Foxcroft Academy

About Foxcroft Academy

Foxcroft Academy located in Dover-Foxcroft, Maine was established as a private college preparatory school on January 30, 1823, and as such, is one of the oldest private schools in America. Today Foxcroft Academy serves a diverse co-ed population of 410 day and boarding students in grades 9-12.

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Location

The rural town of Dover-Foxcroft (population 4,200) is situated in an area that provides opportunities for skiing, snowboarding, white water rafting, swimming, hiking, biking, ice skating, and snowmobiling. It is 80 miles from the Atlantic Ocean, Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor, 10 miles from the mountains and lakes of northern Maine and 3-4 hours from Portland and Boston. Foxcroft Academy is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and a member of the Independent School Association of Northern New England, College Board and the National Association of Independent Schools.

Academic Program

The Academy offers a challenging college-preparatory curriculum, including 142course offerings including 32 Honors Courses and 8 Advanced Placement courses.

Foxcroft Academy’s math and science programs exceed national standards and utilize state-of-the-art technology. Students in Foxcroft Academy’s well-known humanities program understand the culture of an era through a study of its history, literature, art, and music. The foreign language program includes four levels of French, Latin, Chinese and Spanish. In addition to the traditional offerings, students may take courses in music composition, web-design, art history, economics, computer-assisted drawing, personal finance, vocational subjects, and ethics. Foxcroft Academy offers a comprehensive ESL program for the international student who is planning for a university education. Students receive individual testing before placement at one of three levels of ESL, including ESL Writing.

Musical education at Foxcroft Academy is more than learning to sing or play an instrument. Music is a science, a mental discipline, and an art. Students are able to participate in a variety of programs and courses of study, including orchestra and chamber ensemble, band, jazz ensemble, select choir, and percussion ensemble. Art education takes place in the modern Ebersteen Art Center, where students are engaged in everything from the study of art history to pottery and jewelry making.

Foxcroft Academy has 62 staff members, including 43 faculty, and a student-faculty ratio of 16:1. The faculty is committed to fully preparing students for college and university studies.

University and College Counseling

A long list of illustrious names testifies to the success Foxcroft Academy graduates have achieved in various fields, including law and medicine. One such graduate was Dr. Mary Chandler Lowell of the class of 1881, who to this date is the only known woman anywhere in the world to have earned the degrees of Doctor of Medicine, Bachelor of Law, and Doctor of Jurisprudence. Foxcroft graduates have gone on to such prestigious institutions as Harvard University, Boston College, Bowdoin College, Cornell University, Dartmouth College, Michigan State University, Middlebury College, Northeastern University, Purdue University, the State University of New York, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, and Yale University.

Boarding Facilities

Students are housed in one of four residential-style dormitories, which have all modern conveniences, including wireless Internet hookups. Two new “honor” dorms opened in August of 2008. A new $7 million dorm and faculty complex will be completed in June 2009 and ready for the fall semester. This new dorm will house 24 female students, 24 male students and 6 faculty families.

On school nights, structured study sessions take place between 7 p.m. and 9:00 p.m., with lights out by 11:30. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are provided seven days a week in the student dining hall, which features a grill with a wide selection of food to choose from. The Student Center also provides a refrigerator and microwave and snack foods for student use. A few students are placed with host families who live in proximity to the Academy.

Athletics

Foxcroft Academy’s commitment to excellence extends beyond the classroom to the playing fields, where the school has a long and proud tradition in athletics. In recent years, the Academy’s wrestling, football, baseball, and cross-country teams have won multiple state and regional championships. There are nearly thirty interscholastic sports teams, both girls’ and boys'. All students have an opportunity to try out for any sport they wish. In sports like football, soccer, swimming, track, cross-country, tennis, and ice hockey, everyone makes the team at either a varsity or junior varsity level. Programs like basketball, field hockey, and baseball carry a limited squad, but even here, most students who try out make the team.

Extracurricular Opportunities

Foxcroft provides a rich environment—one that is intellectually challenging in and out of the classroom. The Academy offers more than twenty clubs and student organizations, including the Latin Club, the Key Club, the Gaming Club, the French Club, the Drama Club, and a student-run newspaper. Other opportunities include musical theater productions, dance ensembles, art showings, theater productions and marching band.

Weekend Life

On Friday nights, many interscholastic sports teams have their games, and everyone cheers for the FA Ponies. Saturdays are often spent skiing or snowboarding at Squaw Mountain on Moosehead Lake or taking a trip to L. L. Bean, Boston, or the local YMCA for swimming. Spring and early fall provide opportunities to go to Portland, Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor, and Sebec Lake. An annual trip to New York City, Boston, or Washington, D.C., is scheduled for all boarding students. Foxcroft Academy encourages students to attend a few cultural events each semester. On-campus choices include the regionally recognized fall musical, usually a well-known Broadway show such as Hello, Dolly! or Fiddler on the Roof, and a fall or spring music concert.

Tuition Fees

Foxcroft Academy’s tuition rate is one of the lowest in New England among competitive college-preparatory schools. For the 2008-09 school year day students pay $9600 in tuition. Room, board, and tuition for residential students total $29,650. There is a $1500 ESL fee and room deposit fee.

Admissions Information

Foxcroft Academy seeks students whose academic ability, motivation, and personal integrity will contribute to the school community. The ideal FA student is one who has a willingness to contribute to and gain from the rigorous college and vocational program offerings. Admission is based upon the candidate’s school record, application essay, teacher and counselor recommendations, and, whenever possible, standardized testing such as the SSAT, PSAT, SAT, TOEFL, or CAT. A $50 processing fee is required at the time of application. Although an interview is not required for admission, it is strongly suggested that, if possible, all students and their parents visit and schedule a meeting with the admissions director and/or the head of school.

Application Timetable

Admission is ongoing throughout the school year and summer; however, interested students are encouraged to apply as soon as possible. An admission decision is made within two weeks of the completion of the application.

ESL Programs

Yes, 3 Levels

Teacher/Student ratio

1:16

Quick Facts:

• SAT Score (average): 1780
• TOEFL Score (average): 92
• Number of students: 410
• Number of International Students: 65

Colleges Attended by Foxcroft Students in Last Two Years:

• Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Northeastern University, Michigan State University, Tufts University, New York University, Indiana University Bloomington, Penn State, Berklee School of Music, George Washington University, Stonehill College, Washington State University, SUNY - Stony Brook, University of Iowa, Purdue University, North Carolina State University, Northeastern University, Boston University, Johns Hopkins University, University of South Carolina, Syracuse University, University of Pittsburgh, Gonzaga Unversity, Indiana University Bloomington, Kyoto University, Arizona State University, Cornell University

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Contact Info

Closest international and local airports

Bangor International Airport, Bangor, Maine