Private School vs. Public School | Making the Right Choice

Justin McLellan '16

The bonds I made with my classmates created a nexus of my academic and social lives. Debates from philosophy class carried into lunch; conversations about calculus took place while watching swim meets. Having the same friends in my classes, clubs, and sports teams created a strong sense of [connection] between us. We studied together, worked together, played together, and grew together. This network of support got me through high school and continues to be there for me even as we each grow separately.

What makes Sanford the best private school for your family?

We are committed to every child, every talent, every day.

We share your high expectations, so we make sure that we help each student discover and cultivate his or her unique gifts and abilities. We do that by getting to know each individual child and family, providing rich—and frequent—opportunities in the arts, STEM, athletics, extracurricular programs, delivering a rigorous, thoroughly engaging, college-preparatory education that does not simply teach content, but that teaches dynamic, individual kids.

In short, Sanford School gives you your money’s worth…and then some.
We prepare students for success.

Students challenge themselves academically and personally to prepare for college and for life in the 21st century. They graduate with the academic, organizational, and interpersonal skills they need for well-rounded, self-motivated successful futures.

We value critical thinking, intellectual risk-taking, self-advocacy, cooperation, independence, and the ability to communicate effectively, and we support students as they acquire these attributes. Our culture of learning, inquiry, and respect allows students to be comfortable sharing their opinions, even with those who might not agree with them.

Sanford’s low student-to-teacher ratio lets us work closely with our students during the college planning process to help them choose schools that will be excellent fits with their goals, interests, and personalities. For most seniors, the most difficult task is to choose which offer of admission to accept.
Students WANT to come to school each day.

We have high expectations, and our rigorous curriculum requires hard work—but our curriculum feels relevant to them, and students stretch themselves to learn and grow in ways they never dreamed possible.

Our teachers are genuinely invested in their students’ education and want them to succeed. They love seeing students feel confident about what they can achieve and who they are becoming. Our students form close peer relationships and are comfortable being themselves, knowing that our community values, respects, and celebrates individual diversity.
We are a caring community.

Everything we do here starts with close relationships between students, faculty, and parents that allow us to truly know and understand one another and the world around us. Between divisions and within classes, our emphasis on character development and interconnection inspires students to support each other, encourage each other, respect each other, and learn from each other.
We live our diversity.

Students and families come together in equality because we share a common set of values and goals for educational opportunity and personal growth. Visitors to every division remark on how positive, friendly, diverse, and respectful our community feels. We are proud of this, and Sanford School commits to sustaining this ethos in many ways.
We invest in our faculty—our greatest resource.

Summer study grants provide faculty members with in-depth opportunities to collaborate, innovate, and apply 21st-century techniques and fresh, relevant curricular enhancements.
Our campus inspires.

How you feel influences how you learn. Our serene, green, college-like campus teaches, relaxes, and motivates students and faculty alike. The outdoor classroom, teaching gardens, pond, stream, and hiking trails are part of the curriculum, and students benefit from fresh air and the time to transition as they travel the paths between buildings.
Our rules are simple.

We don’t have a lot of rules, because we don’t need a lot of rules. An honor code that students take seriously, a simple dress code, and a culture that values respect and doing the right thing provide guidance and structure to our community. We trust our students to make wise choices, and they prove themselves worthy of it.