Information on American Seminaries

amother

Thu, Mar 16 2023, 9:32 am

I'm starting my research a bit early.
I have an 11th grade daughter in Lakewood.
Unfortunately, the school she's in tend to push Israeli seminaries and seem to havae less updated and reliable information about American seminaries so I feel like I need to get educated.

Tell me about American Seminaries.
How much does it cost?
Where is it located?
Is there a dorm? Does that cost include the dorm or is it extra?
What type of girl goes?
Are any degrees, certificates, or college credits available?
Do they give scholarships?
What kind of trips, shabbatons, etc do they have?
Anything else unique about that seminary.

My list so far is Intensive, Reb Assaf, Lakewood Teachers Seminary, Bnos Chaim, Migdal, and a new place Kerem but I don't know anything about any of these places, just the name.

amother

Butterscotch

Thu, Mar 16 2023, 10:10 am

Bnos Binah is a Bais Yaakov seminary in Brooklyn.

They are not academic. There are not tests or assignments. Pure Learning L’shmah.

Wonderful high Hashkafah classes

They offer college credits and even vocational training and various options for different careers.

If your daughter stays in the dorm, there’s an additional charge for their dorm

amother

Thu, Mar 16 2023, 10:15 am

amother Butterscotch wrote:

What's the tuition?
What's the dorm costs?

When you say not academic, what does that mean practically? An academic girl who enjoys learning, does well on tests, and enjoys the challenge of guided independent learning of seforim and meforshim. Will she do well there or will she not feel challenged?

What kind of vocational training and other careers?

How big is the seminary and roughly how many girls dorm?

malky800

Thu, Mar 16 2023, 10:29 am

Bnos Bina does not encourage in town girls to dorm. It's considered a smaller seminary and it's not really a dorm. More like apartment they have for the girls. The girls are expected to take their own responsibility.

It's an offshoot of Ohr Nava for the frum girl. Girls who are looking to ask question and grow in their hashkafah have alot to gain from this sem.

ayalaf

Wed, Sep 27 2023, 7:50 am

amother OP wrote:

There's no in sefer learning

amother

Butterscotch

Wed, Sep 27 2023, 8:07 am

Maayanos in Toronto - Don't know much about this place

Bnos Chaim in Lakewood: has a great dorm. Dorm costs extra. Great, solid, Yeshivish girls go. They can sometimes be selective with who they accept. It's not so academic, mostly hashkafah based classes with VERY few reports and tests. They offer around 36 college credits.
They go on trips and they also do in-shabbosim as well. They also do a 1-2 week trip to Eretz Yisroel.

Bais Yaakov Intensive- in Boro Park. Has a dorm. Very easy to get into. They accept majority of girls that apply. Very very Yeshivish girls go. Has excellent teachers

Migdal in Lakewood- Highly academic.

Kerem in Lakewood - Don't know much about this place.

Tiferes Sara in Lakewood - Half day program, no dorm. Not so academic. Pretty chilled place.

Lakewood half day- Don't know much about this place. No dorm

Nitzos in Flatbush - no dorm. Variety of girls go. Mostly good BY girls but not super intense.

amother

Coral

Wed, Sep 27 2023, 8:13 am

amother Butterscotch wrote:

Maayanos in Toronto - Don't know much about this place

Bnos Chaim in Lakewood: has a great dorm. Dorm costs extra. Great, solid, Yeshivish girls go. They can sometimes be selective with who they accept. It's not so academic, mostly hashkafah based classes with VERY few reports and tests. They offer around 36 college credits.
They go on trips and they also do in-shabbosim as well. They also do a 1-2 week trip to Eretz Yisroel.

Bais Yaakov Intensive- in Boro Park. Has a dorm. Very easy to get into. They accept majority of girls that apply. Very very Yeshivish girls go. Has excellent teachers

Migdal in Lakewood- Highly academic. No dorm

Kerem in Lakewood - Don't know much about this place.

Tiferes Sara in Lakewood - Half day program, no dorm. Not so academic. Pretty chilled place.

Lakewood half day- Don't know much about this place. No dorm

Nitzos in Flatbush - no dorm. Variety of girls go. Mostly good BY girls but not super intense.

Migdal and Kerem are academic "EY style" seminaries and both have dorms.

amother

Hosta

Wed, Sep 27 2023, 8:14 am

amother Butterscotch wrote:

Maayanos in Toronto - Don't know much about this place

Bnos Chaim in Lakewood: has a great dorm. Dorm costs extra. Great, solid, Yeshivish girls go. They can sometimes be selective with who they accept. It's not so academic, mostly hashkafah based classes with VERY few reports and tests. They offer around 36 college credits.
They go on trips and they also do in-shabbosim as well. They also do a 1-2 week trip to Eretz Yisroel.

