Northwood School Northwood School 92 Northwood Rd. Lake Placid, NY 12946 p: 518.523.3357 f: 518.523.3405 CEEB: 332760
Gino K. Riffle Head of School Noël Carmichael Associate Head of School F. David McCauley Jr. Director of College Counseling mccauleyd@northwoodschool.org Tel: 518.302.5119 / 518.523.3357
Student:Faculty Ratio 7:1 with an average class size of 9 Financial Aid Approximately 63% of students receive financial aid. For the 2026-27 school year, $4,400,000 in financial aid was awarded.
school profile 2026-27
Andrea Farrell Assistant Director of College Counseling farrella@northwoodschool.org Tel: 518.523.3357
Brad D’Arco College Counselor darcob@northwoodschool.org Tel: 518.523.3357
Simon Shergold Dean of Academic Affairs Assistant Director of College Counseling shergolds@northwoodschool.org Tel: 518.523.3357
Sandra Baker Executive Assistant bakers@northwoodschool.org Tel: 518.302.5111 / 518.523.3357
Northwood School is accredited by the New York State Association of Independent Schools (NYSAIS) and chartered by the NYS Board of Regents. Northwood School abides by NACAC’s Code of Ethics. Northwood reports all student disciplinary violations where students are separated from campus. All student violations including, but not limited to Honor Code violations that occur during the application and college matriculation processes, will first be reported to colleges by students and 14 days hence, by the College Office.
MISSION STATEMENT
Northwood School fosters growth in young people so that they may engage their world and lead lives of consequence. THE SCHOOL
Northwood School, founded in 1905, is an independent, coeducational, boarding and day school located in Lake Placid, NY offering a semester-based college preparatory curriculum for students in grades 9 through 12, plus a post-graduate year. By design, the Northwood educational experience is integrated with the Greater Lake Placid Region and the Adirondack Park. Northwood’s student body is comprised of 185 students representing 18 US states and 27 countries. Collectively, students speak more than 30 languages at Northwood. Traditionally 83% of students live on campus with the remainder coming from local communities in the Adirondack Park. The Class of 2027 has 84 seniors including 7 post-graduates. ACADEMIC PROGRAM
Our academic curriculum is based on the traditional, college-prep curriculum, but has intentionally morphed to unique academic options dedicated to place-based educational offerings. Northwood’s signature programs align with the school mission to provide student agency and match AP or undergraduate research level rigor via Advanced Stem Research and Advanced Humanities Research. The Innovation Hub on Main Street in Lake Placid is the home to Innovation & Design, Entrepreneurial Studies and Robotics. Remote courses are allowed to complement students’ curricular options and are mainly taken through APEX, Johns Hopkins CTY and UC Scout. The Peak Pathways Program is a rigorous, year-long independent study emphasizing applied learning and student-driven inquiry. Through personalized projects and mentorship, students connect their passions to real-world contexts, gaining the independence and skills to thrive in college and beyond. Within select individual courses, students will have the opportunity to take on additional work throughout the year to earn honors credit for the course through the Challenge for Honors (CFH). The additional work will cover both the breadth and depth of the subject area. Northwood Signature Classes Northwood School’s commitment to excellence in academic programming includes Adirondack Sciences: Rocks, Rivers and Erosive Forces, Integrated Humanities for 9th and 10th grade, and Adirondack Experience, Fall and Spring. DUAL ENROLLMENT PROGRAM
Beginning in the 2023-24 academic year, the following are dual enrollment classes between Northwood/Paul Smith’s College carrying a .5 weight: Advanced Biology, Advanced Humanities Research, Advanced Physics: Principles of Engineering, and Advanced STEM Research. ACADEMIC CALENDAR
The school year is divided into two semesters. First semester grades are available January 15th, and mid-terms for the second semester are typically available for the 14th of February. Final grades are available June 15. Until 2022, Northwood used a trimester schedule. Note that students are allowed to take classes during the summer and before the start of the next school year and still receive academic credits for the closing year.
