Asheville School Admission Travel Book

An Education for an Inspired Life

“Asheville School is unique. No other small co-ed boarding school
offers such a commitment to excellence in the context of both
unsurpassed physical mountain beauty and a vibrant, safe city.
The intimate community feel of this school is central to our mission.”
Archibald R. Montgomery IV
8th Head of School

“I feel that I’ve formed so many bonds with all of the students at
Asheville School. It’s a really special experience to know all of the
students at your high school, to be able to name every single person
and to know everybody’s face. It’s such a community. Everyone feels
at home and feels like they have someone to turn to.”
Toddy Collett
Class of 2015
Morganton, NC
ABOUT ASHEVILLE SCHOOL
Asheville School is one of the few remaining small boarding schools in America (285
students, 207 boarding students). This is a nurturing community, where our students
and faculty genuinely know one another — thanks to family-style meals, senior chapel
talks and century-old traditions.
Our acceptance rate is 40%. Founded in 1900, we have alumni in all 50 states and about
35 countries around the world.
We offer a rigorous college preparatory program. Many of our graduates are accepted to
the most prestigious schools in the country. In fact, the majority of our recent graduates
are attending colleges and universities Barron’s rates as “highly selective” and “most
selective.”
We teach 21st century skills (critical thinking, communication, collaboration, creativity) in
a traditional setting, where students are known and loved.
Our 300-acre campus is located in an idyllic place. Surrounded by the Blue Ridge
Mountains, the campus is in the vibrant, safe city of Asheville, North Carolina.
Our Core Values:
Perseverance
Respect
Integrity
Compassion

OUR COMMUNITY
Head of School
Archibald R. Montgomery IV, a graduate of the University of
Pennsylvania with a law degree from the University of Texas School of
Law, was appointed the School’s eighth Head of School in 2002. Arch
and his wife, Phyllis, live on campus in the Fall House. They have two
sons, Greg and Tyler.
Faculty
Most of the school’s 64 faculty members, 43 of whom teach, live on campus. About 80
percent of our faculty and their families are living in the dorm apartments and houses
on our campus. Advanced degrees are held by 73% of our teaching faculty. The student/
faculty ratio is 4:1. The average class size is 13. Being a small school gives us ample
opportunity to practice the highest ideals in how we live and learn together. Learn more
about each faculty member on our school website (ashevilleschool.org).
Students
Our 285 students represent 20 states and 16 countries. Eighty percent live on campus.
We benefit from talented day students, but our student body is dominated by boarding
students, and this concentration creates a vibrant, lively, and close-knit community that
fosters the development of every student. With 30 percent of our students considered
multicultural, they are truly diverse in background and equally committed to academic
and personal excellence.
“The neat thing about boarding school is there’s not just one job.
Everyone is on board with helping as a dorm parent and being a coach;
everybody has multiple roles here and that’s what makes us successful.”
Frank Kriegler
Instructor of Science
Department Chair

“Our mission is to prepare our students for college and for life,
and to provide an atmosphere in which all members of a diverse,
engaged, and purposefully small school community appreciate
and strive for excellence — an atmosphere that nurtures character
and fosters the development of mind, body, and spirit.
Our School Motto, Vitae Excelsioris Limen, translates to “Threshold of a Higher Life.”
“It’s opened my eyes to see how, no matter where you are from in the
world, you can come together as one and totally be in sync with one
another. It doesn’t matter where you’re from.”
Henry Fisher
Sixth Form, Senior
Sewanee, TN

OUR PROGRAM
Afternoon Activities and Athletics
In addition to a demanding academic program, students complete extensive work in the
arts, athletics and community service, and serve as leaders in areas vital to residential
life. Twenty-three interscholastic sports teams offer both excellent competition and
an opportunity to learn new skills, teamwork and sportsmanship. The Performing and
Visual Arts Department offers numerous programs for both the accomplished artist and
the beginner. Our Mountaineering program provides opportunities for our students to
learn to rock climb, kayak, or mountain bike. The equestrian program offers lessons for
beginning riders through advanced levels. Students may participate in a variety of clubs,
including Robotics, Students for Environmental Awareness (SEA), the Ashfellaz a capella
group, yearbook, literary magazine, and Ashnoca newspaper, to name a few.
Academics
The academic work and intellectual pursuit of each individual student is essential to the
Asheville School experience. Teachers and students thrive in small seminar-style classes,
which feature the Harkness Method, and frequent one-on-one tutorial sessions. We offer
55 courses and 18 AP courses. The academic capstone of the senior year is the Senior
Demonstration on topics in varying disciplines. More detailed information, course listings
and descriptions can be found by visiting ashevilleschool.org.
After Asheville School
Our College Office offers comprehensive programs and services. Specifically, we:
• Provide individual counseling throughout all phases of the college admission process.
• Host representatives from more than 50 colleges and universities each year.
• Write personal recommendations on behalf of every graduating senior.
• Host a Fifth Form College Weekend in the spring for juniors and their parents.
College acceptances from recent years include Harvard, Yale, Vanderbilt, Davidson,
Stanford, MIT, Duke, UNC-Chapel Hill, Columbia, University of the South, University of
Michigan, Rhodes College, Furman, and Wofford College, to name a few.

