PENNINGTON THIS is
The Pennington School | Grades 6—12 | Day & Boarding
Pennington is a place where transformation happens — academically, artistically, athletically, and personally. We combine rigorous academics with character-building experiences in a close-knit, inclusive community.
Honor. Virtue. Humility. Excellence.
OUR MISSION excellence
The Pennington School is committed to developing individual in all of its students.
FAST FACTS FAST FACTS
13 average CLASS SIZE 26 HONORS classes
535 students
BISTRO PIZZA and pasta served daily!
100% STUDENT participation in COMMUNITY SERVICE COUNTRIES represented on campus
college-bound SENIORS ACCEPTED to 4-year colleges and universites
Middle School WHERE THE JOURNEY BEGINS
Our focus is on the development of the whole child :
• 100 students
• Dedicated Middle School faculty members
• Exploratory/elective classes in addition to core academics
• Full Arts program: Visual Art, Drama, Instrumental, and Vocal instruction
• Physical Life Skills curriculum
• Middle School athletic teams
• Faculty advisor and Junior Proctor mentoring programs
• Health and Wellness counselor and classes
• Full slate of after-school and extracurricular activities
Academics THAT ELEVATE
Start your path with a bold academic foundation:
• Middle School curriculum designed just for Grades 6-8
• Middle School students can place into Upper School math or world language courses
• 45 AP and Honors courses in Upper School
• 19 AP offerings in Upper School
• Signature Programs
• Global Studies Certificate —expand your world
• Applied Science Certificate —innovate with purpose
• Cervone Center for Learning —thrive with support
All classes are small, discussion-based, and deeply engaging.
“It is believed that there are multiple intelligences, that learning should be a nurturing of success rather than
a cataloging of errors.”
—Dr. Edmund Cervone, founder, Cervone Center for Learning
Arts THAT EMPOWER EXPRESSION
Pennington’s Arts program connects students to the world through hands-on projects that exercise skills of inquiry, curiosity, correlation, response, and analysis.
Theatre
Scene Study
Acting
Directing
Senior Seminar
Music
Instrumental Lab
Vocal Ensemble
Rhythm of the Sacred
Music Technology
Composition
Music Theory
Advanced Composition
AP Music Theory
Visual Arts
Drawing Foundations
Color and Design
Art Studio, I, II, III, IV
AP Studio Art
Modern American
History and Art
Ceramics, I, II, III
Lens-Based Arts
Photography
(Darkroom and Digital Imaging)
Filmmaking
Arts Activities
After-school Music Study
Art Club
Dramatic Society
Gallery talks and
demonstrations with visiting artists
Music Collective (Tech)
Open Studios
Private Instrumental/ Voice Lessons
Yearbook
All-Year Ensembles
Jazz Band
Orchestra
Pennington Singers
SoundProof a cappella group
Treble Tones vocal
ensemble
Athletics THAT BUILD GRIT
• 144 consecutive years of football
• Athletic leadership program for captains
• NCAA college recruitment program
• Member of MAPL League
• Separate Middle School athletics program
Baseball
Basketball
Cheer
Cross Country
Field Hockey
Fitness and Wellness
Football
Golf
Lacrosse
Soccer
Swimming
Tennis
Track and Field
Water Polo
Winter Track
“Pennington's boarding life has been a great experience. It is an awesome way to meet new people, socialize, and make friends from all grades. Everyone is so welcoming and kind. I have become a part of the community and it's exhilarating!” —Helena C. '27
Residential Life FOR MAKING CONNECTIONS
10 residence halls | 150+ weekend activities each year
• Second dinners every night!
• Access to faculty after classes end each day and on weekends
• Evening study halls and life skills workshops
• Safe, walkable town center one block from campus
• Community weekends
• No Saturday classes | Monday night formal dinners
• 15 minutes to Princeton, 1 hour to NYC or Philadelphia
• Life skills for college and beyond
• 90+ extracurricular student-led clubs and organizations!
