By the end of 5^th grade, Liz was a self-described tomboy, a public school kid whose "closest friends were all boys" - perhaps not the most obvious candidate for an all-girls education.

So what was it like, a few months later, for her to dive into life at Dana Hall? "Of course it was new at first," says Liz, now a busy junior. "But once you get here, not having boys in class becomes normal -- and I haven't looked back." As she explains, "When we're here, it's school time, it's work time, and you can really focus. I love going to school here because no one is afraid to be themselves."

More striking than the lack of boys was the Middle School's intense and thoughtful focus on building each girl's research, writing, time management and study skills. "Middle School here is great for making the transition to the very challenging Upper School experience," says Liz. "You can always spot the ‘end-to-enders,' the girls who've been here straight through from 6^th grade, because even as juniors we all still organize our binders with the same color-coding system we learned back then! And the research method they taught us has been so important," Liz marvels. "I still use it - all of it."

Stepping up to the Upper School

One important change after Middle School is the shift away from taking all your classes with the same small group of girls. "Going into the Upper School," says Liz, "you take placement tests in math, language, and science, so you can take the courses that are right for you. You're assigned by ability, not age, so everyone's curriculum is different." One nice side-effect, as Liz explains: "I've never been in a class in the Upper School where it was just girls from my grade." 

Small classes are another signature of Dana Hall - and that's especially true for Upper School electives. "I was in ‘Spanish 4/5' last year - with six kids." Liz observes. "As our teacher said, ‘It's hard to get lost in a class like that!'"

The teachers you remember

Small classes obviously make it easier to build close connections to your teachers. Does Liz have any favorites? "Wow, there are so many!" she says. "They are so enthusiastic about what they're doing, just bubbling over with excitement. I remember one day my chemistry teacher was just stoked about this equation.  I didn't like chemistry at all, it was my hardest class -- but I actually looked forward to it the most. He would do cool things -- he would even blow things up sometimes. And he would always relate the material to our lives. We told him early on to relate everything to sports or food. So he'd ask, ‘How is the carbon dioxide dissolved in the Diet Coke?" Liz is also devoted to her faculty advisor. Liz was assigned to her in freshman year and has chosen her every year since. "Every week I just vent to her," says Liz. "She can fix anything!"

A new world of friends

And if Liz thinks of her teachers almost as friends, she also finds her classmates an unexpected source of learning: "At Dana Hall, it's not weird for me to hear four languages being spoken in the hallway.  I've learned so much just sitting at the lunch table!" says Liz, whose family is also hosting a Dana Hall girl from Korea. "I have friends from Honduras, Miami, Nigeria and Jamaica - and that's normal to me now.  We just had the Parade of Flags ceremony the other day, and there were 30-something countries represented."

With the support she feels from her teachers and friends, Liz doesn't find it too difficult to cope with the challenges of her final years at Dana Hall. "Junior year is the year of pressure," she acknowledges. "I do tons of stuff - I help run Blue Key, the group that gives campus tours. I do PEPM, the exercise program in the afternoon. I'm in the Gospel choir and the chamber singers, and I take voice lessons," says Liz. "I'm always busy -- but it's good busy. Ask me late at night when I'm working on a paper, and I might be a little grumpy," she says with a grin. "But mostly, it's great."