If you browse the links to the lower right under December and November (or--if you have the time--hit the View Entire Archive link just above the photo) you'll see that Proctor's frontpage changes every two or three days when school is in session. This gives you frequent, real-time windows into life here. Now, in the midst of Winter Break, let's slow down and look at some questions frequently asked admission officers by visiting families. How about some data regarding the make-up of the student population?

Proctor is comprised of 335 boys and girls in grades nine through twelve. The ninth grade is usually about 50 to 55 kids, but the tenth grade jumps up to approximately 90 to 100 (about the same size as the eleventh and twelfth grades). Approximately eighty percent of the students are boarders; the day student population is usually 70. Each trimester, 30 students may be enrolled in Proctor programs in Europe, out West or sailing the North Atlantic, so at any given moment, the school in Andover, New Hampshire is comprosed of 300 to 305 students.

What does it take to get in to Proctor? Positive attitude and the willingness to work is more important than high SSAT scores, but the academic curriculum is wholly college preparatory, so we need to know that you can succeed with the kind of structures and support systems here. There is a lot of commmunication at Proctor if a student falls behind, and it can lead to extra help sessions or different levels of tutorial support.

What is life like for boarders? There are twenty small dormitories scattered around a village-like campus, and the average house is home to twelve students and dorm "parents" who live in an adjacent apartment. Most dorm rooms are doubles, meaning that most students have a roommate. There are clear rules governing where you study and when you need to be in you dorm, but Proctor doesn't feel as strict as many boarding schools. Students and teachers dress informally...you choose which meals you want to attend...there's some time available to just hang out with friends if you choose.

What is the school's greatest uniqueness? Off campus programs? Probably not. While experiential education is a huge part of Proctor (both on and off campus,) it's probably true that the social climate...the direct, informal relationships between people is the school's most unique quality. There is very little seniority, for example. There's not as much hierarchy as is typical at more traditional prep schools.