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The Upper School experience at Episcopal employs a liberal arts curriculum rooted in classical education. As with all of the units at Episcopal, there is a particular focus on educating the Mind, Body, and Spirit of each student in the Upper School. However, added emphasis is also placed on preparing students for college and post-graduate study and in teaching them to take personal responsibility for their own education.
There is no question that the Upper School experience is rigorous and that students are encouraged to push themselves to achieve higher goals. With the assistance of an excellent faculty, students also achieve an unparalleled balance – from the classroom to the athletic field; from the studio to community service.
Outward Bound In order to prepare our 9th grade students for both the rigors of the Upper School experience and the expectation of taking personal responsibility for their studies, each incoming Upper School student is required to attend a five-day Outward Bound program with their classmates just before school begins.
At Episcopal, integration and community building is a critical element of the curriculum and the mandatory North Carolina Outward Bound School is a unique and challenging way to provide this experience early in Upper School. The course is designed to inspire students to discover and develop their potential and to care for themselves and others in a very unfamiliar environment. The experience is then carried to the classroom, where students are challenged to reach beyond what they think is attainable.
College Guidance The college planning process begins in the 9th grade. Our college guidance counselors meet with parents and begin to guide students through a process of self-evaluation in both individual conferences and class meetings. During junior year, students build their Episcopal resume and begin the application process. More than 100 schools send admission representatives to Episcopal each year to meet with students. Through this guidance process, students and their families choose the most appropriate college, university, or program for them.