By Michelle Grappo, MA, EdM
This April, I had the privilege of visiting eight remarkable boarding schools: Perkiomen School, Solebury School, Westtown School, George School, The Hun School of Princeton, The Lawrenceville School, Blair Academy, and Peddie School.
I left Los Angeles on a cold and rainy Saturday morning and could not have asked for more exquisite weather when I arrived in Philadelphia! Being an educational consultant in Los Angeles, I’ll admit: I am spoiled when it comes to weather. But I love coming back to the East Coast in the fall and spring for weeks just like these.
Traveling through beautiful campuses on perfect spring days, I was reminded why in-person visits are so valuable. There’s simply no substitute for being there — seeing students and faculty greet each other spontaneously, hearing students describe why they love coming to school every day, stepping into classrooms, and noticing the small but telling details, from how rooms are organized to how student work fills the walls.
Beyond the charm of each campus, I noticed some big, encouraging trends that are shaping the future of boarding schools. Here are a few key themes that stood out:
1. Innovation and Entrepreneurship Are Front and Center
Boarding schools are raising the bar when it comes to helping students pursue their passions at a high level.
At Perkiomen, for example, students can participate in specialized Institutes, where they combine coursework, hands-on learning, and mentorship to explore new interests and tackle real-world projects. They can even earn a distinctive diploma that may give them an edge in the college process.
At Blair Academy, The Chiang-Elghanayan Center for Innovation and Collaboration at Blair Academy is a dynamic STEAM hub. Home to the school’s technology and fine arts departments, the center features state-of-the-art facilities, including technology classrooms, a robotics laboratory, a maker space, media labs, and flexible meeting areas. Its open architecture and glass-walled classrooms promote transparency and interaction, while the central Collaboration Forum serves as a venue for lectures, seminars, and community gatherings, such as the renowned Society of Skeptics series.
At Peddie, the Signature Experience program invites juniors to design independent research or creative projects in fields like arts, computer science, STEM, or creative writing, guided closely by a faculty mentor. Many students spend the summer before senior year deepening this work, and for many alumni, these experiences become pivotal in shaping their academic and professional paths. Interested in engineering? The Izzo Design Laboratory at Peddie is a state-of-the-art, 3,400 square foot building designed specifically for robotics. Facilities include fabrication capabilities, including a CNC mill, CNC laser and 3D printer, and a practice field space.
2. Support for Diverse Learners and Neurodiversity
There’s a growing appreciation across boarding schools that even the most high-achieving students sometimes need extra support — and that’s a good thing.
Solebury offers multiple levels of academic support tailored to individual needs, including an innovative after-hours program that helps students stay on top of their work (and even their laundry!).
Even at a highly rigorous school like Lawrenceville, I noticed signs throughout campus about available academic resources, and I had the chance to speak with the Director of Educational Support. It’s clear that faculty and students alike are increasingly open to recognizing and addressing different learning styles and executive functioning needs.
3. A Commitment to Engaged Citizenship
I was also struck by how seriously schools are taking service learning and engaging with the wider world around us.
At Blair, for example, my tour guide arrived a few minutes late — because she was assisting in a local classroom for children with special needs. She later told me about a student-led project where they raised significant funds and awarded a grant to a local children’s organization, which required impressive organizational and leadership skills.
At George School, a recent alumni gift of $17.75 million ensures that every student can participate in a global or local citizenship course without any additional cost. The program, featuring destinations as close as Philadelphia and as far as Vietnam and Armenia, is thoughtfully designed: students spend time learning about the history, culture, and social issues of a region before traveling, and the school’s flexible schedule allows these experiences to happen seamlessly during the academic year. Whether exploring nearby communities or traveling abroad, students are challenged to connect their strengths with meaningful service.
At The Hun School of Princeton, students in grades 9 through 11 step outside traditional academics each May for NextTerm — a unique, three-week immersion program focused on real-world, interdisciplinary learning. These project-based courses are co-taught by faculty and informed by industry professionals, using both on- and off-campus resources to deepen student engagement. Topics explore timely global and societal issues from multiple perspectives, giving students the freedom to pursue their curiosity wherever it leads. The experience culminates in a public exhibition of student work, showcasing not just what they learned — but how they grew. Check out some of the NextTerm course options here!
Why These Visits Matter
In an era when families can research schools online and attend virtual info sessions, you might wonder: why visit in person?
Because walking a campus, meeting the people, and feeling the energy of a school can’t be captured on a website. It’s in the small interactions, the spontaneous conversations, and the firsthand experience of a school’s environment that you truly get a sense of where a student might thrive. As a consultant, it’s worth the long flights and being away from my dog to be able to meet students, faculty and admissions folks. It’s worth the trip to feel amazed and to still, after all these years, feel the excitement of learning something new and seeing these opportunities for my students. It’s worth it so I can tell a family “no really, you have to see this place!”
For families exploring boarding schools, I highly recommend making time for in-person visits — not just to gather information, but to discover the magic in each school.
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It’s worth the trip to feel amazed and to still, after all these years, feel the excitement of learning something new and seeing these opportunities for my students.
Based in Los Angeles, Michelle Grappo is an Independent Educational Consultant who helps students from California, across the U.S., and internationally discover their right-fit boarding school.
