John Burroughs School review by Harvard University student.
Burroughs provides an extremely rigorous, but rewarding academic environment for its students. Each of the departments within the school is staffed by incredibly knowledgeable and helpful teachers that truly enjoy teaching and challenging their students. As a result of this excitement surrounding academics, teachers hold high expectations for their students. Many classes are quite small (ranging from 5-15 students) and students are required to come to class prepared and ready to learn. Outside of the classroom, students often have quite a bit of homework that they are expected to complete and in some classes, such as English classes, work outside of class serves as the catalyst for class discussion. Most classrooms, with the exception of science and math classes, have circular desk arrangements to facilitate discussion in a comfortable and relaxed environment. The large amount of homework and the emphasis on classroom dialogue prepared me extremely well for the college environment. By the time I started my freshman year of college, the workload was comparable to the Burroughs' workload (the difficulty was comparable, as well), but I had much more time to complete everything at college, allowing for a very smooth academic transition. As a liberal arts school, Burroughs has a school philosophy that tries to instill within its students a love of learning. Teachers often encourage their students to challenge and debate the teachings of the course. This is done both inside and outside of the classroom. Inside of the classroom, students may challenge each other and the teacher in a relaxed environment that allows them to accept differing opinions and learn from their mistakes. This relaxed environment also discourages competition among students, as everyone feels comfortable making mistakes around their peers, or even reaching out to them for help. Students also develop personal relationships with their teachers that allow them to seek additional help and discussion outside of class. Outside classroom work reflects Burroughs' strong emphasis on writing (extremely useful for college), as students constantly tackle difficult topics and hone their writing skills. To this day, I credit Burroughs with the development of my writing skills that have enabled me to excel in my essay-based college courses. Overall, while academics at Burroughs challenged me quite a bit, I felt extremely prepared for my academic endeavors at college and am grateful for the education I received at Burroughs.
Like all of the staff at Burroughs, the college counselors truly crave success for each.... Get the real inside story on college counseling at John Burroughs School as experienced by former pupil and Harvard University student — Login or Sign Up to access full review
Sample insights on college counseling
They have contacts at most of the major universities and feel perfectly comfortable picking up the phone and advocating for a student to get accepted somewhere they feel is a good fit for that student. However, these counselors are certainly not magic bullets. They cannot guarantee that a student will get into an Ivy League university...
For those wishing to move on to Oxford or Cambridge, the provision is second-to-none. In the months running up to application and interview, every subject faculty offers classes (often run by former Oxbridge tutors) exploring further areas of their subject as well as offering advice on personal statements, interview technique and more...
Burroughs is an extremely diverse school that is composed of students of all types. The.... Get in-depth insights and personal advice on admissions to John Burroughs School by former pupil and Harvard University student — Login or Sign Up to access full review
Sample insights on admissions
For the interview, dress conservatively. Try to be very clean and put together. Also, I was a tour guide for two years and at the end of every tour, we were asked to evaluate the candidate so if you think the tour is not apart of the process, you are very wrong. Ask questions and be interested. Also, tip for the parents: the kids speak on the tour. Do not ask their questions for them...
Most younger siblings have an easy time in the admissions process. I can only think of one case of a younger sibling not being admitted. About half of the students who entered with me had come from public schools. The remainder came from private K-6 schools, or had transferred from other New York private schools The Elizabeth Morrow School and St. Bernard were two of the larger feeder schools...
The culture at Burroughs is one that is very liberal and inclusive of its many different types of students. From the time students enter Burroughs in the seventh grade, they are expected to be accepting of others' differences and contribute to the community in their own unique way. Additionally, students are trusted by the faculty and by each other, creating a very relaxed and safe environment in which students can learn from their teachers, as well as their peers. For example, Burroughs has a school-wide assembly each morning in which students are encouraged to make announcements for their various clubs.... Get the real inside story on quality of school life and extracurricular offerings at John Burroughs School as experienced by former pupil and Harvard University student — Login or Sign Up to access full review