Upper School 2023-2024

Students may request an official copy of their transcript by contacting the Registrar and filling out a transcript request form on the School’s website. For students applying to colleges, WMA will affirmatively send transcripts to schools on the students’ college/ university list as part of the application process and will affirmatively share transcripts upon request of the college or university if the school is on the student’s college list.

I. Grading System

Faculty members assess student academic performance by assigning grades on a 0 - 100 scale. The letter equivalents of each numerical grade are listed below.

66, 65, 64, 63

62, 61, 60

59 and below

J. Academic Honors

Lists of students earning Honors, High Honors and Highest Honors are published on the Academy’s website at the end of each term. A student must earn a numerical average of 87 to be eligible for Honors, 93 for High Honors, and 97 for Highest Honors. A student may not have a grade below 73 and must be fully enrolled throughout the term to be eligible for academic honors.

K. Honor Nights

For full-time academic classes, an honor night is a reward for commendable work or effort in a course, as determined by the teacher. Normally, boarding students are expected to study in their rooms. Each honor night excuses a student from dorm study one night per week. Students may earn honor nights by recommendation of their teachers and approval by the Deans Office and their advisors.

To help Grade 9 boarding students acclimate to using their time productively and responsibly, they are not eligible for honor nights during the first trimester and are limited to earning a maximum of three honor nights during the remainder of the year. Students who are on academic status or restricted due to conduct status or who have any grade lower than C are not eligible for honor nights for one marking period.

L. The Cum Laude Society

The Cum Laude Society is the equivalent of the Phi Beta Kappa Society on the college level. The Academy is proud that its chapter, established in 1923, is one of the oldest of the Cum Laude Society. Each year, the Academy chapter chooses new members from the graduating class (and occasionally exceptional grade 11 students) who have achieved distinguished academic records, good character, honor and integrity in school life.

The rules of the Cum Laude Society allow each chapter to determine what constitutes a distinguished academic record worthy of election to the Cum Laude Society. There is no single quantitative factor which determines election to the Cum Laude Society.

The Chapter reviews the academic records of each student on a case by case basis. Traditionally, the Academy Chapter has only selected students from the top 20% of the junior or graduating classes. Furthermore, it is expected that these students not only have the highest grades but also to have enrolled in a very diversified range of courses taken mostly on the Honors or Advanced Placement Levels.

M. Study Habits

Students are encouraged to take responsibility for their learning and mature academically by structuring their daily lives so that academics is a priority.

Students at WMA who are doing suitable work and maximizing their academic achievement understand that they must carefully use their time during the week to study, practice and prepare for classes. Students cannot expect to do well and maximize their achievement at WMA if they limit their studying, practicing and preparation for classes to evening study hall hours. Careful use of other times during the week will be necessary not only to complete homework assignments, but to study and practice for future assessments and to plan and complete larger and long term projects.

There are many study areas on campus for students to use during the academic day, including the Athenæum. Dormitories are expected to be quiet during the academic day to allow boarding students the opportunity to study in their rooms.