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- Students who have demonstrated a consistent record of academic success
- Students seeking an educational setting with high academic standards
- Students who want to be actively involved in the life of the school (e.g. peforming and creative arts, athletics, student government, student affinity groups, Model UN, WSLX, etc.)
- Students from towns in Fairfield and Westchester counties. 32 towns are represented by families at St. Luke's School.
- Approximately 50% of applicants attend public schools and 50% attend independent and parochial schools.
- Candidates represent different racial, cultural and socio-economic backgrounds.
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| Q. | What are the most important aspects of my application? | | A. | You are the most important part of the application! In addition to a consistent record of academic success, the Admission Committee selects students who possess character, scholarship, an interest in being part of a rigorous and diverse community, and a willingness to share extracurricular talents or interests. Students considered for admission possess the six habits for success: work hard, act honorably, take risks, ask questions, embrace differences, and demonstrate a concern for others.
The best predictor of success at St. Luke's is past performance. Through teacher and personal recommendations, a current transcript, a personal interview and student essays, the Admission Committee assesses each student's ability to thrive in the St. Luke's environment. Standardized testing (ISEE, SSAT, PSAT) is used to support our assessment of student potential. Students with special talents should not hesitate to submit portfolios or videos of independent work or activities. |
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| Q. | How do I develop a list of schools to consider? | | A. | The list of schools you will consider requires developing your own list of educational needs and desires.
- Based on previous experience, what are you seeking in your next school?
- What type of academic environment are you looking?
- What type of educational program will best serve your learning style and abilities?
- Do you have a special talent or interest that demands a special program you would like to pursue (e.g. athletic or musical)?
- Is school culture important to you?
- How important is the size of school? (Class sizes, student to teacher ratio, etc).
- Which geographical areas are possible for you to consider?
- Are you interested in boarding schools or day schools?
Be careful not to limit your options by prematurely ruling out groups of schools. You may want to look at a variety of small, medium and large schools, as well as single sex and co-ed schools, before you determine the schools to which you will apply. |
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| Q. | Where do I begin searching? | | A. | Through the course of the school year there are several secondary school fairs where representatives from different boarding and day schools are available to talk about their schools. St. Luke's attends several of these fairs throughout the year. Please consult our Admission Events Calendar for dates and times.
The internet is also a great place to begin your search for schools. Whether you are searching for a specific school, educational consultant to assist you with the search, or other local and nationwide independent school associations, you are likely to find many valuable resources online.
We recommend the following:
Ask your school counselor for advice on possible educational alternatives. Call a variety of schools to request catalogues, as well as additional information about departments and activities that specifically interest you.
Once you have the above information, you are ready to go visit a school on an Open-House day, complete an application and schedule an on-campus tour and interview. For dates and times of Admission events at St. Luke's, please visit our Admissions Events Calendar. |
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| Q. | How do I know which school is right for me? | | A. | There are many wonderful schools from which to choose. If you do your homework you will find a number of good matches!
- Prior to your visit or interview prepare a list of questions that will help assess fit
- Consult with friends who attend schools of interest
- Keep a journal from your school visits to remind yourself of the appealing aspects of each community
- After you are admitted take advantage of "revisit days."
- Make lists of the pros and cons of each school. Refer to the initial lists you made when you began your school search. If you began looking for a new school because you were not being challenged academically, academics should be the priority in your decision, not the condition of the locker room or the size of the campus. Once you are sure your short list contains schools that meet your needs, then you need to go with your gut instinct. How did the school feel to you? Can you see yourself as a student there?
Be confident in all the research you have done. You have the pieces of the puzzle, you just need to put them together. |
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| Q. | What is the student to faculty ratio at St. Luke's? | | A. | St. Luke's School's overall student to faculty ratio is 8 to 1.
- 112 Total overall Faculty and staff (including part-time)
- 82 Full time Teaching Faculty
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| Q. | What is the average class size? | | A. | The average class size in the Middle School (grades 5 through 8) is 13 students.
The average class size in the Upper School (grades 9 through 12) is 10 students. |
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| Q. | What portion of the faculty holds advanced degrees? | | A. | We have 82 full-time faculty members who teach at least one class in the Middle or Upper School.
- Approximately 79% of those who teach possess a Master's degree or higher.
- 67% of the faculty have served 5 years or more at St. Luke's.
- 10% Faculty and Staff of Color
For a complete listing of our faculty, please visit the School Directory section of our website. |
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| Q. | What is the ratio of boys to girls at St. Luke's? | | A. | At St. Luke's 53% of the students in grades 5 through 12 are male and 47% female. In the 2010-11 school year, St. Luke's enrolled 238 females and 266 males.
