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About Cascadilla

   Welcome to the Cascadilla School Web site, which we hope will not only give you a good idea of what happens inside our stimulating classrooms and provide you with detailed admissions information, but also give you some helpful insights into what it´s like to live, work, and learn at the Cascadilla School. We invite you to take some time to explore the site and learn more about our unique community and the Cascadilla experience.

About The Cascadilla School

    We are a co-educational boarding and day school founded in 1876 as a college preparatory high school for Cornell University, one of the nation´s leading academic and research universities and a member of the Ivy League. The Cascadilla School is a nonprofit, tax-exempt institution governed by an independent Board of Trustees. The school offers students an accelerated curriculum in grades nine through twelve as well as in a post graduate year. The Cascadilla School is recognized and accredited by the New York State Department of Education and has maintained its historical association with Cornell University through the extensive use of its libraries, dining halls, and other teaching facilities. Students from all over the world are guided by an expert faculty on our campus in the small college town of Ithaca, located in the beautiful Finger Lakes region of central New York. Cascadilla graduates go on to matriculate at leading colleges and universities.

    For over 130 years, the Cascadilla School has built a strong college preparatory school that is based on the principle of engaging and teaching each student. Cascadilla offers a wide variety of courses so that each student has the opportunity to enroll in a challenging and rewarding curriculum that not only gives students a grounding in basic skills but also rewards their curiosity, initiative, and reflection. Our open enrollment policy allows students to join a class at any time during the school year. The Accelerated Program allows students to earn one full unit of credit in one semester. Our academic program includes Advanced Placement courses, foreign languages, and English as a Second Language.

    We know that individual students learn differently. We believe that each student benefits from small classes, a nurturing community, and teachers who understand and respect that student as an individual. Because classes at Cascadilla are small, averaging only five students per class, they quickly become defined by the participation of each and every student. In every class, our teachers easily spot individual talents, strengths, and learning gaps.

    The high school years are a critical period in every young adult´s life. At the Cascadilla School, it is our enduring commitment to connect with students, because it´s the time to connect. Our classes expose students to a wide variety of subject matter and teaching styles and give them a rigorous preparation for the kind of advanced study they need for college and for life. We provide a safe environment for students to make mistakes and to learn from them. We encourage students to think for themselves and to become adept at expressing original ideas. Through close relationships with adults and their teachers, students acquire the critical learning skills and the confidence that will ensure success in college and beyond.

Cascadilla School · 116 Summit Street · Ithaca, New York · 14850

Tel. 607-272-3110 · Fax. 607-272-0747

email: admissions@cascadillaschool.org

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