Residential life at St. Paul’s School
ALL TOGETHER.
ALL RIGHT HERE.
Living in community is part of our DNA. St. Paul’s has been fully residential since our founding in 1856. We live school, and we love it.
Boarding
Why does it matter that St. Paul’s is 100% boarding?
It matters because kindness and compassion define daily life on our 2,000-acre campus. With your teachers and friends as your neighbors, you’ll discover new ways to live those values every day.
It matters because there’s a teacher on duty each night in your dorm ready to help you with an assignment — even if you’re not in their class. And it matters because the friends who have your back are the first people you meet in the morning, and the last ones you see before bed.
Make Yourself a Home
Vertical housing is something I hope never changes. I love that we don’t have separate dorms for different grades — some of my closest friends are older than me, and when I was younger, they helped me with homework, gave me advice and were just like big siblings. Now I get to do the same for younger students, and that’s something really special.
— Sixth Former Davidson, North Carolina
At St. Paul’s, students develop a growing sense of independence while supported by a caring community of peers, faculty and staff. Because our community is all boarding, your dorm is more than just a place to sleep — it’s where you grow, connect and create lasting memories. Each of our 17 dorms — known as houses at St. Paul’s — has its own character, with a combination of singles, doubles and triples and a large, comfortable common room with a kitchen. Teachers live there, too, in family faculty apartments that are connected to the dorm. Our vertical housing system mixes students from all grades together, creating unique opportunities to learn from one another. Your house becomes a second home — a study space, movie theater, snack bar, concert hall, clubhouse and safe haven, all in one.
A fully residential environment means built-in support at every turn. When you check into your house for the evening, your dorm faculty adviser will be there, eager to learn how your day went. Prefects — Sixth Form residential leaders — welcome you with warmth and care, ready to help you feel comfortable and included from day one. And your best friends are just a door knock away, ready to study with you, watch a show or just relax.
This community is so close-knit because we’re a 100% boarding school. Being with people in every part of the day creates closer ties than seeing them just for school and then going home
.
— Fourth Former Dhahran, Saudi Arabia
Rising, Shining, and Connecting
When you’re living with people for long periods of time, you really feel supported. And it’s more of a family. It’s not temporary.
— Fourth Former Vancouver, Canada
Every morning at St. Paul’s, we don’t just wake up — we show up for one another. Whether you’re reviewing history notes before heading over to chapel or exchanging a quick laugh with your chemistry lab partner in the hallway, each day is filled with moments that strengthen our bonds and deepen our learning.
Breakfast at Coit Dining Hall is more than a meal — it’s a time for connection. You might grab a quick bite on the go or linger with your roommate over omelets. The day after a big game, your friends will still be buzzing with excitement, eager to congratulate you yet again. A teacher may stop by to see if you’re ready for today’s quiz. St. Paul’s is a community where respect, kindness and shared purpose shape our interactions.
The heart of the morning is chapel, a defining tradition of life at St. Paul’s. This 25-minute gathering four days a week is where we come together to hear School news, share meaningful readings and lift our voices in song and reflection. Sometimes we’ll hear the perspective of an alum or other speaker, or perhaps one of our classmates will offer their thoughts or give us a preview of an upcoming concert. We leave not only energized for the day, but also strengthened and inspired by those around us.
All in. All together. All right here. Residential life at St. Paul’s School.
Everyone here is so compassionate and kind That’s one of the best things about living here
—
Fifth Former Bedford, New Hampshire
. .
With friends by our side, we move as a community, ready to take on the day together.
Every teacher lives on campus. Their families are your neighbors.
Beyond the Classroom
There’s so many things you could get involved in; there’s always something to do. That’s an aspect of boarding life I really enjoy. There is just so much more I can do as a boarding student than if I were a day student at my old school.
— Fifth Former Belmont, Massachusetts
As classes wrap up for the day, students crisscross the campus in all directions.
Now is the time to focus on moving, creating and collaborating — whether that’s working on your form at cross-country practice, fine-tuning your argument in debate club or rehearsing for an upcoming performance. These moments are opportunities to expand your thinking, broaden your horizons, and discover a new side to your friends — and maybe even yourself.
