Hamden Hall Country Day School
Educating Students in PreSchool through Grade 12
Educating Students in PreSchool through Grade 12
College Profile
Hamden Hall Country Day School
Academic Profile 2026-2027
1108 Whitney Avenue
Hamden, CT 06517
www.hamdenhall.org
T: 203-752-2639
CEEB: 070258
Robert J. Izzo
Head of School
Kiki Carlson
Director of College Counseling
kcarlson@hamdenhall.org
Carole Bird
Associate Director of
College Counseling
cbird@hamdenhall.org
Hamden, CT 06517
www.hamdenhall.org
T: 203-752-2639
CEEB: 070258
Robert J. Izzo
Head of School
Kiki Carlson
Director of College Counseling
kcarlson@hamdenhall.org
Carole Bird
Associate Director of
College Counseling
cbird@hamdenhall.org
Kristopher Henaire
Associate Director of
College Counseling
khenaire@hamdenhall.org
Mission Statement
Hamden Hall Country Day School, an independent, college preparatory, co-educational PreSchool through Grade 12 day school, fosters the individual growth of every student. We challenge students to develop a strong sense of personal integrity, social responsibility, and a global perspective, while preparing them for demanding academic programs at the collegiate level.
The School
Hamden Hall enrolls approximately 675 students in grades PreSchool through twelve, with an average senior class size of 85 students. Upper School classes meet 225 minutes per week, 35 weeks per year, and homework exceeds three hours per night. Average class size is thirteen students; student-faculty ratio is 7-1. Participation in a full range of extracurricular activities is expected of every student. Generally, 99% of graduates enter selective four-year colleges.Signature Programs
Honor Code and Core Values
All students are expected to abide by the Honor Code. In addition, they strive to embody the five core values of Excellence, Support, Participation, Accountability, and Respect.Global Online Academy
Hamden Hall is a member of Global Online Academy, a consortium of the world’s leading independent schools whose mission is to translate into online classrooms the intellectually rigorous programs and excellent teaching that are hallmarks of its member schools. Twenty-two Hamden Hall students will undertake 29 different courses from among GOA’s offerings in the 2026-27 academic year. All GOA courses are considered to be honors level.
Princeton Peer Leadership
“Princeton Peer Leadership” is an Honors-level, full-year academic course in leadership training which entails rigorous writing, planning, presentation and evaluation components as well as group leadership and programming for the freshman class. The faculty instructors select fourteen seniors based on their demonstrated leadership, their potential as role models, and their diversity as representatives of the entire school community. For over 30 years, Hamden Hall has benefited from the dedicated service of our Freshman Mentors as highly visible role models to younger students and builders of our school community.Middle School Advocates and Lower School Mentors
The Middle School Advocates are junior and senior volunteers who are chosen to mentor 7th and 8th grade students. They facilitate discussions and activities addressing challenges of adolescence and other issues of importance to middle-schoolers. Advocates also prepare assemblies, assist faculty members with daily study halls and clubs, and help coordinate annual Middle School events. No academic credit is awarded, and their responsibilities require a commitment from each of about two hours per week throughout the school year. The Lower School Mentor Program creates an opportunity for Upper School student volunteers to learn leadership skills, gain knowledge of working with children, and serve as role models for students in PreSchool - Grade 5. As classroom assistants, Mentors participate in a wide range of interactions, including small group instruction in reading and math; support in art, science and music classes; recess help and after-school tutoring.
Human Rights, Equity, and Health
Human Rights, Equity, and Health is a required course for all sophomores. It is designed to increase students’ awareness and knowledge of human rights, social justice, and economic justice, both nationally and internationally, and their interrelationship with individual and community health and wellness. The course pays close attention to issues of public health and environmental concerns, and students explore how social justice and injustice exist in institutions and the broader global society.Arts
Hamden Hall boasts a vibrant visual and performing arts program, a testament to student commitment to extracurriculars. A quarter of upper school students qualify as Thespians, having taken part in three or more theater productions, and an equal number are members of the vocal ensembles, orchestras, and bands. Over the past several years, the majority of chorus members have earned regional and state recognition, and several have been recognized at the national level.Science, Innovation and Design
SID is an extracurricular, interdisciplinary program that encourages highly motivated and intellectually curious students to excel as they develop a panoply of skills in scientific research, technology, public speaking, and more as they pursue and study research topics of their own choosing.
