Built for
HOLDERNESS is more than a school.
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A NOTE ABOUT THE QUOTES IN THIS BOOK Holderness can be hard to put into words. community— But we asked members of our community— students and faculty, staff and alumni—to describe it. The quotes in this book are taken from interviews with them.
Holderness is an
EXPERIENCE. Students and teachers enjoy many outings during the year. Pictured is a group summiting New Hampshire’s Mt. Washington, the highest peak in the northeastern United States.
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Learn
EVERYWHERE Learning is all-in. Every moment, every activity, every place—in labs and forests, in dorms and studios, on playing fields and at seminar tables—is an opportunity to find connections, grapple with ideas, and see the world differently.
“Holderness creates individuals who have the confidence to choose their own paths. You come here and you discover that you can make a difference.” ALUMNUS
With 600 acres of forests and fields, there are plenty of ways to study and get outside.
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THINK OUTSIDE Our setting in the White Mountains is a source of daily inspiration. We find wisdom in the forest, grace on the river, spirituality on the snow-capped mountain peak, and joy in every season. Our environment is built for elevation.
“We’re surrounded by a living laboratory. Classes take water samples from Squam Lake. We have a course in snow science. You step outside and you’re learning.” ADMINISTRATOR
Working with conservationists at the Squam Lakes Association, biology students monitor the ecosystem and determine the health of our natural habitat.
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Lead
DIFFERENTLY We believe that every student has the potential and the responsibility to lead. Every year, the community comes together to choose student leaders based on fairness, initiative, dependability, and empathy. To us, leadership is about empowering— and serving—others.
““When When you’re on stage—at assembly or in a performance—you feel like everyone is there with you. The community has your back.” 12TH GRADE STUDENT
All Shook Up performers in the spring musical.
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TRAIN FOR LIFE Athletics aren’t just about wins and losses—they’re about testing your limits. Our three-season sports philosophy is counter-cultural: instead of encouraging specialization, we honor participation and effort in everything we do. We cultivate grit and persistence. We find joy in the playing. “In playing or working out, we like to test ourselves, see how we can get to that edge—always learning from the process.” TEACHER/COACH
Football team on a strength and conditioning workout running sprints up Chapel Hill.
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BELONG We’re an intentional community, built on deep and lasting relationships, grounded by a moral compass that points to kindness, compassion, and respect. When you come to Holderness, you belong to something bigger. “We’re a serious school that doesn’t take itself seriously. We’re not going to boast about grades or statistics or achievements. People just want to know who you are.” TEACHER/HOUSE PARENT
Even a high-five can be elevating in a community that celebrates everyone.
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THE HANDBOOK An alphabetical listing of (not even close to) everything about us
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THE ACADEMIC PROGRAM
ADVISORY
Our academic program is grounded in strong, meaningful relationships with faculty and peers. When students feel safe, seen, and known, they approach their work (and their life!) with confidence and curiosity; they’re willing to take intellectual risks; and they treat their education as an inspiring, challenging, lifelong process. From that secure foundation, we do astonishing things. Through coursework, team-based projects, mutual inquiry, and experiential programs, we push each other to reach higher and explore new territory.
A cornerstone of our community. Every student is a member of an advisory—a small group of students that meets regularly with a faculty advisor. Sometimes they share a meal, sometimes they hang out, but mostly they talk—about classes, about what’s happening on campus or in the world, about plans for the future. Advisors often become lifelong mentors; and they always serve as a critical link to parents.
ACADEMIC TRAILBLAZING We offer a range of ways for students to engage their intellectual curiosity, expand their creativity, and follow challenging lines of inquiry. They can take specialized coursework in topics like snow science and environmental studies. They can design an independent study, under the guidance of a faculty member. And they can choose from our 21 AP courses, in fields ranging from comparative government to studio art to calculus-based physics. The point is not to follow a rigid track; the point is to work with teachers and peers to blaze your own trail.
ARTWARD BOUND Our tenth grade experiential program, in which the entire class spends ten days on campus in March, creating art with faculty and visiting artists, exploring issues of identity and self-expression in a range of forms: pottery and improv, dance and songwriting, painting and video and more. ALUMNI Our alumni are never bored, never boring, and always ready for what’s next. They’re people like Julia Ford ’08, an honor roll student, ski coach and an Olympic athlete—living proof of the mind-body connection. Or Burgwell “Burgie” Howard ’82, a graduate of Dartmouth and Stanford, and currently the associate vice president of student life at Yale University. Or Glenn Lowry ’72, director of the Museum of Modern Art, who credits Holderness with giving him the confidence to explore a different path.
