Customer Reviews

Behind the Walls: A Parent's Guide to Boarding Schools

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In the interest of full disclosure, I know Tim Hillman personally and have written an article for one of his previous books regarding boarding school. I have also talked to Tim over the years -- as Assistant Head of School for Enrollment at Mercersburg Academy and as Headmaster of Perkiomen School -- about this concept and know that, editing errors and all, the book is sound in its observations, cautionary tales, and advice.

It is true that Behind the Walls is not a rating book -- thank, God, since ratings are useless in a field that has about one half of one percent of the students in the USA and represents only a little over 200 schools, each with its own unique mission, history, and ethos. Behind the Walls is exceptional, especially for the parent who is seeking the "right fit" for her/his child, rather than the "right name." Understanding the nuances of the admission process, how to wade through the marketing, and what to look for to find a healthy residential and academic environment are all essential to a successful matriculation.

As one mentor told me when I was a younger teacher, bricks and mortar do not a school make! Look beyond not only the walls, but beyond the facades -- look at the faces of the students, look at how the desks are arranged in classrooms, listen to the teachers and coaches -- It is the human factor that makes a boarding school great -- not the date on the school seal, not the number of AP courses, average SAT scores, or college lists (which are sometimes padded with acceptances from one student at the top of the class!). As a product of a public school, I can honestly say that I would never trade my years in independent college preparatory schools for anything. Reading Behind the Walls only reaffirmed my decision to work in the boarding school world and it will surely be a help to anyone considering these wonderful communities for themselves or for their children.

I have the first self-published effort (Old School Press, 2003). The problems start with the cover: a book about boarding schools titled "Behind the Walls" should probably have a school on the cover. Or at least a wall. Nope, this one has some trees. In shades of gray, it has the appearance of a horror novel, à la Tales from the Darkside: The First Season. The Table of Contents is fantastically ugly, with chapter titles in boldface, italic, *and* all caps, plus everything underlined full-justification. However these are just cosmetic issues. This book's real problem is the nonexistent editing. It is chock-a-block full of typos of almost every sort: missing words, misspelled words, wrong words, and lots of punctuation problems as well. The typos start in as early as the Introduction, and they never, ever stop. There's too much to enumerate here, unless someone were paying me. Overall, the book has the appearance of a compilation of essays--which would be fine if they were organized well--and it could have used an editor to tighten everything up. As it is, your expectations will be best managed if you approach this as an unfinalized, but useful, manuscript.

On the plus side, Tim Hillman has insightful things to say about education in general and the boarding school experience specifically. By way of anchoring my own perspective, I attended prep school for four years, also in New England. Times change but the culture of (and at) a prep school does not. Many of the concerns raised by Mr. Hillman are surely as valid now as they were when he wrote the book in 2003 or when I was in prep school in the 1980s or even when he was there in the 1970s. Behind the Walls offers honest and valuable advice for parents considering a boarding school education for their children. It tells you things no standard guidebook (i.e., Peterson's) will. But, you have to accept the loose organization and sloppy spelling. For a book from the product of a prep school education, not to mention a former faculty member himself, that is doubly disappointing.

Hillman presents a lot of useful information in a well-organized, straightforward and admirably evenhanded way. The book is short enough to be read in a single setting, and I found it genuinely helpful as the parent of a private school child who is vaguely considering boarding school as a future option. However, I find it disturbing that someone who is not only an alumnus but also a faculty member of presumably more than one elite boarding school could write a book with so many typographical, grammatical, spelling and punctuation errors. Both Hillman and his editor(s) should be embarrassed.

Unfortunately, the content of this book was so obscured by typos and editing errors that I could barely focus on Mr. Hillman's insights into boarding school life. One would think that a teacher, in particular, would keep a closer eye on the copy editor. Doesn't the author remember that old school maxim to "check your work!"

This book tells you about things that go on at boarding schools, that the schools themselves would never tell you. A great book for anyone looking at the pros and cons of sending your kids to boarding school.

Just finished reading Behind the Walls. As the author, himself, admitted in a review, the editing is just terrible. However, there are worthwhile nuggets of information that can help the reader better understand the inner workings of boarding schools. I bought this book mainly to see how my daughter's prep school measures in comparison to what Hillman considers to be important benchmarks at U.S. boarding schools. I think I got more out of this book now that my daughter has completed her third-form (freshman)year. I was able to apply his experiences to what she has encountered. I'm happy to say I think she is at a really good school.

For those of us involved in boarding schools this book is well worth the read - makes us all sit up and take notice!

I liked this book. I was hoping to find a "rating" system for the "Ten Schools." Instead I found useful guidance to the pros and cons of sending my son to boarding school. I just wish he would write (or provide) some secret rating system to the current schools. I read this book in one sitting, and it was definitely worth the money. I feel more confident about our family's choices after reading this book.