Worcester Academy

Since 1834, Worcester Academy has been in the business of nurturing students to excel and to internalize those three qualities necessary for future success. How do we do it? "Achieve the Honorable," our school motto and the most recognizable phrase in our school lexicon, sits as the foundation of our core values – Honor, Respect, Community, Personal Growth, and Challenge. It's the phrase every member of the WA community is expected to live up to every day.

Through our thoughtfully designed curriculum and an abundance of extra-curricular activities, we give our students an environment filled with expert guidance, plenty of options, and, of course, challenge. We develop cultural competency and global perspective through our diverse community. Roughly 20% of our student body comes to us from outside the United States, so you'll be making friends with fellow students from Southborough to Somaliland. Our city campus gives every Hilltopper the opportunity to experience the vitality, diversity, and excitement of a city rich in heritage, culture, and the Arts.

Worcester Academy’s mission is to instill in its students the desire to learn throughout life, to engage passionately with the world around them, and to be honorable persons of strong and resourceful character. We are a community – curious, thoughtful, generous, and thriving in our diversity. We embrace each of our core values as essential to the mission of Worcester Academy and as testimony of our beliefs and commitments.

We believe in the inherent worth of every person, celebrating difference in a community rich with diverse gifts and talents. We seek commonality in our relationships regardless of title, background, or individual abilities and challenges. We also accept responsibility for sustaining the world around us, from the campus to the global environment.

The act of learning brings all members of this community together. We share a belief in the importance of serving others through both leadership and generosity. A respectful and compassionate approach to citizenship guides our actions on this campus and in the wider world.

Personal growth may be measured in many ways; the most authentic, however, is when we are true to ourselves. We seek to fulfill our potential by building habits of mind and body that promote growth in knowledge and understanding, ability and confidence, poise and leadership. By doing so, we nurture a desire for life-long learning and a commitment to excellence in all phases of life.

Attaining excellence in a changing global environment requires adaptability, creativity, and intellectual courage. We seek relevance in our work, and provide a rigorous yet nurturing environment in which we all may thrive. We value hard work and the disciplined application of knowledge and skills in our learning and institutional practices.

Worcester Academy is a school that embraces its identity and tradition by teaching students to Achieve the Honorable in all that they do. Even as we evolve in the 21st century by implementing innovative classroom and operational practices, we remain true to our roots and our mission – to create lifelong learners who engage passionately with the world around them. Our faculty is instrumental in creating a rigorous academic program of great dimension with invaluable mentoring and support. Our teachers provide broad perspective on the world, integrate technology, and push every student to be their very best selves.

We’re a world-class school preparing world-ready graduates. To do it right, the Academy must be an environment that revels in and learns from our many differences. In truth, we are a microcosm of the world. We’re committed to our multicultural learning community and fully embrace our diverse and multi-talented student body.

Our diversity includes, but is not limited to, race, religion, sexual orientation, gender, ethnicity, family structure, socio-economic status, and/or ability. No matter who you are, when you’re a Hilltopper, you’re part of our family. In a world of change, how do we prepare Hilltoppers for their lives beyond Worcester Academy? Our academic approach creates life-long learners, who thrive in an environment designed to give them every tool they need. We call it "Portrait of a Learner" and it encompasses all of these critical skills.

We live in a global, digital, interconnected world, and we prepare our students for that world. Through thoughtful and innovative practices, our faculty transform that fast-paced, global communication highway from four lanes down to one. We make the global local by turning community experiences and basic lesson plans into impactful awareness of the world beyond.