Walnut Hill School for the Arts is an independent boarding and day high school where exceptional artistic training and a rigorous college-preparatory education are integrated to help students grow as artists, scholars, and individuals. We believe creativity, curiosity, and discipline are essential not only to artistic excellence but also to lifelong learning and meaningful leadership.
Our mission is to educate and inspire students to achieve their highest potential in the arts, academics, and life. Through immersive conservatory-style training in Dance, Theater, Music, Visual Arts, and Writing, Film & Media Arts, students develop the technical skills, confidence, and creative voice needed to thrive in an ever-evolving world. Small class sizes and dedicated faculty foster intellectual curiosity, critical thinking, and collaboration across academic disciplines.
Walnut Hill values a diverse, inclusive, and supportive community where students are encouraged to take creative risks, embrace new perspectives, and learn from one another. With students from across the United States and around the world, our campus celebrates individuality while building meaningful connections through shared artistic passion.
Education at Walnut Hill extends beyond the classroom and studio. Students learn resilience through performance and critique, empathy through collaboration, and independence through the responsibilities of boarding school life. They are challenged to think deeply, communicate effectively, and contribute positively to their communities.
Graduates leave Walnut Hill prepared not only for leading colleges, universities, and conservatories, but also with the confidence, adaptability, and creative mindset to make a lasting impact in whatever path they choose.
What Makes Us Unique
Two distinctive characteristics that stand out are:
The integration of conservatory-level arts training with a rigorous college-preparatory curriculum.
Rather than treating academics and the arts as separate pursuits, Walnut Hill intentionally combines intensive, pre-professional training in Dance, Theater, Music, Visual Arts, and Writing, Film & Media Arts with a challenging academic program. Students develop simultaneously as artists and scholars.
An educational philosophy that uses the arts to develop life skills beyond artistic achievement.
Walnut Hill emphasizes that performance, critique, collaboration, and boarding school life build resilience, independence, empathy, adaptability, and leadership. The goal is not simply to prepare students for conservatories or arts careers, but to equip them with the confidence and creative mindset to succeed in any path they choose.