St. Andrew's Upper School

BE A PARTICIPANT Not Just

A Spectator

Our CORE VALUES

COMMUNITY

Based on trust, traditions, communication, appreciation, and support

SPIRITUAL FOUNDATION

Developed by intentional instruction in moral and ethical behavior

HIGH EXPECTATIONS

Reflected in both the knowledge base and behavior of the faculty, staff, students, and parents

CARING , CELEBRATION , AND HUMOR

Fostered by kindness and collegiality

EXPLORE A place to . . .

SCHOLAR

St. Andrew’s seeks to graduate scholars with a well-rounded education that fosters intellectual growth, critical thinking skills, and creative problem solving. Small class sizes and outstanding teachers help students engage deeply with their material, ensuring that they are prepared for college. Our diverse range of academic offerings let students explore their passions and dive deep into what piques their interest. Through challenging and engaging coursework, our students are inspired to explore not only the world around them but also their own interests and aspirations. By encouraging students to delve deep into their passions, we empower them to develop a strong sense of purpose and a genuine curiosity about the world.

• 20 Humanities courses including: AP Comparative Government, Creative Writing, Cultural Studies, Journalism, Social Movements of the 20th Century, and Religious Studies

• 16 Science courses including: Engineering, Anatomy and Physiology, Forensics, AP Environmental Science, AP Chemistry, AP Biology, and AP Physics

PERSEVERE A place to . . .

ATHLETE

St. Andrew’s athletes are asked to “enter these doors, embrace the challenge, and excel in competition.” This mantra, which is emblazoned at the top of the Strength and Conditioning Center, embodies what the Athletics program is all about. Our coaches inspire student-athletes to seek excellence, develop good sportsmanship, and gain an appreciation for healthy competition and harmonious teamwork. We encourage participation in multiple sports, an opportunity that allows students to learn from different coaching styles and surround themselves with different teammates. Our expert coaches hold our student athletes to high standards so they benefit from the life lessons that athletics provides, such as resiliency, selfdiscipline, and how to be in community with one another.

St. Andrew’s competes in the Southwest Preparatory Conference, a highly-competitive conference which comprises nineteen college preparatory schools across Texas and Oklahoma. In the 2022-2023 school year, St. Andrew’s won three 3A SPC Championships in Girls’ Basketball, Girls’ Golf, and Boys’ Tennis, one 4A SPC Championship in Boys’ Cross Country, and the SPC Team Sportsmanship Award for the South Zone for Boys’ Baseball.

Our athletes regularly go on to play at the collegiate level, with student-athletes from the Class of 2023 signing to compete at the University of Notre Dame, Washington & Lee University, Sewanee: The University of the South, Haverford College, and Gordon College.

• 23 Varsity and 16 JV athletic teams including: Football, Field Hockey, Basketball, Swimming, Soccer, Lacrosse, and Baseball

CREATE A place to . . .

ARTIST

St. Andrew’s empowers students to discover and pursue their artistic passions, whether it be sculpting and ceramics, playing in the rock band, capturing stories behind the camera lens, singing in choir, or performing in the musical. Our arts offerings are built into students’ daily curriculum, giving students an education rich in artistic understanding and appreciation. Students can progress through advancing levels of one discipline throughout all four years of Upper School or they can try out new offerings each year—their artistic path is entirely their own.

Our student-artists are talented and passionate. Our musicians and choir members are regularly represented in the TPSMEA All-State Festival, the UT Austin Jazz Festival, the Austin Youth Jazz Orchestra, and the TPSMEA Regional Concert Band. Our Select Choir has performed at places like Carnegie Hall, the Texas State Capitol, and the National Cathedral, and embark on a tour to a new U.S. city each year to study in collegiate-level clinics. Each year, our theater students put on a spectacular musical at our state-of-the art Dell Theater, with last year’s musical, Guys & Dolls, featuring a full pit orchestra. With stunning sets, colorful costumes, and breathtaking performances, St. Andrew’s theater productions are often compared to off-Broadway performances. St. Andrew’s film students are regularly selected to present their films at South by Southwest and the Aspen Film Festival, and also put on the annual St. Andrew’s Film Festival, a showcase of selected films from film students that span all sorts of genres. In visual arts classes, students discover artists from around the globe, explore techniques in ceramics, photography, and studio art, and exhibit their their work to the community. St. Andrew’s artists also participate in the Independent School Association of the Southwest Arts Festival, which St. Andrew’s will host in 2024. Mentorship is a cornerstone of the Visual Arts program, with students meeting and working alongside realworld artists for insight and inspiration.

