The Grier School is a grades 6-PG boarding school for girls in Central Pennsylvania. Founded in 1853, the school's mission has always been to provide a well-rounded education in academics, athletics and the arts in a safe setting. Featured: Grier School
 
Home > School Directory > California > Besant Hill School (Formerly Happy Valley School)
Besant Hill School (Formerly Happy Valley School)
8585 Ojai Santa Paula Rd or PO Box 850, Ojai, CA 93023 - View a map of this school Map
tel: (800) 900-0487

Founded in 1946 by Aldous Huxley, J. Krishnamurti, Guido Ferrando and Rosalind Rajagopal on 520 acres in the resort town of Ojai, California this boarding school community offers a vigorous college preparatory curriculum with a cornerstone on creative expression, sustainability and divergent thinking. Besant Hill offers 33 art electives, competitive athletics, travel and experiential education programs, small classes and a 4:1 student teacher ratio.

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Listed among the top 20 boarding schools (out of 264 schools) for:

Definition of Terms
Overview:
School Focus Pre-prof. Arts / College-prep College Preparatory
Grades Offered 9-12 9-12
School Type Co-ed Co-ed
Support for ADD/ADHD Students Yes Yes
Supports Learning Differences (LD) Yes Yes
Religious Affiliation Non-denominational Non-denominational
Year Founded 1946 1900
Campus Size 520 acres 135 acres
     
Student Body    
Enrollment 100 students 300 students
Percent Students of Color 12% 18%
Percent International Students 24% 16%
Percent Students Boarding 80% 70%
Average SAT Score 1800 *National Avg. » View
Offers Post-Grad Year No No
     
Academics and Faculty    
Saturday Classes No No
Classroom Dress Code Casual Casual
Average Class Size 10 12
*National School Avg. » 20
Teacher : Student Ratio 1:4 1:7
# of AP/Advanced Courses Offered 5 14
ESL Courses Offered Yes Yes
% Faculty with Advanced Degree 50% 60%
Summer Program Offered Yes Yes
     
Finances    
Endowment Size $2 million $15 million
Yearly Tuition (Boarding Students) $39,990 $39,900
Yearly Tuition (Day Students) $19,900 $22,560
Percent Students on Financial Aid 25% 31%
Average Financial Aid Grant $11,000 $18,000
Merit Scholarships Offered No No
     
Admission    
Application Deadline Feb. 19 / rolling Jan. 15
SSAT Required No Yes
Acceptance Rate 55% 60%
Director of Admissions Randy Bertin
Associate Director of Admissions Terra Furguiel
Course Listings:
List of Courses Offered Link to List of Courses
Sports:
Total Interscholastic Sports Offered 7 13


BaseballBasketball
Cross CountryGolf
SoccerTennis
Volleyball 
Extracurricular:
Total Extracurricular Organizations 7 23
 
 
CeramicsDrama
FilmMusic
MusicPhotography
Studio Art 
College Matriculation:  
Year: 2006
Babson College
2
Beloit College
2
Berklee School of Music
2
Cal Arts
2
Chicago Institute of the Arts
2
UC Santa Cruz
2
Brooks Institute
1
Evergreen College
1
Seattle Unviersity
1
Smith College
1
School Notes:
  • Besant Hill School is an accredited boarding school with an emphasis on creative expression and Right-brained thinking. The school provides a small, safe and intimate community where students are able to explore and express both their intellectual and creative abilities through challenging academic classes, music, studio art, theater and photography. Outdoor education, community service and athletics are an important component of the educational experience. Besant Hill School sits atop 450 acres of beautiful land just outside of the town of Ojai. The school is 20 minutes from the ocean and 20 minutes from the mountains. The Besant Hill School campus offers boarding facilities for both boys and girls. The residents are housed 2 to a room in bedrooms that contain study and storage facilities for each student. Dorm parents live in each wing of the dormitories and supervise the boarding students with the help of student prefects.
  • Other facilities include a modern dining hall, tennis courts, volleyball court, basketball courts and soccer field, theater and music rooms in addition to a studio art center, ceramics room and large dark room.
  • LD types supported: Dyslexia / Language-based and Mild Learning Differences
  • School accreditations: Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), California Association of Independent Schools (CAIS), The Association of Boarding Schools (TABS)
  • Profile last updated: 10/30/2009
1. The Thacher School - 250 students - 2.0 mi. away - view location
2. Ojai Valley School - 295 students - 3.9 mi. away - view location
3. Villanova Preparatory School - 315 students - 4.4 mi. away - view location
4. Cate School - 265 students - 18.2 mi. away - view location
5. Midland School - 82 students - 50.5 mi. away - view location
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