Dana Hall School

Wellesley — Massachusetts

440

Total Students

105

Boarding

International

161

Students of Color

Female Only

Gender

6:1

Student:Faculty

About Dana Hall School

Audacious since 1881, Dana Hall School has always been dedicated to providing the vigorous education that every girl deserves—one that’s academically ambitious, rich with opportunity, and fiercely empowering. Dana Hall School offers a strong education centered on female leadership, academics, athletics, arts, and a wide range of extracurricular opportunities. Students are encouraged to pursue their passions both inside and outside the classroom, including through sports, dance, theatre, music, community service, and a variety of clubs. Located just 20 minutes from both Boston and Cambridge, Dana Hall provides boarding students with easy access to a variety of weekend activities, cultural experiences, and academic opportunities beyond campus. We’re a school where students tackle demanding coursework and high academic expectations with joy, enthusiasm, and genuine curiosity. A place where girls take the lead in every classroom, on every stage, and on every sports field. We cultivate an environment in which students feel free to discover, become, and express exactly who they are. At Dana Hall, we believe that academic excellence is best realized in girls whose social and emotional needs are equally considered with their intellect. Here, girls have a rare opportunity to explore—fully and without reserve—every aspect of who they are. Their true interests, nascent talents, bold ambitions, and leadership qualities. What ignites their curiosity, moves their hearts, and gives them purpose. Since 1881, our students’ undeniable success—at Dana Hall, in college, and in the world—has borne out the wisdom of our educational philosophy.

What Makes Us Unique

Dana Hall School is unique in so many facets, but if we were forced to choose only two distinguishing factors, we would say that we are the only Girls-school in the Boston area with a boarding program. Our proximity to the city gives our students' endless access to the cultural happenings of a major metropolitan area, while also calling our lush 55 acre campus their "home base." Our mission has always embodied the ideals of girls' education synonymous with Wellesley, Massachusetts. The international character of Boston and its many universities is also leveraged by our Global Scholars Program. We make use of the school's distance from the city, embracing the backgrounds and experiences of our student body to offer girls countless opportunities to immerse themselves in the increasingly connected world. We seek to cultivate in our students the skills necessary for building a more cohesive and connected world through the growth of an empathic mindset. Students who pursue these goals in a more intensive way through curriculum choices, travel, and projects undertaken at Dana Hall are awarded the Global Scholars Certificate to acknowledge their commitment.

Campus Highlights

Athletics

14 sports

STEM Labs

Dedicated STEM Center

Arts

Photography & Rock Band

Campus

55 acres

Key Stats

Boarding33%

International12%

Students of Color36%

Founded1881

Campus Size55 acres

Nearby AirportsBOS (approx 35 minutes)

Global Diversity

China,JapanTurkeyThailandColombia

Contact Information

Amy Tiberio

Director of Enrollment Management

Katherine Bradley

Head of School

45 Dana Road, Wellesley, MA 02482

+1 781-489-1331

admission@danahall.org

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Signature Programs

Dedicated University Counseling

Specialized team focused purely on global university placement.

AP Courses

Advanced Placement courses (US standard).

Dedicated STEM Center

Specialized facilities for robotics, coding, and engineering.

Equestrian Center

On-campus stables for boarding horses or competitive training.

1-Year / Short-Term Boarding

Option to attend for just one semester or a single year.

Performing Arts Conservatory

Intensive pre-professional training in music, dance, or theater.

Languages Offered

Mandarin ChineseLatinFrenchSpanish

Student Support & Wellness

Mental Health & Wellness

The Dana Hall Health Center is staffed during school hours by one full-time nurse, one full-time nurse practitioner, and three Upper School counselors (two full-time and one part-time). Dana Hall also has one part-time Middle School counselor. Dana Hall’s counseling staff provide short-term counseling, evaluation, and screening for students during the school day, and are also available for boarding students in an on-call capacity for emergency situations after hours and on weekends. If a student’s mental health needs cannot be fully addressed with short-term counseling, the counselor(s) will work with parents or guardians to facilitate a referral to an appropriate off-campus provider for longer-term support. The Health Center also houses private spaces for students to engage in virtual medical and/or mental health appointments, as well as a wellness space equipped with comfortable seating and calming activities for students to use during moments of stress or overwhelm. Dana Hall also supports the health and wellness of our students through our Forum classes which meet nearly weekly throughout the year across grades 5-12. In these classes, students learn a range of social, emotional, health, and practical life skills to help them develop into whole and capable adolescents and young adults.

English Language (ESL)

None (Mainstream Only)

Learning Differences (LD)

Targeted / Mild Support

Top Matriculation

New York University
University of Michigan
Northeastern University
Bucknell University
Syracuse University
Boston University

School Details

School FocusCollege Prep

Dress CodeInformal

Campus55 acres

Sports14 offered

Founded1881

Class Size12 students

S/F Ratio6:1

Schedule

Trimesters

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Activities & Clubs

YearbookSchool newspaperStudent governmentEnvironmental clubLacrosseSwimming & divingSoccerTennisVolleyballCross countryPhotographyRock BandDance3D ArtCreative writingEquestrianFencingCommunity serviceBasketballField hockeyIce hockeyLiterary magazineModel UNCeramicsChorusTheaterSquashSoftballInternational TripsScience clubDebateBusinessMath teamCooking club

Weekend Life

Here's an example of what a weekend in December might entail at Dana Hall: Arts & Culture Black Nativity by Langston Hughes: A retelling of the Nativity story from the perspective of the African American experience. Cabaret Dana Hall’s annual variety show, performed for the community by the ninth grade. Performances include singing, dancing, acting, traditional songs, and plenty of fun. Community Cabaret Nostalgia: In anticipation of the aforementioned Cabaret, 10th-12th graders host watch parties to reminisce on their class year's production of Cabaret. Good company and snacks abound! Revels Rehearsal: In the weekends leading up to the grand Revels showcase, the 11th-grade class, led by their class deans, rehearses their performance to ensure everything comes together for the final day of school before Winter Break. Dorm Competition: Window Painting Edition Each trimester, our on-campus community comes together for a spirited dorm competition. This trimester, students competed to have the best-decorated windows, with the most creative and colorful designs. On-Campus & Self-Care Sometimes a student needs to decompress after a vigorous week of classes and a long trimester. This month, students had the following opportunities (among others) for a lowkey evening: Face Masks & Mani Pedis Movie Night (Star Wars) Paint Night Shopping Whether they needed a last minute gift for their roommate, holiday cookie baking supplies, or more KEWPIE Mayo, Dana Hall students went on the following shopping excursions: Snowport: Boston’s Annual Holiday Market, located in the Seaport. Target H-Mart & Trader Joes Community Service Our students are deeply committed to serving their communities, and in a plethora of ways. Here are just two of the offerings in December: Recently, Dana Hall students had the opportunity to pack bags of holiday baking materials for the Joshua Kaye Foundation Holiday Baking Bags for Joshua Kaye Foundation Students brought seasonal cheer to families in need by preparing cookie-baking kits. Household Goods Dana Hall students volunteered at the regional non-profit, whose mission is to provide free donated furniture and household items, to furnish living spaces of people in need.

City trips & shopping

Cultural eventsTheater/ShowsShoppingSightseeing/ToursCity tripsMuseumsRestaurants/Dining

Hiking & Outdoors

Nature walksSkiing/SnowboardingRafting/Water sportsHiking

Relaxing on campus

Campus eventsGalas/Formal eventsDancesTalent showsSocial gatheringsConcertsMovies/CinemaGame nights

Athletic Events

Spectator eventsAthletic gamesCompetitionsFitness activitiesTournaments