• 26 Fine Arts courses including: Acting, Filmmaking, Rock Band, Strings Orchestra, and Studio Art

SERVANT

Community service at St. Andrew’s is seen as a natural extension of our Episcopal identity. As students hear the spiritual messages of compassion, service, and love, they are compelled to put these lessons into action through working to improve the world around them. The opportunity to engage in meaningful service allows students to see the impact they can have on the world around them and develop into strong, caring members of society. Students are offered many opportunities to serve: on campus, through service trips, and at optional weekend events around Austin.

Rather than just being an “add-on,” service at St. Andrew’s is a key avenue for learning, growth, and contribution to the community. Through partnerships with organizations like El Buen Samaritano, Posada Esperanza, and Central Texas Food Bank, students learn that service is both relational and communal - something to be done with those you love for those you love. From the annual Hands For Hope Thanksgiving food drive with El Buen Samaritano to cleanup efforts of the Barton Creek Greenbelt to student-led school supply and backpack drives for underserved Austinites, students embrace a variety of opportunities that solidify service as a fundamental aspect of their lives at St. Andrew’s.

• Minimum of 40 hours of community service required for graduation. For students with over 100 hours at graduation, a special Servant distinction is awarded

SERVE A place to . . .

REFLECT A place to . . .

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE AN EPISCOPAL SCHOOL?

Daily chapel at St. Andrew’s is a cornerstone of our community. It provides an inclusive space for interfaith worship, embracing diversity and promoting an atmosphere of unity. Through inspiring messages of justice, peace, and understanding, the chapel program instills in students the values necessary to create a more compassionate and equitable world. It emphasizes the inherent worth and beauty of every individual, fostering an environment of acceptance and respect. By guiding students in their journey towards lives of genuine purpose, meaning, and service, the chapel program encourages them to make a positive impact on society and embody the principles of empathy and social responsibility.

Worship at St. Andrew’s is rooted in the liturgical tradition of the Episcopal Church and the Christian story of God’s love and grace, but is also welcoming and inclusive of those who do not identify as Christian. Holy days from a variety of religious traditions are celebrated in chapel, and students from diverse faith backgrounds are encouraged to share about the rituals, prayers, and practices that they hold dear. All students and faculty attend daily chapel, and are invited to participate as they feel comfortable.

GROW A place to . . .

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

9th Grade Transition and Freshman Seminar

At St. Andrew’s, we thoughtfully consider the transition from middle school to high school and put into place specific events that will help our students settle in smoothly. Events in the spring bring together incoming ninth grade students and their parents. At the start of the year and throughout the first semester, ninth graders are engaged and working with our student leaders and ambassadors, advisors, and specific administrators. All ninth graders participate in a yearlong Freshman Seminar, designed to promote the exploration of individual and community wellness. Wellness includes all aspects of being: physical, social, mental, emotional, and environmental. Students will learn to navigate difficult conversations while recognizing, understanding, and embracing differences within our own community.

Student Leadership

St. Andrew’s encourages students to lean into leadership. In the Bridge Advisors program, juniors and seniors serve as mentors to St. Andrew’s middle school students, visiting advisories to facilitate discussions on study skills, social dynamics, technology & social media, and more. The Bridge Advisors plan their own curriculum and provide valuable support and solidarity to the middle school students. Peer Mentors are a selected group of enthusiastic, innovative, and compassionate members of the senior class dedicated to fostering relationships and community among their peers at St. Andrew’s, particularly in welcoming and including new students. Many other leadership opportunities are available in programs like the Service Council, Honor Council, Student Senate, and Blue Key Ambassadors. Our Upper Schoolers are ready, willing, and able to take on the challenge of leadership.

Alumni Networking

The True Blue Alumni network is a valuable resource for St. Andrew’s graduates, providing a place to offer and benefit from career counseling and professional mentoring from fellow Highlanders. True Blue also provides a dedicated alumni job board and alumni business directory where former students can promote their businesses. The Alumni Relations Office hosts alumni events all over the country, offering special opportunities for classmates to reconnect and network.

Retreats

Each year at the Upper School begins with a two-day, grade-level retreat. The agenda for each retreat is tailored to each grade level, covering themes and introducing ideas that will be beneficial to those students throughout the year. Team-building, health and wellness topics, and relationship development are all incorporated in these retreats.

