St. Andrew's School, DE

Overall good

The school offers a diverse range of courses, covering various fields such as art history, biology, calculus, computer science, environmental science, European history, French, German, Spanish, and psychology. In addition, the school also provides university-level 'Advanced Studies' (AS) courses, allowing students to choose according to their interests and professional development. The school consistently boasts excellent postgraduate outcomes, with its graduates highly sought after by top universities like Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Stanford, and MIT. Furthermore, the school features a distinctive 'Convent Program' (隐修会项目). This program integrates resources from government, enterprises, non-profit organizations, and other sources, aiming to guide and train students to become the next generation of leaders.

St. Andrew's School was founded in 1929 and is located in Delaware, USA, about an hour's drive from Philadelphia. It is a 100% boarding school, spanning 2200 acres. The campus is very large with beautiful scenery, featuring not only lakes but also vast forests and dozens of Caribbean-style academic buildings. St. Andrew's School does not offer AP courses but provides a range of Advanced Study (AS) courses.

The school offers 13 different sports, with its rowing program being exceptionally strong. The coaches are former US Olympic team athletes.

Principal Zhan's Review: St. Andrew's School in Delaware is a school that highly values cultural atmosphere and social interaction. Its classroom environment is is dominated by students actively participating in discussions. One hundred percent of students and the vast majority of teachers live on campus. Management is relatively strict, focusing on students' communication and interpersonal skills. It is very suitable for students who love learning and enjoy a family-like atmosphere.
Regarding cultural heritage, the school has daily Sit Down Meals to help all faculty and students get to know each other. After dinner every Wednesday, all teachers and students gather in the chapel to listen to teachers, students, or guest speakers deliver chapel talks, sharing their personal experiences and stories of emotional or spiritual growth.
In terms of academic cultivation, St. Andrew's is a school that does not offer AP courses. It has 8 academic departments, offering a total of over 130 courses. The school emphasizes active learning, so all subjects offered emphasize writing, critical thinking, and scientific research.
Regarding community building, 100% of students and 95% of teachers live on campus. Students, teachers, and staff from diverse backgrounds work together to create a vibrant and diverse community, with 2/3 of students participating in community service projects.
For emotional support, St. Andrew's provides three full-time on-campus counselors. Students can schedule psychological counseling appointments as needed or on a regular basis.

8. Supervised Evening Study Hall (ESH): ESH provides students with a quiet and supervised place where they can enjoy a more structured evening study environment outside of their dorms. Students may be referred to ESH by their teachers, advisors, or dorm faculty, or they may choose to study in this environment as needed.

9. Weekend Activities: Weekends are a great time for on-campus recreational activities and off-campus excursions. Weekend activities are open to the entire school (including faculty and staff) and are organized by the St. Andrew's Weekend Activities Committee, such as screening Finding Nemo in the SAS pool, Open Mic Nights, Fall Festivals and Halloween Haunted Houses, various concerts in Wilmington and Philadelphia, and Hawk Mountain hiking and camping.

1. Academic Excellence: Average SAT score 1360/1600; Average ACT score 32/36
2. Beautiful Campus Environment: The school has a vast and sparsely populated area, with boats and rivers surrounding the campus. Children who love nature and outdoor activities will definitely fall in love with the campus environment here. The small town where the school is located is very quiet and suitable for studying. At the same time, it is very close to several major cities in the East, such as Philadelphia, Boston, and the DC area, all within 40 minutes to 2 hours.
3. Boarding School Nature: The school is 100% boarding. Both local and international students reside in school dormitories.
4. Faculty Strength: 100% highly qualified teachers.
5. Strong Academics: Although AP courses are not offered (because the school doesn't want students to focus too much on exams), the school's academic preparation is sufficient for students to perform well on AP exams and handle university applications. The school's teaching focuses more on humanities.
6. Emphasis on Student Communication and Interaction: The school has restricted internet access and does not have school-wide Wi-Fi. Firstly, it doesn't want students to spend too much time watching movies or playing games. Secondly, it discourages modern methods like mobile phones from overly interfering with students' face-to-face communication opportunities.
7. Sports Activities: 13 different types of school sports, among which rowing is the school's strongest sport. The coach is a former US Olympic team athlete. In 2011, one of its boats won second place in the high school division of a global rowing competition in the UK. Mandatory sports for several hours after school.