AI AND USE OF AI WRITING ASSISTANTS
Northwood is carefully and thoughtfully creating its policy for ChatGPT and other AI writing tools. At present and until that policy is in place, all student work is to be original and without the use of any AI assistants. GPA AND CLASS RANK
GPA (grade point average) at Northwood is not cumulative; it is designated as being for the semester or year. Pass/Fail grades are not included in a student’s GPA. As of Fall 2024, grades are weighted .5 for all AP and Advanced dual enrollment courses, and .25 for all honors courses. Prior to Fall 2024, grades were weighted .5 for all honors courses, and 1.0 for AP and Advanced courses. Student ranks are calculated only for their junior year final grades and their senior year 1st and 2nd semesters and final grades. Grades 9, 10 and 11 (until final grades) are not ranked. Advanced Placement® Courses Offered on-campus 2026-27: (6)
AP Calculus AB and BC, AP English Language & Composition, AP English Literature and Composition, AP Statistics and AP US History. Through the Northwood Language Lab, AP French and Spanish are offered remotely for the 2026-27 academic year. Enrollment in AP courses is determined by the department and is reserved primarily for juniors and seniors. All AP students are required to take the exam in each course. Advanced Placement Information:
In 2025-2026, a total of 28 in the Class of 2027 took 42 AP Exams in 8 subject areas. Number of students taking an AP: 67 Total number of AP tests: 95
% of exams scoring 4 or 5: % of exams scoring 3 and above:
53% 82%
HONOR COURSES OFFERED (10)
Algebra 2; American Literature; Applied Robotics; Biology; Chemistry; French 4; Integrated Humanities 1 and 2; Pre-Calculus; Spanish 4. GRADING SCALE Northwood uses a four-point system. Honor roll requirements are: Dean’s List Grades 11 & 12: Minimum weighted GPA of 4.00 with no grade below B+. Grades 9 & 10: Minimum weighted GPA of 3.70 with no grade below B+.
Honor Roll Grades 11 & 12: Minimum weighted GPA of 3.30 with no grade below B-. Grades 9 & 10: Minimum weighted GPA of 3.00 with no grade below B-.
High Honor Roll Grades 11 & 12: Minimum weighted GPA of 3.70 with no grade below B. Grades 9 & 10: Minimum weighted GPA of 3.30 with no grade below B.
A = 4.0 A- = 3.7 B+ = 3.3
B = 3.0 B- = 2.7 C+ = 2.3
C = 2.0 C- = 1.7 D+ = 1.3
D = 1.0 P = Pass AD = Audit F = 0.0 W = 0.0
GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS
Students must complete 24 credits of academic work for graduation, including: English (4); Social Science (3) including U.S. History; World Languages (2); Art (1); Science with lab (3); Math (3); Electives (4) and Co-Curricular Education (4) which may simultaneously provide credit for Arts or Physical Education. Humanities (integrated humanities course, each course is 2 credits/year, equivalent to 1 English and 1 Social Science course, 4 credits). Standard enrollment is five academic courses per semester for grades 9-12 and four courses for post-graduate students. Semester and full-year courses are offered, with semester courses earning .5 credit and year-long courses earning 1 credit. Through the end of the Grade 11 year, all students must complete an immersive L.E.A.P. (Learn, Engage, Apply, Perform) class, ranging from “Architecture of the Great Camps in the Adirondack Park” to programs abroad like the “Ecosystem of Kilimanjaro”. All students in all grades participate in the Northwood seminars throughout the school year. These seminars include a rotating focus on student physical and mental wellness, academic mindsets and study skills, interpersonal and self-management skills and meet NYS requirements for Health and Economics. The seminar is led by Northwood faculty as well as external professionals as appropriate. The seminar is designed to prepare students to engage fully with the Northwood curriculum and to have agency over their academic and personal lives. CO-CURRICULAR PROGRAMS
80% of all students are varsity single-sport athletes who play their sport between 8 and 10 months of the year: Ice Hockey, Alpine Ski, Nordic Ski, Nordic Combined, and Soccer. Of those, 20% will go on to play NCAA Division 1 sports and another 70% will compete in intercollegiate Division 2 or 3 programs. The 1980 Olympic Ski, Biathlon, Ski Jump and Ice Hockey venues are the Northwood teams home arenas and facilities. Additionally, crew, lacrosse, and golf are offered seasonally and compete independently against schools in northern NY and New England. The School’s club co-curricular programs take full advantage of our location by allowing students to choose from different outdoor activities such as rock-climbing, white-water kayaking, trail biking and hiking and an Adirondack Wilderness experience. 15% of students are members of the Northwood Adventure Sports Program. The School’s Robotic team competes regionally, nationally, globally and recently placed in the FIRST Robotics global competition in Houston, Texas.
JUNIOR YEAR WEIGHTED GPA DISTRIBUTION - CLASS OF 2027 20
20
15
15
14
9
10
12
5 0
2.20 - 2.88
2.94 - 3.26
3.40 - 3.69
3.71 - 3.96
4.00 - 4.40
grade distribution chart (2025-2026 course grades earned by the class of 2027) These grades reflect students who received final letter grades in 2025-2026.
Fine & Performing Arts
A
Art Editor of The Mirror Music Yearbook Designer and Editor
4 9
B
C D F
1 1 1
English A World Made of Text Advanced Humanities Research American Literature American Studies: Language and Culture AP English Language and Composition AP English Literature and Composition Honors American Literature *Journalism Peak Pathway: Humanities Studies
2 2 9 6 3 4 1 2
3 5 3
30 1 1 6 1 7 1 1
1 2
2
Languages AP French Language & Culture Language Lab: American Sign Language 1 Language Lab: American Sign Language 2 Language Lab: French 1 Language Lab: French 3 Language Lab: Honors French 4 Language Lab: German 3 Language Lab: Honors German 4 Language Lab: Italian 1 Language Lab: Mandarin Chinese Advanced Language Lab: Norwegian 1 Language Lab: Norwegian 2 Language Lab: Portuguese 1 Language Lab: Spanish 1 Language Lab: Spanish 2 Language Lab: Spanish 3 Language Lab: Spanish 4 Honors
* Indicates semester elective.
