Haven’t you heard? Concord Academy is where love of learning meets a commitment to equity. Here at Concord Academy, we are in historic Concord. This is the birthplace of the nation. It is less than 20 miles from Boston. Concord Academy sits on Main Street. Concord is one of the safest and most beautiful towns in the United States.
Concord Academy was founded in 1919. It was incorporated in 1922. Anne Bixby Chamberlin and Mrs. Henry F. Smith, Jr., local residents, founded Concord Academy. Chamberlin wanted a local high school for girls. The closest one was 20 miles away in Boston. Her sons could attend the all-boys Middlesex School in Concord.
In 1922, Chamberlin and Smith transferred control to a board of trustees. They reorganized Concord Academy as a non-profit. The aims were explicitly college-preparatory. This was unusual for a girls’ school at the time. The administration warned that pupils with low scholastic aptitude ought to be in a different type of school. Elsie Garland Hobson became the first permanent headmistress. The trustees added a small boarding department to raise money. It charged a then-astronomical sum of $1,500 a year. Day students outnumbered boarders for most of Concord Academy’s early history.
Elizabeth Blodgett Hall and David Aloian brought national stature to Concord Academy. Hall aggressively courted wealthy, high-achieving boarding students. By the early 1960s, the boarding program received four applications for every opening.
In 1971, Concord Academy became the first all-girls’ boarding school in New England to shift to a coeducational model. This shift helped maintain the quality of the student body. It expanded the size of its applicant pool.
Concord Academy’s campus sits on 39 acres. It lies between Main Street and the Sudbury River. The campus includes eleven historic houses on Main Street. These were all built as family homes between 1780 and 1830.
Today, Concord Academy educates approximately 400 students in grades 9 through 12. The school has a student-to-teacher ratio of 6:1. Concord Academy has a wide-as-you-can-dream curriculum. It offers many opportunities for intellectual growth. It also provides hands-on learning and collaboration.
The school’s curriculum comprises more than 230 courses in eight academic disciplines. It has a co-curricular athletics program. The school does not compute class rank. It awards no academic, arts, athletic, or community awards.
Concord Academy’s financial aid meets 100% of admitted students’ financial need. A significant percentage of the student body receives financial aid. This makes Concord Academy accessible to a wide range of students.
Many Concord Academy alumni have made their mark on the world. Drew Gilpin Faust became the 28th president of Harvard University. Caroline Kennedy served as the U.S. Ambassador to Japan and Australia. Sarah Koenig is the host of the acclaimed podcast Serial. These are just a few examples of Concord Academy’s impact.
As Concord Academy embarks on its next century, it remains a place where academic excellence, creative exploration, and social responsibility intersect. It nurtures students who make meaningful contributions to the world. Concord Academy prepares students for college and beyond. It fosters a community animated by a love of learning, diversity, and common trust.