This book was published in 1985. Although it is a bit outdated, it did provide a comprehensive review of what boarding schools are like - particularly the chosen 16. In private schools, particularly those that are elite, education is still chiefly concentrated on establishing social pedigree. With this in mind, elite boarding schools closely resemble the military in terms of producing soldiers for the good of this country; in this case, maintaining the social elite structure. Although it was interesting to learn about the inter-workings of boarding schools, learning how they provided an elite education was the most applicable to me.The "Gap"
Clearly, public school students are at a severe disadvantage in terms of a proper education. In private schools, no resource is left underutilized, and as a result, those students graduate and go on to the most prestigious universities. The one element that stuck out for me was how much emphasis was placed on making sure students were prepared for the SAT, and college application process. In all situations, there was a full time counselor and staff to ensure that each student receive the required attention. Now, obviously, these private schools don't have to contend with the realities of public education; chiefly, educating every student. However, from my experience, many students are not fully prepared for the rigors of college or university; even though they may possess exceptional high marks. If only public education had unlimited resources."Being among other students who are academically interested and ambitious can have an impact on even an indifferent student, especially because adolescents are easily influenced by their peers. As on one boarding student said, 'it isn't cool to be dumb around here.'"
Overall, this was a great read and I recommend this book.
