13 best boarding schools in Hartford, Connecticut 2024

The state of Connecticut is located in the North-eastern United States and belongs to the states of New England. It borders the states of New York to the west, Massachusetts to the north and Rhode Island to the east, from the south the Connecticut coast is washed by the waters of the Atlantic Ocean.

Connecticut is located within two physical and geographical regions of the United States - the Appalachian mountain system and the Atlantic Lowlands. In western Connecticut, the Taconic Mountains rise, which are separated by the Husatonic River from the east-Northwest upland (known as the Berkshire Hills). In the central part of the state, the Connecticut River flows from north to south, forming the valley of the same name. Further to the east, the relief rises again, passing into the plateau of the North-eastern upland. Along the coastline of the state stretches a relatively narrow strip of beaches and gentle hills.

Choosing the private school for the international students, the parents consider private boarding schools in Connecticut due to not only for status reasons - education increases the chances of a child entering a university in the USA from the world's top ten.

A distinctive feature of private boarding schools in Connecticut is the approach to learning. It is aimed not only at academic education, but also at the development of intellectual abilities, which allows the child to realize himself in sports, art, any other hobby. Much attention is paid to formation of personal qualities of pupils.

Graduates of boarding schools have competitive advantages when applying to universities in the country - and it's not just about the impeccable quality of their academic education: independent, purposeful, sociable, disciplined, motivated to achieve applicants are easier given interviews, passing entrance tests, if any.

The secondary education divides in three main stages, which last for 12 years:

• Elementary schools

Here children receive basic knowledge in the main subjects of the school curriculum. Basically, all disciplines (with the exception of art, music and physical education) are taught by the same teacher. Before the start of classes, all children undergo an initial knowledge and ability level test – it distributes them into the appropriate groups from A to C (A is a gifted class): in general terms, this is an IQ test. If desired, the student can “move” between groups: for example, if the program turns out to be too difficult for him or vice versa, he is ahead of his classmates in success.

• Middle school (6-8 grades)

In the middle classes, the system of educational credits is already widespread virtually everywhere. The list of compulsory subjects is slightly reduced (career guidance and career prospects are necessarily included in it), but the general curriculum of each student only becomes larger – subjects and electives of personal choice are added to it. At the end of each year, children take transferable exams (also counted under the credit system).

Teachers are already divided into disciplinary blocks and subjects, and the active study of foreign languages (both modern and classical) begins.

• High school (9-12 grades)

This is not only the final stage of secondary education, but also a full, thorough preparation for admission to universities: at this stage, students earn credits that will help them to successfully enrol and receive personal scholarships. Studying almost from the 9th grade becomes specialized. There are few main profiles: industrial, commercial, agricultural, academic and general education. The list of compulsory subjects includes only a few disciplines: mathematics, natural sciences, English and humanities courses – the rest are recruited in the chosen specialty.

Almost every secondary institution accepts children from the age of 12: they live on campus until the age of 14, after which children are given the opportunity to change the type of accommodation to family, attend school during the day. Majority of foreign students choose living on campus.

There is a competition for up to 10 people per place: for enrollment, applicants need a competently filled out questionnaire, an extract on their progress for at least 2-3 previous years, written recommendations from teachers translated into English, as well as an interview (in person or via Skype) and testing (most often in mathematics and English).

Many boarding schools in Connecticut also provide SSAT: this test allows to determine English proficiency level, to develop the ability to apply it in practice. The exam is aimed at American applicants, foreign students can provide a SLEP or TOEFL certificate in return.

After reviewing the applicant's documents, the date and time of the interview are assigned to him. The interview is conducted by phone or online (via Skype). The interview allows to determine the level of English proficiency, as well as the motivation, purposefulness of the child, the coincidence of his profile interests with the specialization of the educational institution.

The main list of required documents for the submitting family is as follows:

• Copy of passport
• School annual grades for the last 2 academic years + quarter/trimester grades for the current academic year
• International language certificate  (TOEFL and SAT preferably as new as possible so that they are relevant)
• Recommendation letters from teachers of English and mathematics
• Motivation letter
• Registration forms and school forms
• Interview via Skype.

In addition to the above list, children are also required to take internal school tests in mathematics and English to determine whether the children are sufficiently well prepared at the time of admission to a private school.

The average cost of studying in the boarding school in Connecticut varies depending on the prestige of the institution, its ranking, average graduation rate in high school, as well as location. The tuition fee fluctuates from 35,000 USD to 90,000 USD in the most elite, including accommodation, meals, studying.