ACADEMIC PROFILE

Description

        Hamden Hall Country Day School , founded in 1912, is a co-educational, college preparatory day school enrolling approximately 590 students in grades pre-kindergarten through twelve, with an average senior class of 60 students.  Classes meet 225-255 minutes per week, 37 weeks per year. Homework exceeds three hours per night in grades 9-12.  Two seasons per year of athletic competition are required of all students, and a full range of extra-curricular activities is offered.  Average class size is thirteen students; student-faculty ratio is 9-1.  

        Hamden Hall is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges and by the Connecticut State Department of Education.  It is an active member of the following independent-school organizations: National Association of Independent Schools, Connecticut Association of Independent Schools, Cum Laude Society, National and New England Associations for College Admission Counseling, and the Fairchester, Connecticut Independent School , and New England Prep School Athletic Associations.

Graduation Requirements
To receive the Hamden Hall diploma, the student must successfully complete a minimum of 19 academic credits in Grades 9-12.  

One credit is earned for each full-year course passed; one-half credit is earned for each one-semester course passed.  Credits must include a minimum of four years of English, three years of Mathematics, two years of Laboratory Science, three years of one Foreign Language, two and one-half years of History, and one year of Fine Arts.  All courses are college-preparatory in nature and designation.  Completion of the athletic program and satisfactory citizenship are also required for graduation.

Grading and Ranking

        Hamden Hall employs a traditional, 100-point grading system which has proven resistant to the problem of grade inflation.

Grades are weighted on transcripts to reflect differences in level of difficulty between Advanced Placement, Honors, Standard, and Basic courses.  Like most selective college preparatory schools, Hamden Hall does not rank its students.

Honors and Advanced Placement Course Offerings

Honors sections are offered in most courses of the Departments of Mathematics, Science and Foreign Languages (except Latin) and filled by faculty recommendation.  All other courses are grouped heterogeneously.  Several courses offer individual honors contract options. 

Hamden Hall offers courses leading to the Advanced Placement Examination in the following areas:

                English                                    (Literature; Language)                                     Foreign Languages                   (French; Spanish; Latin)

                Fine Arts                                 (Studio Art)                                                    Mathematics                           ( Calculus AB or BC; Statistics)

                Economics                               (Macro- and  Microeconomics)                      Science                                    (Biology; Chemistry)

                History                                   (American; European or World)                     Others                                     (By mentored independent study)

Grading and Testing Patterns, Middle 50% of the Classes of 2001 - 2005:

                More than half of all Hamden Hall students take one or more Advanced Placement examinations.  In the last five years,

                89% of all examinations earned evaluations of 3 or higher, certifying them as qualified for college credit and advanced placement.

College Matriculations, Classes of 2001 - 2005:

All of the following were chosen by one or two graduates: Amherst , Assumption, U. of Arizona , U. of the Arts, Bard, Bentley, Bowdoin, Brigham Young U., Bryn Mawr, Butler U., Carleton, Case Western Reserve U., Catholic U., College of Charleston,  U. of Chicago(2), Clark, Colgate U., U. of Colorado, Cornell U., Denison  U., U. of Denver(2), Drew U., Earlham, Eckerd, Elizabethtown, Emerson, Endicott, Eugene Lang, Fairfield U.(2), Fordham U., Franklin & Marshall, Franklin Pierce, Goucher, Hampton U., U. of Hartford, Hartwick, Harvard U. (2), Hofstra U. , Holy Cross(2), Howard U.(2), Johns Hopkins U., Ithaca , Kenyon, Knox, Lafayette (2), Lehigh U. (2), Loyola U. (LA), Lynn U., Manhattan, Manhattanville, Marist, U. of Maryland, U. of Massachusetts, U. of Miami(2), U. of Michigan, U. of Mississippi, Moravian, Morehouse, Mount Holyoke(2), Muhlenberg, U. of New Hampshire(2), U. of New Haven(2), Northwestern U. , Occidental, Ohio Wesleyan U., Oxford, U. of Pittsburgh, Pitzer, Pratt Institute(2), Princeton U.(2), Providence (2), U. of Redlands, Reed, Rensselaer P. I.(2), U. of Rhode Island, U. of Richmond, U. of Rochester, Rollins(2), Sacred Heart U., St. Joseph's of Maine, St. Vincent, Salve Regina U.(2), U. of San Francisco, Santa Clara U., Sarah Lawrence, Seton Hall U., Simmons, Smith(2), Springfield, Suffolk U.(2), SUNY New Paltz, SUNY Purchase, Swarthmore, TASIS, Temple U., Trinity, Ursinus, U. of Vermont, Villanova U., Virginia Commonwealth U., Wagner(2), Washington U., Wellesley(2), Western New England, Wheaton(2), Williams, Winthrop U., Wooster, Worcester P. I.(2).