Athletics
Hamden Hall students compete on 20 Varsity teams, as well as a number of JV and club teams. Hamden Hall teams regularly compete in league and New England tournaments, and Football, Girls Soccer, Girls Basketball, Boys and Girls Swimming, Boys Ice Hockey, Boys Lacrosse, Baseball, and Golf all boast titles during the past three years. In addition, more than ten percent of seniors go on to play sports in college each year.Accreditation and Memberships
Hamden Hall is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges and approved by the Connecticut State Department of Education. Hamden Hall is an active member of the following organizations: National Association of Independent Schools, Connecticut Association of Independent Schools, Cum Laude Society, Rho Kappa Honor Society, Global Online Academy, National and New England Associations for College Admission Counseling, ACCIS, Fairchester Athletic Association, New England Preparatory School Athletic Council.
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. Five credits per year is the standard course load (four and one-half credits are permissible senior year with three or more A.P. courses)
Minimum department requirements are as follows: English - 4 credits, History - 2.5 credits, World Languages - Third-year level in one language, Mathematics - 3 credits, Science - 2 credits, Fine Arts - 1 credit
All transcript courses are college-preparatory in nature and designation. Honors sections are offered in most standard courses of the Departments of Mathematics, Science and World Languages and filled by faculty recommendation; there are no honors offerings in the History Department and Honors English 10 is the only honors course in the English Department. Enrollment in AP level courses is also based on faculty recommendation. The highest achieving students begin taking one or two AP courses by their sophomore year.
Minimum department requirements are as follows: English - 4 credits, History - 2.5 credits, World Languages - Third-year level in one language, Mathematics - 3 credits, Science - 2 credits, Fine Arts - 1 credit
All transcript courses are college-preparatory in nature and designation. Honors sections are offered in most standard courses of the Departments of Mathematics, Science and World Languages and filled by faculty recommendation; there are no honors offerings in the History Department and Honors English 10 is the only honors course in the English Department. Enrollment in AP level courses is also based on faculty recommendation. The highest achieving students begin taking one or two AP courses by their sophomore year.
Grading System
All grades appearing on transcripts are weighted using the following formula:
College Level - 10% of grade Honors Level - 5% Standard Level - 2% Basic Level - No weight
Class rank is not computed.
The Hamden Hall faculty grade on the traditional 100-point scale. The equivalent 4-Point System or letter
Grade Point Average may be obtained by referring to the following chart.
| HH Grade | 100-97 | 96-93 | 92-90 | 89-87 | 86-83 | 82-80 | 79-77 | 76-73 | 72-70 | 69-67 | 66-63 | 62-60 |
| “4-POINT” | 4.7-4.4 | 4.3-4.0 | 3.9-3.7 | 3.6-3.4 | 3.3-3.0 | 2.9-2.7 | 2.6-2.4 | 2.3-2.0 | 1.9-1.7 | 1.6-1.4 | 1.3-1.0 | 0.9-0.7 |
| Letter | A+ | A | A- | B+ | B | B- | C+ | C | C- | D+ | D | D- |
AP and College Level Courses by Department
| English | AP English Language, AP English Literature |
| History |
AP European History, AP World History, AP US History, AP US Government, AP Comparative Government & Politics, AP Art History, AP Macroeconomics, AP Microeconomics, AP African American Studies, AP Human Geography
|
| World Language | AP Spanish Language, AP French Language, AP Latin, AP Chinese Language |
| Mathematics | AP Calculus AB & BC, AP Statistics, Linear Algebra, Multivariable Calculus |
| Science | AP Biology, AP Chemistry, AP Environmental Science, AP Physics 1, AP Physics C |
Recent Statistics
SAT/ACT Scores Class of 2026
Due to the prevalence of test-optional policies, fewer students are taking standardized tests and submitting scores. Last year, 50% of the class of 2026 submitted scores to colleges. For those who did report, the SAT and ACT equivalent averages are as follows:
| /1600 | |
| 75% | 1530 |
| Median | 1510 |
| 25% | 1440 |
Distribution of Weighted GPAs Class of 2027
| Highest | 4.77 |
| 75% | 4.27 |
| Median | 4.0 |
| 25% | 3.5 |
AP Exam Results
| Grade | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| Number | 427 | 410 | 175 | 64 | 20 |
| % | 39% | 37% | 16% | 6% | 2% |
Graduates of the Classes of 2022-2026 matriculated at the following colleges and universities.