College Counseling THAT OPENS DOORS
4 full-time counselors | 1:28 counselor ratio
150+ colleges visit campus annually
88% of 2024 AP scores were 3 or higher
Class of 2024 accepted to 246 colleges in 24 states and 4 countries
College Acceptance List Highlights:
American University
Bard College
Bates College
Baylor University
Bennington College
Boston University
Brandeis University
Brigham Young University
Brown University
Bucknell University
Case Western Reserve University
Clemson University
Colby College
Colgate University
Colorado College
Connecticut College
Cornell University
Dickinson College
Drew University
Drexel University
Elon University
Emerson College
Fairfield University
Fordham University
Franklin & Marshall College
George Washington University
Georgetown University
Georgia Institute of Technology
Gettysburg College
Harvard University
Harvey Mudd College
Haverford College
Indiana University (Bloomington)
Ithaca College
Johns Hopkins University
Johnson & Wales University
King's College London
Lafayette College
Lehigh University
Loyola Marymount University
Miami University (Oxford)
Michigan State University
Milwaukee School of Engineering
Monmouth University
Montclair State University
Morehouse College
New Jersey Institute of Technology
New York University
Northeastern University
Oberlin College
Ohio University
Pace University
Penn State University
Pepperdine University
Pitzer College
Pomona College
Princeton University
Purdue University
Quinnipiac University
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Rochester Institute of Technology
Rutgers University
St. Lawrence University
Stevens Institute of Technology
Syracuse University
Temple University
The University of Edinburgh
The University of Texas at Austin
Trinity College
Tufts University
University of Arizona
University of California (Berkeley)
University of California (Davis)
University of California (Irvine)
University of California (Los Angeles)
University of California (San Diego)
University of California (Santa Barbara)
University of California (Santa Cruz)
University of Colorado Boulder
University of Connecticut
University of Florida
University of Georgia
University of Maryland (College Park)
University of Massachusetts (Amherst)
University of Miami
University of Michigan
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
University of Pennsylvania
University of Pittsburgh
University of Richmond
University of Rochester
University of South Carolina
University of Southern California
University of St Andrews
University of Toronto
University of Vermont
University of Virginia
University of Washington
University of Wisconsin (Madison)
Vassar College
Villanova University
Virginia Polytechnic Institute
and State University
Wake Forest University
Wellesley College
William & Mary
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Innovative PROGRAMS WITH INTENTION
Global Studies Certificate
2-year certificate program
• Students broaden their worldview and build the skills to engage with global issues in meaningful ways—developing into informed, compassionate global citizens.
Applied Science Certificate
2-year certificate program
• Unique opportunities for students to grow their STEM skills and knowledge, discover new passions, and explore areas of interest not available in the general program
Horizon Program
Capstone experience for seniors
• Each May, seniors step outside the classroom for a month-long journey of exploration. Through workshops, reflection, and hands-on experiences, students prepare for life after Pennington. The Horizon experience culminates with internships, travel, or independent projects that develop critical life skills and confidence.
1838 1853 1885 1917
SCHOOL IS FOUNDED!
• The Pennington School was founded as the Methodist Episcopal Male Seminary.
• The first students enrolled in the spring of 1840, including the first international student (from Mexico).
COEDUCATION
BEGINS
• Renamed the Pennington Seminary and Female Collegiate Institute, the School welcomed young women to campus.
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS ARRIVE
• Students from Cuba, Mexico, South America, Asia, and Europe came to campus by boat and train.
COMMITMENT
TO SERVICE
• The School began compulsory military training; students wore military uniforms on campus during World War I.
• A west wing was added to Old Main around this time to accommodate the growing student body.
A LIVING HISTORY OF
• 150 Pennington students and alumni served in the war.
The Pennington School, with its roots in the Methodist church, has long been a place notable for its diversity and inclusion. Early on, the founders identified three guiding principles for the School: “the education of the physical, the training of the mental, and the grounding of the soul in character.” These principles reflected the vision of John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, who envisioned schools as places that cared for the whole individual. The Pennington School welcomes students from all religious, racial, and socioeconomic backgrounds, and they have found it to be a warm and welcoming place to learn and live.
1934 1975 TODAY
PENNINGTON OPENS DOORS
• During the Great Depression, financial support was offered to students of modest means.
• John Wesley Sparks left the bulk of his estate to Pennington, enabling the School to build a gymnasium and to offer its excellent opportunities to young people regardless of their ability to afford the tuition.
• During World War II, Pennington welcomed international Jewish students.
DIVERSE LEARNING STYLES
• The Cervone Center for Learning was established to offer additional academic support to bright students with learning differences within the traditional collegepreparatory curriculum.
PENNINGTON
TODAY
• Over 40 countries and cultures represented by current student body
• 535 students (Middle and Upper School)
• 32% of students receive financial assistance.
• This program, unique in 1975, became an exemplary model for other schools around the country.
• 100% of students spend over 5,000 hours involved in community service.
• Students create and participate in clubs with diverse interests. Scan below to check out the current list of 90+ activities and clubs!
“Our
—Dr. William S. Hawkey Head of School
