Pomfret School

Founded in 1894, Pomfret is an independent, coeducational, college preparatory boarding and day school located in Pomfret, Connecticut. Brought to life by an exceptional faculty, we are both bold and practical in our approach — intensely focused on the interests and needs of our students, and pragmatic in our efforts to prepare them for the joys and rigors of college, work, and life.

Today we serve 350 students in grades 9 through 12, hailing from 23 states and 23 countries. We also offer a post graduate year. Set on a stunning 500-acre hilltop in Northeastern Connecticut, our campus is less than an hour from Boston, Hartford, and Providence, and only 3 hours from New York City. Our classrooms are vibrant and engaging, our dorms foster deep personal relationships, and our advisory system encourages intergenerational connections that truly distinguish us from many other great schools. In recent years, our graduates have matriculated to some of the country's best universities. And beyond college, our alumni have gone on to — quite literally — change the world.

Since its founding in 1894, Pomfret has focused on innovation and progressive thinking about what a great education should be. "If the next generation is to flourish in a changing world, we must prepare them wisely, differently, and well." At Pomfret, we acknowledge and embrace the idea that education must evolve to meet the needs of a new age, and we are dedicated to preparing Generation Z with the knowledge, skills, and character they will need to thrive in the 21st century.

Our mission is to cultivate a healthy interdependence of mind, body, and spirit as we prepare our students for college, and to lead and learn in a diverse and increasingly interconnected society. At Pomfret, learning is student-centered, relevant, and meaningful. It values diversity in thought, perspective, and expression. It engages not just the mind, but the heart and the spirit. It happens within a variety of contexts through multiple instructional approaches. And it requires appropriate levels of rigor and challenge, to foster growth and develop mastery.

At Pomfret, we believe diversity is who we are. Diversity refers to those differences in identity that impact our social experiences, including status and access to resources. Most obviously it is determined by race, gender, and culture. On a more subtle level it includes class, sexual orientation, religion, ability, and appearance. We are guided by research which indicates academic excellence and a diverse learning environment are synergistically linked and that students in diverse classroom settings show growth in intellectual development, motivation, academic skills, standardized test scoring and grade point averages.

Yet, while change beckons, we remain grounded in tradition. A growing body of research confirms that our small student population, our commitment to knowing every student well, and our careful cultivation of an inclusive and intellectually curious community are the hallmarks of a transformational boarding school experience. Together, these twin forces of tradition and innovation are the cornerstones of The Pomfret Purpose.

The heart of the academic experience at Pomfret is our belief that students should be partners with their teachers in the dynamic business of acquiring knowledge. With a student-teacher ratio of 5:1, an average class block of 80 minutes, and 42 honors and advanced courses to choose from, our distinctive brand of education engages the mind, heart, and spirit. Here, you will learn how to solve problems, think creatively, make arguments, and build teams. Because at Pomfret, we don't just prepare you for college. We prepare you for life.

The student life experience at Pomfret is designed to complement the academic journey by offering enriching programs with an emphasis on building character, developing cultural competency, making good decisions, and cultivating socio-emotional fluency. With opportunities for clubs, social activities, co-curriculum programs, and health and wellness programs, students build a personal portfolio centered on responsibility and well-being at Pomfret and develop skills that will equip them for college and life.