What are the seminaries Really all about?

amother

OP ↓

Mon, Nov 11 2024, 4:50 pm

I read these threads about seminaries and I wonder- is the difference in the seminaries really all about how yeshivish/not/academic/warm/in-towny/out of towny etc they are?

My oldest daughter is in tenth grade so we're not up to that yet, but it's not very far away and I wonder if I'm the only one who wants to know more about the seminary- What do they stand for? What's their chinuch like? What kind of hashkafos are they imparting? What is my daughter really coming home with different than the next place?

When I think of the seminary I went to, I don't think of what type of girls were there (though I had great friends that I loved) how hard I studied (too hard!) or how much fun I had (tons!) - what I think of is what I gained from that year, the life outlook that changed me...

Am I alone in this thinking?

amother

Coffee ↓

Tue, Nov 12 2024, 2:14 pm

I really believe it's a safe stepping stone out of the house.
And yes the types of girls they are with has a big impact.
We chose for many daughters BH based on the fit for each child .
the categories we looked at were

1.location
2. intensity and hours of study
3. ability to choose classes or not.
4. very text based or not.
5. attracts in town girls or not
6. rules such as curfews, kosher phones, tsnius guidelines.
7. in shabbosim/meals during wk Vs own cooking and figuring places to go.
8. keshers with teachers and personal time given or more general teaching to an average girl.
9. what's the personal support from medical team if needed, social workers, aim bayit etc.

Bih I find it worth every penny.
Yes it's a rip off but it's been safe and growth oriented for my girls BH and that have all flourished from it.
We chose VERY carefully and kept in close contact with SEM and our dd all year
Bih as still have more to send BH bh

amother

Cyclamen

Wed, Nov 13 2024, 9:45 pm

amother Coffee wrote:

Where can u get all this type of information about the seminaries?

chestnut ↓

Wed, Nov 13 2024, 10:45 pm

amother OP wrote:

Maybe you don't think the girls' types and warmth are important cause they were part of your seminary experience? For someone who didn't have friends or warm, understanding teachers, that might color their whole seminary experience.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Wed, Nov 13 2024, 10:56 pm

chestnut wrote:

Those things are definitely important. But they're not the only thing. When I said that I don't think of those things I meant that's not what gave me the life changing seminary year that I had. Of course they contributed because if I didn't have that I couldn't have had such a great year. But just that, without the other things that I mentioned I wanted to hear about, would not have given me what seminary gave me.

And I just find that when asking about seminaries, never do I hear anything about their views, messages that they impart, hashkafa, what they stand for...

amother

↑ OP

Wed, Nov 13 2024, 11:01 pm

amother Coffee wrote:

the categories we looked at were

1.location
2. intensity and hours of study
3. ability to choose classes or not.
4. very text based or not.
5. attracts in town girls or not
6. rules such as curfews, kosher phones, tsnius guidelines.
7. in shabbosim/meals during wk Vs own cooking and figuring places to go.
8. keshers with teachers and personal time given or more general teaching to an average girl.
9. what's the personal support from medical team if needed, social workers, aim bayit etc.

So I guess I'm alone in wondering why nowhere on this list (which seems extremely wise and responsible and I may want to keep it for reference in the future!) is there mention of values and messages and all that I mentioned above?

amother

↑ Coffee

Wed, Nov 13 2024, 11:03 pm

To find out.
1. ask the girls there THIS YEAR
2. ask staff (phone, email etc)
3. blessed to have visited sems bf sending and "interviewed" girls and staff there.
4. word on the street!

,it is a massive research project and should be treated as such.
you're spending 25k and investing in a critical year for your DD, DO YOUR RESEARCH
hatslacha

amother

Honeydew

Thu, Nov 14 2024, 12:47 am

amother OP wrote:

To repeat amother saddlebrown -- thats because the yeshivish schools are very similar in those areas.

They differ more in the girls that go etc,

When you get to the less yeshivish, you do see values snd massages being discussed.

↑ chestnut

Thu, Nov 14 2024, 12:51 am

amother OP wrote:

How was your seminary year life changing?