Learn More. Experience More. Be More.
Welcome to Virginia Episcopal School We invite you to get to know our engaging school community, where we guide students to strive Toward Full Stature through academic, ethical, spiritual and personal growth. Each year, VES invites bright, talented students who seek a first-class education in a boarding school environment like ours to apply. Here, they can reach their highest potential and become their best selves. Come join us on this journey. Learn More About Us Website: www.ves.org Video: www.ves.org/studentvoices
Who We Are founded in
260
grades 9-12
1916 55% boys 45% girls
80% domestic
students
30% day
70% boarding
20% international
An Engaging & Safe Community VES is small by design, with a student body of 260 young men and women and 40 faculty. Students hail from across the U.S. and the globe, providing a wonderfully diverse community. VES has a warm, family atmosphere, and our 6:1 student-to-faculty ratio allows us to know each student well. Every step of the way, students are supported by dedicated faculty, coaches, an advisor, dorm parents and their peers to help ensure their success. Our work is grounded in the school’s core values—guiding students to engage in building community and self, show humility, act with honor and integrity, and strive for excellence in everything they do. Equally important, we believe in delivering programs that promote joyful, healthy young adults ready to take on a dynamic future. VES is a special place to learn and grow. The school sits on a beautiful 160-acre campus located in the small, safe and thriving central Virginia city of Lynchburg. With mountains in the background, beautiful brick walkways and green space, 5 miles of trails on campus for hiking and biking, and the James River running nearby, our students and faculty enjoy the VES campus and all the activities in the surrounding region.
Washington, DC
Virginia
Charlottesville Richmond
Students Become Their Best Selves VES delivers programs with purpose—innovative academic experiences; a wide range of arts, athletics and special-interest clubs; endless opportunities to try new things; and Student Life programs that are both instructive and inspiring. All of our students are fully engaged in the life of our school through these programs. Upon graduation, students are equipped with the knowledge, character, mindset and essential 21st-century skills illustrated in our Portrait of a VES Graduate.
Self-aware
Curious, innovative thinkers and producers Mindful leaders who serve with courage and compassion
Focused on community Ready to navigate and continue their personal growth in our dynamic world
Small Classes, Big Ideas and a Shared Love of Learning The broad curriculum at VES is designed to create innovative thinkers and producers. Courses are taught by an outstanding faculty who stretch students’ intellectual capacity, spark their curiosity, and sharpen their critical thinking and problem-solving capabilities. Faculty engage students in spirited discussions, hands-on learning and creating exceptional work. In addition to studying the core curriculum in English, History, Math, Science and World Languages, students may take elective courses. They may pursue a four-year program in Computer Science; marry their talents in math, science and project-based learning through the Science & Math Advanced Consortium; learn storytelling skills through video production; and stretch themselves in an independent topic of study through our Advanced Studies program.
16
AP classes, plus advanced courses in every subject
12
average number of students in each class
40
teaching faculty, 73% with advanced degrees
Learn More About Our Curriculum Curriculum Details: www.ves.org/curriculumguide Video: www.ves.org/expoday
Preparing for Life Learning at VES doesn’t begin and end in the classroom; it extends throughout the entire day. Opportunities to practice skills and grow into great young adults happen in our after-school arts and athletics programs, at meals around the dining tables, in advisory groups, in clubs, on dorm—well, everywhere! And because VES is dedicated to educating the whole child, we invest in a robust Student and Residential Life program—an intentional, dynamic approach that addresses the challenges of being a teenager today, while also shaping young people of character. Students and their parents often remark on the lasting impact this program has on their lives. Our students become self-reliant, resilient and independent. They learn to be leaders and to demonstrate empathy and respect. They find their voice, growing in their confidence and learning to advocate for themselves. And they learn practical skills including how to study well, proper sleep habits and good nutrition, time management, mindfulness and stress reduction, teamwork, effective communications, and so much more. VES students tell us they feel well ahead of their peers when they begin college.
And Having Lots of Fun Students enjoy true fellowship and fun every day at VES. Each week, the student community is alive with a wealth of organized activities. Students might mountain bike in the Blue Ridge Mountains, hike the trails across Lynchburg, take in a movie at the local theater, cook a meal together, play games on our beautiful campus, or join a day-long trip to nearby Charlottesville. Monthly, we host marquee events that VES students look forward to each year. Most Student Life activities are student-initiated and encourage real connections without the presence of electronics. The VES community is known to be so engaging that our day students spend as much time on campus and in activities as our boarders, creating weekends full of energy and joy.
Define Your Path to College VES graduates are accepted into some of the country’s most selective colleges and universities, but most importantly, we help each student select the school that is their “best fit”— meaning that the school and its programs are well-aligned with the student’s academic, co-curricular, personal and professional interests. We are proud that more than 85 percent of our students enroll in one of their top-choice colleges. Of the 40 schools selected by our 64 graduates, the 2019 U.S. News & World Report Top College and Universities listing ranks: • 8 among the Top 30 National Universities • 4 among the Top 11 Liberal Arts Colleges • 3 among the Top 5 Public Universities
2015 – 2019 VES Student Matriculation to U.S. News & World Report Top 50 National Universities & Liberal Arts Colleges National Universities (listed in rank order)
Liberal Arts Colleges
Princeton University
Wake Forest University
Swarthmore College
Columbia University
University of Virginia
Wellesley College
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Georgia Institute of Technology
Washington and Lee University
Stanford University
New York University
Vassar College
Duke University
University of North Carolina—Chapel Hill
Davidson College
Dartmouth College
University of California, San Diego
Wesleyan University
University of Notre Dame
Boston University
Harvey Mudd College
Cornell University
Case Western Reserve University
University of Richmond
Rice University
College of William & Mary
Lafayette College
Washington University, St. Louis
Northeastern University
Occidental College
University of California, Los Angeles
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Denison University
Emory University
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Sewanee: The University of the South
University of California, Berkeley
Pepperdine University
University of Southern California
University of Georgia
Carnegie Mellon University
Interested in Learning More about VES? We invite you to contact Mary Stuart Battle, Director of International Admissions, at msbattle@ves.org. Please also visit VES online at www.ves.org.