Upper School (9-12)
Grades 9-12: Where Ambition Meets Preparation.
Whether a student begins at The Meadows in Beginning, Lower, Middle, or Upper School, each stage of the experience is intentionally designed to build toward something greater. By the time students enter Upper School, they are prepared to engage in an academic environment defined by intellectual ambition, exceptional teaching, meaningful challenge, and a culture that expects them to pursue excellence at the highest level.
Here, students do more than prepare for college. They learn to think critically, communicate with confidence, pursue ideas with depth and originality, and develop the independence and resilience required to thrive in the world’s most demanding academic environments.
The results speak to the strength of that preparation. Meadows graduates consistently earn admission to many of the nation’s most selective colleges and universities, where they arrive ready not simply to succeed, but to contribute, lead, and distinguish themselves. They go on to earn advanced degrees, build consequential careers, and lead meaningful lives shaped by the intellectual curiosity, character, and confidence developed at The Meadows.
How do we do it?
Our intensive, college-preparatory high school curriculum—ranked among the nation’s most challenging by The Washington Post—motivates every student to set the highest possible goals and acquire the skills to achieve them. At the same time, our flourishing arts and athletics programs inspire courage, creativity, and teamwork. Our robust service program widens perspectives and strengthens leadership capacities. Our support for emotional wellness fosters the fortitude to persist and overcome obstacles. And our commitment to cultivating individual talents and interests ensures that all students know who they are, what they want, and how to accomplish it.
Throughout the four years of Upper School, students also meet regularly with a member of our professional college counseling team. Together, we plan coursework and activities to help each student build and amplify the skills to successfully apply to best-fit colleges. We then work with individual students and their families to construct the strongest possible applications.
Meadows students graduate equipped with exceptional capabilities, self-knowledge, and confidence, ready to seize unforeseen opportunities—and create them—today and in the future.
Upper School Students