Data from St. Andrew's School: student body 318, students of color 41%, international students 14%, average class size 10, student-teacher ratio 1:5, students receiving financial aid 37%. This top Delaware high school, located in Middleton, possesses all the characteristics found in the region's schools: strong academic abilities, a vast campus, and excellent facilities. This school does not offer AP courses; many top academic schools nowadays do not have AP courses, instead offering curricula that are even more challenging than AP. On this 2200-acre campus, you can enjoy many gifts of nature, such as Caribbean-style architecture and an aquatic sports center. The school was also a filming location for the movie 'Dead Poets Society,' making it a very tranquil place, and its film and writing courses are also excellent.

St. Andrew's is one of the few 100% boarding schools among American high schools, and it's also rare for its large campus, covering 2,100 mu (approximately 346 acres) with a natural environment of lakes and forests. This geographical advantage has also contributed to its strength in water sports programs. Overall, St. Andrew's has a very liberal school culture. Known for its low-key humility, St. Andrew's has been consistently underestimated due to its location in Delaware. The school offers extremely strong academic challenges and has long since replaced exam-focused AP courses with its own broader "Advance" courses to support students with greater academic curiosity. Although there are two chapel gatherings a week, they carry no religious mandatory overtones, serving more as life sharing sessions from teachers and alumni. The school admits very few Chinese students, and the overall English proficiency is very high; achieving high scores in English and History requires more effort and time.

St. Andrew's (DE) provides students with numerous learning opportunities to help them deeply develop their interests. Students can immerse themselves in relevant subjects and fields. The school intentionally cultivates students to think and solve problems like mathematicians, conduct experiments like scientists, and engage in discussions like historians and critics.
In sports, every student, even a newly admitted freshman, has the opportunity to become an important member of a team. The relationships between teammates, and between teammates and coaches, are very harmonious, and the entire team helps when problems arise.
In arts, art teachers highly respect and value the creativity of each student, helping to unleash their potential.
Regarding community service, almost two-thirds of the school's students participate in community service programs. Every Wednesday, students used to go to elementary schools (currently not due to the COVID-19 pandemic) to help elementary school students with their homework, assist them with daily life concerns, and also help children with special needs swim and dance.

St. Andrews' DE offers independent ballet courses, where students will experience what it means to become a professional artist in the field of dance. During the course, they will continue to strengthen their training in advanced classical ballet techniques, including core control, movement quality, strength building, agility, coordination, and endurance, while also discovering other aspects of the profession. Their dance training follows a three-pronged approach, allowing students to participate in weekly technique classes, skills classes, and mastery classes, as well as a choreography-focused course. Taking ballet as an example, students can explore classical ballet techniques and also freely explore their own interests and how to express themselves through dance.

SAS offers 130 courses, including British Literature, History, Religious Studies, STEM courses, and more. The school provides various modern language courses, such as Chinese, French, and Spanish. In the arts, students can choose from music, dance, photography, and drama courses. All courses are discussion-based, so classes always proceed through discussion. SAS graduates go on to study at prestigious universities like Harvard University, Yale University, and Princeton University.

SAS has a variety of extracurricular activities available for students. Students can also establish their own clubs. The school offers many sports for students to participate in, such as soccer, volleyball, cross country, squash, tennis, wrestling, and more. The rowing team's daily training usually takes place at Noxontown Pond, and students can also swim in the pond when the weather is warm. For students who enjoy singing, the choir is a perfect choice; the choir sings twice a week in the chapel and has an annual opportunity to visit cathedrals in Eastern Europe.

Community service is strongly encouraged at SAS. While community service is voluntary, 70% of students participate annually. Volunteer work ranges from local to international. On Wednesdays, most students participate in off-campus volunteer work. These activities typically include mentoring or tutoring local elementary school students, giving swimming lessons to children with disabilities, or delivering food to homeless shelters.

SAS is a co-educational boarding school with 316 students and 80 teachers. It was founded in 1929 and is located in Middletown, Delaware. The campus is surrounded by beautiful suburban scenery, and students can enjoy hiking, cycling, and boating in their free time. There is a large lawn on campus where students can chat and play sports like frisbee, lacrosse, or soccer. Notably, the SAS campus was a filming location for the 1989 movie "Dead Poets Society."

