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The Kent School
Kent School is an independent co-educational boarding school located between the Appalachian Trail and the Housatonic River in Northwestern Connecticut. Students at Kent are part of a dynamic community of learning. At Kent we are dedicated to educating students in preparation for college, and life beyond. We accomplish this through a challenging academic program, with instruction provided by our talented faculty. Kent's strong college preparatory curriculum provides a classical liberal arts education, preparing students to go on to study at leading colleges and universities.
One of the great rewards of boarding school is living where you learn. Academic life at Kent is supplemented by a wide variety of athletics, arts programs, and club activities. Finally, the residential aspect of boarding school life offers a unique learning experience. All aspects of daily life -- academic, athletic, artistic, recreational and residential -- are pursued among our close-knit community of students and teachers.
Kent admits students in grades 9 -12, with the greatest number of new students matriculating for their 9th or 10th grade year. Each year we receive approximately 3,000 inquiries for openings at Kent. Our admissions officers devote careful attention to each candidate, assessing academic potential and records, as well as individual achievements and interests.
To complete the Kent Admissions process, each candidate must have an interview, complete an application, and submit standardized test scores. The links on this page provide a more detailed outline of the Admissions timetable and the steps involved.
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Student Body
Student Population: 575
516 Boarding
59 Day
Student to faculty ratio of 7:1
55% - male, 45% - female
13% of our domestic students are students of color
Students from 35 states and 26 foreign countries
18% international students
Faculty
75 teaching faculty, 73% advanced degrees
40% female, 60% male
Average class size: 12 students
Student faculty ratio 7:1
How to Reach Us
After your cyber-introduction to Kent, we hope that you will want to meet us in person. Please contact us at the following:
Kent School
P.O. Box 2006
Kent, CT 06757
Toll Free: 800-538-5368
Phone: 860-927-6111
Fax: 860-927-6109
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Kent School History
Born in 1874 in New York City, The Reverend Frederick Herbert Sill, a member of the monastic Order of the Holy Cross (O.H.C.) and a graduate of Columbia University and the General Theological Seminary, opened the doors of Kent School in 1906, at the age of 32. Fr. Sill retired as active Headmaster 35 years later in 1941; he remained Headmaster emeritus until his death on July 17, 1952. The growth of Kent School is a testament to his will and vision.
In the ensuing years, Kent has been led by three headmasters: William S. Chalmers (O.H.C.), Fr. John O. Patterson, and Sidney N. Towle '31. Our fourth and current Headmaster and Rector is Richardson W. Schell. A 1969 graduate himself of Kent, Fr. Schell went on to study at Harvard (A.B. '73) and Yale (M.Div. '76) before returning to Kent as Chaplain. He was appointed Headmaster in 1981.
The history of Kent School is a history of innovation in education. Fr. Sill founded Kent with a vision different from most prestigious boarding schools, which is captured in the school motto: Simplicity of Life, Directness of Purpose, and Self-Reliance. In accordance with the vision of our Founder, Kent was conceived as a "democratic" school; consequently, all Kent students participate in a daily work program. In addition to fostering self-reliance, the program teaches stewardship, invests students in the environment in which they live, and teaches the value of individual contributions to the community.
Fr. Sill was also committed to educating students from "all walks of life." This original mission resulted in his "sliding scale tuition," in which families paid a tuition which Fr. Sill felt they could afford. This mission is continued today with the Kent Parents Fund and our Financial Aid Program. Awarding four million annually, Kent's commitment to financial aid, relative to its endowment, ranks first among our peer schools.
With the construction in 1960 of the girls' campus, Kent was at the forefront of co-education among traditional New England boarding schools. The girls' and boys' campuses were consolidated in 1992, resulting in the current, fully integrated co-educational campus of 560 students. Currently 46% of our students are female, and 54% male, a strong indication of the success of our co-educational mission, in which boys and girls grow and learn in a traditional boarding environment.
Founded in the Episcopal tradition, as were many New England boarding schools, Kent has retained its spiritual affiliation in an era when many other institutions have relinquished theirs. Our diverse student body comes from a variety of religious backgrounds and secular traditions. Supported by two School Chaplains, students at Kent find an atmosphere which supports the beliefs and practices of all faiths by actively encouraging moral and spiritual understanding and growth. The whole school gathers at St. Joseph's Chapel for two weekday services, which often include a student, faculty, or guest speaker or performance. Thus, the spiritual component of life at Kent School contributes to our sense of community, provides students with a moral basis -- and resources -- for decision-making, and enriches the quality of life and education at Kent.
Kent is at the forefront of technological innovation in education. In 1995 we partnered with Microsoft, Toshiba and 29 other pioneer schools creating the Anytime AnyWhere Learning program. This unique program equips Kent students with laptop computers that can be used in every classroom on campus. In addition, all of our classrooms and dorm rooms, as well as our library and administrative offices, have access to the Internet and the School network. All dorm rooms are equipped with individual data and voice connections which provide phone, Internet, and intranet access for each student. Our faculty receive training in educational technology here at Kent and abroad to hone their skills. Kent is dedicated to harnessing the power of technology to give our students the best education possible.
