Summary: Our curriculum helps you focus your future aspirations, and equips you with the interdisciplinary knowledge competitive colleges are looking for. We offer over 140 courses, as well as opportunities for you to pursue an interest through our personalized study programs, Practicum and Signature. We are phasing out our current Advanced Placement courses with our own advanced learning curriculum. The Class of 2024 will be the first to fully benefit from this change. The new courses focus on what matters most in learning—relevance, enduring understanding, and multidisciplinary connection. This new program will support and challenge each student as she defines what success is for her. Courses at Emma range from .25 units to 1.5 units. Each Emma student's journey is as unique as she is, allowing her to meet all graduation requirements while maintaining control over her choices. Whether you’re interested in studying multivariable calculus, Shakespearean tragedy, theatre, or global climate change, Emma has a course to fit your interest.

Department Director Meredith Legg

Student/Teacher Ratio: 6/1:

Average Class Size: 14

Summer Programs: Offered

Full Time Teachers: 45

Number of AP Courses Offered: 19

Teachers Holding Advanced Degrees: 81%

Number of IB Courses Offered: 0

Learning Support

• Evening Study Assistance
• Learning Differences Support
• Peer Tutoring
• Study Skills Assistance
• Subject Tutoring
• Technology Center

English

• Classics
• Creative Writing
• Literature
• Playwriting
• Poetry

History

• European History
• Medieval History
• United States History
• African History
• Latin American History

Foreign Languages

Humanities / Social Sciences

• Anthropology
• Economics
• Psychology
• Sociology

Sciences

• Biology
• Chemistry
• Environmental Science
• Physics

Math

Music

• Choral Music
• Individual Instructions
• Music Appreciation
• Opera
• Orchestra
• Voice

Performing / Visual Arts

Special Programs

• Study Abroad
• Exchange Programs
• Independent Study
• Internships
• Leadership

Dorm Life

Number of Dorms: 8

Average Students Per Dorm: 20

Number of Girls Dorms: 8

Number of Boys Dorms: 0

Dorm Amenities

• Game Room
• Laundry Facilities
• Lounge
• Vending Machines
• Wireless Internet

Other Dorm Amenities

Student Life

Emma Willard School is a dynamic and joyous place. Unabashedly the finest girls' school in the world, its faculty and staff embrace learning and love to teach. The life of the mind is alive and well here. Emma Hart Willard’s stunningly bold idea is the same then as it is now … If you educate a girl, you will transform the world. Girls excel here. Their ambitions are as varied as their talents. Ever exuberant, the Emma community encourages each girl’s aspirations and offers her opportunities for accomplishment every day. In and out of the classroom, we promote leadership and celebrate citizenship. We explore values and reward intellectual risk taking. We challenge girls to take responsibility for developing their minds and their hearts to the fullest and putting their talents to good purpose.

Facilities

• All-Weather Track
• Baseball Field
• Basketball Court
• Fitness Center
• Indoor Basketball Court
• Indoor Pool
• Pool
• Technology Center
• Volleyball Court

Other Facilities

Clubs & Organizations

• Amnesty International
• Animal Rights Club
• Community Service
• Computer Club
• Diversity Club
• Dorm Proctors
• Environmental Club
• Fencing Club
• Habitat for Humanity
• International Club
• Literary Magazine
• Math Club
• Mock Trial
• Model UN
• Newspaper
• Outing Club
• Peer Counseling
• Peer Tutoring
• Quiz Bowl
• SADD
• Science Bowl
• Sexualities Club
• Student Activities
• Student Government
• Student Publications
• Yearbook

Summary: he arts are an integral part of Emma Willard's curriculum and co-curricular life. Students are required to take arts courses prior to graduation, and may choose from an array of dance, music, visual arts, and theatre classes. In addition to the academic arts offerings, Emma Willard's clubs and organizations include several singing groups, the art and literary magazine, and orchestra. The school boasts a busy arts calendar, and hosts several arts competitions and visiting artists throughout the year. Student athletes at Emma excel on and off the field. Teams and coaches support and encourage success in the classroom as well as the playing field. The Jesters are consistently in contention for league championships, and have had success at the State and National Levels. Our program finds the right balance between fun, participation, and competition. We offer 12 varsity sports and JV programs for basketball, lacrosse, field hockey, and soccer. Emma Willard School is both a member of Section II of the New York State Public High School Athletic Association and the New York State Association of Independent Schools. Our teams compete against the top schools around the Capital Region and surrounding areas.

Arts Department Director: Debra Spiro-Allen

Athletics Department Director: Liz Parry

Notable Achievements: Track- Sprint Medley Relay competed at 2015 Natl's Crew- 2015 NYS 2x Rowing Champions Tennis - 2010 Class AA Runners-Up

Arts

Interscholastic Sports

• Basketball
• Crew
• Cross Country Running
• Diving
• Field Hockey
• Lacrosse
• Soccer
• Softball
• Swimming
• Tennis
• Track and Field
• Volleyball

Recreational Sports

• Aerobics
• Alpine Skiing
• Badminton
• Dance
• Fencing
• Golf
• Horseback Riding
• Outdoor Education
• Swimming
• Table Tennis
• Tennis
• Ultimate Frisbee
• Weight Lifting
• Ice Skating
• Yoga
• Bellydancing
• Synchronized Swimming
• Taekwondo

Summary: Enrollment in Emma Willard assures students of their preparation for college. Our mission is to help students gain admission to colleges and universities that fit their intellectual and personal abilities, their interests, and their aspirations. By focusing on the personal and intellectual growth of each individual, the faculty and the curriculum prepare each student well for the rigors of higher education. The goal of the college counseling program is to guide students through the sometimes bewildering plethora of information about the more than three thousand institutions of higher learning in the U.S.

College Information

Percentage of graduates who attend college: 100%

Middle Percentile of SAT Scores	Reading	Math	Writing
25th percentile	580	600	610
75th percentile	720	630	730

Notable Alumni