The Williston Northampton School

Easthampton

Massachusetts

United States

Overview

Williston is an independent coeducational boarding and day school for grades 9-12 and a postgraduate year. Set in Western Massachusetts' Pioneer Valley—an area defined by its natural beauty, prestigious colleges, and rich intellectual history—Williston offers an exceptional education that integrates academics, athletics, arts, and community life with uncommon opportunities to promote high achievement and college preparation. Our picturesque campus is located minutes from Amherst, Hampshire, Mount Holyoke, and Smith Colleges, and the University of Massachusetts. This proximity provides Williston students with extraordinary opportunities for academic collaboration. Williston's mission is to inspire students to live with purpose, passion, and integrity, and as such, we focus on education the whole student via an innovative curriculum and a caring fellowship of teachers, advisors, coaches, and classmates. Known for its welcoming and friendly spirit, Williston is small enough that every student is known and comfortable, and large enough to afford students a wide array of opportunities. A classic comment you will hear from every graduate is that at Williston, kids can truly be themselves and try new things. It's a hallmark of our school that many students discover a new passion here. Williston’s has a innovative, 360-degree approach that deeply engages students and prepares them for college and life. Through five signature programs, which are interwoven into our traditional independent school curriculum, we create a rich academic and social environment that gives students the tools they need to excel and thrive. At once challenging and supportive, these programs are designed to meet each student where they are and to engage the whole student along an intentional, individualized path to realize his or her full potential at Williston, in college, and beyond.

Academics

Summary: Challenging and immersive academics are at the heart of a Williston education. Our academic environment offers a balance of structure and freedom, designed to help students develop excellent study skills, writing, and critical thinking, along with an ambitious intellectual curiosity. Our class sizes are small (average size of 12) and our course selection is large (155 courses with 49 designated as Honors as APs). Williston augments our traditional boarding school curriculum with many signature academic programs including our Writers Workshop, our Journalism course, Video Game Design, and Filmmaking, just to name a few. In addition, our Williston Scholars program is a college-model course that introduces students to the rigors of directed independent study. A trimester-long course, the program allows students to deeply engage with a topic he or she is passionate about in any discipline. Under the close mentorship and instruction of a Williston faculty member, students and classmates are guided through the steps of scholarly project development, research, implementation, and, ultimately, presentation—skills they will need to succeed at the college level. Throughout the program, students connect with content experts both inside the school and out, drawing on the intellectual wealth available to us here in the Pioneer Valley's colleges and universities. Williston’s Laboratory for Academic Success is a constellation of support that provides students at every level with the resources, instruction, and academic support they need to succeed. Students can take advantage of individual meetings with classroom teachers in our Math and Writing Centers and work with fellow students in our unique Arete peer-to-peer program. Qualified students may also meet one-on–one with members of our Learning Support team and/or Five-College graduate student tutors during our evening study hours. Within the Laboratory for Academic Success, Williston students can avail themselves of the academic support that best suits their needs and that will challenge them to be their best. Our 95 faculty members bring their love of learning to the classroom, together with broad life experiences. 67% of them hold graduate degrees. These talented teachers create a dynamic classroom environment, emphasizing discussion and collaboration and promoting an open exchange of ideas.

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Student/Teacher Ratio: 6:1

Average Class Size: 12

Summer Programs: Offered

Full Time Teachers: 96

Number of AP Courses Offered: 52

Teachers Holding Advanced Degrees: 75.0%

Number of IB Courses Offered: 0

Noteworthy Information:

English

Creative Writing
Honors
Literature
Playwriting
Poetry

History

Asian History
Classical History
European History
Honors
United States History
World History

Foreign Languages

Chinese-Mandarin
French
Latin
Spanish

Religion / Philosophy

Ethics
Philosophy
World Religions

Humanities / Social Sciences

Economics
Psychology

Sciences

Anatomy
Animal Behavior
Astronomy
Biology
Chemistry
Ecology
Environmental Science
Genetics
Physics
Physiology
Organic Chemistry
Psychology

Math

Computer Studies

Computer Programming
Computer Science

Music

Choral Music
Composition
Electronic Music
Individual Instructions
Music History
Orchestra
Recording
Voice

Performing / Visual Arts

Acting
Architecture
Art History
Ballet
Ceramics
Choreography
Dance
Design
Directing
Drama
Drawing
Lighting Design
Painting
Photography
Pottery
Sculpture
Stagecraft
Studio Art
Television Production
Textiles
Theater Arts
Theater Design
3-D Art
Modern Dance

Special Programs

Study Abroad
Community Service
Independent Study

Distinctive or New Programs

Writing Center
Readers & Writers Master Class
Writers' Workshop Series
Photographers'lecture Series
Five College Academic Enrichment

Campus Life

Dorm Life

Number of Dorms: 8

Average Students Per Dorm: 25

Number of Girls Dorms: 3

Number of Boys Dorms: 5

Dorm Amenities

Game Room
Laundry Facilities
Lounge
Vending Machines
Wireless Internet

Other Dorm Amenities

New Dorm for 40. 9th and 10th grade boys opening Fall 2018!

