Kent School

Kent is a leading secondary school with a rich tradition and history since its founding in 1906. The Kent experience — learning, growing, making friends — will change your life. You will be prepared here for the rigors of college and will become increasingly ready to think about your vocation and possible careers. You will share in the joy of being a member of a close-knit community and learn the importance of serving others.

The School’s curriculum is at once ancient and modern, as it embraces all the liberal arts, including experiential learning in numerous fields. There is a comfortable balance here between academics and the many other activities that enrich one’s life. The School is also committed to helping you develop a spiritual life. St. Joseph’s Chapel stands at the center of our beautiful campus.

Kent’s school motto is Simplicity of Life, Directness of Purpose, and Self-Reliance. These values shape how we run the school and how we live our lives. They affect how we see the world and how we teach our students about it. They ground us in the important things like friends and family, hard work, and honesty. They remind us that spiritual understanding and growth, though sometimes difficult, are necessary to know oneself and to know one’s path.

Our guiding words prompt us to be self-sufficient and, as you’ll see when you come to Kent, we instill this in our students at every turn. We reward self-motivation and initiative. If students want to start a new club or do an Independent Study Project, we’ll assist and applaud them.

But none of this counteracts the sense of community that is strong at Kent, for there is something about poise and certitude that brings out generosity and neighborliness. It may be surprising, given how intelligent and ambitious our students are, but you’ll find that we all work together here. Students don’t have a sense of competing against each other; they feel they’re on the same team.

As an independent boarding school in keeping with the Episcopal Church, we prepare students for college and for life with a rigorous and comprehensive program. We teach those who strive to grow, nurture striving where it falters, foster academic excellence, and promote understanding of and respect for one another’s beliefs and differences.

As you explore Kent, you will discover that our faculty comprises a diverse group of gifted and dedicated teachers who are passionate about their disciplines and deeply committed to teaching, learning, coaching and living among highly motivated, curious, and engaged young people. You will learn that our students are extraordinary too. They are not only great students but artists, musicians, poets, dancers, painters, athletes, engineers, activists and actors who come from every corner of the world.

Kent is a place where answers aren’t simply given, but the passion to go out and get them is the lesson. Whatever challenging, exciting fields of study you pursue at Kent, you won’t just learn the book— you’ll be taught the skills and the courage to write a new one. At Kent, we take great pride in our excellent faculty, but what truly makes them stand out is their unique, shared philosophy.

They are here to teach, inspire and support, but above all to empower you. Whether studying Engineering, Chemistry, Meteorology, Mandarin, or Global Economics, you won’t merely be presented with material, but instead challenged to create learning experiences that ignite your interests, utilize your talents and reveal your potential.

At Kent, the lines between the educational disciplines have been erased, and you will be encouraged and expected to take immersive participation to the level that best serves the pursuit and achievement of your goals. You’ll bring the passion and curiosity you realize in each subject with you as you explore countless other learning opportunities, combining everything you discover to create a whole, individualized experience. The level of student-driven learning at Kent transcends traditional education and adds up to something much more—it adds up to you.