Agnes Scott College
Allegheny College
American Musical and Dramatic Academy
Amherst College
Anna Maria College
Assumption University
Babson College
Bard College
Barnard College
Baylor University
Bentley University
Berklee College of Music
Boston College
Boston University
Bowdoin College
Brandeis University
Brown University
Bryant University
Bryn Mawr College
Bucknell University
Carnegie Mellon University
Case Western Reserve University
Chapman University
Clark University
Clemson University
Coastal Carolina University
Colby College
Colgate University
College of Charleston
College of the Holy Cross
Columbia University
Cornell University
Curry College
Dartmouth College
DePaul University
Dickinson College
Duke University
Eastern Connecticut State University
Eastman School of Music
Elon University
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Emerson College
Emory University
Endicott College
Fairfield University
Fairleigh Dickinson University
Florida Gulf Coast University
Fordham University
Franklin Pierce University
George Mason University
George Washington University
Georgetown University
Georgia Tech
Georgia Military College
Grinnell College
Hamilton College
Hampton University
Hartwick College
Harvard University
High Point University
Hood College
Indiana University
Keene State College
Kenyon College
Lafayette College
Lehigh University
Marist University
Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
McGill University
Mercy University
Merrimack College
Middlebury College
Molloy University
Moore College of Art and Design
Mount Holyoke College
Muhlenberg College
New York University
Northeastern University
Northwestern University
Oberlin College
Ohio Wesleyan University
Oklahoma State University
Pace University
Parsons School of Design at The New School
Penn State University
Princeton University
Providence College
Purdue University
Quinnipiac University
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Rhode Island School of Design
Rice University
Rochester Institute of Technology
Roger Williams University
Rutgers University
Sacred Heart University
Saint Joseph’s College of Maine
Saint Leo University
Salve Regina University
San Diego State University
Sarah Lawrence College
Skidmore College
Smith College
Southern Connecticut State University
St. Lawrence University
Stonehill College
Stony Brook University
Suffolk University
SUNY Fashion Institute of Technology
Swarthmore College
Syracuse University
Temple University
Texas Christian University
The Catholic University of America
The New School
The Ohio State University
Trinity College
Trinity College Dublin
Tufts University
Tulane University
Union College
University of Alabama
University of California (Berkeley)
University of California (Davis)
University of California (Irvine)
University of California (Los Angeles)
University of California (San Diego)
University of California (Santa Barbara)
University of California (Santa Cruz)
University of Central Florida
University of Colorado
University of Connecticut
University of Hartford
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
University of Kentucky
University of Maine
University of Maryland
University of Massachusetts (Amherst)
University of Massachusetts (Dartmouth)
University of Massachusetts (Lowell)
University of Miami
University of Michigan
University of Minnesota
University of Nevada (Las Vegas)
University of New Haven
University of North Carolina
University of Notre Dame
University of Pennsylvania
University of Pittsburgh
University of Rhode Island
University of Richmond
University of Rochester
University of San Francisco
University of Southern California
University of St Andrews
University of Tampa
University of Texas
University of Toronto
University of Vermont
University of Virginia
University of Washington
University of Wisconsin
Vassar College
Villanova University
Virginia Tech
Wagner College
Wake Forest University
Washington University in St. Louis
Wesleyan University
Western New England University
Wheaton College
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Yale University
Allegheny College
American Musical and Dramatic Academy
Amherst College
Anna Maria College
Assumption University
Babson College
Bard College
Barnard College
Baylor University
Bentley University
Berklee College of Music
Boston College
Boston University
Bowdoin College