The relationships that define the St. Paul’s School community grow through the many ways students and teachers interact beyond the classroom. Your humanities teacher knows you not just as a student, but as a team player and an advisee. Beyond that, she lives just down the hall from you with her family, creating even more opportunities to get to know each other in meaningful ways. Her kids might color beside you while you study in the common room, or you might be greeted by her dog when you check in for the night. We see many versions of each other throughout the day, which makes our connections to one another deeper and enriches every aspect of our school experience.
People here are very proud that they go to this school They take pride in performing, or competing, or speaking in chapel
— Third Former Exeter, New Hampshire . .
After classes, you may rejoin the friends you had team “brek” (breakfast) with earlier in the day.
Seated Meals and advisee dinners provide students and teachers with additional opportunities to connect each term.
Small Moments, Big Impact
My friends from St. Paul’s are so different from the friends that I would have at a day school because they go through so much more with you. On your best days, or your worst, they are there for you. I’ve made deep connections with people in such a short amount of time.
— Third Former Pinecrest, Florida
In the evening, the campus remains energized even after dinner. At Ohrstrom Library, students dive into their homework or gather to discuss a group assignment, often with the guidance of nearby teachers. Sounds of the orchestra emanate from the Music Building as ensembles negotiate a tricky passage of Bach or Brahms in anticipation of an upcoming performance. Some students focus on club meetings — including the Horae Scholasticae, the oldest prep school art and literary magazine in the country — while others might play a game of pool in the Friedman Community Center.
Back at the dorms, advisers lead students in activities that keep the spirit of community strong at day’s end, like an impromptu birthday celebration (caramel apples!). Small moments have a big impact — like your adviser lending an ear after a tough week or simply sharing a laugh over a late-night snack. Through these everyday acts of care, you’ll feel seen and supported, and learn that you are never alone on your journey.
As the night winds down, light spills from underneath doors, where students are finishing up their homework, chatting with friends, watching a movie or getting ready for bed, excited for whatever tomorrow will bring.
FRIDAY
Every evening when I check in I go to my friend’s room across the hall and do the rest of my homework lying on his yoga mat We might not even talk — we just sit and do our work
— Fifth Former Scottsdale, Arizona , . .
After-dinner study sessions are easy to come by.
Each house has its own character, and you can make your room your own.
Full Houses, Full Weekends
It becomes so normal to be surrounded by your friends all the time. It’s like having a sleepover every night — people are always around to chat or hang out.
— Fifth Former Westerly, Rhode Island
Weekends at St. Paul’s have a rhythm of their own — a perfect mix of schedule and spontaneity. There’s always something happening, and because more than 90% of students stay on campus, everyone is welcome to take part.
On Saturday afternoons, you might head to an athletic practice before joining friends at the tennis courts for a game of pickleball, dropping a line in Lower School Pond with members of the Anglers Club, jumping in on the Club Cup dodgeball tournament or rolling up your sleeves for a baking session in your common room kitchen. There might be a cultural festival on the lawn, or you could cheer on the Big Red teams at the Hockey Center, the Athletic and Fitness Center or one of our turf fields. Saturday evenings offer game nights, talent shows, movies, dances, and always a “feed” at the Friedman Community Center. Sunday brunch and a shopping trip into Concord are ideal opportunities to kick back before the week begins again.
People always ask me, ‘why St. Paul’s? I feel supported in everything I do here. I can give it my best and know that other people are looking out for me. As a senior, I’ve become so many things that I just didn’t expect for myself. And that’s because the people around me have helped me become them
— Sixth Former Concord, New Hampshire ’ .
Our campus offers 2,000 acres of lawns, woods and water — and at least that many ways to have fun.
Campus is full on the weekends. There’s always something to do — and plenty of friends to do it with.
Toothbrush. Pajamas. All your chargers. Boundless curiosity.
I thought it was kind of weird to live on a 100% boarding campus. But it’s actually the most beautiful thing ever. It’s so amazing because we don’t see it yet, but we are changing each others’ lives.
— Fourth Former Neptune, New Jersey
At St. Paul’s, we’re all in it together — and that’s what makes our school truly unique. Because every student and teacher lives on campus, we have so many opportunities to grow and thrive individually and as a community.
The connections we make here, the lessons we learn from people who are different from us and the friendships we forge provide lifelong lessons about the benefits of openness, respect and personal responsibility that serve us at college and throughout life.
We’re excited to learn more about you and what you’ll bring to our community.