At the start of the the new millennium, Kent will continue with its proud tradition of innovation in education - which is ongoing, every day, and across our campus.
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Intellectual Challenge...
Academic life at Kent is an exciting enterprise, inspired by the diverse interests of an energetic faculty and the commitment of hard-working students who care about doing well. Kent's strong college preparatory curriculum provides a classical liberal arts education, assuring a high level of intellectual challenge and a superior foundation for college work.
At Kent, we encourage students to go beyond the minimum graduation requirements and elect further study in the various disciplines. More than 80 percent of the student body takes at least one Advanced Placement course - some as early as the fourth form - and more than 90 percent exceed the stated diploma requirements.
The richness of the Kent curriculum affords opportunities typically not found at the secondary school level, such as studying Greek, Constitutional Law, economics, meteorology, and postcalculus mathematics.
To help our youngest students make a smooth transition into the Kent classroom, we require all third formers to take General Studies to help them acquire such important skills as test taking, note taking, reading for analysis and time management.
Discover what Kent can do for you...
* Challenge you academically.
* Develop your intellectual enterprise.
* Make you an independent learner.
* Surround you with terrific teachers.
* Prepare you for the most selective colleges.
* Put technology at your fingertips.
* Teach you self-reliance.
* Give you leadership skills.
* Introduce you to exciting new interests.
* Encourage you to serve others.
* Provide you with life long friends from across the country and around the world.
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Kent's philosophy begins with our motto: Simplicity of Life, Directness of Purpose and Self-Reliance. Our boarding environment means that learning takes place throughout the day, inside and outside the classroom, with teachers, coaches, and friends. Because of our unique geography, Kent's facilities - from the art studios to the playing fields, the library to the Dining Hall, the classrooms to the student center - are just a short walk away. You will discover that one of the great rewards of boarding school is living where you learn. Beyond the books and classes, activities and responsibilities, games and performances, Kent is a place where you will meet and make friends for life.
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The Arts at Kent School
Kent students participate in a superb visual and performing arts program. Their talents are developed -- and discovered -- through courses and an array of community activities such as exhibitions, recitals, concerts, musicals and plays. The quality of Kent's program and the caliber of instruction attract many gifted musicians, singers, dancers and artists. Kent is a place where they will be challenged academically -- and given the time to practice, to rehearse, and the venue to perform and share their work throughout the school year. Students who have yet to tap their full artistic potential are equally stimulated by the School's fertile environment for the arts, identifying a gift for photography, printmaking or ceramics in an art class, taking beginning piano or violin lessons, or making their acting debut in one of the three major productions produced annually.
A campus visitor will quickly notice the student artwork showcased throughout School buildings, as well as in The Cauldron literary magazine. Musicians and singers perform in numerous groups -- a Chamber Orchestra, Concert Band, Dixieland Band, Jazz Band, Chapel Choir, and the a cappella groups, Kentones and Kentettes.
A world of art -- Kent's lively arts scene is constantly invigorated by lectures, workshops, demonstrations and master classes given by visiting artists, performers and scholars as well as seminars presented by Kent alumni in the film industry. Three times a year, art classes take field trips to museums and galleries in New York City. The school's Performing Arts and Lecture Series brings world-class musical groups and theatre and dance companies to campus throughout the year.
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Kent has a strong tradition in sports. More than half of our student body participates each term in one of our 14 interscholastic sports. Other students play at the intramural level or on a recreational basis. Our interscholastic program serves athletes of all abilities - from those who have competed on travel teams to those who are new to a sport altogether. Each Kent sport competes at the varsity and junior varsity level, and where there is interest there are thirds and club teams as well.
In addition to teaching sport-specific skills our athletes develop a strongwork ethic, teamwork, sportsmanship, and respect - for players, coaches, and opponents. This combination is a winning one at Kent, as the Blue-and-Grey proudly takes the field against other leading independent schools. Many of our athletes earn All-League or All-New England Honors, and many go on to compete at Division I, II, and III colleges and universities. Kent Athletics gives the school a great deal to cheer about, including post-season and holiday tournaments, perennial rivalries, and league championships.
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Kent at a Glance
Kent, Connecticut is a small town with a population of a little more than 3,000 people. It was incorporated in October 1739 and has a land area of 49.5 square miles.
There is one public elementary school directly across the river from Kent School. Other private schools in the Kent area are Marvelwood School and South Kent School.
In addition to St. Joseph's Chapel at Kent School, there is Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church, St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, and the First Congregational Church.
Kent has a public library as well as the libraries of Kent School and South Kent School.
The local area hospitals include New Milford Hospital (1/2 hour away) and Sharon Hospital (20 minutes away).
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