Worcester Academy Upper School Viewbook 2016

e c n e r e f f i D Y

Dif fer en ce

M E D A AC

R E T S RCE

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EXPERIENCE THE

Difference UPPER SCHOOL

We understand that selecting the right school is an important decision that will have an everlasting impact. Students were invited to tell their Worcester Academy story in six words. We hope that their powerful statements will inspire you to explore all that Worcester Academy has to offer.

Experience the Difference.

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WORCESTER ACADEMY | upper school

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“ACHIEVE THE HONORABLE”

has been Worcester Academy’s motto for more than

150

years.

WORCESTER ACADEMY

“ What we do here is real.”

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One of the most common words Worcester Academy students use to describe their education is “real.”

Worcester Academy students do not pine for a time in the distant future when they can finally pursue their passions. They are already making impressive things happen. Right here. Right now. Our students don’t question, “Will I ever use this after school?”

They recognize how a Worcester Academy education lays the foundation for a successful future.

PORTRAIT OF A LEARNER

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“ Coming to WA opens more doors.”

4 At Worcester Academy, we believe you should be the leader of your own learning. That means that students master core content by asking questions and thinking independently while discovering how they learn best. Our graduates emerge with the skills and strategies to think critically and creatively, to collaborate, and to communicate effectively as they navigate a diverse world.

“The question of ‘Why does this matter?’ is central to every class here. Whether we ask our students to take on big questions in math or history, they discover how to apply knowledge and become active citizens.”

—DR. CYNTHIA SABIK, dean of faculty

110

MIDDLE SCHOOL day students

490

UPPER SCHOOL boarding and day students Students from

23

COUNTRIES

worldwide

CORE SCHOOL VALUES:

6-12/PG

WORCESTER ACADEMY

serves students in grades 6–12, and a post-graduate year.

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Honor, Respect, Community, Personal Growth, and Challenge.

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AVERAGE CLASS SIZE:

6

“Seeing how things work really helps us grow. We see how what we are doing can actually affect the world.”

—SAM, sophomore, Worcester, MA

CRITICAL THINKING

“ Challenging ourselves to make something real.”

“Worcester Academy helps me develop my own way of thinking so I can evaluate for myself what is right and what is wrong.”

—MAGGIE, sophomore, Shanghai, China

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Our students engage in hands-on, substantive research. Latin students go to the Renaissance Center at the University of Massachusetts Amherst to discover what text written on parchment from the Middle Ages can reveal about the past. In Biology, students study evolution directly from scientific replicas of hominid skulls. Taking detailed images and measurements, students work from first principles to hypothesize what the skulls might suggest about each species’ lifestyle.

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“ Living and learning outside the lines.”

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Worcester Academy students are creative across the curriculum. In History, they design large-scale, artistic maps that synthesize layers of complex information about world trade routes. In Computer Science, they construct an electronic version of a board game. In Honors Anatomy, they write and illustrate picture books to explain the skeletal, immune, and circulatory systems to children in grades 2–5.

“The teachers at Worcester Academy want you to be the best person you can possibly be. This makes a strong community where I’m challenged to think differently and I can push myself.”

—AMIR, senior, matriculating to Ohio University

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HONORS & AP

40

courses offered

140

MINUTES OF WEEKLY COLLABORATION

WORCESTER ACADEMY | upper school

time set aside for students to work with peers and teachers.

10

“Now I know how to make a plan, test the plan, write a report and then do it all over again until I get to a final design. I understand that engineering is a process that involves many steps and many people.”

—MAGGIE, sophomore, Whitinsville, MA

COLLABORATION

“ Strive for greatness; expand comfort zone.”

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“In the real world, you need to know how to connect and work together with people Students with documented learning challenges can find support in our CENTER

FOR LEARNING.

who aren’t from your same background. We already do that at Worcester Academy.”

