School should ignite your child’s unique potential.
An Independent Day School for Age 3 to Grade 12
| PORTLAND, MAINE
Hello and welcome!
We’re excited that you’re exploring Waynflete. We place students at the center of their learning, and this commitment starts with the admission process. Our goal is to get to know each applicant as an individual. Whether you are exploring Early Childhood or grade 11, our admission team is here to guide you every step of the way.
Our students don’t just memorize facts—they learn to think for themselves and apply what they know in new and meaningful ways. They gain real-world skills: the ability to lead, solve problems, and approach challenges with clarity and confidence. Our teachers create engaging thematic learning experiences that spark curiosity and deepen understanding. They help students build the habits and insights that define lifelong learners.
The result is students who thrive academically, pursue their passions, and graduate ready to make an impact. Three-quarters of our graduates enroll in their first- or second-choice college or university. Even more importantly, they leave here knowing who they are and how they want to contribute to the world.
Your opportunity starts now. Our application season begins in October, with first-round applicants receiving decisions by March 6. (Since every family’s journey is different, we also review applications year-round.)
Ready to see Waynflete in action? Visit waynflete.org/events for upcoming events, application information, and visit opportunities. We’re here to help you take the next step— just reach out.
We look forward to seeing you on campus soon!
Fiona Haslett, Dean of Admission
PORTRAIT OF A GRADUATE
WAYNFLETE STUDENTS:
Explore the wonders of our world.
Curious and courageous learners, Flyers delight in discovery, draw on diverse perspectives and accurate sources, and employ flexible, critical thinking to deepen their understanding.
Grow through challenges.
Agile and resilient problem-solvers, Flyers embrace risk, stretch skills, propose solutions, and take direction from feedback and motivation from failure to achieve their most ambitious goals.
Work with passion and purpose.
Innovative and imaginative creators, Flyers pursue personal interests, develop unique talents, express authentic ideas and emotions, and prioritize health and humanity as they share stories and shape their world.
Lead the way forward, together.
With a strong sense of self and care for others, Flyers eagerly engage in honest dialogue, forge allyships and friendships, and combine forces with other changemakers to advance the common good.
WAYNFLETE MISSION
Waynflete’s mission is to engage the imagination and intellect of our students, to guide them toward selfgovernance and self-knowledge, and to encourage their responsible and caring participation in the world. Our aim is to provide a program that combines security with challenge, playful exploration with rigorous expectation, and range of experience with depth of inquiry.
1898 FOUNDED
WAYNFLETE AT A GLANCE
Waynflete brings together students from more than 50 Maine communities in a school strengthened by access and opportunity. Supported by talented teachers in small classes, students grow in confidence and resilience. Our graduates are ready to excel in college, at work, and in life.
13 OF FACULTY have worked at Waynflete for 40%
11:1 AVERAGE CLASS SIZE
AVERAGE STUDENT/ TEACHER RATIO
10+ YEARS
6 ACRE CAMPUS in Portland’s historic West End
34 ACRES OF ATHLETIC fields at the Fore River Fields +
TUITION ASSISTANCE
#1 independent school in Maine (Niche) RANKED 21%
39%
STUDENTS receive tuition assistance % of the school’s operating budget ($5.8 million) average award
$26,550
190+ 140+ 250+
Lower School students 50+
Middle School students
Upper School students
COMMUNITY EVENTS
COMMUNITIES represented by Waynflete families
STUDENTS OF COLOR 23%
Activities to build passion and purpose
15+
MIDDLE SCHOOL
30+
UPPER SCHOOL
INCLUDING:
Debate Club
Dungeons & Dragons
Junior Classical League
Lower School Mentors
Math Team
Student Council
INCLUDING:
Chess Club
Community Engagement
Girls Leadership Training
Science Olympiad
Speech, Debate, and Model UN
Student Government
Opportunities to foster intellectual engagement
SAMPLE UPPER
SCHOOL ELECTIVES:
Astrophysics
Engineering Design and Methods
Law, Literature, and Social Justice
Linear Algebra and Advanced
Mathematical Topics
Marine Coastal Ecology
Personal Finance
Voices of African American Writers
Women and US History
Friday Night Lights
This family-fun event is an opportunity to cheer on the Flyers, enjoy food trucks, and show our Waynflete spirit.