SAS is a 100% boarding school, so every student participates in dorm life. The school has 6 boys' dormitories and 8 girls' dormitories. The campus enjoys a very convenient location, close to a town with large malls, cinemas, bowling alleys, mini-golf courses, and restaurants. There are also coffee shops and supermarkets within walking distance of the school. Annually, SAS hosts a variety of social events, such as homecoming dances, movie premiere trips, and ice cream socials, ensuring students always find plenty of fun outside of class.

At St. Andrew, over one-third of students take private instrumental lessons and perform with the school orchestra and school jazz band. Students showcase their work and skills in concerts held at the school throughout the year. In addition to a busy schedule of student performances, numerous artists of various genres (from classical to pop; from jazz to world music) visit St. Andrew's School annually to perform and work with students. The Harrodson Music Fund was established in 2012 by Katherine and John Harrodson in memory of their daughters, Sarah and Katherine. The school offers annual masterclasses and guest performances by renowned string ensembles, aiming to enhance current students' understanding of music, improve their skills as musicians, and broaden the appreciation for music among all students. The school orchestra consists of approximately 70 students and instrumental teachers. The orchestra performs four times a year in Engelhard Hall at the O'Brien Art Center.

St. Andrew's campus is very large, covering 2100 acres, with a natural environment of lakes and forests. St. Andrew's generally has a very free school atmosphere, with students from all states across the nation and various countries worldwide, making the student body very diverse. St. Andrew's academic curriculum is very rigorous, with the school placing a greater emphasis on liberal arts. The school's teaching philosophy is primarily reflected in its round-table discussions, where class participation is a crucial aspect of grading. Classroom discussions are mainly student-led, with students asking each other questions and presenting their views, rather than just the teacher posing questions, which makes the class more engaging. Under the school's teaching philosophy, students learn to speak up more actively in class instead of passively taking notes, which will be of great help for their future internships, jobs, and university-level studies.

St. Andrew's School was originally an all-boys school, but it became co-educational in 1973. The school places great emphasis on the rights and interests of every student, hosting a student-led Student Leadership Diversity Conference dedicated to discussing racial and ethnic diversity issues. The school has always promoted the spirit of freedom, inquiry, and independent thinking. The campus generally feels very harmonious, tranquil, and peaceful, making it an ideal place for focused study. It was also the filming location for the movie "Dead Poets Society," and its film and writing courses are excellent. All students, including international students, are full-time boarders. Dormitories are separated by gender and grade level. The relationships between students, and between students and teachers, are very close, like a family. Admission to the school is relatively difficult, and only a small number of international students are admitted. Beyond considering student backgrounds (such as passports and study experience in other countries), the school also prefers to admit students who are highly flexible and creative.

St. Andrew's School can be described as a prestigious institution that, through rigorous teaching, cultivates in students a long-term desire for learning; a dedication to questioning, inquiry, and independent research; an appreciation for literature as a source of wisdom; and aims to inspire students to become global citizens committed to world peace and development.

Students and teachers live together in a 2200-acre community founded on Christian faith. Students are eager to collaborate with teachers to pursue curriculum innovations, which include sports, community service, and the arts. The school also encourages students to find a balance among life, community service, and personal development.

Although the school has a small student body, it offers a wide array of courses. Qualified students can take university-level courses and earn college credits, covering 22 fields. Honors courses are available for every major.

St. Andrew's School boasts excellent hardware facilities. The Irene DuPont Library, originally established in October 1956, was completely renovated in 1997. The library currently holds 32,000 volumes, over 120 periodicals, and offers wireless internet access for students to connect anywhere. Inside the library, there is a computer lab, a periodical reading room, a reference room, classrooms, and 5 small study rooms. The library is a three-story structure, providing a quiet academic environment. Sports facilities include: 5 soccer fields, 2 badminton courts, a recreational soccer field, tennis courts, a 5km cross-country course, a gym, 6 swimming pools, 10 squash courts, 4 basketball courts, a wrestling room, sailing, canoeing, kayaking, and more.