—ALBERTO, junior, Boston, MA

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In Engineering, students work in teams to design and produce wind turbines out of cardboard, balsa wood, and 3-D printing material. Students test models, revise designs and get feedback from professors at Worcester Polytechnic Institute and other nearby colleges. This mirrors the writing workshop model that students embrace in English classes. In every class, students discover that creating quality work involves some form of collaboration—and more than one draft.

COMMUNICATION

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“ At WA, I’ve opened up more.”

Our students communicate effectively across media—through writing, public speaking, visual 12 presentations, video—and across disciplines. In Algebra, students journal about their problemsolving process. For the Physics Challenge, they present experiments of their own design to a panel that includes alumni and others who work in the sciences. Students share aspects of their lives through digital storytelling, and in English and Humanities classes students discover that the groundwork of effective communication is research, analysis, organization, and thinking about the audience’s point of view.

“Doing so much public speaking here has helped me grow. As Proctor for my dorm and a team captain, I learned how to be that voice that represents everyone.”

—ASHLYN, SENIOR, matriculating to New York University

Every Upper School student receives a

MacBook.

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PROJECT:

80

hours shadowing doctors, nurses, and physician assistants at Heywood Hospital.

Observed hospital lab at work, plus

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orthopedic surgeries.

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SAMPLE PROJECTS: / Compose and record original music / Examine retail industry / Shadow a sports journalist / Research gene mutation / Study the decline of the Tang Dynasty / Explore global wealth inequity

GRADUATION PROJECTS

“ I came out a better person.”

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“The world of medicine is so fascinating. I learned how many pieces have to come together, whether for one operation or for maintaining the efficiency of an entire system. This has given me experience even before I’ve reached college and will help me plan my coursework.”

—MARTHA, senior, matriculating to Harvard University

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The graduation project is your opportunity to apply the skills and knowledge built over four years to a significant endeavor of your choice. Students write Academic Capstones, create artistic Master Works, or explore careers. Every senior plans and executes a rigorous project. Every senior makes a public presentation about how this initiative expanded his or her understanding of the world.

FACULTY

WORCESTER ACADEMY | upper school

“ They challenge us.

We are inspired.”

16 Our faculty model the 21st-century skills they teach. They continuously reflect, collaborate, and workshop ideas among professional peers to test and refine lessons. Then in the classroom, they challenge students with big ideas and essential questions. They will encourage you to stretch, knowing that you can seek out support when needed. As you engage with course content, you will answer the teacher’s questions—and be inspired to ask more of your own.

“The teachers here are passionate about what they teach and generous in helping us. Since coming here, I take more challenging classes and am involved in more activities too.”

—RYAN, senior, matriculating to Wake Forest University

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Worcester Academy faculty take advantage of over

100

UNIQUE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT opportunities each year.

35% of Upper School students LIVE ON

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CAMPUS.

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“Watching students support each other is what I love most about being a dorm parent. They honor each other’s birthdays, successes, and challenges—often with lots of spirited singing and special treats provided by dorm parents. There is a genuine sense of family on each floor.”

—NANCY OSBORN, dorm parent in Dexter Hall

“I like taking the train to

RESIDENTIAL LIFE

Boston on weekends with my friends. We have lunch, go shopping, and hang out in the city.”

—OLOF, junior, Sweden

“ Found a school to call home.”

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“Living in the dorms helps me to be more responsible and independent. I learned how to solve issues and become a better communicator. My proctors and dorm mates become like a family.”

—ARUZHAN, sophomore, Kazakhstan

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Living at Worcester Academy is rewarding and fun.

During the structured study hall each evening, you can seek out teachers and collaborate with peers.

Dorm faculty engage in professional development annually to support their role as mentors and in helping students bond. Each Thursday night features either a community dinner or a special activity. Perhaps your team will win the dodgeball or lip-sync competition!

Life

RESIDENTIAL

“Living at a Worcester Academy is like being with your closest friends all the time. I like that the school is right in Worcester, where there are so many activities for my friends and me to do.”

—MICEALA, sophomore, Charlestown, MA

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DOGS live on

campus with faculty families.

