The Frederick Gunn School

My child started studying at Gann Academy when they were in 9th grade, and their two-year experience there so far has been satisfactory. The school, founded in 1850, is a co-educational boarding secondary school with an excellent reputation in Connecticut. Upon entering the school, one immediately feels the pleasant environment. In recent years, the school principal has raised significant funds, continuously expanding and upgrading both hardware and software facilities, making the campus increasingly advanced and complete. My child finds it very convenient and comfortable to study and live here in all aspects.
Although the school is not large, students, especially international students, receive a high level of attention. The faculty is very strong, which is greatly beneficial in alleviating concerns and worries of international student parents. The school has a positive atmosphere and strict management, consistently upholding the educational philosophy of cultivating strong character. It focuses on four aspects: academic achievement, sound physique, mutual respect, and integrity, aiming to develop students into diligent, active citizens and lifelong learners.
The school's distinctive courses are also outstanding. Through the Outdoor Leadership program, children can explore nature, solve various challenges with classmates, and develop willpower and leadership skills. The Art Innovation program allows children to engage with cutting-edge digital photography art, create across various media, inspire artistic creativity, and cultivate comprehensive literacy, helping them find joy and confidence in their learning. Furthermore, the school frequently organizes club activities and social practices to broaden children's horizons and increase their knowledge. My child has not only gained knowledge but also grown personally at this school, and I look forward to even greater achievements.

The Gunnery School is located in Washington, Connecticut, less than 2 hours' drive from New York, about 1 hour's drive from Hartford Airport (the capital of Connecticut), and less than 3 hours' drive from Boston International Airport. The area is culturally rich and diverse, and surrounded by the beautiful scenery of nature reserves. Here, students can truly experience the local community and realize that the surrounding environment is crucial to The Gunnery School, and that the school is also a part of its environment.

The school is well-equipped with first-class campus hardware facilities, including classrooms, laboratories, lecture halls, computer centers, performing arts centers, dormitories, tennis courts, swimming pools, ski resorts, indoor sports halls, golf courses, etc.

The Gunnery School has been widely acclaimed as a 'dark horse' school in recent years, with excellent university admissions trends and a 100% graduation rate. In the 2022 ED round, Chinese students received admissions from 3 Ivy League universities: the University of Pennsylvania, Brown University, and Cornell University. From 2020-2023, many students from The Gunnery School were admitted to top universities such as Yale, UPenn, Columbia University, Brown University, and Cornell University.

Extracurricular Activities

Gann Academy offers a wide range of extracurricular activities. In addition to physical education classes, there are many other sports clubs, allowing students to join various clubs and societies based on their interests.

Sports Activities

Students who enjoy sports are very fortunate at Gann Academy, as there are many sports to choose from. The school has 35 sports teams, offering participation in over a dozen sports. Here, every student has the opportunity to try new sports and refine their skills.

The types of sports offered by the school include alpine skiing, baseball, ice hockey, field hockey, snowboarding, soccer, softball, tennis, ultimate frisbee, and more.

Sports Facilities

The school is equipped with comprehensive sports facilities, including the Barnes artificial turf for field hockey, lacrosse, football, baseball, and softball training, an ice rink, the Emerson Fitness Center, the South Street field for soccer and field hockey training, tennis courts, a boathouse, and more.

Sports Strengths

Gann Academy's Men's Ice Hockey Team has consistently achieved excellent results in top-level competitions since its establishment in 1981. Notably, it won three New England Championships in the late 1980s and early 1990s, subsequently officially entering Division I in 1995.

The FGS Women's Ice Hockey Team competes annually against the best D1 and D3 teams within the New England Preparatory School Athletic Council (NEPSAC). They have won three championships and made multiple appearances in the finals, including reaching the NEPSAC finals in March 2017.

School Special Programs

Engineering Innovation Lab

Ganare Middle School emphasizes problem-solving skills such as innovation, design, and application in the study of science, engineering, and even business disciplines. Highlights of the Engineering Innovation Lab project include: Innovation and Engineering, Robotics, Water System Design, Low-impact development, etc.

Winter Mini-Term

Since Winter 2020, Ganare Middle School has conducted intensive three-week university-level courses during the mid-academic year winter break, encouraging students to delve deeply into topics of interest that are relevant to the real world. The wide range of subjects covered includes art, history, literature, mathematics, science, engineering, as well as public affairs, sustainability and environment, globalization, race, gender, and identity.

Interested students, along with their teacher advisors and parents, propose and organize projects during the winter (proposals are submitted in February). Once approved, students should provide regular updates to their advisors. Past projects include: conservation research for the National Park Service, internships at the Connecticut State Legislature, veterinary assistant, literacy volunteer, and more.

