Our Graduates
Waldorf education develops lifelong learners and remains with graduates as a touchpoint for that which is true, good, and beautiful. They carry a quiet confidence about their capabilities and potential: eager to engage in class discussions, confident when conversing with adults, infused with creative curiosity. The following video clip is a glimpse into our alumni panel from January 2019, filmed and edited for us by alumnus Henry James, who graduated from our 8th grade in 2018.
Repeatedly, our Admissions team hears how well-prepared HVWS graduates are socially, academically, and personally. Each year we survey our graduates at the end of 9th grade. The following is a summary of typical student responses.
In Academics, they tend to:
- be well-rounded, creative thinkers;
- have strong study skills and place into honors classes;
- have a more cosmopolitan worldview than peers because of their exposure to the world’s great ideas, literature, and religions, plus eight years of German and Spanish language and culture;
- be ahead of peers in Language Arts, Social Studies, Drama, Music, and Fine and Applied Arts;
- be at grade level in Math and Foreign Languages;
- find high school sciences to be taught in a narrower, more quantitative approach.
In Attitude, they tend to be:
- enthusiastic about school and interested in learning because they’ve been taught imaginatively and artistically;
- more likely to expect good, trusting relationships with teachers because they are used to teachers who care deeply about them;
- more self-possessed than peers, because of years of experience with reciting, singing, acting and public speaking;
- emotionally mature for their age because their developmental stages have been honored and supported at HVWS;
- able to land on their feet and have a relatively short transition to other school environments.
Socially, they tend to:
- have high levels of tolerance for diversity because of our curriculum’s emphasis on cooperative, empathetic, humane relationships;
- seek in-depth friendships because of their lasting bonds with HVWS classmates, who are almost like siblings.
Physically, they are:
- graceful, coordinated and upright because of their years of movement training — not only in Eurythmy and Physical Education but in all the classes incorporating movement in the early grades, notably Math and Language Arts.
Where Do Our Graduates Go to High School?
- Amity Regional High School
- Avon Old Farms
- Berkshire Waldorf High School
- Bethel High School
- Brewster High School
- Brookfield High School
- Canterbury School
- Crossroads School
- Danbury High School
- Emerson Waldorf School
- Fairfield Warde High School
- Hawthorne Valley Waldorf School
- Henry Abbott Technical High School
- High Mowing Waldorf High School
- Immaculate High School
- Islesboro Central School
- Joel Barlow High School
- Joseph A. Foran High School
- Mahopac High School
- Milford High School/Center for Education Arts
- New Milford High School
- Newtown High School
- Nonnewaug High School
- Pomperaug High School
- Regional Center for the Arts
- Ridgefield High School
- Sacred Heart Academy
- Shelton High School
- Shepaug Valley High School
- Staples High School
- The Gunnery
- The Harvey School
- Toronto Waldorf School
- Waterbury Arts Magnet School
- Weston High School
- Westover School
- Wilton High School
- Winston Preparatory School
- Woodbury High School
- Wooster School
Where Do Our Graduates Go to College?
- Alfred University
- American University
- Boston College
- Brandeis University
- California State University, Northridge
- Carnegie Mellon University
- College of the Atlantic
- Colorado College
- Cornell University
- Eastern Connecticut State University
- Endicott College
- Fairfield University
- Fisher College
- Fordham University
- George Washington University
- Gettysburg College
- Hampshire College
- High Point University
- Hofstra University
- James Madison University
- Loyola University Maryland
- Maryville College
- Massachusetts College of Art and Design
- Mercy College
- Mitchell College
- New England Institute of Technology
- New York University
- Ohio Wesleyan University
- Parsons The New School For Design
- Quinnipiac University
- Roanoke College
- Sacred Heart University
- Siena College
- Saint Andrews University Scotland
- Saint Joseph’s University
- Skidmore College
- Southern Connecticut State University
- State University of New York at Purchase
- Saint Joseph’s University
- St. Lawrence University
- Unity College
- University of Connecticut
- University of Kentucky
- University of Maine
- University of New England
- University of New Hampshire
- University of New Haven
- University of Rhode Island
- University of Vermont
- Virginia Tech
- Wentworth Institute of Technology
- Western Connecticut State University
- Western Kentucky University
- Western Washington University
- York College
Testimonials
What Graduates are Saying
“This distinctive approach to education was pivotal to the shaping of my present-day mind, one that is now able and hungry to make large-scale connections not only in academic environments but also in all environments where I exist as a student and world citizen.”
“Instead of just listening to facts and writing them down, at Waldorf School you draw pictures of the different things you learn…On field trips to museums, we were always the weird Waldorf class, which sat down on the floor and started drawing something from the exhibit. We all didn’t always want to draw something but thinking back I can picture many of the drawings I have done of all different topics. Many of the most memorable drawings were the ones that didn’t turn out so well, ones that were challenging to draw.”
“One of the most valuable experiences was how I was taught. I never felt rushed to learn and no lesson ever felt pointless. In addition, having breaks during the day where I could go outside and move was good.”