Residential students participate in

8

DORM CUP CHALLENGE

events.

“Five-day boarding let our daughter immerse herself in school and sports.

It also opened her eyes to the world; she now has friends from China, Kazakhstan, Japan, and South Korea.

Meanwhile, she came home almost every weekend

335

and we felt very connected.”

gallons of ICE CREAM are eaten in WA dining hall each year.

Number of TAKE-OUT each year…

—MONIQUE, parent, Dunstable, MA

CHICKEN WINGS delivered to student dorms

Too many to count!

ATHLETICS

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“ Tried my best.

Then achieved more.”

Our program is successful because we build character through sport. We trace your development as an individual athlete and as part of a team.

Many of our graduates go on to play sports in college.

Some alumni turn this passion into a career— through coaching, management, and even playing professionally in the top leagues in their sports.

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“WA has a long, proud tradition of excellence in

525 Upper School

ATHLETIC COMPETITIONS each year.

athletics. With a focus on leadership, character, and team work, we teach our student-athletes that playing the right way prepares them to do things the right way throughout their careers and lives.”

—ED REILLY, athletic director

“Being an athlete here is awesome. We really see what good leaders look like.”

—KELLEY, sophomore, Hanson, MA

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37 17

ATHLETIC TEAMS

offered in

Upper School

SPORTS.

athletics

“We have a lot of support for planning our time to pursue academics and sports.

The Athletic Department also makes sure that collegiate coaches have a lot of opportunities to see us play.”

—TOBORE, junior, Nigeria

WA student-athletes have gone on to play at numerous COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES, including:

/ Georgetown University / Bowdoin College / Boston College / Villanova University / Yale University / University of Vermont / George Washington University / Brown University and / Kenyon College…to name a few!

“Swimming brings together so many aspects of my life. When I take physics, I think about how that relates to my swimming. I even carry the beat from music class in my head to propel my arms and legs. I get my best

60%

grades during swim season.”

—MAYA, junior, Fairbanks, AK

of Upper School students

PLAY AT LEAST ONE SPORT at WA.

8

NEW ENGLAND PREP SCHOOL CHAMPIONSHIPS

over the past

12

years.

ARTS

80

students participating in

CAST AND CREW for theatrical performances each year.

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“ We united, worked, dreamed, and leaped.”

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At Worcester Academy, we teach life lessons disguised as the arts. We celebrate your creative instincts and individuality, while also encouraging you to explore different points of view. In addition to our new performance center that houses a black box theater and a state-of-the-art production booth, recent renovations include a new painting studio with beautiful light and a ceramics studio with ten potters’ wheels and two kilns. Students also enjoy performing in the elegant Warner Theater, built by the Warner Bros. family of the motion picture industry.

“The arts here are about creative problem solving. We encourage students to look for creative ways to express themselves and collaborate. They learn how to be part of an ensemble and create something that is bigger than themselves.”

—ELIZABETH BOWLES, arts department co-chair

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ARTS CLASSES to choose from,

including:

/ Architecture / Costume Design / Directing / Wind Ensemble / History of American Popular Music

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Hundreds of pieces of

STUDENT ART displayed each year.

arts

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COSTUMES made by students on award-winning costume crew.

Over a dozen

PERFORMANCES—on and off campus—by musical ensembles each year.

“There are millions of opportunities to get involved.

My leadership skills have been enhanced exponentially as an actress and a person.”

—NINA, junior, Bolton, MA

400

CERAMIC PIECES

fired each semester

1,000

POUNDS OF CLAY used annually.

“Being here is humbling and inspiring.

Everyone encourages me to be who I want to be.”

—BRAEDON, freshman, East Brookfield, MA

“Our teachers are practicing artists and their passion comes through.”

—JORDYN, freshman, Littleton, MA

CLUBS & ACTIVITIES “You can engineer new opportunities for yourself here.”

—ELLEXA, junior, Fiskdale, MA

“ Many opportunities with open-minded people.”

