Choate Rosemary Hall, founded in 1890, has more than 130 years of experience in preparing students for a changing world. The boarding and day school in Wallingford, Connecticut, welcomes high school students in grades nine through postgraduate. At Choate, they understand that choosing a school abroad involves more than a track record of academic excellence. Parents want assurance that their child will adjust to a different culture and build connections in a new community as well. The school meets this expectation with intentional, thoughtful support for international students, pairing them with student mentors and faculty advisers trained to guide their transition to campus.
Parents near and far are drawn, too, to Choate’s forward-thinking approach to Artificial Intelligence (AI). As emerging technology changes the way students learn and experience the world, families want assurances that schools are preparing students to use AI responsibly. Leaning into the reality before today’s students, Choate has adopted a responsible, ethical, and discerning approach to AI. The school has developed a thoughtful framework that guides students and faculty in how and when to use AI appropriately.
How does this and everything else play out in real life for Choate students? Ellen Devine, Director of Pedagogical Innovation and Emerging Technologies, who has spent more than 20 years at the school, shares her expert insight on Choate’s AI strategy, while parent Arcadia Kim offers first-hand insight on what the Choate experience looks like for her family.
Choate Rosemary Hall prepares students to use Generative AI effectively and become responsible stewards of emerging technologies. Source: Choate Rosemary Hall
Ellen Devine, Director of Pedagogical Innovation and Emerging Technologies
What is Choate doing about AI in the classroom?
Choate takes a values-driven approach to Generative AI through a shared framework that helps faculty and students use the technology thoughtfully and ethically. It guides decisions on when AI enhances learning, when it limits learning, and when it should not be used.
The goal is to build responsible AI stewards, not just skilled users. To support that work, we developed practical classroom guidance, visual indicators that communicate AI expectations for assignments, training for faculty, and resources that help our community make informed decisions about the implications of different AI tools.
Will using AI at school make my child worse at thinking for themselves?
Not if schools use AI intentionally. Our AI strategy is designed to strengthen — not replace — thinking by students. Technology should support human relationships and intellectual work that make education meaningful. Students remain responsible for asking questions, engaging in discussion, defending ideas with evidence, revising their work, and making thoughtful decisions.
For example, students may use AI to find research sources or receive early feedback on a draft, but they are still responsible for leading seminar discussions, writing original analyses, revising their work, and explaining the reasoning behind every major decision they make. We also encourage students to interrogate AI itself by examining its accuracy and assumptions.
What do kids do at Choate instead of being on their phones?
Students spend their time immersed in Choate’s academic, athletic, artistic, and residential life. Afternoons and evenings are filled with sports practices, theatre rehearsals, music performances, art projects, club meetings, collaborative work, and time with friends.
Dorm life is central to the Choate experience, giving students opportunities to cook together, celebrate milestones, study, play games, and build friendships. With faculty living in the dorms, students develop meaningful connections with peers and trusted adults. While technology remains part of daily life, the residential environment encourages connection beyond screens.
What skills are employers looking for that schools should start teaching?
Employers increasingly seek people who can exercise judgment, communicate clearly, think creatively, and solve complex problems alongside AI. As AI handles more routine tasks, skills such as asking insightful questions, evaluating ideas, collaborating across disciplines, and making thoughtful decisions become essential. These are the skills Choate develops through discussion-based classes, writing, project-based learning, leadership, and collaboration.
Choate Rosemary Hall students build positive habits and skills around technology. Source: Choate Rosemary Hall
Arcadia Kim, a Choate parent
How has Choate built a sense of belonging and supported your child socially?
What impressed us most was how Choate creates smaller communities within a larger school. Our daughter’s all-girls dorm quickly became her home. From snack breaks to late-night conversations, she found an immediate group of friends who were all navigating the same transition together.
One moment that really stood out was when she auditioned for the play. It was outside her comfort zone, but she was cast in a small ensemble with students from every grade. On opening night and at curtain call, her new friends were there, cheering her on. Seeing that support meant so much to her and to us.
Was your child ready to live away from home or did that take time?
Yes, she was ready. But like many students, she went through an adjustment period, from occasional homesickness to managing a demanding schedule.
For us, the Choate parent community, especially international families, became an important source of support. Parents shared advice, experiences, and practical tips on everything from travel arrangements to navigating milestones like the first long weekends away from campus. Their support made the transition much smoother.
Was Choate’s academic rigour what you expected or more challenging?
It was very much what we expected. Choate is academically rigorous, but we appreciated that the transition into Third Form was thoughtful. The teachers understood that students were adjusting to a new school and living away from home. So, they struck a great balance between maintaining high expectations and giving students the space to settle in. All these have pushed her to grow while nurturing the curiosity that brought her to Choate in the first place.
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