Portsmouth Abbey School

285 Cory's Lane, Portsmouth, RI 02871 - View a map of this school Map
Tel: (401)643-1248
Grades: (Boarding) 9-12 | 347 students
"Portsmouth Abbey School is a coeducational boarding and day school for students in grades 9-12. Founded in 1926 by the English Benedictine community, the school is located on a 550-acre campus along the picturesque shores of Rhode Islands Narragansett Bay...."

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Definition of Terms 
| 2012 School Data
Portsmouth Abbey
Boarding School Avg.
School Focus College Preparatory College Preparatory
Grades Offered. 9-12 9-12
School Type Co-ed Co-ed
Support for ADD/ADHD Students No No
Religious Affiliation Catholic Non-denominational
Year Founded 1926 1906
Campus Size 500 acres 125 acres
Student Body
Enrollment 347 students 300 students
Percent Students of Color 10% 18%
Percent International Students 18% 19%
Percent Students Boarding 70% 67%
Average SAT Score 1807 * National Avg. »View
SAT range (25th-75th percentile) 1640 - 1990 -
Average ACT score 25 *National Avg. » View
Offers Post-Grad Year No No
Academics and Faculty
Saturday Classes Yes No
Frequency of Saturday Classes Weekly Less than once a month
Classroom Dress Code Formal Casual
Average Class Size 12 students 12
*National School Avg. » 20
Teacher : Student Ratio 1:7 1:7
# of AP/Advanced Courses Offered 19 14
ESL Courses Offered No Yes
% Faculty with Advanced Degree 65% 65%
Summer Program Offered Yes Yes
Finances
Endowment Size $29 million $14 million
Yearly Tuition (Boarding Students) $48,850 $45,000
Yearly Tuition (Day Students) $33,025 $24,600
Percent Students on Financial Aid 40% 33%
Average Financial Aid Grant $26,000 $19,000
Merit Scholarships Offered Yes No
Admission
Application Deadline Jan. 31 Jan. 15
Accepts Standardized Application Yes No
SSAT Required Yes Yes
Average Percentile SSAT 72% -
Acceptance Rate 45% 60%
Director of Admissions Meghan Fonts  
Associate Director of Admissions Steve Pietraszek  

Course Listings:
List of Courses Offered Link to List of Courses

Sports:
Total Interscholastic Sports Offered 16 13
Interscholastic Sports
Baseball Basketball
Cross Country Equestrian
Field Hockey Football
Golf Ice Hockey
Lacrosse Sailing
Soccer Softball
Squash Swimming
Tennis Track and Field

Extracurricular:
Total Extracurricular Organizations 25 23
Extracurriculars
Amnesty International Bible Study Group Big Brothers and Big Sisters
Chess Club Christian Community Service
Creative Writing Workshop Cultural Awareness at Portsmouth, CAAP
Debate Club Future Problem Solvers
Horseback riding Humanities Forum
Model United Nations New England Math League
Peer Tutors Radio station, WJHD
Red Key, campus tour guides Saint Francis de Sales group
Social Committee Student Athletic Advisory Board
Student Council Students Against Destructive
The Beacon, the student newspaper The Gregorian, the yearbook
The Raven, literary magazine TLC, Teens Leading Children
Tuck Shop, student-run snack shop

College Matriculation:
Year: 2004-2008
10 Most Popular College Choices  (# Enrolled)
Boston College 15
University of Rhode Island 15
Fordham University 14
College of the Holy Cross 10
George Washington University 10
Georgetown University 10
Providence College 10
Catholic University of America 8
Dickinson College 8
New York University 7
Link to Matriculation Data

School Notes:

  • Portsmouth Abbey School is a coeducational boarding and day school for students in grades 9-12. Founded in 1926 by the English Benedictine community, the school is located on a 550-acre campus along the picturesque shores of Rhode Islands Narragansett Bay.
  • The Portsmouth Abbey education is grounded in the Western intellectual tradition, from ancient Greece and Rome and continuing into this century. This classical curriculum is balanced by a focus on spirituality, athletics, the arts and fun.
  • The school's mission encompasses the importance of reverence for God and the human person, respect for learning and order, and responsibility for the shared experience of community life.
  • Portsmouth Abbey School is located on 550 acres on the beautiful shores of Narragansett Bay. On the school's grounds is the world class Carnegie Abbey Club Golf Course.
  • Portsmouth Abbey School Graduate Receives Top Honor in State for Advanced Placement Scholarship.
  • Saturday, May 17, 2003, the entire student body, members of the Board of Regents and special guests attended a ground breaking ceremony at Portsmouth Abbey School to celebrate the start of construction on a new 16,800 square foot, $3.9 million dollar state-of-the-art Squash and Fitness Center. The new Center was completed in 2004.
  • The Reverend Hugh Diman Merit Scholarships The Reverend Hugh Diman Scholarships honor the founder and first headmaster of the School. The Diman Scholarship is a prestigious merit-based scholarship grant. One is awarded each year to a boarding student entering grade nine. The recipient receives a full scholarship equaling the annual tuition, room, and board. All Diman Scholarships are renewed each year of the student's career at Portsmouth, subject to a satisfactory assessment by the Merit Scholarship Committee. To be eligible to apply for the scholarship, candidates must meet the following requirements: Superior results on the Secondary School Admissions Test (SSAT) which should be taken by January 31. Outstanding academic achievement, as demonstrated through current school transcripts and teacher recommendations. Enthusiastic endorsement from the candidate's Headmaster, Principal, or Guidance Counselor. Abbey Scholars Boarding and Day candidates in all Forms are eligible to be selected as Abbey Scholars. As many as ten highly qualified students each year will be awarded merit scholarships. Scholarships for boarding students are awarded in the amount of $7,000. Day students receive $5,000 scholarships. Abbey Scholars are not precluded from obtaining additional financial assistance should the family qualify for financial aid.
  • School accreditations: NEASC
  • Sample of notable school alumni/alumnae:
    • Christopher Buckley - writer and political satirist; former Managing Editor of Esquire Magazine; chief speech writer for Vice President George H. W. Bush; author of Thank You for Smoking
    • John E. Pepper, Jr. - Chairman of the Walt Disney Company
    • Robert F. Kennedy - U.S. Senator from New York; U.S. Attorney General
    • Edward M. Kennedy - U.S. Senator from Massachusetts
    • Peter M. Flanigan - Assistant to President Richard Nixon
    • Benedict Fitzgerald - American screenwriter - In Cold Blood, Wise Blood; co-wrote Aramaic, Hebrew, and Latin screenplay for The Passion of the Christ
    • Charlie Day - actor, writer, executive producter - It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
    • William Ruckelshaus - first Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency; former FBI director and U.S. Deputy Attorney General

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Nearby Schools:

Portsmouth Abbey School
Gr. 9-12 | Co-Ed | 0 mi. away
St. George's School
Gr. 9-12 | Co-Ed | 7.1 mi. away
St. Andrew's School
Gr. 3-12 | Co-Ed | 11.6 mi. away
Middlebridge School
Gr. 7-12 | Co-Ed | 20.4 mi. away
Tabor Academy
Gr. 9-12 | Co-Ed | 26.5 mi. away
Marianapolis Preparatory School
Gr. 9-12 | Co-Ed | 40.5 mi. away

View all schools in: Rhode Island, New England Region

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