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Vicmoto

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Dear all,
I'm considering sending my 15 years old daughter for the next school year to the US, COVID willing, to improve both her English and her skiing. Canada would also be an option.
I would appreciate any advice regarding High Schools with a decent ski program. I'm not looking for top stuff for future FIS racers at >50k€ a year. I'd just like to give her the opportunity to become a (much) better skier than she is now, have the experience of leaving abroad, mature and consolidate her English skills. She is a fairly good skier and has been racing for the last three years although not necessarily at the top.
Any advice is welcome.
:)
 

Philpug

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Are you thinking public or private school/academy?
 
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Vicmoto

Vicmoto

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I guess that rather a private school because it would have to be a boarding school. Not sure if there is any public boarding school with a ski program...
 

Wilhelmson

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Maybe you could narrow your selection by focusing on schools in your price range with reasonable travel costs. Is financial assistance an option or are you priced out?
 

ScottB

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There are private ski academy schools such as Burke, Vermont on the East Coast, and plenty out west as well. They are mostly right on a mountain and skiing is the focus and academics is structured around ski time. Then there are private boarding schools that in the right parts of the country will have ski teams. And there are "exchange student" like programs that will arrange "host familys" for boarding and then will attend a public school in the area or a private school, either way. I was a host family for a boy from China for 3 years and he attended St Johns Prep in Massachusetts with my son (sorry, all boys school) and he went through EDUBoston for the program. I just checked and EDUBoston was shut down and the owner arrested by the FBI, so I don't recommend them, but a reputable one is worth considering.

To my knowledge, there is no such thing as a public boarding school in the US, they are all private. College level there is, but not High School.
 

pchewn

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Here are a couple of alternatives for you:

1) A student foreign exchange program. You sign up with the foreign exchange program, get qualified and they find you a host family that does skiing. Your child lives with the host family and attends the school usually with the host family child at a public school. The skiing is whatever program the host family is currently active with. My family has hosted students from Japan and Germany. The organization we used is Education Travel and Culture

2) A private boarding school with emphasis on skiing or ski racing. The one I am familiar with is our local Mt Hood Academy . They have a boarding school with a ski race training program.

There are other options, these are just two types of option.
 

S.H.

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To my knowledge, there is no such thing as a public boarding school in the US, they are all private. College level there is, but not High School.
Google says there are: https://boardingschools.us/public-boarding-schools/

That said ... a private school with a solid ski program seems most likely to be OP's best bet. There are a lot of them, but figuring out how to attend may be tricky (or not - I don't know). Public schools (generally) won't be as easy to play sports for as an "exchange" student, and an academy is overkill for your stated (skiing) goals.

Big constraints will be (1) budget, (2) level of skiing you are interested in, and (3) academics/logistics. Admission may also be an issue.
 

Jilly

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Rotary clubs do exchanges. The issue would be to find a family that is into skiing. I know there is an Academy similar to Burke's out of Banff Alberta. But more for up and coming racers to get school and race coaching.

Tremblant was running for a number of years "Ski/Ride le Gap". But that is for a gap year between school and university. Program has not been running at a profit the last few years and I don't think ran at all last season.
 

James

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Well the Aspen High School has a lift right into Aspen Highlands. How one gets in is another story. I don’t know how a foreigner goes to a public US school unless they’re living in the town.
 

Jerez

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I don't know if these are the best or not, but our grandkids went to two very different ski high schools. The eldest, a girl, went to Gould Academy https://gouldacademy.org/ in Maine. She received a superb education (and a nice scholarship too.) She was there starting in Jr. High all the way through High School. Excellent boarding facility good skiing and great education.

The younger, a boy, did only his last two years at a ski academy and also loved his experience. He went to Steamboat Mountain School in Colorado. https://steamboatmountainschool.org/who-we-are/ (formerly Lowell Whiteman Academy) They have both a racing and freeride team. It is a hybrid school in that the academic school and boarding department is with the Mountain School which accommodates several programs, including an international program and several sports programs. The ski program is run by Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club. https://www.sswsc.org/

I think perhaps the most well known East Coast ski high school is Burke Academy. They considered it but chose differently. Burke is very, very serious about their ski team and I believe it is highly competitive to get in there and your student would have to already have a pretty good racing record.
 

scott43

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The only two I know of in Canada are The Red Mountain Academy in Rossland BC and The National Ski Academy in Collingwood, Ontario. I have no idea how they are in terms of quality.
 

Castle Dave

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Perhaps a public school program and living with a host family would work. The Sea to Sky School District has an International Program which includes Whistler. Lots of activities not just skiing.
 
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Vicmoto

Vicmoto

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Wow!!! I'm overwhelmed with all the information I got from you guys. Fantastic! Thanks a lot. I have some homework to do.
I knew that this is the place to ask about this!;)
 

Guy in Shorts

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Killington Mountain School (KMS) is a private High School in Killington Vermont were the students start the day ski training then attend classes in the afternoon.
 

Erik Timmerman

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I think Proctor and Holderness are two good choices. Maybe Northfields Mount Hermon too. I don't think it would make sense to send her to a pure ski academy like GMVS.
 

wooglin

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I think Proctor and Holderness are two good choices. Maybe Northfields Mount Hermon too. I don't think it would make sense to send her to a pure ski academy like GMVS.
NMH is my alma mater. Great school but I don’t know that it is what I’d consider a ski school. At least not back in the day. Very well rounded though, for sure.

Couple of other schools with strong ski programs that aren’t ski academies are Kimball Union Academy and the White Mountain School. Both compete in the same league as Holderness and Proctor.
 
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hrstrat57

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Dear all,
I'm considering sending my 15 years old daughter for the next school year to the US, COVID willing, to improve both her English and her skiing. Canada would also be an option.
I would appreciate any advice regarding High Schools with a decent ski program. I'm not looking for top stuff for future FIS racers at >50k€ a year. I'd just like to give her the opportunity to become a (much) better skier than she is now, have the experience of leaving abroad, mature and consolidate her English skills. She is a fairly good skier and has been racing for the last three years although not necessarily at the top.
Any advice is welcome.
:)

Stratton Mountain School and Holderness come to mind in New England. Either should provide exposure for potential NCAA racing as well. Holderness is in Plymouth an easy commute to Boston, Portland, Manchester and Concord and is a college town ( Plymouth State)
 

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