Boarding Schools  Suffield Academy

Suffield Academy www.suffieldacademy.org

Suffield Academy is a co-educational independent secondary school serving a diverse community of boarding and day students. Our school has a tradition of academic excellence combined with a strong work ethic. A commitment to scholarship and a respect for individual differences guide our teaching and curriculum. We engender among our students a sense of responsibility, and they are challenged to grow in a structured and nurturing environment. The entire academic, athletic, and extracurricular experience prepares our students for a lifetime of learning, leadership, and active citizenship.

There is an emphasis here on helping students succeed, and focusing on the distance they travel during their years on the Suffield campus. Our mission also speaks to the nature of our community—what it feels like to be at Suffield. This is a school that combines challenging academics and high standards with an encouraging, supportive faculty. This clarity about who we are gives Suffield an important position in the independent school world.

 Academics

At the foundation of our approach is a feeling that each student is unique. While we have defined academic requirements in nine specific areas, the focus of our program is on the distance each student travels during their time at Suffield. We provide small classes with supportive, encouraging teachers. The most important aspect of our academic program is that it is designed to serve the interests and talents of a wide range of students. In many respects the program is as big as a small school can have.

 Special Highlights

Leadership Program. The aim of the Suffield Academy Leadership Program is to help develop human beings with skills and habits that lend themselves to making a significant and positive impact on society. We want our graduates to have the capacity to define and achieve meaningful goals and dreams. Thus, Suffield has embarked on a unique program to teach ways of thinking and to develop skills and habits that enhance each student’s leadership qualities.

Writing Center. The Writing Center seeks to provide a nonjudgmental atmosphere where students are comfortable asking their peers for assistance with the writing process: brainstorming, outlining, developing a thesis, strengthening a conclusion as well as overall effectiveness of a paper’s argument. It is the center’s belief that writers of all abilities can benefit from individual conferences about their writing. Their well-trained tutors have consistently excelled in their English classes and have a genuine interest in helping people who need some writing advice.

 Top colleges attended by students

Cornell University, George Washington, Amherst, Northeastern University, Syracuse University, Boston College, Trinity College, Johns Hopkins, Georgetown, University of St. Andrews, Scotland

 What the school looks for in students…

“The Admissions Committee seeks students who are committed to serious study and who have a sense of purpose, a good record both academically and personally, and supportive recommendations from persons who know the student well.”