### Overall Situation:
- No AP courses are offered, but Advanced Study (AS) courses are available. The content and difficulty of many AS courses are similar to AP, so many students also take 2-3 AP exams after completing AS courses.
- History and science course selections are relatively flexible starting from 10th grade.
- Although there aren't many English course options, the actual level, requirements, and value are very high.

### Academic Strengths/Features:
- English and History are particularly outstanding.
- A wide range of Advanced Study courses are available, allowing students to choose based on their interests and abilities.

### Shangxue Mingde Student Feedback:
- Humanities are very prominent, so to achieve high scores in English and History, more effort and time are required. Writing is relatively a common weakness for Chinese students.

Delaware is a tax-exempt state, and Dewey's headquarters are located there. St. Andrew's School features 20 Caribbean-style buildings, fostering an intimate and harmonious educational atmosphere reminiscent of a small campus. The school aims to enrich and positively transform students' lifestyles, cultivate their listening, speaking, and expression skills, broaden their perspectives on humanities and history, and strengthen their analytical techniques through challenging teaching methods. Over the past two years, the school has invested 18 million US dollars in campus renovation, adding a state-of-the-art natural science center, a sports and aquatics center, and a performing arts center.

School Features

1) The academic curriculum is built around a series of requirements within the core English subject area, with all coursework focusing on writing, critical reasoning, and scientific research. Liberal arts are particularly prominent.

2) AP courses have been discontinued and replaced by university-level Advanced Study instruction and personalized Advanced Topics Tutorials for specific subject research.

3) Emphasis on communication with parents: Parents are encouraged to contact academic advisors, especially regarding specific academic issues related to their child, to help parents understand how students manage their workload and study time, and whether specific courses are challenging, etc.

4) Before new students arrive, tests are conducted to better understand their learning differences, learning styles, strengths, and weaknesses, and to create a learning plan for each student.

5) Offers microcontroller programming and robotics courses, and APP development courses in Swift.

6) Arts: Provides the highest level of instruction for classical ballet and modern dance, hosts performances for the school community throughout the year, and participates in winter musicals.

St. Andrew's academic program is very rigorous, with the school placing a greater emphasis on the liberal arts. Every student is required to take advanced literature, but it is possible to graduate even if only regular science courses (not advanced) are taken. St. Andrew does not offer AP courses, but encourages all senior students (12th grade) to take the AP English Literature exam, and some students also choose to take the AP Calculus exam. Students can also take the AP Economics exam after completing an economics course, take science exams after relevant science courses, or take AP History exams after corresponding courses. What's truly excellent at St. Andrew is that the difficulty of the introductory and advanced classes is generally sufficient for students to learn all the material needed for AP, without requiring them to take courses specifically designed for the exam. St. Andrew's core curriculum is very standard: 4 years of math, 4 years of English, 3 years of language, 3 years of science, 2 years of history, 1 year of religion, along with some electives including art, singing, public speaking, and health.

St Andrew's School is a 100% boarding school, and 95% of its teachers also live on campus. The school arranges for graduating students to mentor a new student one-on-one, helping freshmen adapt to school life and studies as quickly as possible. The campus dining environment is unique: two teachers and eight students sit together at each dining table. The eight students come from different grades and take turns serving as waiters. Teachers and students dine together like family, sharing various topics. A health course is offered in 10th grade, covering topics such as sexuality, alcoholism, drugs, mental health, and development. All students must take a half-semester philosophy course in either 11th or 12th grade. St Andrew does not offer AP courses; instead, the school uses advanced courses. These courses are collaboratively developed by the school's teachers with colleagues from other high schools and some university faculty. They are challenging, feature new content, integrate the individual professional strengths and research interests of the teaching team, and embody academic and technological innovation. The school maintains academic rigor; 11th graders are required to take 2 honors courses and 2 advanced courses, while 96% of 12th-grade students take 2-3 advanced courses. The average SAT score for the Class of 2019 was 1343, and the average GPA was 3.6. The school offers a comprehensive film course, guiding students to learn filmmaking techniques such as screenwriting, production, and editing. Students who are passionate about film studies have the opportunity to shoot and produce short films, gaining a full understanding of the latest information in the film industry, as well as knowledge of film production and distribution. Many students are admitted to film-related programs, including the renowned NYU Tisch School of the Arts.