The Frederick Gunn School (FGS), founded in 1850, is a high-quality co-educational boarding secondary school. The school is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) and is also a member of the Connecticut Association of Independent Schools.

The Frederick Gunn School firmly believes that the true purpose of education should be to cultivate strong character. Therefore, since its establishment, the school has focused on fostering academic achievement, sound physical health, mutual respect, and integrity—the four components of character. Based on these principles, it ensures that students become diligent, active citizens and lifelong learners. Since its founding, The Frederick Gunn School has maintained its founder's principles and enjoys a high reputation in the United States for its rigorous management.

The Frederick Gunn School is a small to medium-sized school, where students, especially international students, receive a very high degree of attention. FGS has always been relatively low-key, not heavily promoted, but in recent years, Chinese graduates have achieved excellent university placements. Moreover, in recent years, the school's headmaster has raised a significant amount of funding, which has been continuously used for expansion, renovation, and the construction of more advanced, complete, and comprehensive hardware and software facilities.

Founding Year: 1850
School Type: Co-educational
Grades: 9-12
Location: Connecticut
Boarding Rate: 75%
International Student Ratio: 20%
Student-Teacher Ratio: 1:5
2024 FS Ranking: 94
2024 Niche State Ranking: 11

Data for Gunnery School: student enrollment 325, student-teacher ratio 1:5, international students 20%, boarding rate 75%, average class size 12, 80% of teachers hold advanced degrees. The school was founded in 1850 and is a co-educational boarding secondary school. The school is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) and is also a member of the Connecticut Association of Independent Schools. The school boasts a safe and scenic 220-acre campus. The campus is vast, with modern facilities, resembling a grand castle. Since its founding, it has enjoyed a high reputation in the United States for its rigorous management, cultivating students with high overall quality, and its graduates have been admitted to top institutions such as Harvard and MIT. A distinctive feature of the school's teaching is that many courses are conducted in seminar format, allowing students to participate in discussions, ask questions, and comment, all of which greatly contribute to the development of students' independent thinking skills. Traditional and innovative college preparatory courses are designed to foster students' hybrid thinking and leadership. The school library houses 15,000 volumes of materials. The school offers a rich array of extracurricular activities; in addition to physical education classes, there are many other sports clubs, allowing students to join various clubs according to their interests. The school offers music courses of various levels, such as piano, harp, voice, and various orchestral instruments, and also has bands, choirs, and a drama club.

AP courses include: Art History, Biology, Calculus AB, Calculus BC, Computer Science A, European History, French Language, Macroeconomics, Microeconomics, Physics B, Spanish Language

The Gunnery (葛纳瑞中学) is a co-educational school located in Connecticut, USA, offering grades 9-12 and a G-grade program. It spans 220 hectares and had an enrollment of 275 students in 2010. The Gunnery is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges and is also a member of the Connecticut Association of Independent Schools. A distinguishing feature of the school is that many courses are conducted in a seminar format, allowing students to participate in discussions, ask questions, and offer critiques. This greatly aids in the development of students' independent thinking skills. Its traditional yet innovative college preparatory curriculum fosters students' hybrid thinking and leadership abilities. The school boasts a strong faculty, a diverse student body, a comprehensive college preparatory curriculum, and a rich array of sports, arts, and social activities. Although small in size, the school has a strong sense of community and focuses on cultivating socially responsible citizens.

I graduated from junior high school at Hanoi Amsterdam High School for the Gifted and began my journey as an international student from high school at The Frederick Gunn School. When I first arrived, my English wasn't perfect, and I often had communication issues with those around me due to stress. However, my friends were always friendly and helped me quickly adapt to the new environment. Previously, I had heard about discrimination against Asians, which caused me some concern. But upon arriving at school, my friends asked me where I was from, and when they learned I was Vietnamese, everyone happily discussed cultural differences with me. Their friendly attitude helped me become increasingly active in a country where I had just arrived. My advisor was also very enthusiastic, guiding me every step of the way from my very first days at school. She was like a second mother to me. The learning environment here also surprised me a bit but quickly became very interesting. I used to be a math-specialized student in junior high, so I always had the idea that only being good at math mattered, and other subjects were less important. However, the learning model and educational approach at The Frederick Gunn School created conditions for me to excel and enjoy learning other subjects. Gunn School also has a system of AP classes, which was one of the factors that led me to choose the school, as many schools I looked at only offered honor classes, not AP. The dormitories at the school are of very high quality; from the outside, they look very much like a resort villa, while the interior is quite convenient with a refrigerator and microwave. Each bedroom is spacious enough, with a wardrobe, bunk beds, a study desk, and even a mirror. The school's outcomes are also quite good, as last year, seniors were admitted to prestigious universities like Columbia, Brown, Cornell, and NYU.

