REVIEW OF Brentwood College School BY Alum, Teddy Mandt

Overall Experience 4.5

My experiences as a Brentonian were STELLAR. However, adjusting to boarding school life can be challenging. Also, classes on Saturday mornings were an adjustment. The canteen food was decent but has a tendency to get boring after a while. Prospective students should know that networking is a big part of going to Brentwood. You run shoulders with a lot of important people's kids, and you will get opportunities others won't, and you will get a better education to boot. A lot of those opportunities come about through having good connections. Life isn't all about what you know but who you know. I think Brentwood did a fantastic job of teaching us the importance of being well-rounded and working in balance within our day-to-day schedule. I have always loved how each day was broken into sections, with academics in the morning and then arts or sports in the afternoon, followed by academics in the evenings. This routine of breaking up the day is something I carried through into college.

School Leadership 4.5

Mr. Bud Patel was Head of School at Brentwood; he was in the right place at the perfect time. He had the ability to connect with students and families, share a clearly articulated vision for the school, and create a place of collaboration and support for all coalesced in Mill Bay, much to the benefit of all. During the summer, the principal connected with student leaders. He understood there was an opportunity to move the School forward, so he challenged them to review our student leadership structure—do the research, take a consultative approach, and bring forward a recommendation. What I will remember about Mr. Patel is his emphasis on consistency. His greatest piece of advice for me was to be like a lighthouse. That's the kind of leader the world needs: someone steady, stable, always shining, always present, always leading others towards the right path.

Teaching 5

I genuinely like all my teachers, so selecting a single favorite is challenging. However, I would like to mention a few who have profoundly impacted me. My House Master, Mr. Snow, a true and fair disciplinarian who’s plain-spoken, focused, and driven, inspires me. Mrs. Vought and Mrs. Jackson deserve recognition for patiently revealing the beauty and utility of mathematics and guiding me along the way. And Mrs. Hedquist, for her invaluable preparation and advice on life beyond Brentwood, has significantly shaped my future. I am grateful for our teaching staff's entire communal effort to make the students’ experience so special! The school understood that classroom time is critical—we need those spaces to understand the content and the discipline but so much of what students remember and really learn is drawn from the experiential piece. Especially if they have had those experiences with their classmates as a class group. Brentwood's teaching staff is brilliant at the idea of developing a holistic view because it’s a very holistic discipline.

Academics 5

The atmosphere of any private school can be a bit “cliquey," but the overall quality of the education/experiences at Brentwood far outweighed that negative. It’s much easier to be academically focused in an environment like that. Our campus buzzed with the energy of intellectual curiosity as our incredible and committed teaching faculty worked alongside us to provide us with deep learning experiences which demanded grit but, equally, yielded a great deal of joy. Some of the enriched experiences embedded into our already robust academic program would include students in the AP French Language & Culture class who participated in the concours d’art oratoire. Over 400 titles have been added to our library’s physical collection, mostly Indigenous and other minority voices (e.g. Black, Muslim, Sikh, Asian, other BIPOC, and SOGI).

Extracurriculars 5

I was delighted with the breadth and depth of our students' extracurricular activities. We saw our recreational programs push to offer more as programs like Fresh Water SCUBA explored new waters, our climbers engaged in inter-school competitions for the first time in 2024, and programs like squash, cross training, dance, yoga, and jiu-jitsu continue to thrive. The Outdoor Pursuits members were again fortunate to be part of a program that takes students to pristine places that the rest of us can only dream of. Our cross-country runners ran all over Vancouver Island, and some of our top runners competed in Island and Provincial meets.

Students 4.5

The SAC is the student-led committee responsible for social events at the School throughout the year. Student volunteers from all grades organize and host large and small social events and international dinners and assist with the Interhouse Competition. The SAC had a very busy year, generating interest and energy throughout the campus with activities and events. Last year, we brought back some old favourites that the students organized and held successfully. September is always an exciting time of year at the School, and the SAC hosts several gatherings to get things going. Spirit Week in January helped get students through the wet winter days, and they were able to show their creativity by dressing up for Red & Black Day, Twin Day, Tacky Tropical Tourist Day, a student-designed menu, and so much more.

School Life 5

The Interhouse Competitions were important to our Student Life experience at Brentwood. There are four sister/brother house teams: Mackenzie/Ellis, Allard/Rogers, Hope/Privett, and Alexandra/Whittall. Throughout the year, these four compete in a series of events worth points to determine which team will be crowned winner of the coveted Interhouse Trophy. The champions from 2022/2023 were Alex/Whittall. Events in the Interhouse Competitions call for various student abilities and interests. All require some level of athletic, artistic, and/or academic skills. Last year, the Interhouse events were highly contested and provided great fun and energy on the campus. It started with the Eco-Challenge—each house competing in a variety of tasks from swimming, racing, fire-building, canoeing, and cross-country running to building a fort within a set time frame—an intense, multi-layered contest that requires at least as much social skill as anything because your leaders and teammates may well be people you have only just met. We also put our best foot forward through Interhouse Photography, Air Band, Field Hockey, Squash, Art Paint-In, Video Gaming, Basketball, Volleyball, Debate, Tennis, and Track & Field—including a feisty Tug of War. Last year, they added an event through our amazing BEAT team. Our scuba divers pulled “garbage” from the ocean floor, and students created artwork from the items. It was a popular event and will make a return for this year.

Community 5

In many regards, Brentwood's student life programs provide the perfect opportunity for students to give of themselves for the betterment of the community while enriching the experience for all on our campus. We were so lucky to live and work in a tight-knit and caring community where these opportunities exist for all to participate. And when it comes to bright lights, none shine brighter than Brentwood alumni out in the wide world, making their voices heard and their work count. And when it comes to bright lights, none shine brighter than Brentwood alumni out in the wide world, making their voices heard and their work count. The connections we build within the Old Brentonian community extend across generations, creating bonds that reach back over the past 100 years. Our Brentwood Socials are a fantastic opportunity to reconnect with this community. This past year, we hosted the Centenary Bash on campus, welcoming over 450 guests from our Brentwood Family. The event coincided with Reunion Weekend, drawing alumni from all corners of the globe.

School Location 5

Brentwood College School is located on the west coast of Canada, in Mill Bay, BC. The spectacular oceanfront campus sets the backdrop. It is just a short trip from the Bay Area, making it a convenient and accessible option for families in Palo Alto, Napa, and other nearby communities. Its mostly West Coast Lifestyle is active, outdoor—rowing, hiking, and more.

Admissions 4.5

The application process was easy for me, and I was paired with an alum to familiarize myself with and address any questions I may have. The only way to truly understand the Brentwood experience is by talking to others who have lived the boarding life, who have those relationships with their advisors and coaches, their teachers and Houseparents, and of course the friendships that they made while here. Without that firsthand story, all the new families can really go on is trust.

University placement and counselling 5

With the global pandemic behind us, we believed post-secondary admissions might return to normal last year. But the landscape continued to be challenging for us students, with selectivity ramping up ever further. Yet, the Brentwood Graduating Class of 2024 members navigated the challenges with grace and positivity. While they were challenged to achieve all the desired choices, the array of post-secondary options they earned is as impressive as ever. More than 60% got scholarships. Students did not only apply to schools in the US but a total of 13 different countries worldwide, and more than 70% of us got an offer from our first-choice school. Lastly, the alum also plays a vital role in counselling students through career guidance.