Brandeis University
Brown University
Bryant University
Bryn Mawr College
Bucknell University
Carnegie Mellon University
Case Western Reserve University
Chapman University
Clark University
Clemson University
Coastal Carolina University
Colby College
Colgate University
College of Charleston
College of the Holy Cross
Columbia University
Cornell University
Curry College
Dartmouth College
DePaul University
Dickinson College
Duke University
Eastern Connecticut State University
Eastman School of Music
Elon University
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Emerson College
Emory University
Endicott College
Fairfield University
Fairleigh Dickinson University
Florida Gulf Coast University
Fordham University
Franklin Pierce University
George Mason University
George Washington University
Georgetown University
Georgia Tech
Georgia Military College
Grinnell College
Hamilton College
Hampton University
Hartwick College
Harvard University
High Point University
Hood College
Indiana University
Keene State College
Kenyon College
Lafayette College
Lehigh University
Marist University
Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
McGill University
Mercy University
Merrimack College
Middlebury College
Molloy University
Moore College of Art and Design
Mount Holyoke College
Muhlenberg College
New York University
Northeastern University
Northwestern University
Oberlin College
Ohio Wesleyan University
Oklahoma State University
Pace University
Parsons School of Design at The New School
Penn State University
Princeton University
Providence College
Purdue University
Quinnipiac University
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Rhode Island School of Design
Rice University
Rochester Institute of Technology
Roger Williams University
Rutgers University
Sacred Heart University
Saint Joseph’s College of Maine
Saint Leo University
Salve Regina University
San Diego State University
Sarah Lawrence College
Skidmore College
Smith College
Southern Connecticut State University
St. Lawrence University
Stonehill College
Stony Brook University
Suffolk University
SUNY Fashion Institute of Technology
Swarthmore College
Syracuse University
Temple University
Texas Christian University
The Catholic University of America
The New School
The Ohio State University
Trinity College
Trinity College Dublin
Tufts University
Tulane University
Union College
University of Alabama
University of California (Berkeley)
University of California (Davis)
University of California (Irvine)
University of California (Los Angeles)
University of California (San Diego)
University of California (Santa Barbara)
University of California (Santa Cruz)
University of Central Florida
University of Colorado
University of Connecticut
University of Hartford
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
University of Kentucky
University of Maine
University of Maryland
University of Massachusetts (Amherst)
University of Massachusetts (Dartmouth)
University of Massachusetts (Lowell)
University of Miami
University of Michigan
University of Minnesota
University of Nevada (Las Vegas)
University of New Haven
University of North Carolina
University of Notre Dame
University of Pennsylvania
University of Pittsburgh
University of Rhode Island
University of Richmond
University of Rochester
University of San Francisco
University of Southern California
University of St Andrews
University of Tampa
University of Texas
University of Toronto
University of Vermont
University of Virginia
University of Washington
University of Wisconsin
Vassar College
Villanova University
Virginia Tech
Wagner College
Wake Forest University
Washington University in St. Louis
Wesleyan University
Western New England University
Wheaton College
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Yale University
1108 Whitney Avenue
Hamden, Connecticut 06517
Phone: 203-752-2600
Fax: 203-752-2651
admissions@hamdenhall.org
Hamden, Connecticut 06517
Phone: 203-752-2600
Fax: 203-752-2651
admissions@hamdenhall.org
Hamden Hall Country Day School, located less than two miles from Yale University, is one of the best private schools in Connecticut to enroll elementary, middle, and high school students. Our nurturing and inclusive community provides a dynamic learning environment that promotes academic excellence by understanding each child and fostering their individual growth.
