Winchester Thurston School

555 Morewood Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15213

P: 412-578-7515 F: 412-224-4588 www.winchesterthurston.org

GARY J. NIELS Head of School

PAM PRATT-GALIK Director of College Counseling

PATRICE ALAQUIVA ’06 Associate Director of College Counseling

CEEB Code: 393970

MISSION STATEMENT

Winchester Thurston School actively engages each student in a challenging and inspiring learning process that develops the mind, motivates the passion to achieve, and cultivates the character to serve. CREDO

Think also of the comfort and the rights of others. EQUITY AND INCLUSION STATEMENT

As a means to fulfill our credo, Winchester Thurston will be an inclusive community and will pursue the social and pedagogical benefits that diversity brings. We will place the highest value on enabling students to understand their own cultural identity and those of others. It is our moral imperative to be courageous and intentional in promoting understanding, addressing bias, identifying and honoring qualities of justice, respecting multiple perspectives and contributions, and valuing the dignity of all. THE SCHOOL AND THE COMMUNITY

Founded in 1887, Winchester Thurston School (WT), a coeducational Pre-Kindergarten through grade 12 independent school, has been recognized nationally as a leader in innovative teaching and programs for gifted and talented students. WT’s City as Our Campussm program was designated one of the top independent school programs in the nation when the Edward E. Ford Foundation awarded WT one of only four Educational Leadership Grants nationwide. This accolade came on the heels of WT’s designation as a Malone Scholars School by the John Malone Family Foundation for its challenging programs for gifted and talented students and for a remarkable commitment to financial aid.

ACADEMIC CALENDAR Trimester 1 will end on November 14, 2016 Trimester 2 will end on February 22, 2017 Commencement will be on June 4, 2017

Allegheny College (11)* American University (7)* Babson College (1) Baldwin-Wallace College (2) Beloit College (1) Berklee College of Music (1) Boston University (3)* Bowdoin College (1) Bowling Green State Univ. (2) Brandeis University (2) Brown University (3) Bucknell University (2) Capital University (1) Carleton College (2) Carlow University (1)* Carnegie Mellon University (10)* Case Western Reserve University (4) Colgate (1) College of William and Mary (1) Columbia University (1)* Columbus College of Art and Design (1)* Cornell University (3) Dartmouth College (1) Davidson College (2) Denison University (1) DePaul University (1) Dickinson College (4)* Drew University (1)* Drexel University (1) Duke University (3)* Duquesne University (3) Earlham College(1) East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania (1) Elon University (1) Emory University (1) Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, Los Angeles (1) Franklin and Marshall College (1)* Georgetown University (2) Georgia Institute of Technology (1) Gordon College (1) Green Mountain College (1) Grinnell College (1) Hamilton College (1) Hampton University (1)* Harvard University (2) Haverford College (1)* High Point University (1) Hiram College (1) Hofstra University (1)* Illinois In of Technology (3)* Indiana University at Bloomington (3)* Ithaca College (2) Jacobs University, Germany (1)*

James Madison University (2)

Kenyon College (3)

Lehigh University (3)*

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (2)

Michigan State University (1)

Morehouse College (1)

Muhlenberg College (1)

New York University (5)*

Northeastern Ohio Medical University (1)

Northeastern University (3)

Northwestern University (4)

Oberlin College (4)*

Oberlin Conservatory of Music (1)

Ohio Wesleyan University (1)

Otterbein University (1)

Pennsylvania State University (9)* Pennsylvania State University, Erie: The Behrend College (1)* Point Park University (3) Pomona College (1) Purdue University (3) Reed College (1) Rensselaer Polytechnic University (1)* Ringling College of Art and Design (1) Rochester Institute of Technology (2)* Roger Williams University (1) Rollins College (1) Sarah Lawrence College (1)*

COLLEGE MATRICULATION 2012-2016

Winchester Thurston School is a member

school of The Cum Laude Society. Students

are inducted in the spring of their senior

year.

ACADEMIC DISTRIBUTION REQUIREMENTS for the Class of 2017

Subject Area Minimum Number of Units or Required Level

Arts 10 credits in two of 4 departments (art, dance, drama, music) Computer Science 6 credits

English 24 credits (English is required all four years) Foreign Language Level III of one language (French, Latin, Mandarin, Spanish) Health 2 credits Social Studies 18 credits, including European History and U.S. History Mathematics Algebra II with Geometry, Year 2 Science 18 credits in three different lab science courses Speech 2 credits Physical Education 6 trimesters (no credit awarded)

Major courses earn two credits per trimester.