250 positions of

LEADERSHIP

Aviation Club… Writer’s Group… Politics Club…

“I love the community here.”

—SAMUEL, freshman, China

/ Writers’ Group / Politics Club / / Activists & Allies / Eco-Design / Vigornia newspaper Aviation Club

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CO-CURRICULAR

clubs

“I’m surrounded by fun people to work with.”

—ANDREW, sophomore, North Smithfield, RI

>30

championships won by

50-member

MATH TEAM since 2006.

25% of clubs are

SERVICE-ORIENTED.

/ Model UN / Medical Explorers Club / / Ultimate Frisbee / Habitat for Humanity / Robotics Club Badminton

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23,179

COMMUNITY SERVICE HOURS

completed by WA students in one school year.

COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS

“ Learning to be motivated and thankful.”

33 Worcester Academy has been an anchor of its surrounding community for more than 180 years and has high expectations for citizenship. At an institutional level, we model our commitment to the motto “Achieve the Honorable” by collaborating with city officials, local schools, neighbors, and other partners to improve education, housing, safety, and economic development in our neighborhood. Worcester Academy also shares its facilities, offers scholarships to our school and camps, and partners in sustainability activities. By aligning our actions with our mission, we inspire students to be active citizens and demonstrate leadership in their communities at and away from school.

“Volunteering in our community helps us to be aware of our surroundings. We learn about diversity and become open to experiences and ideas that we hadn’t known.”

– MATTHEW, junior, Southborough, MA

WORCESTER ACADEMY | upper school

RON CINO, HEAD OF SCHOOL

Worcester Academy’s

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY CHAPTER donated

WORCESTER ACADEMY | upper school

land and partners with Greater Worcester Habitat to build and improve homes in our neighborhood.

Students also lead an annual service trip to South Carolina.

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“ Worcester Academy makes a better me.”

PG

Postgraduate students organize and host the

NEIGHBORHOOD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL FIELD DAY.

Before school begins, athletic teams rise early to make breakfast for the hungry at nearby St. John’s Catholic Church. Students also help with Special Olympics, perform holiday music at nursing homes, and build houses with Habitat for Humanity. These experiences connect to what students learn about leadership, equity and inclusion, and sustainability throughout our academic and co-curricular program.

In addition to understanding the value of service, our students come to appreciate the mutual benefits of learning alongside members of the community.

1/3

of WA seniors receive the PRESIDENT’S VOLUNTEER SERVICE for giving more than 100 hours of service during high school.

AWARD

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WORCESTER ACADEMY | upper school

36

<1

WA is less than an hour BY TRAIN from Boston.

CAMPUS

“ A place to explore different passions.”

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Worcester Academy’s hilltop campus combines the ambiance of historic architecture with the opportunities of state-of-the-art facilities. Six of our buildings are recognized on the National Register of Historic Places for their architectural beauty, and each has been renovated to feature modern classrooms and labs. The campus centers around a scenic quad that is popular for studying and socializing. Being located within the city of Worcester makes our campus distinct from many boarding schools. Just off-campus you will find a variety of ethnic restaurants and markets, the DCU Center, which hosts major concerts and sporting events, sailing and kayaking on Lake Quinsigamond, Hanover Theater for the Performing Arts, and the Shoppes at Blackstone Valley.

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campus 15

BUILDINGS

6

of our buildings are recognized on the

NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES

2

THEATERS

Being located

9

WITHIN THE CITY OF WORCESTER makes our campus distinct from many boarding schools

ATHLETIC FIELDS

71 ACRES

4

DORMS

COLLEGE COUNSELING

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“ College counselors always there for you.”

40

Our college counselors first meet students through information sessions designed to answer the questions of 9th and 10th grade families. In junior year, the process becomes more personalized. The counselors begin meeting with students and families individually. Students appreciate how we take stress out of the process. This lets students concentrate on what is really important—finding the college that best fits their future dreams.

“The college counseling office helped me focus on the things that I wanted. They were very knowledgeable in recommending schools that matched my interests.”

