Michael Casey in St. George's Uniform

 

By Michael Matthews

 “My parents said that they instantly knew once we were on campus that they wanted me to go to the school,” said a South Kingstown native who is a junior at St. George’s Academy.

  Tucked away in Middletown, Rhode Island, on 125 acres of land the elite prep school St. George’s School stands above the sweeping vistas of Easton’s Beach, the Sakonnet River and the Atlantic Ocean.

  “St. George’s is a great school in my opinion with excellent teachers and a student run government,” according to Casey               

  Each class at the school consists of no more than 12 students allowing for more individual instruction.

  “Teachers live on campus, which means they are almost always available to help you when you need it,” said Casey.

  “Also, having smaller class sizes, 8-12 students, makes sure that students pay attention in class which leaves no time to slack off.”

  Casey attended public schools throughout his educational career leading up to his sophomore year. After graduating from Curtis Corner Middle School in 2007, Casey attended South Kingstown High School where he was a member of the school soccer team. As the season progressed, Casey saw a substantial rise in varsity playing time.

  When the school year came to a close, one of Casey’s fellow freshman teammate told him about his decision to attend St. George’s for athletics. Upon hearing about the private school, Casey’s interest grew.

  At St. George’s, students are given the option to live at home or on campus. For a boarding student the cost of attendance per year is $43,000. For a student who lives at home the tuition costs $29,400 a year. In comparison, Yale University in Connecticut weighs in at $36,500 for yearly tuition.

  Since attending St. George’s, Casey has been recruited by top league Universities including Georgetown.

  According to The Boarding School Review, St. George’s is among the top twenty boarding schools in the nation in SAT scores and selectivity categories.

  “I was told by the administration at St. George’s that it is not easy to get into St. George’s as an incoming sophomore,” said Casey. “I was told that 10 of the 150 applicants to join St. George’s as a sophomore would be accepted.

  “To be completely honest, I know that soccer helped me out getting in [at St. George’s.]”

  During lunch at St. George’s, students may hang-out on the “Hilltop” and watch waves crash on the First, Second and Third Beaches.

   “St. George’s alumni present many scholarships each year to students in need of them,” said Casey’s Parents. “Mike is on a half scholarship which helps a lot, but is goes to show how many students receive these financial aids.”

   Private schools such as Prout and Hendricken value their education at roughly $11,000 for students in the form of tuition, uniforms and school books. A large part in the decision of schools comes from tradition and the parents.

  Many athletes from South Kingstown, including Casey decided to further their athletic career by attending prestigious high school level academies where the chances of recognition are much higher than at a Prout level school.

  Attending a school such as St. George’s who’s athletic teams are a part of the Independent School League (ISL) and the New England Preparatory School Athletic Council (NEPSAC) allow students to contend athletically against other teams across New England.  

“I think that the average student at St. George’s  is more athletic than the average athlete at SK because we all have to play competitive sports all year. Also, some students come to SG specifically to play a sport, such as soccer, basketball, swim, etc,” said Casey.

  As a requirement students must play a sport, be a trainer or manager, or conduct a service project to fulfill their physical education requirement as no physical education classes are offered at the academy.

  Despite all the glamour of St. George’s’ ivied buildings the decision and transition process for many is difficult, according to Casey.

  “It was hard leaving my friends and hometown school for a where I knew two people,” said the St. George’s junior.

“A great thing about St. George’s is that there are no cliques or groups, because everyone hangs out with everyone.”

  “It is nice to be able to walk into school, on the way to the all you can eat breakfast, and seeing nearly all the faculty and students, who know your name and have no problem going out of their way to say “hey,” or “how’s it goin!” said Casey.  

  While the decision to go to a private school is important to the student it comes to the consent of his or her parents, as well as the financial burden of roughly $40,000.
                                                                                                                                                                                               “After seeing the academic opportunities that St. George’s students receive after high-school I could not help but send my kid there,” said Casey’s parents.

   “Before my son’s freshman year I had never heard of St. George’s, yet the beautiful campus on the water with the vast campus and tree-lined entrance, leaves you not able to forget it.”