- Middle School: 118 Males, 121 Females
- Upper School: 148 Males, 117 Females
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| Q. | What is the geographical distribution of students? | | A. | St. Luke's arrive each day from 29 different towns in Connecticut and New York. The top five towns represented are New Canaan, Norwalk, Stamford, Darien, and Wilton.
Transportation is provided by the State of New York for all students living within a 15 mile radius of St. Luke's School. For students residing in Connecticut, St. Luke's works with an independent transportation company that serves families living in Bridgeport, Norwalk, Greenwich, Stamford, Darien and Rowayton. Students meet at designated stops and are picked up and dropped off at designated times in the morning and afternoon.
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| Q. | What percent of applicants are accepted to St. Luke's? | | A. | Last year, the Office of Admission received a record number of applications. Enrolling an historic high of 514 students, St. Luke's accepts about 30% of its applicants. Admission to St. Luke's is competitive and in any given year acceptance rates will vary by grade. |
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| Q. | How many new students join each class at St. Luke's? | | A. | The total number of new students varies from year to year. In the Middle School, the two main entry points at St. Luke's are in the 5th and 6th grades. St. Luke's enrolls 48 to 52 5th graders. Class size expands in the 6th grade to over 60 to 62. In the Upper School, 9th and 10th grade are the main entry points. St. Luke's accepts anywhere between 10 and 12 students into 9th and 10th grades. |
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| Q. | What is the St. Luke's academic program like? | | A. | St. Luke's School offers a rigorous and dynamic curriculum where collaboration breeds creativity and innovation throughout the community. Led by inspirational teachers, students are exposed to a large selection of course offerings in each of the core academic areas: History, English, World Languages, Science and Math. In the performing and creative arts students have an abundance of choices that range from AP Music Theory to Digital Media or Ceramics.
In addition to traditional Honors and AP courses, the Global Scholars Program and Classical Diploma Program are two honors based initiatives that provide students who are deeply committed to hard work and a thorough examination of cultures, economics, politics, world religions and philosophies in either the contemporary or ancient worlds.
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| Q. | What services are available for students with disabilities? | | A. | Educational Support and Services:
St. Luke's established the Educational Support and Services (ESS) program to assist students and offer guidance for parents as they work together to understand how children learn best. Students and parents benefit from two full-time learning specialists who work alongside students, providing the tools necessary to succeed in the class. Located in the Godfrey Library, ESS is particularly effective in coordinating efforts between home in school, resulting in a plan tailored to suit each child's needs.
Academic Accommodations:
Individuals with disabilities are guaranteed certain protections and rights to equal access to programs and services under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
In order to access these rights, a student must present documentation indicating that the disability substantially limits some major life activity, including learning. Students who present the school with appropriate documentation will be granted those requested academic accommodations that are supported by the documentation and considered reasonable in this educational setting.
Non-standard Administration of College Board Exams:
The Educational Testing Service (ETS) of the College Board offers non-standard administration of the SAT I and II and the Advanced Placement exams to qualified students. In order to qualify, students must apply to ETS for accommodations by the registration deadline of the test for which they wish to use them. (Students who have applied for accommodations when at a previous school must re-apply to be allowed to take the exams under non-standard conditions here.)
To help a student avoid a special review of his or her application by ETS, the School must be able to certify that it regularly provides the student with the special arrangements for instruction and/or assessment that are being requested for College Board examinations. Students considering taking any of the College Board examinations with accommodations should consult with their college counselors.
Questions concerning the Educational Support and Services program, academic accomodations, or applications for non-standard administration of the College Board examinations should be directed to Daphne Teittinen, Director of Educational Support and Services (ESS) at teittinend@stukesct.org or at (203) 801-4920. |
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| Q. | How does academic advising work? | | A. | Each student (grades 6 through 12) is assigned an advisor who acts as the primary liaison between home and school. He or she works directly with students in either a group setting or on an individual basis. Advisory meets twice a week and allows time for the advisor to discuss issues that are pertinent to student life: academics, leadership, citizenship, social and emotional well being, conflict resolution, etc.
Centered around trust, the relationship between student and advisor evolves into a support network that fosters a commitment to lifelong learning and social responsibility. |
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| Q. | What college counseling resources are provided for students? | | A. | In the heart of the St. Luke's Campus is the Timothy Cantrick College Counseling Center. Here students and their parents work directly with a college counselor who carefully guides families through the college admission process. Counseling begins in 9th grade with a parent meeting to discuss class selections, continues in the 10th grade to discuss the PSATs and standardized testing, and then becomes more individualized in the winter of the 11th grade, continuing on through to graduation. Each student meets regularly with one of our two college counselors individually to discuss his or her own academic profile and school search. For more information online visit the College Counseling section of the website.
