Cotter Schools

2025 Spring FAM Trip | School Visit Stop #10: Cotter Schools, Minnesota
After concluding our journey in Wisconsin, our FAM Trip continued today to the beautiful small town of Winona, Minnesota, where we visited Cotter Schools.
The school's arrangements were incredibly thoughtful. Besides picking up our visiting group with a school bus, every corner of the campus was personally guided by the most professional staff: the art building was explored with an enthusiastic art teacher who helped us appreciate creative charm, while the sports center featured a coach introducing the facilities and training plans. In real classrooms, we also listened to live presentations from student representatives, gaining a firsthand understanding of the diverse and fulfilling campus life at Cotter.
The school's teachers told us that many students, even after graduating from Cotter, actively recommend the school to their friends and family. This heartfelt endorsement is the truest affirmation of the school.
What was even more delightful was that after our school visit, the school arranged for us to take a school bus to the hilltop, offering a panoramic view of the entire beautiful town of Winona from above. Spring sunshine, blue skies, and winding rivers intertwined to form a serene painting, making everyone instantly fall in love with this quiet, beautiful, and safe town. Such warm and thoughtful arrangements continuously boosted our favorable impression of Cotter.

Academic aspects: Teachers' teaching quality varies, and they do not prioritize students' grades. Student aspects: Low moral standards, many racists, and teachers ignore these issues. Dormitory aspects: The environment needs improvement, dorm staff confiscate mobile phones, and there are mandatory activities; the internet is cut off at night, making it impossible to complete homework. Additionally, dorm staff are racist.

The school frequently finds excuses to expel Chinese students and does not refund any fees. Whoever goes will regret it. It's a thuggish, disgusting, and garbage school; Chinese people should definitely not go.

Cotter Schools is a boarding secondary school located in Minnesota. It has a great school community and is surrounded by three universities. The school has a history of nearly 100 years, covers an area of 45 acres, and offers boarding for grades 7-12. The climate is similar to Beijing. Local residents are highly educated, and both the learning and living environment are excellent.

School Features:

1. Affordable Fees: Compared to other boarding schools, the tuition fee of $43,500 USD at this school offers excellent value for money.

2. Outstanding Arts Programs: Offers drawing, oil painting, printmaking, 2D/3D design, photography, band, vocal music, choir, musical theater, etc. It also has its own theater, band, choir, and music ensembles. The Honor Band has received the "Best in Class" award.

3. Prominent Special Programs: Computer science, programming, web design, animation design, astronomy, electronics, and robotics.

4. International Programs are a Cotter specialty: Every summer, international students from all over the world come to campus for programs like student exchange programs and summer camps.

5. College Credit Programs: Offers the PACC program, in cooperation with the University of St. Mary's Minnesota and Winona State University, providing college-level credit courses on the Cotter campus.

6. Rich Curriculum: Offers 23 AP courses, 12 honor courses, and college credit courses for students to choose from.

Cotter School has received a $35 million alumni donation for the construction of a brand new campus and new student dormitories! It is planned to be put into use by the end of 2020. In 2020, the school's offered grades will be adjusted to 5-12, and in 2021, the school's offered grades are planned to be adjusted to K-12, further expanding the campus size! Among the outstanding graduates of the Class of 2019, two are from China, having been admitted to Johns Hopkins for Biomedical Engineering and receiving a full scholarship for Physics at UC Berkeley, respectively!

Admissions officers will visit China this month. The specific schedule is as follows:
[Shanghai] December 3, Tuesday, 14:00~17:00
Pullman Shanghai South, No. 15 Dapu Road, Huangpu District, Shanghai
[Hangzhou] December 5, Thursday, 14:00~17:00
Courtyard by Marriott Hangzhou Wulin, No. 28 Hushu South Road, Gongshu District, Hangzhou
[Shenzhen] December 6, Friday, 15:00~21:00
Marco Polo Shenzhen, No. 28 Fuhua 1st Road, Futian District, Shenzhen
[Guangzhou] December 8, Sunday, 19:00~21:00
The Westin Guangzhou, No. 6 Linhe Middle Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou