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Asheville School

School rating 4 / 5 by

360 Ashville School Road Asheville NC 28806 United States
Boarding
9th to 12th
Day
9th to 12th
Gender
Coed

Academic

Asheville School review by .

Now two years since I graduated from Asheville School, I am still certain that attending AS was the best decision I have ever made, in every context. My college preparation could not have been stronger; I breezed through my first year of classes with confidence and ease. The academic program prepared me for both the rigorous nature of my college science classes while providing me with the analytic and critical thinking skills for my humanities, philosophy and theology courses. Whenever I am hit with a tough assignment now, I think back to what I accomplished while attending AS, and proceed with confidence. Classes were kept small. I recall that my language class had just 6 people in it during my senior year and that class discussion was a fundamental element of every course. To call the faculty dedicated does not give them the merit they deserve. The vast majority live on campus with us -- if at 9:00pm I had a homework question or even just wanted to play guitar with my teacher, I could walk upstairs and knock on his or her door. From weekly adviser meetings and lunch outings, to trips both across town and across the country, the Asheville School faculty are completely dedicated to a holistic education of the student, in and out of the classroom. The campus is perfectly situated in one of the most beautiful places in the country. Beautiful wooded trails sit at the foot of the campus and the Appalachian trail is just a short drive, while students enjoy the benefits of a small city nearby. When I think back to Asheville School, I remember leaving for Thanksgiving, Christmas or Spring breaks and feeling as though I was not really going home, because AS had become my home. The engaging classes prepare students for college while other important parts of the school, such as the Honor Code, shape graduates with strong values. Indeed, when I think back to Asheville School, I recall an incredible four years that I will forever cherish.

College Counseling

The college office at Asheville School begins requirements for student in their junior year, though....

Sample insights on college counseling

  • They have contacts at most of the major universities and feel perfectly comfortable picking up the phone and advocating for a student to get accepted somewhere they feel is a good fit for that student. However, these counselors are certainly not magic bullets. They cannot guarantee that a student will get into an Ivy League university...
  • For those wishing to move on to Oxford or Cambridge, the provision is second-to-none. In the months running up to application and interview, every subject faculty offers classes (often run by former Oxbridge tutors) exploring further areas of their subject as well as offering advice on personal statements, interview technique and more...

Admissions - Getting Accepted

Asheville School is looking for well-rounded students who also demonstrate academic strength. I would say....

Sample insights on admissions

  • For the interview, dress conservatively. Try to be very clean and put together. Also, I was a tour guide for two years and at the end of every tour, we were asked to evaluate the candidate so if you think the tour is not apart of the process, you are very wrong. Ask questions and be interested. Also, tip for the parents: the kids speak on the tour. Do not ask their questions for them...
  • Most younger siblings have an easy time in the admissions process. I can only think of one case of a younger sibling not being admitted. About half of the students who entered with me had come from public schools. The remainder came from private K-6 schools, or had transferred from other New York private schools The Elizabeth Morrow School and St. Bernard were two of the larger feeder schools...

School Life

The school is absolutely a community. With approximately 300 students, each student knows his or her fellow classmates and certainly every faculty member. Each floor has 2 dorm parents who live on the floor with the students and act as part of the support system for students. The school has a very fair approach to discipline. It is not, and does not at all feel like, a military school other institution that with a rigid disciplinary system. However, the school maintains rules necessary to keep the community safe and under normal limitations that one would expect as a teenager. All....

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