2 1 1 3 1 1 1
B
C
D
Algebra 2 AP Calculus AB Calculus Honors Algebra 2 Honors Pre-Calculus Pre-Calculus Statistics
3 3
7 2 1 2 6 11 1
10
3
1
1
2
1
1 5 6 2
Outdoor Education / Sports Peak Pathway: Sports Industry and Leadership
4
Science ADK Sciences: Rocks, Rivers and Erosive Forces 2 ADK Sciences: Rocks, Rivers and Erosive Forces Honors 1 Advanced Biology 7 Advanced Physics: Principles of Engineering 6 Advanced STEM Research 2 Applied Physics 9 Chemistry 2 Honors Chemistry 3 Human Biology 2 Peak Pathway: STEM Studies 3
4
1 5 1 8 7 2 1
1 7 2
1
Social Science 1
1 1 1 1 1 2 2 6 3
A
1
Innovation, Engineering & Entrepreneurship Honors Applied Robotics Peak Pathway: Entrepreneurship and Innovation Peak Pathway: Product Design, Media & Marketing
Mathematics
Advanced Psychology AP US History Peak Pathway: Finance & Economics US History
4 7 2 17
Totals
170 149 29
3 10 22
5
F
college matriculation for the classes of 2022-2026 Nearly all Northwood School graduates are admitted to one or more institutions. Recent graduates have attended the institutions listed below. Additionally, some students elected to pursue postgraduate study, defer their admission for up to two years accounting for our college bound skiers and men’s ice hockey student athletes.
Allegheny College American University Assumption University Babson College (3) Bates College (3) Bentley University (4) Boston College (5) Boston University (2) Brandeis University (2) Brown University Bucknell University California State University (Dominguez Hills) Carleton University Case Western Reserve University Castleton University Christopher Newport University Clark University Clarkson University (8) Clemson University Coastal Carolina University (3) Colby College (2) Colby-Sawyer College Colgate University College of the Holy Cross (4) Columbia University Concordia University (Montreal) (5) Connecticut College Creighton University Denison University Eastern University Eckerd College Elon University (2) Emmanuel University Fairfield University (2) Georgetown University Gettysburg College (2) Hamilton College (2) Hamline University Harvard University Hobart & William Smith Colleges (8) James Madison University Johnson & Wales University Kenyon College Lafayette College (2) Lander University Lehigh University Long Island University (Post) (5)
Luther College (3) Maryville University McGill University (3) Merrimack College Michigan Technological University Middlebury College (2) Montana State University Moore College of Art and Design Nazareth University (3) New England College New York University (2) North Carolina State University Northwestern University (2) Norwich University Ohio Wesleyan University (2) Old Dominion University Oregon State University (2) Otis College of Art and Design Pacific Lutheran University Paul Smith’s College (2) Pitzer College Plymouth State University Post University Providence College (2) Quinnipiac University Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (4) Rivier University Rochester Institute of Technology (7) Rocky Mountain College Roger Williams University (2) Rutgers University Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota Saint Michael’s College Skidmore College Soka University of America Southern Methodist University St George’s, University of London (2) St. John Fisher University St. John’s University (New York) (2) St. Lawrence University (12) St. Olaf College Stanford University Stonehill College Stony Brook University Suffolk University SUNY Albany SUNY Buffalo State University SUNY Canton (3)
w w w. n o r t h w o o d s c h o o l . o r g
SUNY Cortland SUNY Farmingdale SUNY Geneseo (2) SUNY North Country Community College (2) SUNY Onondaga Community College (2) SUNY Oswego (2) SUNY Plattsburgh (2) Syracuse University (5) The Ohio State University Trine University Trinity College (2) Tulane University Union College (2) Universidad CEU San Pablo University of Alabama University of British Columbia (2) University of California (Santa Cruz) University of Connecticut University of Denver University of Hawaii (Hilo) University of Maryland University of Massachusetts (Boston) (2) University of Miami University of Montana (2) University of New England University of New Hampshire (3) University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill) (3) University of Notre Dame (2) University of Ottawa University of Pennsylvania University of Pittsburgh (2) University of Rhode Island University of South Carolina University of South Florida University of Tampa (2) University of Toronto University of Utah (2) University of Vermont (8) University of Virginia University of Wisconsin (Milwaukee) Vermont State University Villanova University Wagner College Washington College Western University (Ontario) Wilkes University Williams College Yale University