Waynflete Community Night: Celebrating Our Authentic Voices and Cultures
Families are invited to an allages evening of offerings by local performers and food that celebrates both our different and shared traditions.
Spring Fling
This annual springtime event hosted by the Parents Association includes delicious treats, arts activities, games, and more.
Grandparents and Friends Day
Grandparents and friends of current students tour the campus, observe classes, and attend a reception.
PARENT EVENTS
Winter Warmer Community Event for Adults
Parents and friends gather for this annual adults-only event featuring a spirited chili competition and plenty of good cheer.
Pickleball and Pints
Parents and guardians come together for a lively evening of pickleball matches.
Soups, Sweets, Sips, and Support
Parents and guardians gather to connect and discuss important topics that affect our families and community—while enjoying a selection of homemade soups and delicious treats.
“There’s something indescribable about growing up in a place where the people around you have truly seen you grow. I still run into teachers I had in elementary school, and I know it must be strange for them to see a kid they taught phonics to now be applying to college. But for me, it’s deeply special. That continuity—of being known and remembered—is something I don’t take for granted.”
—DIEGO ’26
LOWER SCHOOL Age 3–Grade 5
Skills built by wonder
Students develop a sense of belonging and build knowledge by caring for themselves, helping others, and participating in classroom lessons and routines. Through structured experiences and guided exploration, they begin to approach problems with curiosity and expansive thinking. Teachers encourage students to take ownership of small but meaningful tasks and grow responsibility through practice. By fifth grade, they’re working independently, speaking up for their needs, and ready to engage in the greater complexity of Middle School.
MIDDLE SCHOOL Grades 6–8
Building a passion for learning
Middle Schoolers navigate multiple subjects and begin taking more responsibility for their learning and growth. With intentional support from teachers, students learn how to stay organized and approach challenges as opportunities for growth. Students also begin to understand how their minds work and how they learn, and they develop greater self-awareness and agency. Expectations grow as students demonstrate readiness. By eighth grade, they’re stepping forward with initiative as leaders and are prepared to meet the rigorous demands of Upper School.
UPPER SCHOOL Grades 9–12
Confidence ignited by hard work
Upper School students are expected to direct their learning. Students manage long-term projects, take intellectual risks, and actively contribute in class and beyond. Teachers are mentors, providing space to let students lead while offering support and feedback. In this culture of mutual trust and high expectations, students discover and pursue areas of personal interest— developing passions that shape both academic work and future goals. By graduation, they are capable, adaptable thinkers who are well prepared for the demands of college and a rapidly changing world.
Where imagination meets craft
Students explore visual and performing arts from many different eras and cultures in spaces designed to support their artistic growth. At every age, they perform on the Franklin Theater stage or share their work in an annual all-school art show. Performing Arts in Lower School, an interdisciplinary program, builds from practice to performance. Older students present works in progress at coffeehouses, collaborate within ensembles, and step into dynamic roles in theater productions and musicals. Through these creative practices, students discover and follow their own passions.
Competing with character
Whether our student-athletes are trying to reach a personal best or a defensive stop in a big game, they have dedicated coaches and fans behind them all the way—and the whole world ahead of them. Beginning in grade 6, Flyers compete in interscholastic team sports, and Waynflete regularly contends for regional and state championships while sending a significant number of student-athletes to college teams. At Waynflete, Flyers learn to compete with skill, integrity, and a confidence that carries well beyond the field.
18
NEW WELLNESS AND AHTLETICS CENTER
Seats 250+ in bleachers
22,000+ square ft. facility
Dedicated training and conditioning facilities
Opening late 2026 sports
49 teams
24 state championships since 2015
“It’s not just about playing sports; it’s about the overall experience. We’re teaching life skills like leadership, teamwork, perseverance, and sportsmanship.”
—ROSS
BURDICK, ATHLETIC DIRECTOR
Advisors personally nurture student growth.
Students at every age have a dedicated advisor encouraging and empowering them to make the most of the Waynflete experience— and keeping your family informed and connected.
COLLEGE COUNSELING
School should be more than a place. It should be a path.
When you have college-level classes, dedicated academic advisors, and a personalized multiyear college advising program, students can stay fully engaged in the high school experience.
There’s no need for outside consultants or stress. At Waynflete, we focus on making the most of every moment. Students discover and develop their authentic academic passions and true talents without worrying about what comes next.
