Academics · Subject Resources

Choose where they
will live and learn

At a boarding school the dorm, the health center and the trip home matter as much as the classes. Weigh all five for this student, rate each school after the visit, then enter the net cost once the aid offers arrive.

Start a comparisonWhat you get

Comparisons

The worked example is made up: three boarding schools for tenth grade, where the strongest academics come with the highest cost and the longest trip home, and two five-day programs. Use initials or a code for the student.

Loading the comparison form. If nothing appears, turn on JavaScript.

What you get

Academics · Subject ResourcesFree

What you finish with
A saved comparison per decision: how much classes, dorm life, health care, distance and net cost matter; each school rated 1 to 5 with net cost after aid and miles from home; seven questions such as overnight nursing marked answered or still to ask; and a next step. The flags rank the schools, call out a must-have rated 2 or lower, the net cost gap over three years and long trips home. A side-by-side table prints.
Who it is for
Families and students considering boarding school, from middle school through high school.
Format
Browser tool with a saved record per decision. Prints a side-by-side table with the scores, the full record, every comparison in a table or a blank form; downloads a spreadsheet (.csv); exports and imports a file.
Access
Free. No account, no sign-in and nothing to install. Everything you type stays in this browser; nothing is sent to Caveat.
Where it lives
The Subject Resources space in Caveat Academics.
Support
Questions about access, an order or a correction: team@caveatacademic.com.

How to use it

  1. Weigh dorm life and health care with classes.
  2. Visit, ideally overnight.
  3. Rate each school.
  4. Enter the net cost after aid.
  5. Print the side-by-side table.

Start a comparison

What to ask about life outside class

Four parts of boarding lifeThe dormWho lives in withstudentsStudy hours andlights-outWeekend plansHealthNurse on callovernightCounselors andreferralsWhen parents arecalledHomePhone and video callsBreak calendarTravel to the airportMoneyTuition, room andboardNeed-based aidBooks, trips, travelFour parts of boarding lifeThe dormWho lives in with studentsStudy hours and lights-outWeekend plansHealthNurse on call overnightCounselors and referralsWhen parents are calledHomePhone and video callsBreak calendarTravel to the airportMoneyTuition, room and boardNeed-based aidBooks, trips, travel
An overnight visit shows the dorm and the evening routine better than a daytime tour.

Net cost, not sticker price

Boarding tuition, room and board often run well above most day schools, but many schools give need-based financial aid from their own funds. Apply for aid on time, then compare the offers as net cost: what the family pays after aid, plus travel, books and trips.

Supervision and health

Ask who lives in each dorm, how many students each adult looks after at night, and whether a nurse is on call overnight. Ask how the school tells parents about an illness, an injury or a discipline matter, and how fast.

Sources

  1. The Association of Boarding Schools. Boarding school basics and financial aid (boardingschools.com).
  2. National Association of Independent Schools. Financial aid and affording an independent school (nais.org).
  3. National Center for Education Statistics. Private School Universe Survey (nces.ed.gov/surveys/pss).
  4. U.S. Department of Education. Choosing a School for Your Child (ed.gov).

The worked example and its schools are made up. Costs and aid vary widely; enter the figures from each school's own offer. Nothing you type is sent to Caveat. Support: team@caveatacademic.com.