Thacher School

Boarding Schools  Thacher School

Thacher School

Thacher School

www.thacher.org

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location type grades students int’l. s-f ratio class SSAT SAT-avg TOEFL
Ojai, CA co-ed 9-12 255 12% 6:1 11 96% 1385 Yes

It is no coincidence that the ranch that became this school was named “Casa de Piedra”—house of stone. Rock-solid in its second century, Thacher has carefully maintained Sherman Day Thacher’s original cornerstone values of hard work – both intellectual and physical – and of honesty, selflessness, and concern for others that extends well beyond our campus and beyond even our time here. The foundation is strong; the house built plumb.

Thacher trains young men and women in the art of living for their own greatest good and for the greatest good of their fellow citizens in a diverse and changing world. To that end, the School augments its highly challenging academic program with profound lessons learned from the care of a horse, regular chores around the School, teamwork on playing fields, outstanding instruction in the arts, the give and take of everyday life with schoolmates and teachers, and adventures shared in the wilderness. The aim is to inspire and encourage hard work, integrity, self-reliance, self-knowledge, a lifelong love of learning and truth, and a deep concern for the world in which we live.

 Academics

Deeply committed to the intellectual life and the development of its students, Thacher offers an academic program that is both rigorous and flexible. At its c-re, the program is designed to encourage the best mix of broad, general background and specialized study for each student. While our basic diploma requirements prepare our students for college-level study, all Thacher students move well beyond this minimum to pursue areas of special interest. Thacher offers a broad and rich array of Advanced Placement (AP) courses, as well as several courses beyond the AP level.

 Special Highlights

Spiritual Life. Although nonsectarian and nondenominational in nature, the School recognizes the importance of religious and spiritual study and insight for the overall growth and well-being of the individual and the community. Thacher does not require chapel, but we offer students a number of spiritual and religious options.

Clubs & Organizations. Thacher supports a wide variety of clubs and related organizations. Some, such as Thacher Pack and Spur, have been active for well over a century. Others wax and wane as different students come through the School, bringing their own interests, passions and expertise to the community. Currently, about 20 active clubs meet regularly; they are open to every member of the School.

 Top colleges attended by students

Bowdoin College, Colorado College, Dartmouth College, Davidson College, George Washington University, Middlebury College, Stanford University, USC, Wesleyan University, Yale University

 What the school looks for in students…

“We look for students from a variety of backgrounds who share a passion for doing their best, for respecting each other’s interests and talents, and for enjoying an energetic intellectual life. We want to enroll students of the highest moral character who have an interest not only in receiving a top-notch academic education, but who also will contribute to and participate in the life of the School.”