Choate Rosemary Hall

Focus

Creating leaders and innovators

Day fees 2025/26

$56,000

Boarding fees 2025/26

$72,400

Term dates

• Term 1: 3 September to 20 November 2025
• Term 2: 2 December 2025 to 5 March 2026
• Term 3: 24 March to 4 June 2026

Ages

14-18

Pupil count 

860

Spear’s Review

At Choate Rosemary Hall, students are part of an ‘authentic’ academic community which is ‘just the right size’, offering a space for ‘academic exploration’ that is also intimate. 

Based in Connecticut, the school follows the US curriculum, with students required to take a number of core classes while also exploring their own interests through a variety of elective subjects. It also offers eight ‘signature programmes’ that allow pupils to concentrate on a particular area of study – for example advanced robotics or environmental immersion. 

Choate has an extensive arts programme, with facilities to match, as well as a range of clubs, sports and other activities: there are more than 100 student clubs and organisations, and more than 80 interscholastic sports teams.

‘Our school is large enough to support a wide range of academic opportunities and extracurricular offerings, but small enough to support the connections and relationships that help our students thrive,’ the school says. Thrive they do, with graduating students accepting offers from all eight Ivy League institutions in the last five years.

Academics

For students in the class of 2025 who took the SATs, the middle 50 per cent scored between 1220 and 1510. For the ACT, the middle 50 per cent scored between 25 and 34. Of those who took AP exams, 73 per cent scored a 4 or 5.

University and college destinations

In the past five years students have matriculated at all eight Ivy League universities, as well as at highly regarded scientific colleges, such as the California Institute of Technology and Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Head teacher

Dr Alex Curtis, head of school, joined Choate Rosemary Hall in 2011. He earned his doctorate from Princeton University’s department of art and archaeology. A lifelong teacher and learner, he still teaches architectural history every spring term.

Admissions

The admissions process at Choate Rosemary Hall begins with an enquiry form followed by an interview and optional submission of standardised test scores. Students are then asked to submit an essay, several letters of recommendation as well as their academic record from their current school.

Notable alumni

• President John F. Kennedy
• Jamie Lee Curtis (actress)
• Ivanka Trump (daughter of US President Donald J. Trump)

Accessibility

JFK Airport: 2 hours

Location

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