Student Life

Williston students take on leadership opportunities in over thirty active clubs on campus, participate in community service opportunities with their advisory, and enjoy outstanding weekend activities in the Five College region.

Facilities

All-Weather Track
Baseball Field
Basketball Court
Fitness Center
Indoor Basketball Court
Indoor Pool
Technology Center
Volleyball Court

Other Facilities

2 Synthetic turf fields
Reed Campus Center - features snack bar + ping pong + pool tables
Stu Bop - a huge student activities space where we host dances + guest entertainers + student run coffee houses + many other student activities

Clubs & Organizations

Arts & Athletics

Summary: ATHLETICS Athletics are an integral part of our program with 61 teams in 32 sports competing in state-of-the-art facilities, including 2 turf fields, an ice rink, a six-lane pool, 12 tennis courts, and a state-of-the-art fitness center. Our statistics speak for themselves. 20 Williston teams have competed in NEPSAC championships in the last five years. Over 40 students have signed Letters of Intent to play sports at DI and DII schools in the last two years. There are more than 300 All-Americans in our school's history. ARTS In addition to vibrant classes in visual and performing arts, Williston offers a unique Arts Intensive Program that allows artists to dedicate two hours daily to dance, music, or visual arts. Our creative facilities include a professional theater, costume shop, 5 art studios, digital music studio, photo studio, and an art gallery where professional and students artists display their work. Other distinctive programs include: a Photographers Lecture Series, Working Artist Awards, a visiting artist series (The Grum Project), as well as an opportunity to pursue independent arts projects in the Williston Scholars program. Recent graduates of Williston have gone on to programs including Berklee College of Music, Rhode Island School of Design, NYU Tisch School of the Arts, and Parsons School of Design.

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Athletics Department Director: 003f400000GtDlgAAF

Arts

Acting
Architecture
Art History
Ballet
Ceramics
Choreography
Dance
Design
Directing
Drama
Drawing
Lighting Design
Painting
Photography
Pottery
Sculpture
Stagecraft
Studio Art
Television Production
Textiles
Theater Arts
Theater Design
3-D Art
Modern Dance

Interscholastic Sports

Alpine Ski Racing
Baseball
Basketball
Cross Country Running
Diving
Field Hockey
Football
Golf
Ice Hockey
Lacrosse
Soccer
Softball
Squash
Swimming
Tennis
Track and Field
Ultimate Frisbee
Volleyball
Water Polo
Wrestling

Recreational Sports

Aerobics
Dance
Equestrian
Martial Arts
Mountain Biking
Rock Climbing
Tennis
Ultimate Frisbee
Weight Lifting

Graduates

Summary: Our four-year approach to the college process emphasizes reflection, self-awareness and independence. Though class assemblies, group advisory meetings, and individual meetings with advisors and teachers, ninth and tenth graders focus on building their academic foundation, including discussions about course selection and standardized tests. By the junior year, students participate in a class on the college process and begin to meet one-on-one with their college counselor on a monthly basis to discuss goals, values, and interests. Classroom sessions, essay workshops, panel discussions, mini college fairs, practice interviews, and more prepare students to take the lead in their college search process and to matriculate to their best-fit college.

College attended in the past 5 years by our graduates:

Notable Alumni

Ann Dowd

Class of 1974

Emmy-award winning Actress

Brad Hall

Class of 1975

Actor Producer Writer. Saturday Night Live Weekend Update Anchor

Koyalee Chanda

Class of 1992

Emmy-nominated Director directed episodes of Blue's Clues and Sesame Street

Winthrop Crane

Class of

40th Governor of Massachusetts U.S. Senator Owner of the Crane Paper Company

Lawson Ramage

Class of 1926

Vice Admiral in the U.S. Navy Decorated with the Medal of Honor

Patrick Rissmiller

Class of 1997

Professional Hockey Player NHL New York Rangers Forward

Chic Eglee

Class of 1970

Screenwriter & Producer for Television

Edward Clark Potter

Class of

Sculptor of New York Public Library lions

Victor H. Fazio

Class of 1961

California Congressman

Quotes From Alumni

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Merit

Merit Scholarships: Offered

Students Receiving Merit Scholarships: %

Average Merit Scholarship: 10,000

Current Endowment Amount: $42,000,000

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Vital Information

Student Body Type: Coed

Total Boarding: 286

Total Day: 130

Total Enrollment: 416

Boys: 221

Girls: 195

Boarding Grades Offered: 9-12

Day Grades Offered: 9-12

School Type: High School, Post-grad

Dress Code: Casual

Applications Accepted: SAO, Gateway to Prep

Application Deadline: January 15th

Tuition & Financial Aid

7-Day Boarding: $66,500

5-Day Boarding: N/A

Day Tuition Fee: $45,600

Need-Based Aid: Offered

Payment Plans: Offered

Students Receiving Aid: %

Average Awarded: $31,400

School Finances