Boarding schools usually offer several ways to visit, from a personal tour, to spending a day in classes and/or a night in the dorms, to the open house.
What makes an open house so popular?
Open houses are a great opportunity for you and your family to get a feel for the school’s culture. As you listen to everyone speak, you get a sense of what is important. Is it the academics? Relationships? Community service? Leadership? It comes out in what they say, and because you are hearing from multiple people throughout your visit, you can also glean whether everyone is on the same page. That includes the students, because in addition to hearing from several adults, your tours are normally led by students who will answer your questions with all the candor of a teenager.
Some people like open houses rather than a personal visit because they feel less pressured by being in a group of people instead of one-on-one with an admission counselor. Boarding school open houses also tend to be arranged for weekends, holidays, or evenings, to make it more convenient for families to attend. They are sometimes arranged around a special event as well, such as a student performance or a home athletic event or some other type of special event.
If you’re still on the fence about why you should attend an open house here at R-MA, here are some reasons to consider:
More Reasons to Attend an Open House
- See the classrooms.
- See the dorm rooms.
- Get questions answered by faculty, staff, and students.
- Hear questions from other parents, questions you might not have thought of.
- Experience our beautiful campus with mountain views
- Learn about athletics.
- Find out what an Air Force Junior ROTC program does and is.
- Meet admission counselors, our President, our Upper School Dean of Instructional Leadership and Innovation and/or our Middle School Principal.
One thing to keep in mind: when you RSVP for an open house at a boarding school, we are preparing for your visit. We are making sure they have enough refreshments, swag, and tour guides to accommodate everyone attending. So if you discover you cannot attend, make sure you let us know.
So come out to visit us at one of our upcoming Open Houses, we would love to see you! You can learn more about our next open house here.