Military School Info

When choosing a girls' military school there are a number of things to consider. This article offers many questions you may want to ask prior to choosing a military school for your daughter. Keep reading for many options military schools for girls have to offer.

If you and your daughter have decided that a girls’ military school is the right choice, you will have to decide which one is the best fit. In making this decision, there are a number of factors to consider.

When you are choosing a girls’ military school, include your daughter in the decision making process. Even if she is not be enthusiastic about military school, by allowing her to help in the decision you can find a school that she feels more comfortable with and is more likely to give her a successful experience. Remember that a military school is a great way to teach self-discipline and leadership skills and to prepare a girl for college or a military career, but it is not a reform school for a severally troubled teen or one who requires medication or therapy.

Factors to consider in choosing a girls' military school

One of the first factors you should take into consideration is cost. Some military schools are public, which means that they don’t charge tuition. Others are private, which will charge tuition, but scholarships may be available to help cover the costs of military school.

Military schools vary in the ages that they admit, so the age or grade of your daughter will be a factor that may eliminate some of the choices available to you.

Many military schools are boarding schools, where the teen lives away at the school. These schools tend to be more expensive, but they also offer an immersion experience, which can be important for teaching self-discipline and leadership. Day school may be less expensive, and lets the teen be at home with her family after school hours.

Parents and teens will also need to decide if they want a college prep school with a military focus or an actual military school. Both can be excellent ways to prepare for college and to learn the skills a military school education instills, but they may have different focuses in their after school activities and the social life available to the girls.

Another important factor in finding the right military school is whether you want a co-ed or an all-girls military school. Co-ed military schools are more common.

Some other questions you may want to ask when deciding on a military school are:

• Is the school accredited?
• How far is it from home and how often can the family visit?
• What is the success rate of the school in getting students accepted to college?
• What is the average class size (smaller is better)?
• Are there AP or dual enrollment classes available?
• Are enrichment classes like foreign languages and art taught?
• Do students have the opportunity to use and become familiar with computer technology?
• Are there travel study or study abroad opportunities available?
• What other activities are available, like sports, band, etc.?
• Is there diversity in the student body?
• Do students have access to tutoring and peer counseling?
• What is the school’s policy on hazing and drug or alcohol use?
• If you are religious, do students have access to worship services, and will their religious practices, such as a restrictive diet or special holidays, be respected?

Before choosing a girls’ military school, visit the school and make sure that you and your daughter are comfortable with what you see there. The atmosphere should be structured, but not cruel or abusive. Look for a school that uses an honor code and positive peer pressure to instill self-discipline, and that motivates students through rewards more than punishments. The school should focus on the students’ physical, mental, and moral well-being, and its values and philosophies should mesh well with yours.

Always research a girls’ military school before enrolling your daughter to make sure it doesn’t have a bad reputation, such as for verbal or physical abuse. It may also help you and your daughter to talk to other parents and students who have attended the school.