Why Boarding?
The Delphian School: An Oregon Boarding School
with a Personal Approach
Although we have many day students, living on campus adds an extra dimension to the Delphian Program. Our boarding students form the core of the Delphian community, gaining independence as they learn cooperation, putting knowledge gained in the classroom to immediate use, and increasing their responsibility for themselves and others. In a boarding environment, there is always someone nearby to help, no matter what problem a student faces. In our close, supportive community, lifelong friendships are made. And despite the distance factor, we repeatedly hear from parents of boarding students and the students themselves that their parent-child relationship actually grew stronger and closer during the student’s time at Delphian.
In 2003, the Art and Science Group conducted a nationwide survey of over 2,700 high school students and adults regarding their experiences in high school and their lives since. The survey found that, compared to day students, boarding students:
Devote more time to homework and extracurricular activities (and significantly less time watching TV)
Spend more time with teachers outside the classroom
Learn how to set goals and budget time
Practice self-discipline and responsibility
Learn to act and think independently
Develop leadership skills
Highlights of the survey also include the following key findings:
Students at private boarding schools have a better experience in high school than do students of a similar profile in public and private day schools.
Students at private boarding schools are better prepared for college and attend more prestigious colleges and universities than do students of a similar profile in public and private day schools.
Alumni of private boarding schools appear to advance more quickly in their careers and are more active philanthropically.
Boarding school alumni are more likely to earn advanced degrees than are day students.
In fact, the research study cited 78% of boarding school graduates say they were very well prepared for the non-academic aspects of college life, such as independence, social life, and time management as opposed to 35% of private day school students.
For more information on this research, read The Truth About Boarding Schools.