Overall Graduation Requirements: Minimum of 140 credits.

Lowest Passing Grade: D- Lowest Numerical Equivalency: A=90-100 B=80-89 C=70-79 D=60-69 “Good Standing”: C- or better average and no more than six credits of D or F for the year.

Winchester Thurston School does not figure class rank or g.p.a.

THE UPPER SCHOOL CURRICULUM WT is one of two schools

All courses at WT are rigorous and college preparatory. Rotating block scheduling allows for greater contact time and opportunities for field work. Moreover, a rich array of electives permits students to craft a curriculum that supports their interests and abilities, and stimulates their curiosity. Our teachers constantly update their teaching methods and course content to reflect innovations in education.

ADVANCED PLACEMENT During the 2015- 2016 WT offered 16 Advanced Placement courses:

Art History Computer Science A Physics C Biology English Language and Composition Psychology Calculus AB English Literature and Composition Spanish Language and Culture Calculus BC European History Statistics Chemistry French Language and Culture U.S. History Macroeconomics (Some students will also sit for the AP Microeconomics exam in May)

It is the school’s policy to permit any student to elect the challenge of an AP course; there is no prerequisite, but a student must obtain special permission to take more than two AP courses per year. All students in AP courses are required to sit for the corresponding exam.

THE POST-AP CURRICULUM WT recognizes that Advanced Placement is one way in which students may challenge themselves; but as students mature intellectually, it is important to provide opportunities for applying knowledge and developing vital 21st century skills.

Urban Research and Design, a year-long social studies course, focuses on urban problems through academic learning, field research in the community, and presentations of findings and solutions. AP AND COLLEGE BOARD RECOGNITION, 2009-2014

Research Science, a year-long course, emphasizes scientific research and the process of developing scientific knowledge. Students design and conduct independent research projects and are responsible for sharing their findings with the broader scientific community through local symposia, print media, or other suitable communication modes.

Advanced Topics in Mathematics is offered for students who wish to further their studies beyond Calculus 2 (Calculus BC). Course topics include linear algebra, multivariable calculus, number theory, probability, and combinatorics.

Computer Science Innovations II involves students in full-scale research projects to solve real-world problems using computer science. Students may choose a new project, or may work to refine the research performed in Computer Science Innovations I.

Algorithm Design is a capstone course which drives students to more fully develop their computational problem-solving skills. Real-life challenges test students’ knowledge of algorithm design as well as best software-engineering practices, and assessment is based on the elegance and efficiency of the solution.

MALONE SCHOOLS ONLINE NETWORK: The Malone Schools Online Network (MSON) provides upper level students at participating schools with a variety of online courses that enhance each member school's existing curriculum. These courses are taught by experts in their fields and are targeted to the most talented students at member schools. These students demonstrate sufficient independence and commitment to succeed in a virtual discussion seminar setting. In 2016-2017, WT students were offered and are enrolled in the following MSON courses:

Advanced Topics in Chemistry

Arabic I and II

Astronomy

Diversity in a Global Comparative Perspective

Environmental Bioethics

Etymology of Scientific Terms

Fundamentals of Nuclear Science

Health Physics and Nuclear Technology

Introduction to Organic Chemistry

Medical Bioethics

Savannah College of Art and Design (1) School of Visual Arts (1) Seton Hill University (1) Shepherd University (1) Skidmore College (1) Spellman College (1)* Stanford University (2)* State University of New York at Albany (1) Swarthmore College (3)* Syracuse University (3) Temple University (1) The College of Wooster (3) The George Washington University (3) The New School – Eugene Lang College (2)* Thiel College (1) Trinity College (1) Tufts University (1) Tulane University (4)* University of Arizona (2) University of California, Berkeley (1) University of California, Los Angeles (1) University of California San Diego (1) University of California, Santa Cruz (1) University of Chicago (4)* University of Cincinnati (2) University of Colorado at Boulder (1) University of Dallas (1) University of Delaware (2) University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (3) University of Maine (1) University of Maryland, College Park (6)* University of Maryland, Baltimore County (1) University of Miami (1) University of Michigan (2)* University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (1) University of No. Carolina School of the Arts (1) University of Notre Dame (1) University of Pennsylvania (6)* University of Pittsburgh (22)* University of Pittsburgh ( Honors College) (6) University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg (1) University of Pittsburgh at Titusville (1) University of Rochester (1) University of Southern California (1) University of Vermont (1) University of Virginia (2)* University of Wisconsin (1) University of Zürich (1) Vanderbilt University (3)* Vassar College (2) Villanova University (1) Wake Forest University (1) Washington and Jefferson College (2) Washington College (1) Washington University in St. Louis (5)* Wellesley College (1) West Chester University of Pennsylvania (1)* Wheaton College (MA) (1) Wheeling Jesuit University (1) Wofford College (2) Worcester Polytechnic Institute (1) Xavier University (1) Yale University (3)*

