Boarding schools have a long history, and many will see this long history as part of the attraction and value that attending a boarding school provides.
Often seen as providing an elite education and as a precursor to attending Ivy League or other prestigious schools, many families will find the tuition and other costs of attendance a small price to pay in order to gain the benefits these schools can provide.
One such boarding school is Noble and Greenough School in Dedham, Massachusetts, about 10 miles outside of Boston.
Situated alongside the Charles River, the scenic 187-acre campus offers many places for students to study and enjoy the beauty of the campus.
Offering many of the advantages of traditional boarding schools, Noble and Greenough is a boarding and day school that gives boarding students the benefits of living and learning in a strong, focused educational community while being able to return to their families over the weekend.
630 students from grades 7 through 12 are currently enrolled at Nobles, and the school reports a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 and an average class size of 12.
The majority of the students at the school are enrolled in the upper school, with 518 students in the division, and 8% choosing to board at the school.
With such academic offerings, it is no surprise that many students and their families choose to apply to Noble and Greenough School.
Noble and Greenough School Acceptance Rate
Noble and Greenough School accepts 20% of students who apply for admission into the school.
This acceptance rate makes Noble and Greenough School very selective when compared to other private schools.
Nobles, as it is known to many of its students and faculty, seeks students who want to contribute their talents and energy to the school’s respectful and inclusive community.
Those interested in attending the school are directed to create an application account and schedule an interview and tour of the campus and its facilities as the first steps in the application process.
For students and families who wish to continue the application process, the next step is to complete the application forms and submit student and parent statements along with school records and letters of recommendation.
Following this, students applying to the upper school need to take the Secondary School Admission Test and have their results sent to the school directly from the testing organization.
The school requires that all application materials be submitted by the 15th of January. Students and families have until the 1st of March to submit applications for financial aid, and the school will release its admission decisions on the 10th of March through its online portal.
Noble and Greenough School Alumni
Noble and Greenough School lists over 6,000 graduates who can stay connected with each other through the Nobles Graduate Association.
This alumni association aims to promote connections through a variety of means, such as online networks, events, volunteer actions, and funding support.
Politicians who have attended Noble and Greenough School include Justin Alfond, president of Maine’s Senate, Francis Sargent, former governor of Massachusetts, and U.S. diplomat William Phillips.
Michael Jude Christodal, Ayla Brown, Keith Elam, and Tucker Halpern are just some of the Nobles graduates who have enjoyed successful careers in music following their time at the boarding and day school.
One of the inventors of the iron lung, Louis Agassiz Shaw Jr., attended Noble and Greenough School before performing his life-saving work in Harvard University’s School of Health.
Clarence Cook Little became another pioneer in medicine after studying at Nobles, performing major research in genetics and organ transplantation.
Some of the prominent figures in business who received their secondary educations at Nobles and Greenough School are Royal Little, founder of Textron, and CEO of Honest Tea, Seth Goldman.
Many other graduates from the school have gone on to careers in professional sports and have competed in the Olympics for the United States.
Noble and Greenough School Tuition
Tuition at Nobles for the 2022 to 2023 school year is $57,650 for day students and $63,650 for students who will board at the school. Noble and Greenough estimate that there will be another $1,000 in additional fees or expenses.
Despite the cost of tuition, attending Noble and Greenough School remains an affordable option for many students and their families as the school makes financial aid available to those who demonstrate financial need.
The school is committed to meeting 100% of a student’s demonstrated financial need, and the average grant provided by the school is $44,821.
The school provided more than $7 million in financial aid to students for the 2022 to 2023 school year. Niche.com reports that 39% of the students attending Noble and Greenough School receive some amount of financial aid.
Applicants for financial aid will receive notification of their award of financial assistance through the mail after the school sends award letters on the 10th of March.
Whether applying for financial aid or not, many students and their families will feel that the cost of attending Nobles is worth the educational opportunities the school provides.
Noble and Greenough School Ranking
Noble and Greenough School is highly ranked among college preparatory and private schools in the United States. Niche.com ranks the school at number 10 out of 418 boarding schools in the country.
Among private high schools, Noble and Greenough placed at number 28 out of the 4,323 schools that niche.com reviewed. The school’s STEM program is also highly ranked at number 36 among the 8,786 STEM high schools examined.
The site also reviewed 4,159 private college preparatory high schools and ranked Noble and Greenough School number 53 in the category.
Out of schools in the state of Massachusetts, Noble and Greenough School placed 4th in Niche.com’s list of the best boarding schools in the state.
The school is also highly ranked among STEM, private, and private college preparatory high schools in the state, coming in at 5th, 5th, and 8th places, respectively.
In 2016, the National Partnership for Educational Access recognized Noble and Greenough School’s Achieve program for providing enrichment to students at local public schools.
Students at the school are frequently recognized as National Merit semifinalists and finalists for their outstanding academic performances and qualifications.
For all these reasons and more, Noble and Greenough School is frequently listed among the country’s most prestigious private boarding schools.
What Extra-Curriculars and Athletics Are Offered at Noble and Greenough School?
Students at Noble and Greenough School have a wide range of athletic and extra-curricular opportunities available to them as they pursue their college preparatory education.
The school competes in the Independent School League and the New England Preparatory School Athletic Council.
The school has teams competing in football, soccer, squash, baseball, and a range of other sports, including ultimate frisbee.
Every year, Noble and Greenough athletes compete with their historic rivals from Milton Academy during the Nobles/Milton Day where competitions between the two schools are held in nearly every sport.
Some of the many clubs and organizations available to students at the school are its Ethics Club, Science Olympiad, and an International Affairs Club. The school’s list of clubs and organizations varies with students’ interests from year to year.
Students at the school have created several organizations that support their fellow students’ health and wellbeing by promoting mental health awareness.
Musicians have a range of opportunities to express themselves and further develop their performance skills through a cappella clubs and dedicated music programs at the school.
Meanwhile, students interested in the visual arts will enjoy the opportunity to develop their skills further and learn from established artists through the school’s Artist-in-Residence Program.
The Foster Gallery on the school’s campus exhibits the works of emerging regional artists while also serving as a forum for further discussions about the nature and scope of art.
Should You Apply to Noble and Greenough School?
Applying to Noble and Greenough can be a major step along a student’s educational journey. The school’s rigorous college preparatory program and dedicated instructional staff will ensure that students leave high school with a top-tier education that will enable them to meet any challenges they face in the next phases of their educational careers.
With the school’s high rankings across a variety of categories along with the impressive accomplishments achieved by alumni of the school, students who are considering applying to Noble and Greenough School can look forward to the opportunities available to them as they take advantage of many of the same opportunities that enabled earlier graduates to find such success in their careers.
The school’s commitment to diversity and inclusion ensures that all students will feel welcome and respected by the larger school community, and the wide range of extra-curricular opportunities will allow students to explore and express themselves while they prepare for future success.
Although some families may be concerned with affording the cost of tuition at the school, Noble and Greenough School is committed to meeting 100% of a student’s demonstrated financial need in order to make its college preparatory education available to as many students as possible.
Whether drawn by the prestigious reputation of the school, its impressive rankings and list of alumni, or its commitment to making a high-level education available to all students, anyone choosing to apply to Noble and Greenough School can feel confident they are being considered for admission into one of the best private high schools in the country.
