Residential Life clone

Living at Solebury School is purposeful — and fun.

Boarding is an incredible gift. It's an opportunity for students to develop the confidence that comes from living away from one’s parents. It's a chance to hone the skills needed to be an independent learner and young adult. It's the ability to live and work with people of different interests, cultures, and backgrounds. It also prepares young people to be successful as college students, as adults, and as citizens of an increasingly inter-connected world.

Boarding at Solebury School also offers students the chance to live in a beautiful, peaceful setting. Here, whether sitting under a giant willow tree with friends, relaxing in the gazebo by the pond, having a snowball fight in one of our fields, or taking a walk around campus as the sun sets and the deer gather nearby, Solebury’s campus is a place where students can feel safe, be at peace, be inspired, and enjoy their youth.

Solebury has three dormitories. Each features a full kitchen, WiFi internet access, laundry facilities, and plenty of space for boarders to work and to enjoy their free time. For girls, the Holmquist House dormitory has 28 beds; Appledore, a smaller dormitory for senior girls has five beds. Walter Lamb Hall is a boys dormitory with 41 beds. More than half of the faculty live on campus. All of the teachers, but especially the dorm parents, are there for students at every turn – to offer extra help with that history paper, toss a baseball outside, spend an afternoon baking cookies, or drive a van of kids to the movies, local apple orchard, or even to New York City for the day.

"Living at school rather than home has made me a lot more independent than your average 17-year-old senior. I love meeting and becoming friends with people from all over the world, shopping with friends on weekends, having breakfast with some of my favorite teachers, and having some of my favorite conversations at dinner. The dorm parents also add to my experience. It was great having my Literature teacher living next to me during my junior year to discuss Hawthorne and the other works we read. From having study sessions in my best friend's room, to having huge slumber parties in the lounge, boarding at Solebury is something I well NEVER forget."
—MIMI ANDREWS '11

Each year, a few older students are selected to be proctors. These Solebury veterans play a significant role in making campus life so wonderful. They help organize dorm activities and build community spirit, they support the dorm routine and procedures, they provide an additional communication link between students and faculty, and most significantly, they act as role models and a source of support for younger students.

As a community that feels like a big family, we do not approach our students with a one-size-fits-all philosophy. For example, students who are still working to develop discipline will have an evening study hall in one of our classrooms or the library (picture you sitting with them at the dining room table). However, once students have developed this discipline, they're allowed more independence and can study in the dormitory.

Solebury School's small size also ensures that students are truly known by their peers and adults, and they will have the opportunity to try new things and to be involved in all aspects of our close-knit community.