—ISABEL, senior, matriculating to Bard College

98%

of WA graduates say they were

“VERY PREPARED” for college.

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On average,

90% of graduates matriculate to schools listed in Princeton Review’s

“THE BEST 380 COLLEGES.”

AFTER GRADUATION

“WA, a place 650 I’ll never forget.”

WORCESTER ACADEMY | upper school

More than

42

GRADUATES

from the past five years are continuing their educations at an impressive and diverse group of colleges and universities.

Academy of Art University Allegheny College American International College American University* Assumption College* Babson College* Baldwin Wallace University Bard College Barnard College* Bates College Becker College Bentley University* Binghamton University Boston College* Boston University* Bowdoin College* Brandeis University* Brigham Young University Brown University* Bryant University* Bucknell University* Carnegie Mellon University* Case Western Reserve University* Catholic University of America* Central Connecticut State University* Champlain College* Clark University Clarkson University Clemson University Colby College* Colby-Sawyer College

Colgate University* College of the Holy Cross* College of William and Mary* Colorado College Colorado School of Mines Connecticut College* Cornell University* Curry College Dean College DePaul University Dickinson College* Drexel University* Duke University Duquesne University Eastern Connecticut State University Eckerd College Elmira College* Elon University* Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Emerson College* Emory University* Endicott College* Fairfield University* Ferris State University Fitchburg State University Fordham University* Framingham State University Franklin and Marshall College* Franklin Pierce University* Furman University Georgetown University* The George Washington University*

MAP SHOWING INTERSTATES

Georgia Institute of Technology Gettysburg College Gordon College Grinnell College Hamilton College Harvard University Harvey Mudd College Haverford College* Henderson State University High Point University* Hobart and William Smith Colleges* Hofstra University Howard University Indiana University* Imperial College London (UK) Ithaca College* James Madison University Johns Hopkins University* Johnson & Wales University Juniata College Keene State College* Kenyon College* King’s College, London Kingston University (UK) Lafayette College La Salle University Lasell College Lehigh University* Lewis & Clark College Long Island University - Brooklyn Loyola University, Chicago Loyola University, Maryland* Lynchburg College Lynn University

Manhattan College Manhattanville College Maryland Institute College of Art Marist College* Massachusetts Institute of Technology* Massachusetts Maritime Academy MCPHS - Massachusetts College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences McGill University* Mercer University Merrimack College* Michigan State University Middlebury College* Mount Holyoke College* Mount Ida College Muhlenberg College* New York University* Niagara University Nichols College* Northeastern University* Northern Michigan University Northwestern University* Norwich University* Ohio State University Ohio Wesleyan University Old Dominion University Pace University, New York City Palm Beach State College Parsons, The New School for Design* Pennsylvania State University, University Park* Pratt Institute Princeton University*

ROXANNE ANDERSON ’13 Northeastern University, Boston “Now that I’m at college, I appreciate how Worcester Academy taught me how to advocate for myself through the student-teacher relationship. I feel comfortable introducing myself to a professor, and figuring out ways to improve and propel myself further.

Providence College* Purdue University* Quinnipiac University* Quinsigamond Community College Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute* Rhodes College* Robert Morris University Rochester Institute of Technology* Roger Williams University* Rollins College* Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology Royal Conservatoire of Scotland Rutgers University* Sacred Heart University* Saint Anselm College* Saint Michael’s College* Salve Regina University Savannah College of Art and Design School of the Art Institute of Chicago Seoul National University Siena College Simmons College Skidmore College* Smith College Southern California Institute of Architecture Southern Connecticut State University Southern Methodist University Southern New Hampshire University Springfield College St. Lawrence University*

