With Oak Hill Academy’s 95% college acceptance rate over the last 12 years, we are squarely positioned in the college prep boarding school market. However, it is our unique approach, and emphasis on personal growth, that makes Oak Hill Academy stand out from the crowd. Our ideal student fit is one in which growth is the goal. Families often find us when their student’s challenges center on needing to address issues of confidence (often showing up as a lack of motivation) and finding renewed excitement about an academic future, including college preparation. Today, let’s talk a little about how Oak Hill Academy is intentional in an approach that fosters a return to motivation, positivity and a growth mindset.
- Our classroom size is often the game changer for students. With an average size of 10 students per classroom, the environment is much less intimidating, and promotes relationships between teachers and their students. In these small-group classrooms, students are also more comfortable asking questions and finding their voices through participation in class discussion.
- Overwhelmingly, students are choosing to attend Oak Hill Academy to grow. They are coming here to redefine themselves and change their paths. Most of our students are not happy with how school has been going for them, so they come to us seeking a new approach that either addresses a learning style or learning difference, or an issue with school anxiety that has made success in their current school elusive. This means that our students are not judgmental of each other. Neither do they feel that they have to hide or avoid challenges. There is an overriding attitude here that we are all stepping outside our comfort zones in order to grow–and that’s okay! This attitude shows up in the way our students like to study together, and they share a non-competitive spirit of encouragement in our school building.
- Our teachers understand that our students are in need of being built up. Our approach is not to water down our academics. Instead, our relationships allow us to push students past their self-imposed limits in a very personal way. Tutorials and extra help are the norm here. We believe that once a student tastes success and connects positive habits with academic achievement, they want more of it. And in turn, they come to expect more from themselves. Many of our upperclassmen are taking college credit or AP classes, after beginning their enrollment with us missing that kind of aspiration. I’ve come to view this phenomenon as evidence of how our students grow while at Oak Hill Academy.
If you are looking for a boarding school option to address your student’s issues of self confidence or motivation, I invite you to look closer at Oak Hill Academy. We view this kind of student as 100% “mission appropriate,” and we would welcome the opportunity to discuss your goals for a great boarding school fit. Please reach out to the Admission Department through an inquiry form or an email admission@oak-hill.net, or simply pick up the phone and call (276) 579-2619. We are happy to show you our personal approach.