California Boarding Schools: Counting Sheep or Counting Schools?
So, you've decided your child needs the rigorous academics and, well, constant supervision of a California boarding school. Excellent choice...if you can afford the mortgage-sized tuition fees! But before you start packing tiny monogrammed robes and lacrosse sticks, a crucial question arises: just how many boarding schools are there in the Golden State?
The Great Boarding School Census: Herding Cats or Counting Castles?
Fear not, intrepid parent! Unlike counting sheep (which let's face it, can get pretty boring after number three), getting a headcount on California's boarding schools is surprisingly easy. There are two main schools of thought (pun intended):
- The Niche Crowd: According to Niche, a website that prides itself on knowing way more about schools than you ever will, there are a whopping 56 boarding high schools in California [ Niche - Best Boarding High Schools in California]. That's like a school for every Hollywood ending...almost.
- The Prep School Posse: The Boarding School Review, a site run by folks who seem to have gone to boarding school themselves (vests and all), gives a slightly different answer. They focus on 16 college-prep boarding schools [ Boardingschoolreview - Best Boarding Schools in California], which sounds a lot less stressful, like counting kittens in a basket (because, adorable!).
So, what gives? Are we dealing with a boarding school black market here?
Relax, tiger parents. The difference lies in what qualifies as a "boarding school." Niche includes a wider net, possibly encompassing military academies and those fancy finishing schools that teach you the art of polite conversation and fainting gracefully. The Boarding School Review, on the other hand, focuses on the traditional college-prep boarding experience, where your kids will be more stressed about AP Calculus than perfecting their curtsy.
The Moral of the Story? Don't Count Sheep, Count Clicks!
Here's the takeaway: no matter how many boarding schools California boasts, the real number game happens when you research individual schools. Hit the internet, delve into reviews (both the glowing and the slightly-unhinged ones), and take virtual tours (because who wants to deal with California traffic anyway?).
Remember, the perfect boarding school is out there, waiting to transform your child from a screen-obsessed gremlin into a well-rounded, lacrosse-wielding scholar (...maybe). Happy hunting!
