Commonly, boarding schools fall into the college preparatory category. These schools focus on academic achievement and preparing students for college life. These schools can be either all-girls, all-boys or co-ed. Salem Academy in Winston-Salem, South Carolina, enrolls only girls, whereas Grand River Academy in Austinburg, Ohio, caters to males only. Illinois' Lake Forest Academy allows students of either sex. Sometimes, college prep schools focus on specific artistic skills, such as music, dance, theatre or writing. California's Idyllwild Arts Academy offers pre-college training for multiple artistic areas.
An extension of college preparatory schools, military schools also prepare students for college. However, military boarding schools feature the added emphasis of military structure and discipline. Students often engage in JROTC-type programs. Most military schools cater exclusively to boys, such as Valley Forge Military Academy in Wayne, Pennsylvania. Others, though, such as Lexington, Missouri's Wentworth Military Academy and College, feature co-ed programs so that girls can enroll as well.
While most boarding schools cater to high-school-age children, junior boarding schools house middle-school-age children. Those within grades 6 to 8, typically, can enroll in junior boarding schools. Elementary-age boarding schools are also popping up in the United States. According to the Boarding School Directory website, some schools enlist children as young as 7. For instance, Bement School in Deerfield, Massachusetts, accepts children from ages 9 to 15.
Sometimes, boarding schools feature a particular religious affiliation. In religious boarding schools, the religion in particular influences the daily actions of the school, such as how education is carried out, holidays and diets. Chatham Hall in Chatham, Virginia, has an Episcopal focus, while St. Thomas More School in Oakdale, Connecticut, leans toward Catholic teachings. Not all religiously-affiliated boarding schools revolve around Christianity, however. For instance, the American Hebrew Academy in Greensboro, North Carolina accepts Jewish children, and Darul-Uloom Al Madania in Buffalo, New York caters to Islamic studies.
Some students do need special attention from their academic environment, and therapeutic boarding schools fill that need. Therapeutic schools cater to children with behavioral or emotional problems. Academics still count as an important aspect, but attention is given to rehabilitating these students so that they are better adjusted. These schools may focus on one or more of a number of problems, from substance abuse to weight loss to autism. The Grove School in Madison, Connecticut, caters to social or emotional woes in teens, while Connecticut's Glenholme School has children with various special needs in attendance.