EMMA WILLARD SCHOOL PROFILE 2025–2026
Honoring its founder’s vision, Emma Willard School proudly fosters in each young woman a love of learning, the habits of an intellectual life, and the character, moral strength, and qualities of leadership to serve and shape her world.
STUDENT BODY
19 US STATES
African/African American Asian/Pacific Islander
Biracial
European Hispanic/Latine
Multiracial Other
Prefer not to say White
35
A financial aid budget of $6.6 million enables 44% of the student body to receive financial assistance to attend Emma Willard School. The average financial aid award for those who qualify is $51,994 for boarding students and $29,937 for day students. Emma Willard is committed to girls’ education, and, to that end, we consider for admission any applicant who identifies as a girl. In addition, current students who no longer identify as girls are welcome at Emma Willard as long as they feel served by our mission.
FACULTY
ACADEMIC PROGRAM
The Emma Willard curriculum reflects the school’s pursuit of excellence; capitalizes on the global nature of its student body; sustains a belief in the importance of leadership, ethics, and service in adolescent education; and honors the woman’s perspective. Emma Willard offers a rigorous college preparatory program with Advanced Studies (AS) opportunities and upper-level electives in all disciplines. In line with our Program Pillars (emmawillard. org/academics), there are caps on the number of AS classes students are able to take. Ninth graders do not enroll in AS courses. Tenth grade students may choose one AS course, 11th graders up to two, and 12th graders up to three.
Advanced Studies: Advanced Studies (AS) courses are equal to or greater than Advanced Placement™ (AP) courses in rigor, but offer opportunities for extended inquiry and independent research, meaningful collaboration, and experiential learning. AS courses are designed through a rigorous internal process and are subject to approval by the Director of Curriculum and Innovation.
Personalized Study: Students may engage in personalized studies through several special programs:
• Practicum is an independent study program. It offers students opportunities for exploration and enrichment through academic and nonacademic experiences both on and off campus.
• STEAM 9 and 10 are individualized courses for ninth and tenth graders. Students collaborate on projects aligned with their areas of interest. Projects culminate with poster presentations. (STEAM: science, technology, engineering, arts, math)
• Signature is a capstone program that allows students to explore a topic of their interest in depth. Students utilize individualized instruction to work on project goals for one academic year and present the results of their work during a special, all-school showcase.
• Emma Artist Program is for both performing and visual arts students who wish to pursue study beyond our advanced offerings in their particular arts discipline. Students work on their individual pieces while meeting weekly for performance classes, group critiques, collaboration, and improvisation sessions. Students perform and show their work throughout the year, with a final culminating arts showing at our all-school showcase.
Leadership Opportunities: Student leadership roles are divided into three tiers: White, Black, and Red. Red Tier roles are the most prestigious and the most time-consuming, for that reason, students may only hold one. They may not hold both a Red Tier role and a Black Tier role at the same time; however, students with a Red Tier Role may hold a maximum of two White Tier Roles. Visit emmawillard.org/student-leadership for details about student involvement.
GPA and Class Rank: Emma Willard does not rank students, nor do we provide a cumulative grade point average as part of a student’s credentials. This practice is consistent with our founder’s belief that “education should seek to bring its subjects to the perfection of their moral, intellectual, and physical nature.” Believing that her vision encourages students to measure their strengths against their own potential rather than in competition against others, we do not report information that invites comparisons of students.
Grading:
A 93-100
A- 90-92
B+ 87-89
B 83-86
B- 80-82
C+ 77-79
C 73-76
C- 70-72
D+ 67-69
D 63-66
D- 60-62
F/No Credit <60
There is no grade of A+. “NC” (no credit) represents a failing grade. All arts courses are graded as CR/NC (credit/no credit) unless a letter grade is chosen by the student (for visual art courses only).
Grading for Ninth Graders: Students entering Emma Willard's ninth grade are graded on a credit/no credit basis for the fall semester. In the spring semester, ninth graders receive letter grades that are reported on transcripts. Comprehensive final exams may be included in this spring semester grade. Because of this, there is no year grade recorded for ninth grade. If colleges require a final grade for the purpose of calculating a GPA, we suggest using the spring semester grades for this purpose.
School Policy on Reporting Discipline: Making mistakes is a natural, necessary part of a student’s personal growth and educational development. This is especially true in a boarding school environment such as Emma Willard’s, where student behavior is monitored closely and consistently. While we acknowledge the need to report significant disciplinary events to colleges, we also believe that routine discipline is a developmentally appropriate tool to be used without fear of long-term consequences. Emma Willard therefore shares with colleges only disciplinary information about a student’s suspension or expulsion.
