FAQs

Teachers may assign 45-60 minutes of work per class meeting or 60-75 minutes per class for AP courses.

One of the reasons we introduced a new daily schedule in the fall of 2016 was to keep the amount of assigned homework reasonable. Students had six classes per day; they currently have only three academic classes per day. With less homework to navigate each night, students can better focus on the homework they have. Thus they can do a better job and learn more effectively, AND still get a good night’s sleep.

Solebury School has an Individual Device Policy requiring students to use a personal device of their own, in and out of class. Courses that require specialized computers or software, such as digital filmmaking, photography, and music production, are equipped with appropriate resources for assigned coursework. Every classroom at Solebury features a high-definition touch monitor that displays easy-to-read text, graphics, and images and allows teachers the creative use of technology. The Founders Library has computers available for quiet study or research.

All campus buildings are served by our wired network and encrypted Wi-Fi, which covers most outdoor spaces as well. Students receive a solebury.org email address/Google account for schoolwork, as well as a Solebury Network account for local network and Wi-Fi access. Digital screens around campus share the day’s news, from our dining hall menus to announcements to school sporting events each afternoon.

Solebury School's teachers are readily available to help students outside of class. There is time every school day for students to see teachers during what we call Conference Period. Every teacher is available for help during the Conference Period, and one of the things students quickly learn at Solebury is that it is cool and normal to go talk to your teachers.

Our Peer Tutoring program features student volunteers who tutor other students in need of extra help in particular classes.

Solebury also offers programs to help students with learning differences realize their full potential. Please see the Academic Support Programs for more information.

Yes. The advisor is a teacher or administrator who is assigned to help with navigating the “ins and outs'' of Solebury School. He or she is usually the first point-of-contact for parents to call with any questions regarding their child. New students are assigned an advisor the summer prior to them starting at Solebury. Students see their advisors essentially every day, whether it is in an all school Assembly where they sit together, the twice a week Advisor group meetings, or individual check ins and meetings which happen as needed. An Advisor is there to help a student in every phase of their Solebury journey, from getting acclimated as they transiton to Solebury, to selecting courses and activities, to navigating the ups and downs of academic and social life, and eventually to supporting their college application process along with the College Counseling team. While a student (and their parents) can expect to form many deep connections with faculty and staff during their time at Solebury, the Advisor is a foundational part of the Solebury experience.

One of the magnificent things about the Solebury experience is our location. While the 140 acre campus feels peaceful and rural, we are minutes away from lovely towns and great outdoor activities, and a short trip away from larger towns (30 minutes from Princeton) and major cities (50 minutes from Philadelphia and 75 minutes from NYC). This allows us to offer an incredible array of activities that both boarding and day students are welcome to participate in, which are planned by the Student Activities Team, the Faculty members On Duty (OD) each weekend, and the students. Whether it’s a hike, a trip to a museum, a trip to check out Philadelphia, or a fun activity on campus, there is always something going on! Boarding students with parental permission may also visit day students' homes on the weekends.

Solebury’s nursing team is made up of RN’s and pediatric nurse-practitioners. They oversee the student health services, provide minor medical care on campus, advise students on health and personal issues, oversee medication management, and are responsible for ensuring that students receive proper care for any illnesses. The school uses the services of the Phillips Barber Health Center in Lambertville, New Jersey when students need to see a physician, and if students need more significant care, 2 terrific hospitals are within 20 minutes of campus.

There is a required evening study hall from 7:45 - 9:00 p.m., Sunday through Thursday. Initially, new students attend study hall in a classroom or library. Boarding students who achieve a certain GPA gain the privilege of doing study hall in their dorm.

Having a roommate is one of the wonderful aspects of boarding school. Learning to live with another person, sharing your day, talking as you go to sleep, and being there for one another can be an incredible experience. Simply learning how to share a space with another person forces you to grow up, to see things from someone else’s perspective, and to become more mature. Because this relationship can be so powerful, a great deal of thought goes into pairing roommates. During the summer, the Dean’s Office sends out a questionnaire to new students to help determine the best roommate matches. Once we have this information, the Dean's office sits down with the Admissions team and the Head School Counselor, and goes through each new boarder sharing what we know about the students and figuring out who would live best together. Returning students have the option each year to choose their roommates or whether they would like to room with a new student.

Our international population contains approximately 30 students each year. Students hail from various countries. In the last couple of years, we have had students from Afghanistan, China, Germany, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Netherlands, Nigeria, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, Ukraine, and Vietnam.

All students are required to participate in a supervised afternoon team sport or activity each trimester. This allows students to pursue areas of significant interest as well as discover new things they love. In addition, it is a powerful vehicle to help students connect with one another and faculty to develop the relationships that are such a foundational part of the Solebury experience.

Team sports meet 5 days a week from 3:30 - 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, and involve additional time for practice and games. Other activities meet only 3 times a week (Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday). Students select activities from a list of choices during registration for classes each trimester. While there is a wide offering of team sports from which to choose, we recognize that our students have a variety of interests and thus do not require students to do interscholastic athletics.