Boarding schools provide students with several advantages. According to education.com, students attending boarding school tend to do far more homework and are more likely to pursue advanced levels of study than students in public schools. They go on to say that students in boarding prep schools tend to watch far less television and are provided with more opportunities for extracurricular activities. Boarding prep schools also tend to have much smaller class sizes and far greater staff access for students. Boarding schools have much more resources generally than local public schools. Students also have greater access to staff members and their support with some teachers, counselors and other pastoral school employees living on campus with the students.
Boarding prep schools do have a few disadvantages and are not for everyone. One disadvantage is the separation of the child from his family and friends at a critical period in emotional growth. Students in boarding prep schools have to adapt to entirely new surroundings, which can be stressful. Boarding schools are largely performance-based and very competitive, which can have a negative impact on students who don't excel academically or in extracurricular activities. Boarding School Finder states that it may not be advisable to send a child to boarding school if he must repeat a year.
The costs of boarding schools do vary greatly between institutions. Familyfirstaid.org states that the monthly costs can range anywhere from $2000 to $6000. However, financial aid, scholarships and low interest loans are a possibility to help offset some of the costs.
With the high tuition of boarding prep schools, parents need to look carefully at the chosen institution to see if it offers good value for the money. The class size and attention given to students is very important. Parents also need to look at the quality of the staff and the curriculum offered. Finally, parents should look at what is offered at the boarding school and compare it to local public and private schools to see if the costs will be money well spent.