Social and Emotional Learning (SEL)

SEL at the Upper School is a continuation of a student’s process of self-awareness, culminating in an emphasis on service to the community. Skills such as stress management, decision-making, time management, advocacy, and gratitude are discussed through student-led advisory activities. As students mature and develop, they are asked to reflect on the question, “How can I serve my peers and the greater community with my talents and skills?” Leadership and mentoring opportunities allow our Upper School students the opportunity to practice and develop these relational skills.

Experiential Learning

At St. Andrew’s, learning extends far beyond the walls of the classroom. Our commitment to learning by doing is exemplified through partnerships, both domestic and abroad, with real-world professionals and organizations that allow students to put theory into action. This can be as simple as discussing sustainability with Lower School students in our garden spaces, to applying the principles of physics with hands-on practicals in the Dell Fine Arts Center, to learning how experimental archeology can not only help us understand our history as humans, but also give us practice as design thinkers. With over 100 acres of undeveloped protected park land on our campus, all students and faculty can explore our impact and relationship with the natural world in real time. We invite students to broaden their perspectives by traveling abroad to learn about our role on the global stage. We are proud to partner with programs like Students Shoulder to Shoulder, The Island School, and School Year Abroad to achieve this goal. Every year of a student’s journey at St. Andrew’s will give them authentic opportunities to learn more about themselves, their relationships with others, and their connectedness to the lessons that they will achieve only by living their education in the real world.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB)

DEIB initiatives at St. Andrew’s are informed by a variety of factors: student programming, hiring and personnel, institutional policy, professional development, curriculum, and more. Each piece of our program allows the community—students, faculty, parents, staff, and administrators—to experience our mission in very real and tangible ways. Our increasingly multicultural and pluralistic community has learned that we can grow stronger only as we evolve and make steady progress towards our goals and ambitions.

Flex Block

All Upper School students have in their schedule a period designated as Flex Block. This is a period meant for students to pursue their interests both within and beyond the school’s curriculum. Students can choose to participate in an Exploratory Course, a Stewardship (required for graduation), or an extra graded course during this block. Exploratory Courses are an opportunity for students to take an ungraded course in an area outside of the school’s traditional curriculum. Previous courses have included Yoga & Pilates, Cybersecurity, Podcasting, and Entrepreneurship. Stewardships are opportunities to work alongside faculty members to care for areas or programs within the school. Stewards can choose to work as Admissions Assistant, Innovation Lab Steward, Mandarin Teaching Assistant, Theatre Steward, and so many more. Stewardships are a terrific opportunity for students to pursue their interests, learn by teaching and doing, and contribute to the vibrant life of the school.

Senior Projects

St. Andrew’s strongly believes that experiences outside the classroom are impactful and important too, especially as our seniors prepare for college and the world beyond. The St. Andrew’s Senior Project gives our students the opportunity to venture into the community and follow a dream, create a work of art, learn more about an area of interest or a career, or work in the service of others for the month preceding graduation.

UPPER SCHOOL Fast Facts

47 different zip codes represented 16 students

415 27 different religious denominations are represented

awarded for need-based financial aid annually

31% racially diverse

Designated Center for Innovation with 3-D printers, laser engraver, drone zone, and more

Average class size is students Ph.D.s

Students are 15% of students receive

Over $1.5M 54 61% 10

full- and parttime faculty;

and $25K

9:1 student to advisor ratio with daily

Advisory program has a group time, encouraging student connection and community participation

Average faculty teaching experience of years with an average of years at St. Andrew’s

Average award is over financial aid 22 9 Over

Conferences with students, parents, and advisors held in the fall and spring college representatives visit campus annually,

with advanced degrees including

of students are accepted to college 100 100%

SUCCEED A place to . . .

THE JOURNEY TO COLLEGE

Just as you are looking for a great match for your child in high school, we aim to help students find great matches for college. Our college counseling program is personal and emphasizes thoughtfulness, time management, and student ownership of the process. Some of the program highlights are:

• 1:10 ratio of college advisors to students

• Over 100 college reps visit St. Andrew’s each year

• Grade-level newsletters to highlight appropriate topics and suggested ‘to do’ items for each grade of high school

• Collaboration with 9th Grade Class Dean for 9th Grade parent program

• College Admissions Panel for freshmen, sophomores, and their parents

• Freshman Seminar Lesson about transcripts & course selection

• PSAT for sophomores and juniors

• College Night for sophomores, juniors, and their parents

• Coffee & Conversation events with the College Counseling team

• Individual student meetings with juniors in the fall of 11th grade

• Case Studies Program for juniors & their parents

• Application JumpStart and Essay Workshop between junior and senior year

• Essay Editing Day + Application Workday in August of senior year

• Regular advisory meetings with college counselor/advisor in 12th grade

• Financial Aid workshop for seniors and parents

• Countdown to College series for seniors

CLASS OF 2023 HIGHLIGHTS

140 Accepted by different colleges/ universities

51% of the class received a merit scholarship

COLLEGE STATS FOR T HE CLASSES OF 2019–23 (averages over 5 years)

