4 inspiring schools, 4 pathways to university success

International families can’t go wrong with an American education. Schools in the US are known to stand out for their academic excellence, focus on individual student learning, and dedication to personal development. Most importantly, each features a strong record of successful admissions to top colleges and universities. 

By nurturing students into future athletes, artists, collaborators, and leaders, they produce graduates that stand out in competitive applicant pools. Schools that offer boarding facilities ensure 24/7 exposure to this excellence. Boarders in US schools often live and learn alongside a variety of peers that teach them the importance of appreciating and respecting different perspectives –– another perk that catches the eyes of admissions officers.

While officers are impressed, students are confident. In fact, studies reveal that 78% of boarding school students feel they were prepared for college versus only 28% of public school students. Half of these students achieve advanced degrees, compared to 21% of public school students.

Now that we’ve highlighted the “why,” let’s move on to the “where,” Here are four day and boarding schools in the US known for offering the above and more:

Landmark School

At Landmark School, every student has a curriculum they call their own. Source: Landmark School

Families looking for a highly effective, individualised approach to education will find everything they need at Landmark School. Located just 30 miles north of Boston –– one of the most vibrant cities in the US — this co-educational day and boarding school specialises in educating and empowering learners diagnosed with dyslexia or another language-based learning disability (LBLD) to succeed academically and socially.

How? With customized programmes, a one-to-one daily tutorial (guidance), class sizes of six to eight students, highly trained faculty, robust extracurricular activities, community service, and so much more. Landmark is a leader in serving students with dyslexia in the US and abroad. Learn more about Landmark’s unique and proven approach.

Each student’s curriculum is tailored to their specific learning needs. This fosters respect, trust, and a sense of confidence to turn every hurdle into an opportunity.

“At Landmark, I’m with students who also have dyslexia, and my teachers totally get me and understand how to teach me,” says Sunaina “Su” Hoon, an international student from New Delhi, India. “They encourage me to ask questions and ask for help. It’s really comforting to know that people in class with me have the same struggles as I do.”

Su’s a student in Landmark School’s college-preparatory High School, which is as rigorous as it is holistic.

Landmark School offers three academic programmes: the Expressive Language Programme, the Founders Programme, and the Prep Programme –– each helps students develop language and study skills in preparation for success in college, university, and beyond.

Each highly sought-after programme results in what graduates and their families call the Landmark Advantage.

Once students’educational needs are met and they gain the social and emotional wellbeing they’ve always needed, they realise their potential and thrive. Ninety-four percent pursue their callings in college or university. All achieve acceptance.

 Take a virtual tour, hear from current students, and meet the Admission team.

The Vanguard School

The Vanguard School offers independent, coeducational, boarding and day education, catered to students in grades six to 12. Source: The Vanguard School

The Vanguard School is certainly not short of zeal and teaching talent to realise its mission: to help guide students in the development of their character and academic potential through academically rigorous, content-rich educational programmes. This is where individualised, purposeful, and academically-oriented education meets a safe, supportive, and compassionate community.

Here, learning is tailored to each student’s needs. Students are tested during admissions, as they enter each academic year, and collectively in the last term of school in April. Currently, the school has students with IQ levels from 70 to 140. 

“By emphasising individualised attention within the context of a small classroom environment, Vanguard provides for the academic, social, and personal growth of each student,” explains Head of School Shannon Graves.

The Vanguard School offers independent, coeducational, boarding and day education, catered to students in grades six to 12. Each student receives an individualised curriculum, bolstered by an 8:1 student-to-faculty ratio, small classes and technology to keep them engaged. 

The 77-acre campus is home to 120 students and supports outdoor activities all year round. Here, teamwork, sportsmanship, and character are nurtured. Students get to choose from a range of sports including soccer, basketball, tennis, archery, swim, golf and more.

New Hampton School

The signature New Hampton School approach to education is an extension of the school’s mission and aims. Source: New Hampton School

Set on 340 stunning acres in the village of New Hampton, New Hampshire, 325 students are working towards not only successful, but fulfilling futures. Well-equipped, New Hampton School is a co-educational, college preparatory institution home to 12 residential houses, state-of the-art classrooms and science laboratories, computer labs, a research centre, a library, studios for every art, an athletics complex, and endless mountain area for outdoor exploration. The goal is to cultivate lifelong learners who are eager to serve as active global citizens.

The signature New Hampton School approach to education is an extension of the school’s mission and aims. The fully-customisable Foundations of Learning curriculum shapes dynamic students by providing the necessary rigour and support for each student with offerings in the International Baccalaureate, Advanced Placement, and Academic Support. 

When it comes to nurturing interests and passions, the school ensures every child is granted an opportunity for immersion. Interscholastic teams include alpine skiing, baseball, cross country, equestrian, field hockey and more. 

For creatives, there are several courses available in the visual, digital, and performing arts including comedic improv, environmental art, animation, graphic design, and photography –– just to name a few. The result? New Hampton’s senior class of over 100 enjoys an impressive success rate, matriculating to more than 85 different colleges and universities.

Greenwood School

For decades, students from across the globe have chosen The Greenwood School to study in an atmosphere that is familial, understanding, and supportive. Source: The Greenwood School

Founded in 1978 in rural Putney, Vermont, The Greenwood School is a small college preparatory boarding and day school for boys between the grades of six and 12. For decades, students from across the globe, as far as Spain and Singapore, have chosen to come here for an atmosphere that is familial, understanding, and supportive. 

These are the traits needed to nurture talents who have struggled in traditional environments due to language-based learning differences such as dyslexia, executive function challenges, ADD or ADHD, written expression weaknesses, dysgraphia, or math difficulties such as dyscalculia. 

The curriculum here is structured enough to ensure students with these differences develop the self-discipline and confidence they need to excel in independent study. Core topics include: English Language, Arts, Math, History, Science, STEAM, Creatives, and Language Literacy. 

Outside the classroom, students can be found socialising with their peers or faculty members; or embarking on various excursions that contribute to their personal development. They play with puppies, ride their bikes, kayak, train their bodies in the gym, discover in the STEAM lab, paint on canvases in the art studio, practise their favourite instruments in the music studio, and more. These activities were set in place to ensure young boys evolve into young men with talent.

*Some of the institutions featured in this article are commercial partners of Study International