Boarding Schools  Portsmouth Abbey School

Portsmouth Abbey www.portsmouthabbey.org

Portsmouth Abbey School is a coeducational, Catholic Benedictine boarding and day school for students in grades 9 to 12. Founded in 1926 by the English Benedictine community, the School is located on a 500-acre campus along the picturesque shores of Rhode Island’s Narragansett Bay. On the school’s grounds is the world-class Carnegie Abbey Club Golf Course.

The Portsmouth Abbey education is grounded in the Western intellectual tradition, from ancient Greece and Rome and continuing into this century. This classical curriculum is balanced by a focus on spirituality, athletics, the arts and fun.

 Academics

The School’s mission encompasses the importance of reverence for God and the human person, respect for learning and order, and responsibility for the shared experience of community life. The aim of Portsmouth Abbey School is to help young men and women grow in knowledge and grace. Grounded in the Catholic faith and 1500-year-old Benedictine intellectual tradition, the School fosters: Reverence for God and the human person; respect for learning and order; responsibility for the shared experience of community life.

 Special Highlights

Intellectual Formation. Our curriculum is designed to foster greater fluency in the written language while creating a shared historical sense among students. To that end, all Third Form students study Christian Doctrine, English, Latin, Ancient History and Mathematics, and choose two electives from offerings in Art or Music, Science, and Modern Languages. Students continue to take several required core courses in subsequent years.

The Service Requirement. The School maintains a 10-hour community service requirement for all students in Form IV. This program provides a window on existing volunteer work and includes some classroom reflection on the role of service to the community. Independent projects are accepted in fulfillment of the requirement—students can be creative, take some initiative, and put together their own volunteer project or work with friends. The direct service element of the requirement may now be completed in either Form III or Form IV, as best fits a student’s schedule.

 Top colleges attended by students

Boston College, Cornell University, Georgetown University, College of Holy Cross, Johns Hopkins University, New York University, Princeton University, United States Military Academy, University of Virginia, Williams College

 What the school looks for in students…

“We like to see students with strong English and communication skills, and who show respect for learning and order, and responsibility for the shared experience of community life.”