9

average number of applications submitted/student

384

different colleges and universities accepted our students over the past five years

50% 68% $20K

yearly average merit scholarship award offered to SAS students

COLLEGE MATRICULATION from 2019–2023

American University (3)

Auburn University (5)

Austin Community College (3)

Babson College

Bard College

Baylor University (7)

Belmont University (9)

Bentley University

Berklee College of Music

Boston University (2)

Bowdoin College

Brown University (4)

Cal Poly (8)

Carleton College (2)

Carnegie Mellon University

Carroll College

Centre College (2)

Chapman University (4)

Claremont McKenna College (2)

Clemson University (2)

Colby College

Colgate University

College of Charleston (2)

College of the Holy Cross (2)

Colorado College (2)

Colorado School of Mines

Colorado State University (5)

Columbia University

Connecticut College

Creighton University

Dartmouth College (2)

DePaul University (2)

Duke University (2)

Eckerd College

Elon University (2)

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

Emerson College (2)

Emory University-Oxford College

Florida Atlantic University

Furman University

Georgetown University

Georgia Institute of Technology (5)

Gordon College (2)

Hamilton College

Harvard University (3)

Haverford College (2)

Hendrix College

Holy Cross College

Indiana University-Bloomington (4)

Johns Hopkins University

Kenyon College

Lafayette College

Lamar University

Lewis & Clark College (2)

Louisiana State University (4)

Loyola Marymount University (3)

Loyola University Chicago (2)

Loyola University New Orleans

Make-up Designory-Los Angeles

Marist College

Maryland Institute College of Art (3)

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Miami University, Oxford

Michigan State University

Middlebury College (2)

Millikin University

New York University (6)

Northeastern University (4)

Northwestern University (3)

Oberlin College

Occidental College

Ohio State University (3)

Oregon State University

Pace University

Pepperdine University (3)

Pomona College (2)

Pratt Institute (2)

Princeton University

Providence College

Purdue University (2)

Reed College (2)

Regent’s University London

Rhodes College (4)

Rice University (6)

Rollins College

Saint Edward’s University (6)

Santa Clara University (2)

Savannah College of Art & Design (2)

Seattle University

Smith College (2)

Southern Methodist University (12)

Southwestern University (4)

St Olaf College

St. John’s College

St. Lawrence University

Stanford University (2)

Sul Ross State University

Syracuse University (4)

Texas A & M UniversityCollege Station (19)

Texas Christian University (17)

Texas State University (8)

Texas Tech University (2)

The George Washington University

The New School

The University of Alabama (5)

The University of Edinburgh

The University of North Carolina

at Chapel Hill

The University of Tampa

The University of Texas at Austin (54)

The University of Texas at San Antonio (4)

The University of the South (5)

Trinity University (14)

Tufts University (3)

Tulane University of Louisiana (11)

United States Military Academy

Universiteit van Amsterdam

University College Dublin

University of Arizona

University of Arkansas (3)

University of California-Berkeley (4)

University of California-Davis

University of California-Los Angeles (3)

of students receive merit scholarships attend colleges outside of Texas (compared to state average of 13.8%)

*Light blue indicates states where SAS students have enrolled in college.

University of California-San Diego (2)

University of Chicago (3)

University of Cincinnati-College

Conservatory of Music

University of Colorado Boulder (9)

University of Denver (5)

University of Georgia (7)

University of Glasgow

University of Hawaii at Manoa

University of Iowa

University of Kansas

University of Miami (3)

University of Michigan (4)

University of Mississippi (3)

University of North Texas

University of Notre Dame

University of Oklahoma

University of Oregon (12)

University of Puget Sound

University of Rochester

University of San Diego (2)

University of San Francisco

University of Southern California (5)

University of St Andrews

University of Vermont

University of Virginia (8)

University of Washington (5)

University of Waterloo

University of Wisconsin

Vanderbilt University (6)

Villanova University

Virginia Tech (2)

Wake Forest University (2)

Washington and Lee University

Washington University in St Louis

Wellesley College (2)

Wesleyan University (3)

Western Washington University

Wheaton College-Massachusetts

Williams College

Wyoming Catholic College

Yale University