Shady Side Academy (2025 Profile)

5.00 (1 review)

Tel: (412) 968-3180

423 Fox Chapel Road
Pittsburgh, PA 15238

www.shadysideacademy.org

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Shady Side Academy Photo #1 - Rowe Hall is the Senior School's main academic building residing at the heart of its 130 acre campus which feels like a small college. The campus also includes 2 dormitories, dedicated buildings for the visual and performing arts, an extensive athletic complex and ice rink, and in 2018 the McIlroy Center for Science and Innovation.

Shady Side Academy Photo #2 - On the weekends, boarders are offered a range of activities from trips to the mall to cultural and sporting events that take advantage of our Pittsburgh location. A sample includes kayaking, city tours including the incline, baseball games, plays, movie nights and sampling the local cuisine. Brunch is on campus Saturday and Sunday.

Shady Side Academy Photo #3 - The small size of our boarding program, and the school's Pittsburgh location, are meaningful competitive advantages for students. Creating a Home Away from Home - a family-style environment with a culture of support - drives our student to residential life faculty ratio of 2:1.

Shady Side Academy Photo #4 - The classroom environment is inquiry based and students sit at Harkness tables or in small groups. These settings encourage discussion, debate and collaboration. The average class size is 15 with a student to teacher ratio of 8:1.

Shady Side Academy Photo #5 - 5- and 7-day boarders live in two single gender residence halls. The boarding population is diverse with students coming from different regions and countries and with varied interests and talents. Students have access to the campus facilities after hours and the student leaders, Prefects, plan activities including feeds, holiday events, Tuesday Night Football and Wednesday World Cup.

Shady Side Academy Photo #6 - The campus has a number of outdoor spaces that teachers and students use for class, to study or to just enjoy time with friends.

Shady Side Academy Photo #7 - The Benedum Visual Arts Center offers a range of 2-D and 3-D art electives as well as media arts classes. There are studios for painting, metal and wood working, ceramics, a dark room and an art gallery to display student work. In addition to classes, students come during their free time and boarders have an evening art club.

Shady Side Academy Photo #8 - The Hillman Center for the Performing Arts features a 650 seat theater, a black box theater, numerous rehearsal spaces as well as housing classrooms for the band and choral programs at the Senior School. Each year numerous Shady Side concerts and shows are presented as well as community events through the Hillman Performing Arts Series.

Shady Side Academy Photo #9 - The Senior School fields 30 highly competitive varsity teams in 17 sports for boys and girls. At the lower levels, the emphasis is on being active to encourage healthy choices, and learning the importance of teamwork and sportsmanship. Athletic facilities include an ice rink, squash courts, a swimming pool, 6 athletic fields, baseball facility, track and tennis courts.

Shady Side Academy Photo #10 - Shady Side Academy has 3 full-time college counselors who work as a team to help all students reach their future goals. They are dedicated to assisting students in finding best fit colleges and universities that will nurture their abilities and undiscovered talents, while allowing them to realize their career aspirations. 100% of students matriculate to college or university annually.

Shady Side Academy is Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania's best private school for pre-k through grade 12. Offering an exceptional coed education with an optional boarding experience for high school students in grades 912.

Quick Stats (2025)

Grades: (Boarding Students) 9-12
Grades: (Day Students) PK-12
Enrollment: 520 students
Yearly Tuition (Boarding Students): $65,500
Yearly Tuition (Day Students): $40,900
Average class size: 15 students
Application Deadline: Feb. 1 / rolling
Source: Verified school update

Top Rankings

Shady Side Academy ranks among the top 20 boarding schools (out of 280 schools) for:

School Overview

| 2024 School Data

Shady Side Academy

Boarding School Avg.

School Focus

College Preparatory

Grades Offered (Boarding)

9-12

Grades Offered (Day)

PK-12

6-12

School Type

Co-ed

Religious Affiliation

Non-denominational

Year Founded

1883

1907

Campus Size

130 acres

125 acres

First Day of School

Fri. Aug 15, 2025

Last Day of School

Mon. May 25, 2026

Student Body

Enrollment

520 students

319 students

% Students of Color

39%

27%

% International Students

21%

% Students Boarding

17%

67%

Average SAT Score

1350
(Out of 1600)

* National Avg. »View

SAT range (25th-75th percentile)

1220 - 1440

Average ACT score

29
(Out of 36)

*National Avg. »View

Offers Post-Grad Year

Academics and Faculty

Saturday Classes

Classroom Dress Code

Casual

Average Class Size

15 students

* National Avg. »18

Student : Teacher Ratio

8:1

7:1

ESL Courses Offered

Yes

% Faculty with Advanced Degree

80%

72%

Summer Program Offered

Yes

Summer Program Details

View Summer Program Details

Tuition Cost

Endowment Size

$80 million

$30 million

Yearly Tuition
(Boarding Students)

$65,500

$66,900

Yearly Tuition
(Day Students)

$40,900

$35,500

Tuition international students

$65,400

$58,300

Yearly Tuition
(5 Day Boarding)

$69,500

$49,300

% Students on Financial Aid

30%

40%

Merit Scholarships Offered

Admissions

Application Deadline

Feb. 1 / rolling

Jan. 15

SSAT Required

Yes

Director of Admissions

Meredith Colicchie
Bob Grandizio

Application URL

Online Application

AP / Advanced Courses

# of AP / Advanced Courses Offered

n/a

Courses

AP Computer Science, Calculus AB , Calculus BC, Chinese V AP, French V AP, German V AP, Spanish V AP

