The Foreign Service Journal, December 2007

D E C E M B E R 2 0 0 7 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 71 S CHOOLS S UPPLEMENT academic fit, and this has to go two ways — the student must be comfort- able, and the parents must feel that the standards, expectations and values of the school are consistent with their own. The boarding school will, in fact, be a “stand-in” for the parent in deciding standards of behavior and social interaction. I have talked with students and families who will not even consider a school that requires uniforms or has mandatory chapel attendance, while others prefer very strict rules, a dress code and little unsupervised time. Each family should discuss these issues in their preliminary review of school Web sites and materials and request clarification from the school on any issues that are important to them. This includes the conse- quences for breaches of the regula- tions and the workings of the honor code, if one exists. One student I met recently told me she was disturbed by the school honor code’s requirement that a student report any classmate who they knew had lied or cheated. Even speaking hypothetically, she did not like the idea of being required to turn in a friend. Foreign Service students tend to be most comfortable in schools that are diverse in the broadest sense. Not only should diversity manifest itself in a variety of racial, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds among students, but there should also be a good number of international stu- dents from several countries. Ameri- can students should hail from a wide range of geographic areas in the U.S. Perhaps the single most important question is the number of day stu- dents and five-day boarders, com- pared with seven-day boarders. If a large percentage of students go home every evening or every weekend, the school is less likely to have a wide choice of weekend and evening pro- grams and activities, and it may be very lonely for those left behind. I remember talking with one par- ent who had selected a school in part Continued on page 75 Perhaps the single most important question is the number of day students and five-day boarders, compared with seven-day boarders. Continued from page 69