The St. Anne’s-Belfield Upper School is a place where challenge and care go hand in hand. With a community of day and boarding students from around the globe, expert teachers who bring both passion and experience, and a 116-yearold mission that calls us to nurture body, mind, heart, and soul, we create an environment where young people thrive. Our program blends deep academic rigor with intentional support and student-directed learning. Students are empowered to take ownership of their learning, discover their passions, and grow into confident, compassionate leaders. From daily classroom experiences to independent research, from service opportunities to civic engagement, the Upper School is designed to prepare students not only for success in college, but for lives of meaning and impact.
Your child deserves a team of college counseling professionals dedicated to positioning them for success.
The college admissions landscape is changing at a faster rate than ever before, which is why our College Counseling team constantly evolves their knowledge and grows their network in order to provide guidance that is salient, timely, and right for your student.
Beginning in Grade 9, St. Anne’s-Befield students begin our college counseling program, which progresses in detail and specificity by grade level. Grade 10 students participate in college workshops and are matched with a college counselor for individual meetings and support. In Grade 11, in addition to other programming, students take a college counseling course that covers all aspects of the college admission process. In Grade 12, seniors have dedicated academic time to work on their essays and applications, alleviating schedule pressure on their homework and extracurricular activities.
We know the college process involves the entire family. Parents and guardians can engage in programming so that you may better understand today’s college admission landscape and better support your child. While you will primarily work with one college counselor over the course of your student’s time at the School, our team model ensures that your student may draw on the expertise of any of our four full-time counselors.
With a 22:1 student-counselor ratio (compared to the Virginia state average of 307:1) and 60 years combined experience both at the college admissions and high school levels, our team gets to know your student well over the course of their academic journey, providing expert and tailored advice that can’t be rivaled.
We are proud of our college success rate and the fact that 87% of our seniors in the Class of 2025 were admitted to one of their top three choices. Our counselors have a proven track record of success at assisting students to curate college lists that are the right fit for them.
Meet the Head of the Upper School
Beth Miller, M.Ed., P. ’22 & ’25
When I first walked onto this campus 25 years ago, I immediately felt inspired by the energy of the adults and students. Today when I walk the pathway into Randolph Hall each morning, I am reminded of how that same energy and sense of community inspire me to lead a truly remarkable upper school.
I believe deeply that students are at their best when they are empowered to shape their learning journey. Our students are challenged to grow, whether they are tackling the foundations of algebra with a peer tutor, leading a 30-minute discussion on modern religious studies, or learning to be exemplary citizens while earning a Pathways Program certificate. We are a school that prides itself on holding students to high standards while also offering a high degree of individualized support. Our teachers are continuously seeking a higher degree of excellence to better serve students. It is a joy to get to witness the extraordinary teaching and transformative learning that happens each day in our classrooms.
We know you are stepping out of your comfort zone in considering a new school. Please know you would be joining an engaged and supportive community of both new and returning Saints. Of our 380+ students Grades 9 – 12, approximately 20% entered new this year. Nearly 70 students live here with us on campus, representing more than a dozen countries and 10 U.S. states. Whether in the classroom, on the stage, in the dorm, or on the field, the diverse backgrounds and perspectives of our students add meaningfully to our community. We are eager to learn more about your unique story and how you would contribute to making us an even stronger, more excellent school.
Our Academic Program
Opportunities to Excel
One of the more distinctive features of the St. Anne’s-Belfield Upper School program are the many ways in which students can direct their own learning. We are proud to be Charlottesville’s only school offering the AP Capstone™ program — a prestigious distinction that blends rigorous coursework with independent research. Alongside traditional honors and AP classes, students have the opportunity to earn honors and AP credit by completing additional requirements, allowing them to excel and reach their full potential. Students can pursue independent studies, Capstone projects, or specialized Pathways Program certificates in Arts Management, Civic Engagement, or Environmental Studies. These programs honor both achievement and agency, giving students the tools to go beyond required coursework and pursue their passions in depth.
Structured for Success
Our Upper School program is designed to meet the needs of every student while living out our mission to educate students in body, heart, mind, and soul. Our use of time is intentional: 90-minute classes and a modular schedule give students and teachers the opportunity to dive deeply into each subject while maintaining a healthy balance between work and life. We also build in structures that prepare students for life beyond School, from college counseling classes that guide them through the increasingly-challenging application process, to the flexibility of fifth period that adapts to student needs. With office hours before and after class, study halls for younger students, peer tutoring, and a dedicated student support team, we ensure that each student is both challenged and cared for. In every way, we strive to be a school that knows its students well and helps them thrive. Learn more about our modular schedule at stab. org/academics/upper-school/schedule
Graduation Requirements
Humanities: English — 4 years
Humanities: History — 3 years
World Languages — Third level of the same language Science (including Physics, Chemistry, and Biology) — 3 years
Mathematics — 3 years
Visual or Performing Arts (4-year students) — 1 year
Physical Activity — See Curriculum Guide
Advanced Senior Seminar — 1 year
Life Skills — 1 term
Study Skills — 1 term
Service to the School — 40 hours
Senior Internship — 35 hours
Advisory
We believe that students are most primed to learn and grow when they are rooted in the School and community. In the Upper School, advisories are made up of students from all four grades, allowing for cross-grade connections that students might not otherwise encounter. Students keep the same advisor throughout their times at St. Anne’s-Belfield, creating deeper bonds and a relationship with an adult mentor that allows students to truly flourish. This cohort approach means new students have instant connections as they enter the community, and then grow into a leadership role as they guide new students in following years. The relationships built in advisory form lasting, authentic bonds.