Bais Yaakov Intensive- in Boro Park. Has a dorm. Very easy to get into. They accept majority of girls that apply. Very very Yeshivish girls go. Has excellent teachers

Migdal in Lakewood- Highly academic. No dorm

Kerem in Lakewood - Don't know much about this place.

Tiferes Sara in Lakewood - Half day program, no dorm. Not so academic. Pretty chilled place.

Lakewood half day- Don't know much about this place. No dorm

Nitzos in Flatbush - no dorm. Variety of girls go. Mostly good BY girls but not super intense.

To add to the above poster

BY Intensive - Not very academic, the girls don't work hard and many of them find classes boring, You can get credits but it's not easy and most girls don't try for them

Kerem - There's a dorm, pretty academic and nice crowd, you can get credit

Lakewood Half day - Extremely Yeshivish girls go, most girls don't show up every day...

amother

Mon, Nov 13 2023, 5:55 pm

Bump.
I'm looking for updated information for
Migdal
Kerem
Bnos Chaim
Lakewood Seminary
Intensive
A seminary in Toronto
Any other seminaries

I'm looking for updated information on type of girl, level of academics, how much does it cost, is there a dorm, anything else that I should know.

amother

Poppy

Wed, Nov 15 2023, 6:54 am

amother Hosta wrote:

I’ve heard that Lakewood half day is for girls who want to be able to say they went to seminary. Not sure if that’s true.

amother

Poppy

Wed, Nov 15 2023, 6:55 am

amother OP wrote:

For cost you will need to call the places yourself.

amother

Hosta

Wed, Nov 15 2023, 7:05 am

amother OP wrote:

Info didn't really change since above posters but I'll tell you briefly what I know. Don't know prices of any

Migdal - Academic with a pressure, Yeshivish, BY Lakewood kind of girls
Kerem - Academic, Yeshivish, warm and nice environment
Bnos Chaim - Not as academic, more chilled environment, Lakewood girls don't dorm, many out of towners
Lakewood Seminary - This is half day, extremely yeshivish, girls don't show up always
Intensive - Very Yeshivish, most Lakewood girls are from Meon and Bais Shaindel, not so academic you could get away with not working at all
A seminary in Toronto - Is this still around?

There's Asaf - Very academic, school until 5, many Chassidish high maintenance girls

amother

Latte

Wed, Nov 15 2023, 7:27 am

Hi I just wanted to chime in regarding cost. I have a daughter currently in seminary in Israel if you think that staying in America is cheaper you are mistaken. My niece is currently in a seminary in Lakewood and is paying more in tuition than I am for a seminary in Israel. Just a thought

amother

Wed, Nov 15 2023, 7:29 am

amother Latte wrote:

Because of the price on paper?
Because of seminary scholarships?
Or because of grants?

And which seminaries?

Money is not my only, or not even my main reason for choosing American seminaries. But I would like to know facts.

So can you please state numbers

amother

Lightcoral

Wed, Nov 15 2023, 7:43 am

The financials really depend on your personal situation. What any specific person pays is irrelevant to you.
The price on paper of many EY seminaries is extremely high, but many are paying a lot less due to:
-Scholarships for low income
-Scholarships for kollel/klei kodesh familes
-Going through college such as Touro or TTI and getting aid from FAFSA.
-Lower price if they really want your dd for whatever reason and you respond with a yes right away (for examples, some sems try to change their image so will accept girls that are the new images and beg them to accept right away so they can tell others so and so is coming. they'll give a big discount then)
-MASA
Some oot cities have grants from their local federation.
etc...

HAving said that, some US sems also give scholarships. For Lakewood girls going to Lkwd sems they can also get FAFSA if you qualify and go through NJ colleges. Or they may also give their own scholarship.
Keep in mind there is a trip to EY mid year in most US sems. Forsure Assaf, Migdal and Kerem. I think I heard that Assaf does it through birthrite so it's cheaper (Free?)

Some sems don't give scholarship at all. You really have to do your research.

chili-n-cholent

Wed, Nov 15 2023, 7:51 am

Another one you are missing from your list is Elyon (BP)
Also high academic standard, they offer at least 2 tracks for getting a degree (accounting and special ed) and have a chassidish/lakewood pretty mixed crowd
I don't have more info and its possible some of what I know is outdated since the people I know that went were a few years ago

amother

Latte

Wed, Nov 15 2023, 7:53 am

On paper the tuition is exactly the same. We both are going through tti and getting the same amount of money from grants. However the seminaries locally don't give scholarships as much as the Israeli ones do from my experience. My brother was disappointed since he didn't allow his daughter to apply to Israeli seminaries thinking it would cost him a lot less staying local but in reality it's costing him way more. Theyl girls come home every Shabbos and Sunday and the shopping is constant... if u get what I mean. When they go abroad it's whatever you bought before and that's it... my daughters spending money is her own that she earned. When they stay local they're on their parents tab...Good luck!