Sports

# Interscholastic Sports Offered

Extracurriculars

Total Extracurricular Organizations

Extracurriculars

Club or Organization:
Academian (Yearbook), Angles, Art Club, Astronomy Club, Black Student Union, Board Game Club, Cancer Awareness Club, Chiapas, Chinese Club, Christian Fellowship, Club for Animal Respect and Education (CARE), Dance Club, Democratic Student Union, Diversity Leadership Council, Drama Club, Dumbledore's Army, Egerian (Literary Magazine), Environmental Club, Film Club, Finance Club, French Club, Gay-Straight Alliance, Jewish Student Union, Latin Club, Learning Difference Awareness Club, Library Ambassadors, Math Club, Model U.N., Patriot Society, Philosophy Club, Piano Club, Political Science Club, Portfolio Art Club, Pre-Med Club, Quiz Bowl Team, Refugee Relations, Robotics Club, Science Olympiad, Service Learning, Spanish Club, Speach and Debate Team, SSA App Club, SSA Makes a Difference, SSA News, Students Activities Board, Video Game Club, Volunteering for Veterans, World Quest, Writing Center

Arts and Music Programs:
Chamber Choir, Concert Band, Concert Choir, Hillman Volunteer Ushers, Intonations (male a cappella), Jazz Ensemble, String Orchestra, Symphonic Band, Technical Theater

Recreational Athletic Programs:
Adventure Sports, Crew, Fitness, Ice Hockey, Swimming, Yoga

College Matriculation

College Acceptance Rate

100%

Year: 2014 - 2017

10 Most Popular College Choices (# Enrolled)

University of Pittsburgh

Pennsylvania State University

University of Pennsylvania

Carnegie Mellon University

Washington University of St. Louis

Bucknell University

George Washington University

Elon University

New York University

Georgetown University

View Matriculation Data

School Notes

School Motto: Fide Semper Vincere (Latin: 'They conquer always who have faith')
Shady Side Academy is Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania's best private school for pre-k through grade 12. Offering an exceptional coed education with an optional boarding experience for high school students in grades 912.
Inspired by our mission, Shady Side's driving purpose remains the development of responsible, transformative leaders for the City of Pittsburgh and beyond. This reason for existing was embedded at our inception, as the pioneers of the American steel industry founded a preparatory school designed to ensure next-generation leadership for what they envisioned would become the great, enduring industrial city of the 20th century.
Would you thrive in a community of curious learners, supportive teammates, and lifelong friends? As a Shady Side Academy boarding student, you can pursue your academic passions, grow as a leader, and conclude your day with a two-minute walk to your home away from home.Choosing Shady Side's boarding program means choosing a world of opportunity. Students describe it as "the best sleepover." Living on campus means you'll immerse yourself in every opportunity, develop independence, and form lifelong connections with peers from around the world. Our boarding program offers a gateway to the full Shady Side experience-academics, athletics, arts, and a community that inspires.
Shady Side Academy accreditations: National Association of Independent Schools//The Association of Boarding School
Sample of notable school alumni/alumnae:
- David McCullough '51 - Pulitzer Prize winning author
- Bentley Weiner '92 - VP and Senior Producer, HBO Sports
- Christian Borle '91 - Broadway actor, Tony Award recipient
- Courtney Hershey Bress '92 - Principal Harpist, Colorado Symphony Orchestra
- Jonathan Zittrain '87 - Professor of Law, Harvard University, Former Chair of FCC Open Internet Advisory Committee
- Nia Phillips '08 - Producer Good Morning America, Emmy Award recipient
- Chris Meyer '84 - Research Zoologist, Smithsonian Institute
- Marisa Muscari '01 - Senior Manager, Activision
- Peter Ackerman '88 - Actor, writer, producer. Ice Age films and the Amazon series, The Americans

Source: Verified school update

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Frequently Asked Questions

How much does Shady Side Academy cost?

Shady Side Academy's tuition is approximately $65,500 for boarding students and $40,900 for day students.

Who are famous alumni from Shady Side Academy?

Shady Side Academy famous alumni include: David McCullough '51, Bentley Weiner '92, Christian Borle '91, Courtney Hershey Bress '92, Jonathan Zittrain '87, Nia Phillips '08, Chris Meyer '84, Marisa Muscari '01 and Peter Ackerman '88.

What sports does Shady Side Academy offer?

Shady Side Academy offers 21 interscholastic sports: Baseball, Basketball, Cheering, Cross Country, Cross Country Running, Esports, Field Hockey, Football, Golf, Ice Hockey, Lacrosse, Soccer, Softball, Squash, Swimming, Tennis, Track, Track and Field, Ultimate Frisbee, Volleyball and Winter Track.

Does Shady Side Academy offer a summer program?

Yes, Shady Side Academy offers a summer program. Visit their summer school page for more information.

What is Shady Side Academy's ranking?

Shady Side Academy ranks among the top 20 boarding schools for Most extracurriculars offered and High average SAT scores.

When is the application deadline for Shady Side Academy?

The application deadline for Shady Side Academy is Feb. 1 / rolling (applications are due on Feb. 1 but additional applications are reviewed year-round as space permits ).

Alumni Reviews Review School

Review

Description

Shady Side Academy Alumni #1
Class of 2019
5.007/9/2019
University of California -- San Diego

At SSA, sports are required and there is a designated club period between the end of school and when most sports begin. I think this provides a lot of motivation for students to be involved. . .

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