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ATHLETICS Our three-season sports philosophy is about testing your limits, discovering your strengths, addressing your weaknesses, and learning from the process. Some of our student-athletes compete and win at a world-class level; all of our students build a foundation for lifelong joy through physical activity.
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Fall Sports Cross-Country Field Hockey Football Mountain Biking Rock Climbing Soccer
Winter Sports Alpine Skiing Basketball Freeskiing Ice Hockey Introduction to Snow Sports Mountaineering Nordic Skiing Ski Jumping Snowboarding
Spring Sports Baseball Cycling Golf Lacrosse Rock Climbing Softball Tennis Track
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THE BARTON OLYMPICS
COLLEGE COUNSELING
The heart of our annual Winter Carnival, a week-long community celebration that also features lively (to say the least) events such as LipSync, Trivia Night, and the Human Iditarod. In the Barton Olympics, dorms compete in slightly less than Olympic-level sports, including marshmallow tossing, M&M racing, and bubble gum chewing.
Our approach to college is like our approach to education: it’s not a moment of self-definition; it’s a process of self-discovery. We help students consider their goals and ambitions; we ask them to think about where they are now and where they want to go; we focus on fit. As a result, our matriculation lists are thoughtful and diverse—just like our students.
CENTER FOR TEACHING AND LEARNING An incubator for new courses, learning technologies, and intellectual adventures, in and out of the classroom. Housed in our Alfond Library; dedicated to bringing out the best in our teachers—and our students. CLUBS Our students join, start, or help run a constantly evolving list of clubs: the STEMinists and the Green Team, the Investment Club and the Fly Fishing Club, the Alliance (supporting LGBTQ students) and Vestry (committed to service). Our student-run publications—including the newspaper, the award-winning literary and arts journal Mosaic, and the yearbook—are enduring and popular.
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DESIGN THINKING We’ve established a required course in design thinking for ninth graders. Developed at Stanford, design thinking is an innovative approach to solving social and technological problems. Students work in teams, exploring the experience of community members and designing and developing projects that respond to these experiences. An invaluable opportunity to cultivate creative thinking and test it in the wider world.
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EPISCOPAL TRADITION Holderness School was founded in 1879 as an Episcopal school, and we remain loyal to that heritage. Our tradition is alive in our commitment to service, our support for the full range of religious beliefs, and our twice-weekly chapel program which offers a time for reflection and inquiry about a range of topics, from respect to responsibility, from leadership to living a full life. EQUITY AND INCLUSION Students from all walks of life—including different races, ethnicities, religions, members of the LGBTQ+ community, and even international students from more than 18 countries—play a vital role in contributing to our community. Our Office of Equity and Inclusion offers guidance and mentorship to student affinity groups, hosts student trips to conferences, and sponsors campus events that allow us to expand our collective vision. FACULTY Being an instructional employee at Holderness is a way of life. Our faculty are creative teachers, accomplished coaches, and dedicated mentors, advisors, and dorm parents. They’re smart, caring, community-minded adults who choose to work here because they believe in the school, and in the importance of nurturing and challenging students. THE HEAD OF SCHOOL Our Head of School, Phil Peck, has been a history teacher, cycling coach, dorm parent, dean of faculty, assistant coach to the US Nordic Ski Team, and Klingenstein Fellow and subsequent teacher at the Klingenstein Program at Columbia
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University’s Teachers College, among other things. He started teaching at Holderness in 1984 and has been our Head of School since 2001. His daily Head’s Photo on our website has many followers. And the Brownie Nights he hosts with his wife Robin are extremely popular on campus. JOB PROGRAM A simple name for a profound experience. Our Job Program gives every student regular responsibilities that contribute to a healthy campus. Some students work their way up to a leadership role in the program; every student gains a sense of pride and ownership in the way their environment looks, runs, and feels. The result is hands-on, campuswide training in citizenship, responsibility, and the pleasure of work done well. MITTERSILL Known for its long tradition of producing competitive alpine racers, Mittersill is a designated training site for the US Ski Team. The redeveloped venue is comprised of two legendary trails, Baron’s Run and the Taft Slope. Mittersill is one of only four USSA training sites; it’s also the primary training venue for the Holderness School Eastern Alpine Team. THE MOTTO Our motto—“For God and Humankind”—is a reflection of our Episcopal foundation, a heritage that calls us to explore profound truths, embrace difference, and advance the common good. It’s also a fresh, modern invitation to think differently about leadership, to see a true leader as a servant of others.
