Hopkins at a Glance

ABOUT HOPKINS

Hopkins School, the 3rd oldest independent school in the country, has a distinguished history that spans more than 350 years. Hopkins is an independent, coeducational, college-preparatory day school for grades 7-12. Located on a 108-acre campus overlooking New Haven, the School takes pride in its distinguished faculty and dedicated staff.

Students who need and love a challenge flourish at Hopkins. We are a hub of intellectual curiosity where families, students and invested educators work together in our collective pursuit of excellence.

Our students come from families of varied ethnic, socio-economic, and cultural backgrounds who value education. If there is any common denominator, it is that our students are eager to learn, willing to work hard, and consistently place among the top ten percent of students in the nation in standardized testing. Hopkins classes are small – the average size is 12.

Our curriculum and distributional requirements ensure grounding in basic skills, exposure to a wide variety of subject matter and teaching styles, and rigorous preparation for advanced study. In addition, because Hopkins believes that informed and involved citizenship can be nurtured through the cultivation of a wide range of interests, the school encourages students to participate in extracurricular activities.

PURPOSE AND VALUES

We define ourselves as a community of civility and learning, one that educates students from diverse backgrounds to a full measure of their talents and humanity. Together, we seek to:

• Develop in our young people the habits of mind of scholars as the foundation for a lifelong love of learning;

• Foster the courage to live and think as distinct individuals who embrace their responsibilities in the larger world;

• Expose every student to the deep satisfaction that derives from service to others;

• Enlarge the educational experience to include the creative joy and aesthetic sensibility of the artist, and the vitality and competitive spirit of the athlete;

• Provide, through the School’s advisers, the wisdom and goodwill necessary to guide our young people to confident self-reliance;

and

• Nurture the development of character essential to a rich and purposeful life.

THE HOPKINS STUDENT

Admission to Hopkins is very competitive: most applicants score above the 75th percentile on standardized entrance exams. Hopkins seeks highly self-motivated and diverse students whose talents and intellectual curiosity will enable them to take advantage of the challenging curriculum and rich resources offered by the School. All courses are taught at an honors comparable level. The academic program is challenging, requiring students to utilize skills in critical reading, clear and precise writing, conceptual thinking, factual mastery, and an involved classroom presence. Few courses, therefore, are designated Honors.

Students at Hopkins have multifaceted opportunities to go deep and wide, not just with academics, but also creatively and physically with arts, sports, and clubs. Experiencing all kinds of activities individually and in community, empowers students with the ability to see fresh perspectives and create meaningful balance and lasting connections.

ACADEMIC HONESTY

Honesty promotes learning; dishonesty interferes with it. Hence, Hopkins seeks to provide an atmosphere in which principles of honesty guide students’ efforts and work. Students should submit work that is wholly and truly their own; otherwise they lose the opportunity to learn for themselves and to learn from their mistakes. All students will include the statement, “I pledge my honor,” and sign their names to every piece of graded work. At the beginning of the year, each student reads and signs the School’s Statement of Academic Honesty in a special adviser meeting, and each academic department instructs students in the policies, expectations, and guidelines specific to its discipline.

TOTAL ENROLLMENT 713

Students of color 30%

Grade 7 76
Grade 8 75
Grade 9 146
Grade 10 129
Grade 11 142
Grade 12 145

Cities, towns, villages represented 60

TUITION & FINANCIAL AID

Tuition 2020–2021
$46,300

Students receiving financial aid: 24%
Number of awards: 169
Average financial aid award: $29,113
Families who receive financial aid, on average, receive a 65% reduction in tuition costs.

TOTAL FACULTY 131

Years of experience (median) 18
Advanced Degrees 80%
Teaching faculty-to-student ratio   1:5
Faculty of Color 14%

Average class size  12
Academic courses   188
Advanced Placement courses 24
Accelerated/Honors courses   19

ACCREDITATION & MEMBERSHIPS

Hopkins School is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, abides by NACAC’s Statement of Principles of Good Practice and is a member of the following:
• National Association of Independent Schools
• Connecticut Association of Independent Schools
• National Association of College Admission Counseling
• Association of College Counselors in Independent Schools
• The College Board
• Secondary School Admission Test Board
• The Cum Laude Society
• Malone Schools Online Network (MSON)

LEADERSHIP

Kai Bynum, Head of School
John Roberts, Assistant Head of School
David Baxter, Chief Financial and Operating Officer
Erika Chapin, Director of College Counseling
Joel D'Angelo, Dean of Faculty
Rocco DeMaio, Director of Athletics
John Galayda, Director of Communications
Lars Jorgensen, Dean of Students
Pamela McKenna, Director of Enrollment & Strategic Marketing

Kristine Waters, Dean of Academics