The Frederick Gunn School has a spacious campus with comprehensive facilities for academics, recreation, and sports for students. The school is currently investing in and constructing a new, very modern building for Science classes, which will be inaugurated in the Fall of 2023. Most teachers at the school are very dedicated and close to students, always ready to answer questions and help students progress in their studies. Students at the school come from many different places, with 20% being international students. Here, students get to experience many different cultures with friends from various countries around the world. What I like most here is the opportunity to try many new sports. I tried Lacrosse and Hockey. Although I was new to playing and my skills were very poor, the teachers were still very dedicated in helping me play better and I always had the opportunity to participate and compete weekly.

The Gunnery School, founded in 1850 by teacher and outdoor enthusiast Frederick W. Gunn, was built on Gunn's strong belief that the true purpose of education should be to cultivate strong character. Therefore, since its establishment, the school has focused on fostering academic achievement, sound physical health, mutual respect, and integrity – these being the four components of character. To this day, The Gunnery School continues to uphold its founder's principles, enjoying a high reputation in the United States for its rigorous management. Last year, when I took students for an interview at the school, classes were in session on a Saturday morning, the admissions officer was very enthusiastic, but the school was difficult to find with car navigation.

School advantages:

1. The school emphasizes leadership development. The leadership department offers courses such as public speaking, advanced service projects, ethics, and responsibility to cultivate children's leadership skills.

2. The school's strong academic program is the STEAM IDEAS program, which features robots, 3D printers, and various high-end equipment. I.D.E.A.S focuses on student engineering innovation, offering courses such as machine design, robotics, water system design, innovation & maker villages, construction management, and architectural design. The school has won the FIRST Robotics Competition.

3. The arts are excellent. The Gunnery Drama Society produces two works annually - a fall play and a winter musical.

Updated destinations of 2020 Chinese graduates (provided by Admissions Office):
Boston College
Brandeis University
Carnegie Mellon University
Cornell University
Northwestern University
Swarthmore College

The admissions teachers at Gunnery are particularly meticulous and thoughtful in their work. Furthermore, after students are admitted, the school arranges for current students to write letters to future students, offering help. The school particularly likes students who are very sincere, have good personalities, and possess development potential.

I just called a parent of a current student. This parent is particularly satisfied with the school, but also stated that whether the shoes are suitable depends on individual circumstances. In my opinion, a positive evaluation of one's environment is one of the basic elements for initiating positive energy.

1. The school emphasizes teamwork, and my daughter's cooperative spirit is getting stronger.
2. There are very few Chinese students, and my daughter interacts very well with her American roommate, her English is improving particularly fast, and the multicultural exchange is excellent.
3. The academic atmosphere is rigorous, student management is strict, with many requirements; some students have been expelled for making racist remarks.
4. The environment is somewhat remote, but for high school students, this is a good thing, making it easier for students to focus on their studies.
5. There are many activities, sports, concerts... My daughter actively participates in social activities and is incredibly busy and happy.
6. My daughter truly loves learning now, a love that comes from within.
7. The cafeteria food is very good; although my daughter misses Chinese food, the current meals are already excellent.
8. It's close to New York, only 2 hours away, carpooling and everything else is convenient.
9. The living environment is very safe, exceptionally natural, and nurturing.
10. The child can now settle down to draw, her skill level is improving quickly, and and she wants to participate in more sports activities.
11. My daughter's grades in all subjects are now excellent, she has adapted very well, doesn't miss home much, and her parents are very relieved.

Gunnery is a boutique American high school located on a small hill. Its pointed-roof cabins, covered in white snow, evoke a fairy-tale world. The warm yellow light emanating from within the buildings makes visitors on snowy days feel especially cozy, giving the school an approachable charm from the inside out.
The 9th-grade girls' dormitory, completed just a few years ago, is one of the most exquisite dorm buildings on campus. Each semester, Gunnery hosts dorm-unit parties, often featuring barbecues in the courtyard. And the student cafeteria? It's definitely on par with Hokkaido's famous internet-famous restaurants [chuckle]!
This January, the long-awaited Arts Student Center finally opened its doors! The state-of-the-art new building features a gallery (for displaying student artworks), a performance hall, an advanced theater, and more – all fully equipped. The entire building is filled with a sense of modernity and artistic flair. Last night, there was a light snowfall in Connecticut, and admiring the campus scenery from the floor-to-ceiling windows was truly beautiful. The "Gunnery Tree," a collaborative effort by all faculty and students, has each child's name placed on it, with a different color representing each grade. The children are full of anticipation for the new experiences the new building will bring to their campus life.

Students enrolling at Gunnery next year are in luck!