How to convince my mom to let me go to boarding school in the UK?!?!?
So i LOVE travel. I LOVE the sound of the UK. I want to go to a boarding school in there. Im thinking about St. Maragrets, The Royal School Hampshire, and Kings School. I've read the website over and over. I would LOVE to go to a boarding school there. Well, my parents hardly travel. They hate it. How can I convince them to EVEN consider those schools? Boarding school is my dream, and i LOVE the UK, even though i've never been there. I know drama, yaddayaddayadda, i get it all day at regular school.
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I'm Chantal and I'm 16 and I go to a boarding school in South Africa.... if you really love to travel, just get the SAA flight from JFK to Johannesburg... its +- $1200 return, come join us. We not British but we fly the UK flag all over, talk like English ... it's a 17 hour flight, but hey we would love to have you...but... HOWEVER - you also need to be somewhat practical... and try and separate out you need or desire to TRAVEL from what you may want from BOARDING. Listen it is not that travel is not fun (but I would suggest a tour of Europe when you 18... and travelling quarter way around the world 4 times a year to school and back for holidays etc IS NOT EASY - yes it will seem like fun the first few times but after that its %$#% I'm telling you! So WHY not a boarding school in the USA / closer to home??? Also be very careful of the over 'romantic' Harry Potter view of English schools / boarding schools and culture... so consider the following: 1) firstly, why boarding? the most important thing to start with, just be SURE you want to go to boarding school??? Hey I don’t want to put you off him going, I am soooo happy I'm boarding now, BUT be careful of thinking you can get can experience UK culture though boarding school... going to boarding school has many of its own difficulties as well... so rather focus on what YOU WANT from boarding, not what you think you may be getting by travelling to the UK... best to write these down in a list with for your parents... the list should also focus on the positive things you want to achieve from boarding school (not the UK)... the inside of the schools will be more or less the same (lol) ...and if you really want to go you need to SELL it to your parents... this will show you more adult about in your approach (i.e. you going for something, not trying go just for a travel trip). 2) second, be practical - and WHY in England? Yes good schools, interesting culture BUT flying international flights, connecting at airports, study VISA's and passports, travelling as an un-escorted minor (I presume you younger than 16), getting from cities like London Heathrow airport to the school... and then doing this a MINIMUM of 4 times a year... as schools close over holidays... you can't just stay there the whole year (LOL) not only the cost, but it's just not practical... you need to look at this... the inside of airports or catching transfers is NOT fun al all... just then to get there and spend 10 weeks in a boarding school!!! 3) third, what school? - although the UK has a good school system, if up look up and focus on good school is the USA, you can't go wrong AND your parents are much more likely to let you go to a US school in the next state, or even across the US than in, England. There many fantastic US boarding schools, from ones that are 200% academic, others that are sports orientated, to those that are 200% religious... and some just nice / normal / balanced schools. When it comes to school I think you need to look at the schools ETHOS *(the schools culture and philosophy etc - hey of got this from the web - :)) and NOT where it is (like England) and then try and match a some of the ethos to what YOU want to try and ACHIEVE from boarding school. You will not get close to a 100% fit but you will get a FEEL for a school from the web site, everything from the size of the school, dorm sizes, class sizes, sports, academics, extra mural, religion ... check the websites... perhaps you looking for more 'tradition' (with a bit of a UK / international focus / perhaps all girls? with uniforms?) from this you will get a view of the TYPE of person who goes, then also phone them to check and get more details. http://www.boardingschoolreview.com/search-boarding-schools/0000/000000000/1000003/2020/020#List ok I did a search, I selected the whole of the USA, and hey you in LUCK... 13 wonderful looking schools in the USA - that would have many of the values that schools have in the UK... go into EACH school and it will give you info on the school size, class size, costs - look as where you live and think about what will be PRACTICAL (i.e. flights to LA may be a bit far), look at the school ETHOS (to do this you read what it says about the school - and go to the website to look at photos and what they say they do), look at the COSTS... GREAT schools costing from $20,000 a year to $43,000 (costs including boarding). I REALLY like this school in Dallas Texas... http://www.hockaday.org/default.aspx but it aren't cheap at $40,700 a year,... it looks wonderful!!! You have to work on from a different angle... if you serious - contact me on chantal2009@gmail.com (don’t use yahoo mail... it is blocked by the school - sob!), if you want to know more, just mail me now! I will not lie to you, it was tough at first and you need to give it time, you will also need lots of support from both your parents if you lucky enough to ever go to boarding school. I am sooooo glad
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