Throughout the course of the year, St. Luke's college counselors conduct a variety of workshops on essay writing or SAT preparation. A highly personalized process, each college counselor works with a maximum of 35 students and spends time getting to know the student. |
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| Q. | Where do St. Luke's School graduates go to college? | | A. | St. Luke's students attend a variety of the most selective colleges and universities all around the country and the world. For more information about the specific colleges and universities our students attend, please feel free to download a copy of the St. Luke's School College Profile. |
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| Q. | Should I bring a computer? What kind? | | A. | Students are not required to bring a personal computer from home, since there are computers (both Windows and Macintosh) available to students in classrooms and labs across campus. Students are, however, welcome to bring laptop computers to classes and to the library. Should a student decide to bring his or her own laptop to school, they must register the laptop with the IT department to establish a wireless account granting access throughout the building. |
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| Q. | Is there a dress code at St. Luke's? | | A. | Yes, St. Luke's has a dress code.
Philosophy of the Dress Code
The St. Luke's School mission promotes the personal pursuit of excellence in every aspect of school life. We believe an important component of this pursuit is a dress code for students and faculty that sets high standards and creates an environment conducive to learning. Therefore, we subscribe to, and enforce, a dress code which emphasizes pride in our community through neat and appropriate appearance at all times. |
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| Q. | What is the St. Luke's policy on rules and discipline? | | A. | At the beginning of each academic year, students are required to sign the St. Luke's School Honor Code. The Honor Code acknowledges each student's responsibility concerning matters of academic integrity.
Offenses involving a student's integrity, social offenses that threaten the well-being of other individuals or the school community, or continued infractions that indicate an unwillingness to come to terms with the demands of the school all may lead to dismissal. St. Luke's takes special care to address issues associated with alcohol and illegal drugs, both of which are forbidden. All incoming students receive a copy of the school's rules, published in The Student Handbook, and are responsible for knowing and complying with its contents. |
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| Q. | May St. Luke's students have cars on campus? | | A. | Throughout the fall and winter both Juniors and Seniors may drive to school. However, Juniors may only drive to and from school until Spring Break. Once they arrive on campus in the morning, they may not leave again until their afternoon activity is completed. Seniors may drive to school and may leave during their free periods, as long as they sign in and out with the receptionist.
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| Q. | What is the cost of tuition at St. Luke's? | | A. | Tuition for 2010-2011 is $31,720 for grades 5 through 8 and $32,150 for grades 9 through 12.
There are additional book fees, Parents' Association fees, and special program fees (arts, athletics, etc.) that may also be incurred. Not every family faces every one of these items, and many of these are optional...this is a cumulative list that students could face over the course of their time here at St. Luke's: * Tuition Refund Plan insurance * Accidental Medical Expense insurance * Books * Parents Association Fee * Art fees (supplies for photography, for example) * Music fees (instruments, lessons) * Sports fees (mouthguards for lacrosse, or cleats, or to row crew, for example) * Technology (Laptops, Texas Instrument calculators, etc.) * Class/Signature Trips ("bonding" trips at the beginning of the year, for instance) * Field Trips (more curricular-mandated, such as the trip to the museum for art, or a class trip to Gettysburg, Boston, etc.) * Yearbook * Prom (tickets? limo? clothing rental?) * Supplemental Educational Testing or counseling * Food (meal plan) * Transportation (busing) * Standardized testing (AP, SAT, PSAT, ACT, etc.) * Spring vacation trips (sports, music, world language, community service) * Testing prep (SAT, ACT, etc.) * Summer enrichment programs * Photo Day * Annual Fund donation * College Application Fees * Clothes for dress code * Supplies (locker ladders, notebooks, pens, etc.) |
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| Q. | Is tuition assistance available at St. Luke's? | | A. | Yes. St. Luke's awards its $2,400,000 Tuition Assistance budget on the basis of demonstrated financial need to approximately 18% of the student body. Awards are determined annually on an individual basis and distributed to qualified applicants for admission. A child's academic record, nor his or her talents in a specific area (music, athletics, etc.) influence the amount of the award. For more information about the Tuition Assistance Program at St. Luke's, please visit the Financial Information section of our website. For families interested in learning more about financial aid, please visit the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) website. Here families will be introduced to the process through the School and Student Services for Financial Aid (SSS).Financial need should never discourage a student from applying for admission to St. Luke's. The School offers nearly full tuition assistance grants for low-income families and tuition assistance grants to meet a broad spectrum of need. St. Luke's School administers fee waivers for required application procedures, including application for admission fees, tuition assistance application fees, and the Ben D. Wood grant to the cost of the Independent School Entrance Exam (ISEE) |
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