Taft School
 | This article may rely excessively on sources too closely associated with the subject, potentially preventing the article from being verifiable and neutral. (December 2011) |
| The Taft School | |
|---|---|
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| Address | |
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110 Woodbury Road , Connecticut 06795 United States | |
| Coordinates | 41°36′16″N 73°7′27″W / 41.60444°N 73.12417°W |
| Information | |
| Type | Private, day and boarding, college-prep |
| Motto | Non ut sibi ministretur sed ut ministret (Not to be served but to serve) |
| Established | 1890 |
| Founder | Horace Dutton Taft |
| CEEB code | 070880 |
| Head of school | Peter Becker |
| Faculty | 124 |
| Grades | 9–12 |
| Gender | Co-educational |
| Enrollment | 580 (2023–24) |
| Average class size | 11 |
| Student to teacher ratio | 5:1 |
| Campus size | 224 acres (0.91 km2) |
| Color(s) | Maroon and navy blue |
| Nickname | Rhinos, Big Red |
| Website | taftschool.org |
The Taft School is a private coeducational school located in Watertown, Connecticut, United States. It enrolls approximately 600 students in grades 9–12.
Overview[edit]
The school was founded in 1890 by Horace Dutton Taft, the brother of U.S. President William Howard Taft. He was inspired by his friend Sherman Day Thacher (the founder of California's Thacher School) to start his own boarding school.[1] Along with Lawrenceville, Groton, Milton, and its athletic rival Hotchkiss, Taft was one of the first New England schools founded during the great boom in boarding schools at the turn of the twentieth century.[2] In the school's first generation, around half of the student body came from Connecticut and New York.[3] However, Horace Taft came from a famous Ohio political family, and the school developed a reputation for preparing children of the Midwestern gentry for Yale's entrance examinations.[4]
Today, Taft enrolls 580 students in grades 9–12, 82% of whom live on campus and 18% of whom come from abroad. The school states that 45% of its students identify as students of color.[5] In 2023, the school's admission rate was 16%.[6] The current head of school is Peter Becker, the previous head of the Frederick Gunn School, who graduated from Taft in 1995.[7]
The school's financial endowment (which stood at $299.6 million as of June 30, 2023[5]) supports a financial aid program that allows 55% of Taft students to come from public schools.[5] The school commits to meet 100% of an admitted student's demonstrated financial need, "according to [its] financial aid methodology."[8] In the 2023–24 school year, 35% of the student body was on financial aid, which covered, on average, $58,250 for boarders (81% of tuition) and $34,250 (64% of tuition) for day students.[5] In 2023, the school enrolled 55 U.S. citizen students with family incomes under $100,000, 44 of whom were on full scholarships.[8] For American students with family incomes in the $100,000-200,000 range, the average family contribution was $9,200.[8]
In 2015, Business Insider ranked Taft the 14th-most 'elite' boarding school in the US, based on a formula that equally weighted financial endowment, average SAT scores, and acceptance rate.[9]
Campus and facilities[edit]
The campus includes The Lady Ivy Kwok Wu Science and Mathematics Center, Pinto Language Lab, Moorhead Academic Center, Hulbert Taft Jr. Library, Belcher Reading Room, Mortara Academic Wing.
The art facilities include two art studios, a gallery, two theaters, and a dance studio.
The athletic facilities include an 18-hole golf course, 16 tennis courts (four indoor), eight squash courts, two field houses, two ice hockey rinks (one Olympic-sized and one NHL-sized), and more than 10 fields around Potter's Pond.[10]
Athletics[edit]
Taft's athletic teams are known as the Rhinos and their colors are cardinal red and navy blue. The school has a rivalry with the Hotchkiss School. The schools compete on the last Saturday of the winter and compete in every sport.
The following sports are offered at Taft:[11]
- Baseball (boys)
- Basketball (boys & girls)
- Crew (boys & girls)
- Cross country (boys & girls)
- Equestrian (boys & girls)
- Field Hockey (girls)
- Football (boys)
- Golf (boys & girls)
- Ice hockey (boys & girls)
- Lacrosse (boys & girls)
- Sailing(boys & girls)
- Skiing (boys & girls)
- Soccer (boys & girls)
- Softball (girls)
- Squash (boys & girls)
- Tennis (boys & girls)
- Track (boys & girls)
- Volleyball (girls)
- Wrestling (coed)
Tuition[edit]
Tuition for the 2023-2024 academic year is $72,000 for boarding students, and $53,500 for day students.[12]
Notable alumni[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ "Our History - Taft School". www.taftschool.org. Retrieved May 3, 2024.
- ^ Baltzell, E. Digby (1987). The Protestant Establishment: Aristocracy and Caste in America (Paperback ed.). New Haven, NH: Yale University Press. pp. 127–29.
- ^ Sargent, Porter (1920). A Handbook of American Private Schools. Boston, MA: Porter Sargent. p. 155.
- ^ Taylor, Ihsan K. (February 24, 1999). "School Life: A Literary Pastiche". Education Week. Retrieved February 26, 2024.
- ^ a b c d "Taft by the Numbers - Taft School". www.taftschool.org. Retrieved May 3, 2024.
- ^ "Director of Enrollment: The Taft School, Watertown, CT" (PDF). Isaacson, Miller. Retrieved May 3, 2024.
- ^ "Peter Becker". Taft School. Retrieved May 3, 2024.
- ^ a b c "Frequently Asked Questions - Taft School". www.taftschool.org. Retrieved May 3, 2024.
- ^ Browning, Lauren; Martin, Emmie. "The 50 Most Elite Boarding Schools In The US". Business Insider. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
- ^ "About - Taft School". www.taftschool.org.
- ^ "Taft Sports". www.taftschool.org. THE TAFT SCHOOL. Retrieved December 28, 2020.
- ^ "Variable Tuition - Wooster School". www.woosterschool.org. Retrieved January 1, 2024.
External links[edit]
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