Accreditation and Affiliations:
DR. KAREN C. LASSEY Head of School head_of_school@emmawillard.org 518-833-1301
DR. ESTHER DETTMAR Dean of Academics edettmar@emmawillard.org 518-833-1312
DR. ASHLEY L. BENNETT Director of College Counseling abennett@emmawillard.org 518-833-1305
ABBEY MASSOUD-TASTOR Senior Associate Director of College Counseling amassoudtastor@emmawillard.org 518-833-1311
XAVIER MCKINZIE Associate Director of College Counseling xmckinzie@emmawillard.org 518-833-1303
ELIZABETH MONSEES Administrative Assistant to College Counseling Testing Coordinator emonsees@emmawillard.org 518-833-1307
2025–2026 EMMA WILLARD SCHOOL COURSE LISTINGS
AND CREDITS
(.25 and .5 credits = semester course, 1.5 credits = AS year course, 1.0 credits = year course)
ARTS
• Beginning Ballet/Contemporary Dance .5
• Intermediate Ballet .5
• Advanced Ballet .5
• Intermediate Contemporary Dance .5
• Advanced Contemporary Dance .5
• Hip hop/Jazz Dance Fusion .5
• Dance Choreography/Performance Workshop .25
• Core Training Fundamentals .25
• Orchestra .5
• Chamber Orchestra .5
• Choir .5
• Inner Choir .5
• Voice Seminar .25
• Music Appreciation: The World of Music .25
• Semiquavers .5
• Ceramics .5
• Introduction to Sculpture .5
• Introduction to Photography .5
• Film and Video .5
• Introduction to Drawing .5
• Introduction to Painting .5
• 3-D Design .5
• Graphic Design .5
• Intermediate Media Arts: : Photo, Video, and Design .5
• Advanced Media Arts: : Photo, Video, and Design .5
• Intermediate Studio Art 1.0
• Advanced Studio Art 1.0
• Intermediate Sculpture and Ceramics .5
• Advanced Sculpture and Ceramics .5
• Emma Artists I: Visual Arts .5
• Emma Artists I: Performing Arts .5
• Emma Artists II: Visual Arts .5
• Emma Artists II: Performing Arts .5
• Emma Artists III: Performing Arts .5
• Special Project in Arts .5
• Acting: The Art and Craft of Play .5
• Acting: Actor as the Creator .5
• Public Speaking: Expressive Speech and Storytelling .5
• Theatre Company .25
• Technical Theatre Support .25
ENGLISH
• English I 1.0
• English II 1.0
• English III 1.0
• English Support I
• English Support II
• Writing Support .5
• Fiction Writing for Sophomores and Juniors .25
• Nonfiction Workshop .5
• Gothic Literature .5
• Reading Film: Language and Art of Cinema .5
• Literature of the Good Life .5
• Songwriting .25
• Short Fiction Workshop .5
• Dystopian Fiction .5
• AS Postcolonial Perspectives: Literature & Theory 1.5
• AS The Politics of Emotion 1.5
HISTORY
• Classical Mediterranean History .5
• African History .5
• East Asian History .5
• Indian History.5
• History of the Middle East .5
• Latin American History .5
• European History .5
• Contemporary World History .5
• U.S. History 1.0
• Indigenous History of North America .5
• International Human Rights Studies: Genocide I .5
• International Human Rights Studies: Genocide II .5
• AS Comparative Government and Politics 1.5
• Modern African American History .5
• AS US History 1.5
• AS Art History 1.5
• AS Economics 1.5
• US Government and Politics 1.0
LANGUAGES
• French I 1.0
• French II 1.0
• French III 1.0
• French IV: Exploration of the Francophonie beyond French Borders 1.0
• AS French V: French Identity(ies) 1 .5
• Spanish I 1.0
• Spanish II 1.0
• Spanish III 1.0
• Spanish IV 1.0
• Latin I 1.0
• Latin II 1.0
• Latin III 1.0
• Latin IV: Literature and Empire 1.0
• AS Latin IV: Literature and Empire 1.5
• Chinese I 1.0
• Chinese II 1.0
• Chinese III 1.0
• AS Chinese IV 1.5
MATHEMATICS
• Math Support .5
• Algebra I 1.0
• Algebra II and Trigonometry 1.0
• Algebra II & Trigonometry with NonRoutine Problems 1.0
• Geometry 1.0
• Thinking Mathematically .5
• Financial Literacy .5
• Precalculus 1.0
• Precalculus with Non-Routine Problems 1.0
• Introduction to Engineering Design .5
• Calculus 1.0
• AS Calculus AB 1.5
• AS Calculus C with an Introduction to Multivariable Calculus 1.5
• AS Statistics 1.5 SCIENCE
• Physics Essentials 1.0
• Physics 1.0
• AS Physics 1 1.5
• Biology 1.0
• AS Biology 1.5
• Genetics .5
• Genetics Lab .5
• Astrobiology .5
• Chemistry 1.0
• Chemistry Essentials 1.0
• Foundations in Organic Chemistry .5
• AS Chemistry 1.5
• Neuroscience 1.0
• Anatomy & Kinesiology .5
• Marine Biology .5
• Environmental Science and Policy 1.0
• AS Entomology .75
TECHNOLOGY
• Introduction to Data Science with Python .5
• Introduction to Coding with Python .5
• AS Computer Science Explorations 1.5
• AS Computer Science with Java 1.5
ATHLETICS AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION
• ARC Swim Instruction and Safety
• ARC Lifeguard Training .25
EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING
• STEAM Research 9 .25
This one-semester course allows ninth graders to complete flexible, cross-disciplinary projects in STEAM fields. Emphasis is placed on teamwork, problem solving, and exhibiting final work. Final work is exhibited with a comprehensive poster.