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O-HIKE A group hike in the White Mountains during orientation. Each group includes eight new students, two faculty members, and two senior leaders. An unforgettable bonding experience, right from the start—and often the beginning of lifelong friendships. OUT BACK Our eleventh grade experiential learning program: ten days of wilderness training in the White Mountains in March, including snowshoeing, orienteering, and winter camping, capped by a
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three-day solo experience. Out Back can seem intimidating, but with the guidance and support of classmates and teachers, it’s often transformative—a time when students discover their most resilient, resourceful, and reflective self. OUTDOOR CHAPEL A natural amphitheater on a hill overlooking the mountains west of campus. We go there every month to celebrate our community, revel in nature, and consider the big questions. A site that’s at the top of many students’ list of favorite places on campus.
POETRY OUT LOUD A national poetry recitation contest that has a big presence on campus every year. It starts in English classes, where students commit poems to memory and learn to recite them with verve and style. The campus finals are a major event; our winner moves on to the regional competition, and then (sometimes!) to the state competition, and (once!) to the nationals.
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PLYMOUTH, NH An energetic college town (home to Plymouth State University) that’s walkable from campus. A place to find coffee and pizza, cookies and concerts, and a smart, vibrant community. PROJECT OUTREACH Our ninth grade experiential learning program: a tenday service trip in which the entire class sleeps at a church in Lowell, Massachusetts, and volunteers with local agencies dedicated to ending homelessness and hunger. SENIOR THESIS Every senior completes a senior thesis, a year-long research project on an essential question of their choosing, guided by a faculty member and other adults with relevant experience in the field. Students also arrange a week-long experiential component and present the results of their work at a campus-wide event in May. A sustained intellectual journey that’s also a natural stepping stone to college.
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READY FOR ELEVATION?
SNOW SPORTS
SUPPORT
You don’t have to love snow to come to Holderness. But if you do, you’ll find an inspiring home here. Since 1940, we’ve produced 17 winter Olympians, 6 World Cup Championship Team members, 15 Collegiate All-Americans, and 38 National Team members. Our oncampus Nordic trails offer amazing terrain and have hosted local, regional, and national competitions. Freeski and snowboard athletes take advantage of world-class skiing and riding at Loon Mountain. USSA and FIS alpine skiers call Mittersill/Cannon home while training daily at the USSAcertified venue. But the real story is our people: coaches and students who are passionate about the disciplined, rewarding process of setting and achieving ambitious goals—in sports, in class, and in life.
Every Holderness student receives individualized academic support from our faculty— but that’s just the beginning. Students build a holistic network of support that grows and strengthens during their time here. It includes coaches and dorm parents, mental health counselors and nutrition experts, peer mentors and faculty advisors. When we’re strong and supported in one way, we grow stronger in all ways. THE WHITE MOUNTAINS One of the glories of New England, and our home since 1879. A place to discover wonder, to challenge yourself, to understand the natural world. An endless source of inspiration and—yes—elevation.
We might be a little biased, but we think a great next step would be to apply to Holderness. In our admission process, we’re interested in your full experience, not simply your grades or your test scores. We also invite you to visit campus—the best way to appreciate the energy and spirit of our community. We’re committed to supporting families with financial need. Approximately one-third of our students receive financial aid, totaling more than $3.5 million in awards annually. Our friendly, experienced admission team would love to talk to you. Start by visiting our website: holderness.org.
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FACTS
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Motto: “For God and Humankind”
students in grades 9–12, PG
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participants in the annual LipSync contest during Winter Carnival
student-led Equity and Inclusion conference each year
Lots of student clubs, including Robotics, Multicultural Club, STEMinists, Health Professionals Club, and Outdoor Club
6:1
student to faculty ratio
8:1 student to faculty ratio in dorms
21 AP classes
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mountains to climb within
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minutes of campus
100% of community chooses campus leaders based on character
Average class size: 12
100% of students participate in oncampus Job Program
90% boarding,
10% day
18 alumni who were Olympic athletes
18 varsity teams, 15 junior varsity teams
Head’s House Brownie Night
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pans of brownies
6
gallons of ice cream
4
cans of whipped cream
100% 15% international students, from 18 countries
2–4 family-style sit-down dinners every week
participation in Relay For Life to benefit the American Cancer Society
100% of students matriculate to colleges
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