Senior Capstone Thesis
The pinnacle of our tradition of scholarship and student-led learning is the Capstone Thesis. Grade 12 students are invited to pursue a passion or question in depth over the course of their entire senior year. Students take full ownership of their learning, leading independent research while meeting weekly with a faculty mentor who provides guidance and support. Each scholar commits three to five hours per week to their research project, developing both the discipline and the curiosity that define lifelong learners.
The Capstone includes presenting original work to the Upper School community at the Capstone Symposium in January. This is followed by a formal presentation and the submission of a substantial academic paper to the Capstone Committee in the spring. Seniors who also completed AP Seminar in their junior year may elect to have their Capstone Thesis designated as an AP Research project. Topics are broad and encompass a range of disciplines. In 2025, more than one-third of the senior class chose to undertake this rigorous and rewarding academic challenge.
“I encourage you to spend your time here taking advantage of the opportunities and relationships that arise. Make new friends, embrace the differences you see in others, try new classes, gain new perspectives, and do so with the gratitude that you are in a community where you can flourish and be guided to greatness.”
— Margaret Connors ’25, University of Virginia
The Saints Community
At St. Anne’s-Belfield School, we are first and foremost an academic community. Our community reaches beyond the classroom to build strong, intentional relationships with the whole family. This connection begins even before classes with new family orientation and Parent/Guardian Partnership Meetings, and continues throughout the year. Within our age 2 to Grade 12 community, relationships form between students of all divisions. Service-learning is embedded in our curriculum and Civic Engagement Initiative, allowing our students to make a meaningful, positive impact alongside Charlottesville/Albemarle community partners. We want all our students to know and genuinely feel that they belong to a caring and vibrant community.
Chapel
Chapel has existed at St. Anne’s-Belfield since our founding in 1910. While today’s Chapel is inclusive of all faiths, backgrounds, and beliefs, it remains one of the sacred traditions of the School. These provide time for students and faculty to gather in fellowship and reflect on what it means to be a member of a larger community. Upper School students generally lead Chapel as musicians and speakers.
Parent/Guardian Partnership Meetings
Our Parent/Guardian Partnership Meetings, the first of which is prior to the start of school, enable faculty and parents/guardians to form an important connection between home and School life. You will meet with your student’s advisor, who will remain the same all years of your student’s time at St. Anne’s-Belfield.
Parent/Guardian Involvement
The Wednesday Wellness series connects child and teen development experts to our parents and guardians; Curriculum Nights give insight into our Upper School academics; and monthly coffee gatherings with the head of the Upper School focus on aspects of our program. And during this period when teens naturally want to be more independent from their
parents, the Parents’ Association (PA) provides many opportunities for families to become involved with the School. Parents and guardians hold roles as grade level reps, serve at special events, staff concession stands, and serve on school-level committees such as the Arts Boosters and Saints Athletics Club.
Community Events
Cheer on our Saints, bring the family to an arts performance, attend a lecture, come decked in maroon for our Fall Family Fest or Maroon & White Party, roll up your sleeves and volunteer alongside a local organization during Saints Serve Saturday — the School community loves to come together.
The Advantage of a Day-Boarding School
Our school community is a rich tapestry of backgrounds, perspectives, and life stories from around the globe. All of our students reap the benefits of vibrant, diverse discussions both inside and outside the classroom. This dynamic exchange not only fosters a deeper understanding of the world but also nurtures the development of globally-conscious citizens.
“I believe the biggest impact St. Anne’s has had on me is the ability to accept what I do not know. Whether cultivating my curiosity in the classroom or teaching me to accept the advice of others, this school encouraged me to let my walls down, be vulnerable in my struggles, and accept the hands and hearts willing to pick me up, dust me off, and set me on my feet again.”
— Cadigan Perriello ’25, Princeton University
St. Anne’s-Belfield School
At A Glance
Quick Facts
994 students age 2 – Grade 12
672 family households
55 acres of land between two campuses
4,975 living alumns in 49 countries located in Charlottesville, VA, home to the University of Virginia
2 hours from Washington, D.C
44 sports teams
104 zip codes
13 countries represented in the Residential Life Program as of Aug. 20, 2025
21 Advanced Placement (AP) exams offered on campus
26 countries and
10 U.S. states in the student body
“We wish our students to become strong in body, broad of mind, tender of heart,
responsive in soul.”
— Mary Hyde DuVal, Founding Headmistress (1910 – 1920)
enroll in highly selective schools with <25% admit rate
average SAT vs 1028 national average
28 2026 Capstone scholars (30% of senior class)
28 average ACT vs 19.9 national average
45% conduct intensive research each year
The School admits qualified students of any race, color, national origin, place of birth, ancestry, sex, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, mental or physical disability, or any status protected by applicable law, and extends to them all the privilege to participate in the educational programs generally accorded or made available to students at the School. The School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, ancestry, sex, religion, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, mental or physical disability, or any status protected by applicable law in the administration of its admission or its educational programs.