• STEAM Research 10 .5
This year-long class offers tenth graders the opportunity to explore STEAM concepts of their choosing together in small teams. Students complete an extensive project composed of their own goals and outcomes. The experience culminates with an extensive poster.
• Practicum
Practicum is Emma Willard’s independent study program. It offers students in grades 9–12 opportunities for exploration and enrichment through academic and nonacademic experiences both on and off campus.
• Signature Program .5
Signature is a capstone course open to eleventh and twelfth graders. Students design their own, year-long projects, and share their experiences and outcomes in presentations to the entire school community. Together with their teacher, students make use of school resources and relationships on and off campus to craft their individualized projects.
SEMINAR
• Grade 9: Ready Seminar
• Grade 10: Ready Seminar
• Grade 11: Ready Seminar
• Grade 12: Ready Seminar
EMMA WILLARD SCHOOL COLLEGE MATRICULATION
Classes of 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025
American University (3)
Arizona State University Tempe
Bard College (5)
Barnard College (3)
Bates College (3)
Bennington College
Bentley University
Bocconi University (2)
Boston College (4)
Boston University (2)
Brandeis University (4)
Brown University
Bryn Mawr College (3)
Bucknell University (3)
CUNY City College
Carnegie Mellon University (3)
Case Western Reserve University (2)
Centre College
Champlain College
Chapman University
Christopher Newport University (2)
Claremont McKenna College
Clark University (2)
Clarkson University (2)
Colby College
Colgate University
Colorado School of Mines
Columbia University
Community College of Vermont
Connecticut College
Cornell University (11)
Dartmouth College
Dickinson College (2)
Drexel University
Eckerd College (2)
Emerson College (3)
Emory University (6)
Endicott College
Fashion Institute of Technology
Fordham University (7)
Franklin & Marshall College
George Washington University (8)
Georgetown University
Hamilton College (2)
Hampton University (2)
Harvard University (2)
Hobart and William Smith Colleges (2)
Howard University
Hudson Valley Community College
Ithaca College
Johns Hopkins University (4)
Kenyon College (4)
Lafayette College (7)
Lehigh University (5)
Lewis & Clark College
Loyola University Chicago (2)
Lynn University
Macalester College
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (3)
McGill University
Michigan State University
Mount Holyoke College (5)
Muhlenberg College
New York University (20)
Northeastern University (10)
Northwestern University (3)
Oberlin College (4)
Occidental College
Pace University New York City
Penn State University - University Park (2)
Pitzer College
Princeton University
Providence College (4)
Purdue University
Queen's University (2)
Quinnipiac University
Reed College
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (4)
Rhode Island School of Design
Rice University
Rochester Institute of Technology (3)
Rutgers University New Brunswick (2)
SUNY University at Buffalo (2)
SUNY at New Paltz
Saint Louis University
Saint Michael's College
Sarah Lawrence College (3)
School of Visual Arts
Scripps College (2)
Sewanee: The University of the South
Skidmore College (6)
Smith College (7)
St. John's University
St. Lawrence University (2)
Stanford University (2)
Stony Brook University
Suffolk University
Swarthmore College
Syracuse University (3)
The American University of Paris (2)
The Boston Conservatory at Berklee
The New School (3)
The University of Texas at Austin
Trinity College (2)
Tufts University
Union College (2)
University College London
University at Albany (4)
University of California Berkeley
University of California Davis (2)
University of California Irvine
University of California Los Angeles (3)
University of California Riverside
University of California San Diego (2)
University of California Santa Barbara (2)
University of California Santa Cruz
University of Chicago
University of Connecticut
Univesity of Edinburgh
University of Hartford
University of Hong Kong
University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign (6)
University of Maine
University of Massachusetts Amherst
University of Miami (2)
University of Michigan (2)
University of Minnesota Twin Cities
University of Oregon
University of Pennsylvania
University of Pittsburgh (3)
University of Portland
University of Rhode Island
University of Rochester (3)
University of South Carolina
University of Southern California (3)
University of St Andrews
University of Toronto (2)
University of Vermont (4)
University of Virginia
University of Wisconsin Madison (3)
University of the Arts London
University of the Pacific
Vassar College (4)
Villanova University (2)
Wagner College
Washington University in St. Louis (4)
Wellesley College (7)
Wesleyan University (5)
Wheaton College - MA
William & Mary
Williams College
Xavier University of Louisiana