Emma Willard School - Review #8

As the oldest girls school in the country, Emma Willard places a unique focus on educating women. They really strive to educate the whole person, including letting students direct their academic interests.

Going to boarding school gave me the opportunity to explore independence and learn to take responsibility---for my schooling and with friendships and other social aspects. Being in boarding school meant that I was supported, but allowed to grow up and become a realized mature person far before I would have if I stayed at home with my parents. I think that this early self-awareness made my transition into college, my experience while studying abroad for a year at age 19 and even grad school far easier than it was for my peers who stayed home to go to high school.

I don’t have too many regrets about anything from my four years at Emma!

I liked that teachers valued student intelligence and challenged us daily. I also really liked the traditions on campus because they gave me the opportunity to be part of something special. From Revels, the senior class Christmas play, to class dinners to Ring Week, there are so many aspects of Emma Willard traditions that make up my memories of my best times during high school.

Electing to leave home at 14, 15 or 16 can be scary. However, if you believe that you can do it and really go for it, you will find a team of teachers and staff at Emma Willard who also believe in you and will try their hardest to help you.

The academics at Emma Willard were really great. The teachers are talented and the school believes in letting students pursue their interests and strengths. I was really interested in math, and was allowed to be flexible with my schedule, taking both AP Statistics and AP Calc. They also let you take electives starting Junior year. I think I have heard that the school is pushing AP tests less now, but when I was a student, most of us took several AP tests (I took math, Latin, English, European History and US History, and was well prepared for and successful on all of them.)

As an avid athlete, I really enjoyed my four years of three seasons of sports! I liked many aspects of the athletic programs, like most of my coaches and the encouragement and enthusiasm they gave. All students were encouraged to participate in sports, even if they hadn’t played before. This enabled me, for example, to try two different Spring sports during my time at Emma Willard: crew for 2 years and lacrosse for 2. The school also offers a wide range of sports, from classics like basketball and softball to indoor track and winter crew training. However, while some teams like tennis are consistently great, not all the teams are good or even super competitive.

I didn’t take full advantage of the arts program. Each student was required to take 2 credits (4 classes) and since I took piano lessons all four years, I only had to take one photography class. The school does offer a wide variety of arts classes, as well as a big drama program, choir and orchestra.

Outside of academics and sports, students can take part in the Practicum program. This encompasses basically any internship, sport, class or art that is not offered through the school directly. Students do a huge variety of Practicum, from languages to equestrian to internships. When I was a senior, I did a Practicum at a local private day school in the 4th grade. It was great to have the Practicum Director help to arrange this internship/shadowing experience.

Emma Willard has three main dormitory buildings: Kellas, Hyphen and Sage. These are divided into floors and halls, creating smaller, more intimate living groups. Each hall has a Proctor, a senior leader responsible for various aspects of dorm life. The house parents only work in residential life, so they can really focus on the student experience. All freshman live on the same three halls, while the rest of the student body is mixed together. I liked the random friendships that developed each year on the halls. People whom you previously didn't know would become close friends after spending afternoons together or having "tea" (evening snack). You get to choose your roommates, and there are singles available for upperclasswomen.

Emma Willard has a dining hall where the school eats as a community. I thought that the food was generally healthy and tasty. Now, the dining hall is a Fair Trade dining hall.

Troy has revitalized a great deal since I was a student. Now there are several cute restaurants and a great Farmers Market on the weekend. Students can also go to hockey games or other events at RPI. Albany offers a little more culture, and is only about 20 minutes away. The general upstate NY area offers a lot of great outdoor activities, like hiking, skiing and rafting.

I liked the close friendships that developed from being around your friends and classmates 24/7. Socially, most activities are really centered around boarding life, though day students join in, too. Emma Willard does some events with other boarding schools, but the girls on campus really become a world unto themselves!