Walnut Hill School for the Arts
- Private, Boarding
- NATICK, MA
Private School
Walnut Hill School for the Arts
- grade A+Overall Grade
- Private, Boarding
- 9-12
- NATICK, MA
- Rating 3.84 out of 5 85 reviews
Report Card
- Academicsgrade A
- Diversitygrade A
- Teachersgrade B minus
- College Prepgrade A
- Clubs & Activitiesgrade C+
- Sportsgrade unavailable
About
Applying
Application Deadline
Rolling Admissions
Application Fee
No data available
Interview Required
Yes
Required/Recommended Tests
No data available
Tuition
Yearly Tuition
$55,000
Tuition is for the highest grade offered and may have changed for the current school year. For more information, please contact the school.
Boarding (Tuition + Boarding)
$71,600
Received Financial Aid
34%
Average Financial Aid
$27,600
From Walnut Hill School for the Arts
Walnut Hill School for the Arts is an independent boarding and day high school offering a transformational educational experience designed for student artists in grades 9–12, with a postgraduate year also available. We offer unparalleled training in dance; music; theater; visual art; and writing, film & media arts, complemented by a robust, college-preparatory academic curriculum. Students from across the country and around the globe come together to form a dynamic community on our scenic campus located in Natick, Massachusetts, just west of Boston. Walnut Hill also offers immersive summer arts programs in dance, youth dance, and theater. The perfect blend of serious study and summer fun, Walnut Hill’s programs offer intensive training within a supportive, creative environment.
Upcoming Events
Walnut Hill School for the Arts Rankings
Niche ranks nearly 100,000 schools and districts based on statistics and millions of opinions from students and parents.
Academics
Average Graduation Rate
100%
Average SAT
1300
72 responses
Average ACT
30
23 responses
Popular Colleges
Niche users from this school are most interested in the following colleges.
Culture & Safety
Poll
77%
of students agree that they feel safe at their school. 13 responsesPoll
69%
of students agree that they like their school and feel happy there. 13 responsesBoarding
Students Boarding
90%
Boarding Days Per Week
7-day
Top Countries
Canada, China, Mexico, South Korea, Taiwan, Province of China
International Boarding Students
30%
Students
Diversity
grade A
Based on racial and economic diversity and survey responses on school culture and diversity from students and parents.
Students
284
77%
of students and parents agree that students at this school are competitive. 13 responses100%
of students and parents agree that students at this school are creative and artsy. 13 responses0%
of students and parents agree that students at this school are athletic. 13 responsesTeachers
Student-Teacher Ratio
6:1
National
17:1Poll
73%
of students and parents agree that the teachers give engaging lessons. 15 responsesPoll
80%
of students and parents agree that the teachers genuinely care about the students. 15 responsesPoll
93%
of students and parents agree that the teachers adequately lead and control the classroom. 15 responsesMap
Map
Home Listings
Clubs & Activities
Clubs & Activities
grade C+
Based on student and parent reviews of clubs and activities.
Girls Athletic Participation
No data available
Boys Athletic Participation
No data available
83%
of students and parents agree that there are plenty of clubs and organizations for students to get involved in. 12 responses83%
of students and parents agree that clubs and organizations get the funding they need. 12 responses67%
of students and parents agree that lots of students participate in clubs and organizations. 12 responsesWalnut Hill School for the Arts Reviews
Rating 3.84 out of 5 85 reviews
I am a Walnut Hill graduate and am very disappointed with the organization and allocation of funds. Large pools of money fund certain areas, while other departments are left penniless. Teachers spend budgets carelessly without considering what is beneficial. Unprofessional art teachers create and stir up issues for their own entertainment. Teachers overshare personal matters and openly speak ill of students behind their backs. Academic department is an afterthought, with an unfair grading system that benefits “troubled kids”. Would not recommend. Any art skills that you think you will learn here can be learned via youtube.
Most of what makes being a student at Walnut Hill enjoyable is thanks to the student body, and their overall passion for the art forms they choose to pursue. While there are some great teachers, the academic department is relatively disorganized and at times pretty unprofessional. The artistic departments vary in intensity and professionalism. The food fluctuates in quality (and repeats menus on a fairly regular schedule), but overall is pretty good. The college counseling department is one of the best assets to the student body and functions strangely well considering how some of the other parts of the school work. To make your experience as a Walnut Hill student worth it, you need to seek out your own opportunities and put in the hard work in your classes/projects. If you are at all not happy with your artistic studies/if they are not focused on what you are truly passionate about, ask for help and find your niche (whether in a different part of school or elsewhere).
I am a recent graduate of WHS. My four years at this school were definitely NOT worth it. The most significant issue I experienced during my time there was the quality of the academics and faculty. The teachers lacked the skills to educate; most classes consisted of simply working on a paper without learning anything. It was mainly self-directed learning, particularly in math. The teachers would not provide lectures; instead, they would assign homework that we had to solve on our own. Even when students seek assistance, they simply say, "I know you know this," and never actually help. Also, barely anyone really shows up to classes because they know they won't learn anything. This school's only strong point is its arts program, but it did not live up to expectations. Throughout the four years, we would take the same exact classes, with no variety. In terms of dorms and food, the buildings are all old and musty, and the meals are disgusting; I had to order food every day.