High School, Grades 7-12 | Ashley Hall's Upper School

The Upper School: Grades 7-12

The Upper School at Ashley Hall features a dynamic and supportive community of faculty, staff, and students and includes seventh through twelfth grades. By emphasizing the growth of the individual through hands-on learning, the Upper School fully prepares students to become self-reliant, independent thinkers.

Classes promote student-directed conversations where everyone’s voice is heard and respected, and community partnerships connect students with valuable professional experiences and mentorships. With each succeeding year, students in the Upper School discover more opportunities to exercise their critical thinking through interdisciplinary studies such as those required by the Oral Defense Project, the Senior Thesis, and the Senior Project. Throughout, a global perspective infuses coursework and inspires extensive educational travel programs to both national and international destinations.

Inquire Today

Take a Virtual Tour of the Upper School

In Person Campus Tour

Experience Ashley Hall’s campus through an in-person guided tour by a member of our admission team. Click on the button below to register for your personal campus tour today. 

Register Now

Grades 7 & 8: The Nautilus Program within the Upper School

As part of the Upper School, the seventh and eighth grade Nautilus Program follows the same curriculum while offering additional signature programs that encourage girls to develop a voice both in and outside of the classroom. Fostering a sense of community, it seizes the opportunity to strengthen the bond and culture of connectedness during a crucial period of development for girls. Each initiative creates a familial, creative, collaborative, and student-driven experience. Faculty members celebrate and nurture the individual spirit of each girl while simultaneously ensuring she feels connected to a larger whole. Community partnerships, student-driven inquiry, and of course some amazing class adventures: Now that’s the way to swing into high school!

Download The Nautilus Program (Grades 7 & 8) Overview

Cultivating Intellectual Curiosity, Confidence and Purpose

Upper School Curriculum

The Upper School specializes in collaboration and teamwork while encouraging each girl to find and use her unique voice. Highlights include the following:

  • Upper School’s younger students—seventh and eighth graders—receive individualized attention that ensures a successful transition into Upper School life.
  • Beginning in eighth grade, students explore the humanities through the Harkness philosophy developed by Phillip Exeter Academy. Positioned around the oval Harkness table so everyone is seen and heard, students learn critical thinking by the sharing of ideas and opinions.
  • College counseling begins in earnest during 9th grade preparing the student for the formal application process.
  • The Upper School features a strong science program that emphasizes hand-on experiences. Students capitalize on partnerships with the Medical University of South Carolina working closely with leading researchers in various fields of medicine.
  • Fine arts opportunities abound with many girls participating in the school’s renowned Red Choir and Show Choir or various theater productions. Visual arts are explored through sketching and painting as well as sculpture.
  • The International Boarding Program at Ashley Hall begins in seventh grade and brings girls from around the world to study at Ashley Hall offering a global perspective to our campus.

Download The Upper School (Grades 7-12) Overview

An All-Girls' Education

The Power of An All Girls’ Education

Ashley Hall’s exceptional program is intentionally tailored to the way girls learn best—through collaboration, discussion, and individualized attention. The results are remarkable. Our graduates continue to impress with more than $9 million in merit scholarships garnered over the last five years, including three University of North Carolina Morehead Cain Scholars, one of the most prestigious scholarships extended.

Research About Girls’ Schools:

The Girls’ School Advantage at Ashley Hall

Why Girls’ Schools by the National Coalition of Girls’ Schools

Quick Facts about Girls’ Schools by the National Coalition of Girls’ Schools

Contact

Sara Stephenson
Director of Strategic Enrollment Management
Director of Admission for Grades 7-11
(843) 965-8514 | [email protected]

Connect with us

Ashley Hall is a K-12 independent school for girls, with a co-ed preschool, committed to a talented and diverse student population. We consider for admission students of any race, color, religion, and national or ethnic origin.
×