Chapel Program
With its quiet serenity and beautiful windows, the Boyd Chapel has long been a
favorite spot on campus. Monday and Thursday chapel services and Sunday chapel or
vespers services make it a place where the entire school community comes together
to consider the spiritual dimension of life. Whether a student comes from a Christian
tradition, another religious faith, or with no religious background at all, Asheville School
encourages its students to explore their own spirituality while learning with others.
Look for some of our favorite Chapel Talks on our website’s YouTube channel at
ashevilleschool.org/youtube.
Arts Program
Our students have abundant ways to explore the arts. Many perform in our winter
and spring drama productions, while others choose to create thought-provoking
collages and sculptures, master a difficult dance number, play the cello in Chapel,
or sing in the school’s chorus. As research supports, our education in the arts
develops our students’ creative thinking and problem-solving skills that they will
utilize in their intellectual pursuits throughout their lives.

INFORMATION
Admission
Admission to Asheville School is highly competitive. Most prospective students
have been high achievers in their previous schools, both in and out of the
classroom. Equally important to a student’s demonstrated academic ability is
the motivation to carry on Asheville School’s high standards and tradition of
excellence. A student must be a good citizen and have the desire and drive to
contribute to the success of the overall school community.
Please call or email the Admission Office for more information or to request a
viewbook. Campus tours and interviews are scheduled Monday through Friday
and on some Saturday mornings at 9:00 a.m. A visit to campus is the best way
to get to know Asheville School. To schedule a visit, please call 828-254-6345
x4022 or email admission@ashevilleschool.org.
“Coming here was the best decision I’ve ever made in my life. From
my academic capability to my relationships with adults, to my social
ability and my athletic ability – absolutely everything has grown. In
every aspect of life, I have been growing as a person.”
Olivia Waters
Sixth Form, Senior
Boone, NC

Financial Aid
The Asheville School financial aid program serves to make an excellent education
available to students of all socio-economic backgrounds and to provide the school
with a well-qualified and diverse student body. Roughly one-third of our students
receive need-based financial aid, with the average aid award approaching $31,000
for boarding students and $11,000 for day students. Altogether, we award more
than $2 million each year in need-based aid.
Merit Scholarships
A limited number of Founders’ Scholarships are available each year to new boarding
applicants who have demonstrated exceptional character, attained outstanding
academic achievement, and made influential contributions to their school community
through service, the arts or athletics. Visit ashevilleschool.org/merit to learn more.
Accreditation
Asheville School is accredited by the Southern Association of Independent Schools
and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, and is a member of the
National Association of Independent Schools, the Association of Boarding Schools,
the Educational Records Bureau, the College Board and the Secondary School
Admission Test Board.
Asheville School admits and offers financial aid to students of any race, color, gender, religious affiliation,
sexual orientation and national or ethnic origin.

N
26
W
E
19
23
S
240
Exit 44
Asheville
School Rd.
Smoky Park Hwy / Patton Ave.
Asheville. NC
240
Asheville School
40
26
To Airport
40
Who We Are:
• 9 - 12th grades (III - VI Forms)
• 285 students with 64 faculty members
• 80% of students and faculty live on campus
• 30% multicultural students
Where We Are From:
• 20 states, 16 foreign countries
• public, parochial, and private schools and home-schooled families
Where We Are Going:
• 100% to 4-year colleges and universities
• The majority of our recent graduates are attending colleges and universities
Barron’s rates as “highly selective” and “most selective.”
We Welcome Your Visit To Asheville!
For more information, please visit our website at ashevilleschool.org
or download our award-winning iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch app at ashevilleschool.org/app.

Mileage to Asheville School
CITY MILES DRIVING TIME
Atlanta, GA 200 miles 3 hours
Charlotte, NC 120 miles 2 hours
Knoxville, TN 100 miles 1.5 hours
Winston-Salem, NC 150 miles 2.5 hours
Raleigh, NC 265 miles 4 hours
Greenville, SC 60 miles 1 hour
Charleston, SC 250 miles 4 hours
Nashville, TN 290 miles 4 hours

360 Asheville School Road
Asheville, North Carolina 28806
828.254.6345
ashevilleschool.org