Boarding Schools  Ethel Walker School

Ethel Walker School www.ethelwalker.org

The Ethel Walker School is a diverse community dedicated to scholarship, the arts, athletics, wellness and service. Walker’s offers an invaluable academic experience for girls from middle school through their secondary school years, which lasts well beyond graduation in the academic foundation built, the self-confidence developed, and the friendships forged. It is an experience and investment that lasts a lifetime.

Since 1911, The Ethel Walker School has excelled at preparing students to make a difference in the world. Members of this diverse community are dedicated to scholarship, the arts, athletics, wellness, and service. The satisfaction of achievement and joy of friendship are fundamental principles as the School empowers girls to lead with integrity, confidence, courage, and conviction.

 Academics

At Walker’s we are dedicated to helping young women maximize their potential, encouraging them to form and express their own opinions, ideas and talents. Achievement increases in the classroom, where girls are able to develop their natural talents, find their unique voices and emerge as strong, confident young women. Our program offers a balance of stimulating academics, encouragement and expectation. Reading, writing, research, analytical and critical thinking, intuitive problem-solving, collaboration, and the interconnectedness of learning are a vital part of our curriculum, and students have the opportunity to choose from a broad array of courses in theatre, dance, music, and the visual arts.

 Special Highlights

Exchange Programs. The Ethel Walker School participates in exchanges with peer schools around the world. These exchanges are meant to provide our students with the opportunity to immerse themselves into a culture and a life that is at once brand new to them and, because we have carefully chosen our peer schools, comfortable and supportive. We have formed partnerships with independent schools in four countries (and counting) who share a commitment to a rigorous academic program, a diverse and welcoming community and a full breadth of non-academic and cultural activities. Host families from schools both abroad and at Walker’s help to complete the experience and the partnerships between schools.

Mountain Day. Each fall, the Head of School surprises students with the announcement that Mountain Day will occur the following day. The beauty of the New England autumn and the crisp, fresh air add excitement to the day as the entire student body, along with faculty, climb a challenging trail up nearby Talcott Mountain to the top, for a view that stretches hundreds of miles. Walker’s is clearly visible in the Farmington Valley, but what is even more visible is the camaraderie among the community experiencing this glorious tradition.

 Top colleges attended by students

Gettysburg College, Johns Hopkins University, Mount Holyoke College, Northeastern University, Boston University, Clark University, Cornell University, Emory University, University of Pennsylvania, University of St. Andrews

 What the school looks for in students…

“Walker’s welcomes applications from girls who seek a vibrant and challenging college-preparatory education in a friendly and dynamic community. We are interested in students with a variety of talents, interests, outlooks and backgrounds.”