Dedicated college counselors work oneon-one with families to create a robust list of schools, identify sources of financial aid, and craft successful applications.
The extraordinary quality of a Waynflete education is well known among the nation’s most selective colleges and universities. When our graduates step into their next educational opportunity, they have the skills and self-knowledge they need to thrive.
COLLEGE MATRICULATION
2021–2025
American University (3)
Bard College (3)
Bates College (14)
Bennington College (3)
Bentley University (3)
Boston College (3)
Boston University (7)
Bowdoin College (16)
Brandeis University
Broward College
Brown University (6)
Bryn Mawr College (3)
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
Carleton College (4)
Case Western Reserve University
Champlain College (6)
Clark University
Clemson University
Colby College (12)
College of Charleston
College of William & Mary (2)
Colorado College (4)
Colorado School of Mines
Connecticut College (6)
Cornell University (4)
Culinary Institute of America
Dalhousie University
Dartmouth College (2)
Davidson College (6)
Denison University
Dominican University of California
Drew University
Drexel University
Duke University (2)
Eckerd College
Elon University (4)
Emerson College (2)
Emory University
Endicott College (2)
Furman University
Grinnell College
Hamilton College (3)
Harvard University (2)
Haverford College (2)
Howard University
Iona University
Ithaca College (2)
Lafayette College (2)
Lehigh University (2)
Lewis & Clark College
Macalester College (4)
Massachusetts College of Art & Design
Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (2)
Middlebury College (5)
Mount Holyoke College
Northeastern University (6)
Northwestern University
Occidental College (7)
Pomona College
Providence College (2)
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Rhode Island School of Design
Roger Williams University (2)
Rome City Institute
Royal Northern College of Music
Salve Regina University
Sarah Lawrence College (4)
School of Visual Arts
Scripps College (2)
Sewanee: The University of the South
Skidmore College (6)
Smith College (6)
Southern Maine Community College (2)
St. Anselm College
St. Lawrence University
Stevens Institute of Technology
Stonehill College (2)
Suffolk University
SUNY at Purchase
Swarthmore College
Syracuse University (3)
The American University of Paris (2)
The George Washington University (3)
The New School (3)
The University of Alabama
The University of Arizona
The University of Tampa (2)
The University of Utah
Trinity College
Trinity College Dublin
Tufts University (7)
Tulane University
University College Dublin
University of Colorado Boulder (3)
University of Denver (3)
University of Hartford
University of Maine, Orono (6)
University of Miami (2)
University of New England (2)
University of New Hampshire
University of Notre Dame
University of Pennsylvania (2)
University of Rhode Island (2)
University of Richmond (2)
University of Southern California (2)
University of Southern Maine (3)
University of St Andrews, Scotland (3)
University of Tennessee –Chattanooga
University of Toronto
University of Vermont (4)
University of Victoria
University of Virginia (3)
University of Washington
Utah State University
Vanderbilt University
Vassar College (5)
Villanova University
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Wake Forest University
Washington & Lee University
Washington University in St. Louis (2)
Wellesley College (8)
Wentworth Institute of Technology
Wesleyan University (4)
Western New England University
Wheaton College
Whitman College
Williams College
Worcester Polytechnic Institute (4)
Yale University (2)
WAYS TO WAYNFLETE
Our Application Process
October/November Parent visits begin in October; student visits for Lower, Middle, and Upper School begin in November and continue throughout the winter and spring. Please contact the Admission Office to arrange a campus visit.
January 15 Tuition assistance applications should be filed. After this deadline, applicants should contact the Admission Office directly before submitting an application for aid.
February 10 Completed applications are due for first-round applicants. We also accept applications on a rolling admission basis throughout the spring and summer.
March 6 The Admission Office will notify first-round applicants of their admission decision. Families who apply after this date will be notified within a few weeks following completion of the application.
“At Waynflete there is an unspoken expectation that people show up with intention and integrity. This mindset creates an environment where working hard is simply a part of the culture. It’s an environment I would describe as genuinely uplifting. I think this brings out the best in everyone, whether it is in the classroom, on the field, or just among friends.”
—HANA ’27
Small class sizes filled with diverse perspectives. Challenging courses. Close relationships with trusted teachers. Incredible opportunities. Lifelong friendships.