State University of New York Plattsburgh Stevens Institute of Technology* Stonehill College* SUNY Albany SUNY - Buffalo State Suffolk University* Swarthmore College Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich Syracuse University* Temple University* Texas A&M University* Texas Christian University* The Citadel, the Military College of South Carolina The New School Eugene Lang College* The University of Tampa Towson University Trinity College (CT)* Trinity College Dublin (IRL) Tufts University* Tulane University* Union College (NY)* United States Coast Guard Academy United States Military Academy United States Naval Academy University of Aberdeen University of Arizona* University of California, Berkeley* University of California, Davis University of California, Irvine* University of California, San Diego*

University of California, Santa Cruz* University of Chicago University of Colorado, Boulder* University of Connecticut* University of Delaware* University of Denver University of Illinois, at Urbana-Champaign* University of Kansas University of Maine* University of Maryland, Baltimore County University of Massachusetts, Amherst* University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth University of Massachusetts, Lowell* University of Massachusetts, Boston* University of Miami* University of Michigan* University of New England University of New Hampshire* University of New Haven* University of North Carolina University of Northern Colorado University of Ottawa (CAN) University of Oxford (UK) University of the Pacific* University of Pennsylvania University of Pittsburgh University of Redlands University of Rhode Island*

University of Richmond* University of Rochester* University of San Diego University of San Francisco* University of Southern California* University of Southern Maine University of St. Andrews University of Texas, El Paso University of Toronto University of Tulsa University of Vermont* University of Virginia University of Washington* University of Wisconsin, Madison* Valparaiso University Vanderbilt University Vassar Villanova University* Virginia Polytechnic Institute* Wagner College Wake Forest University* Washington University, St. Louis* Wellesley College* Wentworth Institute of Technology* Wesleyan University Western New England College Wheaton College, MA* Williams College Worcester Polytechnic Institute* Worcester State University* Xavier University Yale University* *Denotes multiple matriculations

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“I’m studying Human Services, which combines social work and nonprofit management. I first became interested in this field because while I was at WA, I started a program called Afternoon Tunes. WA students provided free music lessons to students in the surrounding community. I’m not musical, but I got funding for the program, rented space in a church on Friday afternoons, organized the volunteers, and recruited our students. I was passionate about the impact we were having on the children’s lives, and it got me interested in doing more.”

WORCESTER

“Our son replaced a long car ride with a 20-minute train ride. He did homework on the way and was proud of being self-sufficient.”

WORCESTER ACADEMY | upper school

—JACKIE, parent, Southborough, MA

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“ Lots of ways 65+ to get here.”

60+ 30 ARTS AND CULTURAL

destinations including the Worcester Art Museum showcasing masterpieces from El Greco, Monet, Rembrandt, Picasso, Van Gogh, and Gauguin

55

NEW RESTAURANTS have opened in the last 18 months DCU CENTER arena hosts concerts and sporting events

20

COMMUTER TRAINS

to and from Boston daily

parks including Elm Park, DESIGNED by Frederick Law Olmstead

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SKI TRAILS at nearby Wachusett Mountain

INTERNATIONAL DESTINATIONS

to and from Boston Logan International Airport

2nd LARGEST CITY in New England

WORCESTER ACADEMY

attracts students from 80 towns and cities across Massachusetts. Some students ride the commuter train to school each day.

Others take advantage of our designated Worcester Academy buses that run along Routes 9 and 495.

NEXT STEPS

â&#x20AC;&#x153;We look forward to meeting you!â&#x20AC;?

The best way to discover all our school has to offer is to visit. Explore our campus and meet our students and faculty to experience what makes Worcester Academy so special.

Visit www.worcesteracademy.org or contact us at 508-459-5841 or admission@worcesteracademy.org.

Credits: Design: Good Design, LLC, Photography: Tom Kates, Peter Smith, Worcester Academy, Copywriting: Cheryl Bardoe, Printing: Service Press

Are you ready to experience the difference?

Take the next step today!

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Complete an online inquiry.

Schedule a tour and an interview.

Complete an entrance exam (SSAT, ISEE, ACT, or SAT).

Request recommendations, school report and transcript.

Complete your application by January 15.

www.WorcesterAcademy.org 81 Providence Street Worcester, MA 01604