Boarding Schools Masters School
Masters School |
location | type | grades | students | int’l. | s-f ratio | class | SSAT | SAT-avg | TOEFL |
Dobbs Ferry, NY | co-ed | 9-12 | 699 | 9% | 8:1 | 14 | Not req | 1343 | 85-105 |
Students are the heart and soul of a school and as admission officers we are thrilled with the role we play in creating our student body. Each year we meet with more than 800 parents and their children to learn of their hopes and aspirations and to describe the distinctive Masters School experience.
The mission of the English Department is to help our students think and communicate clearly. We emphasize purposeful writing, effective speaking, thoughtful listening, and careful reading because these skills are the basis for academic and personal growth. We study literature as a model for effective communication as well as for its moral and aesthetic values; we strive to facilitate our students’ own discovery of literature’s power to move and enlighten.
In the intimacy of small classes around the Harkness table, students work with each other and the teacher in an ongoing project of collaborative inquiry and discovery. Discussion, projects, and presentations are common because they require students to take an active role in their learning. We use a variety of writing modes (formal, informal, critical, exploratory, personal, and creative). Students can practice the range of skills they need in their pursuit of understanding.
Academics
At The Masters School, our expectations for the student tend to be different than those set by other schools. As is made manifest by the Harkness table, which plays a prominent role in our educational philosophy, some of the most valuable learning takes place in the company of one’s classmates. That learning occurs as we interact with others and exchange ideas during the class discussion, as we engage ourselves in meaningful and open dialogue with others, and as we develop the confidence to express our own views and the maturity to reflect upon and reevaluate those views.
Special Highlights
Senior Class Project: Prom for Teens with Special Needs. The young ladies spent time picking out dresses and exploring makeovers, the young men rented tuxedos or had their suits pressed, and the parents simply had a wonderful time with the whole experience. This is the type of event that these teens have perhaps seen their siblings experience but have had little chance to enjoy themselves.
The Arts at Masters. Students with a passion for the arts find that their time at The Masters School is a chance to acquire and develop skills and understanding. It is also a time during which they find their creative voices. Students expand their minds along with their eyes and ears. They come face-to-face with the many feelings or ideas they want to express. They demonstrate through their work that they have discovered themselves. They learn to articulate joy, sorrow, and hope without words. They use their art to tell others what they have seen, heard, and felt in the world around them.
Top colleges attended by students
New York University, George Washington University, Cornell University, Skidmore College, American University, Barnard College, Emory University, Hamilton College, University of Chicago, University of Pennsylvania
What the school looks for in students…
“We look for a variety of characteristics for our incoming students and try to keep a balance in our student body, but overall look for well-rounded students that like to try new things.”