*= Class of 2016

58% of the Class of 2016 are attending

MOST Selective Schools, according to

Barron’s Profiles of American Colleges.

College Choice Information

THE CLASS OF 2017 The class of 2017 has 57 members

GRADE DISTRIBUTION FOR CLASS OF 2017 FOR SELECTED COURSES, 2015-2016 (Junior Year)

A A- B+ B B- C+ C C- D+ D D- F Total AP English Language 3 3 6 9 3 2 2 28 English Electives (3) 8 11 3 3 4 29 AP U.S. History 2 1 4 3 3 3 3 19 Cont. American History 6 3 2 2 13 History Electives (2) 2 1 4 4 1 2 17 AP Chemistry 5 2 3 2 1 13 Biology (LAB) 11 12 8 2 1 34 Environmental Biology 6 1 2 1 10 AP Calculus AB 2 3 1 4 2 2 1 15 AP Calculus BC 6 1 7 Pre-Calculus 6 3 2 4 2 2 17 Summer Pre-Calculus* 1 3 1 5 Spanish 4 2 3 1 6 French 4 3 2 1 1 1 8 Latin 3 10 1 1 12 Chinese 5 1 1

*Summer Pre-Calculus is an enrichment class that allows students to enter AP Calculus AB following Algebra II with Geometry, Year 2. GRADE DISTRIBUTION FOR CLASS OF 2017 FOR SELECTED COURSES, 2013-2014 (Sophomore Year)

A A- B+ B B- C+ C C- D+ D D- F Total English 1-: Intro to Brit Lit 15 18 10 9 5 3 60 AP European History 3 7 5 11 5 - 1 32 Cont. American History 10 2 2 10 1 - 2 27 Chemistry LAB 14 10 5 7 2 3 2 2 1 46 Algebra II with Geo, Yr. 2 13 5 3 2 1 1 1 26 Pre-Calculus 6 3 9

Summer Pre-Calculus* 2 1 3 Spanish 3 1 4 2 4 1 11 French 3 5 1 1 2 1 10 Latin 2 8 2 1 11 Chinese 4 2 1 3 6

*Summer Pre-Calculus is an enrichment class that allows students to enter AP Calculus AB following Algebra II with Geometry, Year 2.

College Board 2012 – 2016

Distribution of SAT scores for students in the class of 2017, October 2016-June 2016 Old Sat

(10/15 through 1/16) Total # of Students: 55 New Sat

(3/16 through 6/16) Total # of Students: 25 Critical Reading Math Writing Score EBRW Math

15 11 16 700-800 5 7

15 23 14 600-699 16 9

17 14 19 500-599 3 8

8 7 6 400-499 1 1

0 0 0 399 and below 0 0

Advanced Placement Recognition National Merit Recognition

Class of: 2013 2014 2015 2016 4-year colleges 100% 100% 100% 100% Private 72% 69% 71% 73% Pennsylvania colleges (public and private)

37% 36% 23% 37%

Year

# of Students sitting for AP exams

# of Different AP Exams

Total % of Grades 3 or Above

# of National AP Scholars

# of AP Scholars with Distinction

# of Scholars with Honor

# of AP Scholars

% of AP Test Takers Recognized

# of National Merit Semifinalists

# of Commended

% of Class Recognized

2016 150 333 85% 7 34 11 24 46% 3 8 20%

2015 149 315 91% 6 29 9 34 52% 7 8 30%

2014 157 319 80% 5 28 12 26 30% 4 4 15%

2013 141 288 83% 9 30 7 15 43% 4 7 18%

2012 129 318 91% 4 31 10 23 52% 8 4 23%