The Thacher School

The Thacher School, founded in 1889, is located in Ojai, California, on 427 acres, a 90-minute drive from Los Angeles. With a 93% boarding student ratio, it is California's oldest co-educational boarding school.

Thacher School is distinguished by its equestrian and outdoor programs. The school has approximately 120 horses and abundant equestrian resources. However, the school's Horse Program is not just about learning riding techniques; students also bear full responsibility for caring for the horses. They need to learn not only how to communicate and cooperate with horses but also how to attend to their daily needs. The school also has an astronomy research program where students collaborate with teams from Harvard University, Boston University, UC Santa Cruz, and Las Cumbres Observatory to participate in astrophysical research. Thacher School's observatory is a top-tier research-grade advanced facility, an exceptional setup rarely found in other American high schools.

As part of its outdoor activities, in addition to week-long trips each fall and spring, students are encouraged to participate in weekend camping in the local mountains, including backpacking, rock climbing, cycling, sailing, horse camping, canyon exploration, backcountry skiing, and kayaking.

Principal Zhan's Comments: In recent years, the school has undergone significant changes, updating many architectural facilities and courses. From this visit, it's clear that the school's culture and academics are exceptionally strong, and they are also actively working to ensure students' social environment and mental health. Students who deeply understand and are a good match for Thacher are highly favored by admissions officers.
Regarding cultural heritage: When students enroll in 9th grade, they adopt a horse. While learning to care for the horse, they also learn horsemanship and related knowledge. Children who are interested can participate in equestrian activities for all four years of high school. This tradition not only helps children get accustomed to life in a new environment but also fosters a sense of responsibility.
Regarding academic development: The school's high-quality faculty and curriculum are well-known to US colleges. There's no need for AP courses to demonstrate students' academic abilities, so Thacher's honors and advanced courses have completely replaced AP courses.
Regarding community building: 90% of Thacher students (both local and international) live on campus. The school arranges outdoor activities for each grade every spring and fall to promote student relationships and integration.
Regarding emotional support: During the pandemic, the school newly built a medical center, and the original infirmary was completely converted into a psychological counseling room, offering psychological counseling and silent yoga sessions at any time.

The Thacher School is located 85 kilometers west of Los Angeles, California, USA. Since there are relatively few schools in California, The Thacher School is a top-tier institution in the state. It boasts an excellent academic program, offering rigorous college preparatory courses for academically gifted students. Founded in 1889, The Thacher School is a co-educational boarding school with over a century of history. The campus spans a spacious 427 acres. Its 240 students come from 27 states across the US and 9 countries worldwide.

Notably, The Thacher School offers an incredibly rich equestrian program, with approximately 120 horses and abundant resources related to horsemanship. This program accompanies students throughout their entire high school career, come rain or shine. On the second day of new students' arrival on campus, the school sends them to Santa Cruz Island for a week-long orientation activity with their class and dorm leaders. This is also why, every autumn and spring, and during many weekend trips in between, students and faculty pack their bags and head to wilderness trails inside and outside California for additional day trips. Los Padres National Forest is right at the school's back door, and other wilderness areas are also close by, making outdoor activities such as rock climbing, winter camping, sea and river kayaking readily available.

Thatcher High School has very high academic demands, and students' lives here are largely filled with courses, homework, and clubs. The school offers a rich curriculum, covering multiple fields such as art, sports, science, and humanities, along with various societies and activities to meet students' diverse interests and needs. The school also places great emphasis on cultivating students' leadership skills and teamwork spirit, encouraging them through various channels to participate in different activities, develop their strengths and potential. The school is extremely focused on developing and training leadership, encouraging students to combine learning with practice.
Furthermore, Thatcher High School has a very low student-to-teacher ratio of only 1:5, which allows students to receive more attention and guidance, and better promotes their learning and growth. The school also provides various scholarships and financial aid to help students in need complete their studies.