates and was ready to embark on exploration of life in a different, more independent way.

His experience has certainly made him a very independent young man, who knows how to organize his life, travel alone, and who is ready to express his opinion on any topic and pursue goals. He is mature for his age, curious, responsible and interested in the world far beyond his visible horizons.

This has come at the expense of him being at home; he is with us only during vacations. But we treasure those moments more. And I just remind myself that at his age, I wanted to live by myself away from my parents and attend a different school. If  I couldn’t make that happen, I thought, let at least him follow the desire of his heart.