Episcopal High School

We are delighted that you have found us, and we hope to have an opportunity to get to know more about you as well. We are especially proud of our school and our students and feel that so many of our community’s special qualities are highlighted in the various sections of our website. We also urge you to visit the campus in person.

One can’t help but be captivated by the enthusiasm, curiosity, creativity, and genuine warmth of the very special group of adults and young people from around the country and around the world who live and learn together in this 100 percent boarding community. In this day and age when we are all grappling with an increasing pace of change, competitive environment, and complexity of our shrinking global community, Episcopal is uniquely positioned to prepare our students not just to excel in outstanding colleges and universities but to take their place as caring and gifted leaders on a local and global level. For more than 175 years our students have thrived in our school’s rich array of academic offerings, embraced our commitment to personal honor, ethical leadership, and spiritual growth, and been guided and inspired by the close and caring relationships they develop with the adults here. Preparation for true leadership in this quickly changing future, however, demands that we offer our students even more. Our school’s innovative approach to curriculum and program that dives deeply into the opportunities and global connections of Washington, D.C., sets us apart and offers our students an educational experience unlike any other.

Guided by its founding principles of honor, academic distinction, spiritual growth, and community, Episcopal High School prepares young people with the intellectual and moral courage to pursue lives of ethical leadership and service as citizens of an increasingly connected world.

Our students appreciate the Episcopal boarding school experience: graduates leave EHS with the moral integrity, character development, and curiosity for learning necessary for a lifetime of purpose. One recent alumna said, "Choose Episcopal if you are willing to wake up each morning and explore who you want to be. Choose Episcopal if you want an experience where the most important question asked daily is, 'What is the right thing to do?'"

Episcopal aspires to graduate young men and women of integrity who will achieve their goals, serve the world, and persevere in the challenges of heart and mind. Students learn in small classes and actively participate in all classroom discussions. The School’s college preparatory curriculum requires that students take courses in English, foreign languages, mathematics, science, social studies, the arts, computer studies, and theology. To graduate, students must earn a minimum total of twenty-three credits in four years, including credits received for afternoon program activities. Our academic class day consists of seven periods. During that time, a student must take at least five courses. They can select an elective and still have time for a study period during the day.

EHS guides young people in pursuing excellence within a caring and supportive community. Small classes invite lively discussion and teach students to think independently, creatively, and critically. Offerings include a wide range of courses in English, mathematics, science, language, social studies, theology, and the arts. The seven-period academic day allows ample time for an elective and study period. Students must earn at least 23 credits in four years to graduate, including credits for afternoon programs. EHS also offers more than 40 Honors and Advanced courses in English, math, social studies, science, languages, and many electives, including interdisciplinary studies.

Episcopal High School believes:

• Honor is both pursuit and an expectation;
  
• Relationships in which students are known, valued, and supported are critical for academic success and character development, and they flourish most powerfully in a 100 percent residential community;
  
• The pursuit of knowledge, not merely its acquisition, is at the core of the academic experience, compelling one to take risks and to embrace and learn from failure;
  
• Passions, interests, and personal strengths are discovered when students engage in wide-ranging experiences in academics, athletics, the arts, and all areas of school life;
  
• Bridging the classroom with intriguing, real-world experiences amidst the vast resources of Washington, D.C., and beyond makes learning authentic and powerful;
  
• Intellectual development and moral growth are best nurtured in a vibrant and diverse learning community where close relationships help us understand, appreciate, and bridge our differences;
  
• Spiritual inquiry and service are key to self-discovery and developing empathy for others;
  
• High expectations and rigor, combined with close attention to the physical and emotional well-being of each child, lead students to thrive and be their best selves;
  
• We are all part of something greater than ourselves with the capacity and responsibility to be a force for good in the lives of others.