New Boarding Students

New students should expect to have a roommate. Having a roommate is an important part of the boarding experience and provide new students with a partner to navigate the residential life experience.

New boarding students meet their roommates on move-in day (September 1!), which makes move-in day even more exciting.

In the spring, new boarding students will be asked to complete a Roommate Questionnaire, which will help Student Affairs and the Admission Office make roommate matches. At the beginning of the year, the Residential Life staff facilitates a roommate workshop to help students communicate their needs and desires for a healthy roommate relationship and boarding environment.  

Each of the dorms has its own small community, with characteristics that may change from year to year depending on the students who live there. The four Johnston dorms are mixed-grades, while many juniors and seniors live across campus in Wheeler. Each dorm has proctors, who are student leaders who help maintain the rules of the dorm and serve as mentors and friends to younger students. Dorms have shared kitchens, bathrooms and “hang out” places with TVs, books and games. Residents come together for weekly dorm meetings and dorm snacks. Each dorm has one or two adults living there, including House Directors and House Assistants.

There is a student laundry room located in the basement of the Johnston dorms. Since the Johnstons are all connected, the laundry room is used by the residents of Johnston A, B, C and D. There are multiple washers and dryers, and drying racks. Wheeler also has washers and dryers. No need to bring spare change or purchase a laundry card — laundry facilities are free of charge!

Evening Study Hall locations and privileges differ from grade to grade, but the time is the same for everyone: 7-9 p.m. You can count on the dorms being silent and some academic resources being available during this time. This structure and routine are a great benefit for boarding students.

Weekend activities are open to day and boarding students. Members of the Student Activities Club help plan weekend activities, which consist of both structured and unstructured opportunities for students to mingle, relax, recharge, socialize and learn.

A variety of activities are offered in the dorms each weekend on both Friday and Saturday evenings, which provide many opportunities for bonding and connecting with peers. Some favorite activities include, movies and snacks, jewelry making, knitting and crocheting, self care events — journaling, manicures and pedicures, cookie and cupcake decorating, art projects and board games.

Off campus weekend activities often include restaurant and museum trips, community service trips, movie/mall trips, and fun cultural experiences. Popular among our students are the Institute of Contemporary Art in the Seaport District of Boston, public skating at Boston Common Frog Pond, lunch in Koreatown, volunteer work at the Red Cross Food Pantry, and skiing in New Hampshire. Students use funds from their Student Activities account to participate in weekend activities.

Yes! Students visit Boston on the weekends as long as their parent/guardian has granted them permission to do so. The list of things to do there is endless: visit the MFA or another museum, go ice skating in Boston Common, shop around Newbury Street, visit China- or Korea-town, or just grab a meal or treats! Student Affairs also coordinates a variety of weekend activities, and many of these trips include traveling to Boston.

In addition to Boston, Dana Hall's campus is walking distance to the center of Wellesley, and students have the independence to walk to town when they are free during the week or weekends. Students may sign out and take advantage of the amenities downtown including the town library, post office, banks and pharmacies. In addition, Wellesley has a college town charm, offering a bookstore, cafes, pizza shops, shopping and Truly’s (our spot for ice cream and frozen yogurt). Dana Hall utilizes an app called REACH boarding, which allows families to indicate their permission for students to depart campus while at school. Students use this system to sign-out when they wish to leave campus. 


During school breaks when the dorms close, boarding students either travel home or make individual travel plans with family/relatives, friends, emergency guardians, local hosts and/or a hire service. We know these breaks can sometimes present challenges, particularly for international families. If students are not able to go home on short breaks, the School can help assist with connecting a student with a local family. Hosts are current Dana Hall day students and local boarding families. At times, there are Upper School-wide trips offered during those short breaks/holidays.

Students submit travel forms in advance of school breaks, and Student Affairs will arrange transportation service to Logan Airport for major vacation travel (Thanksgiving, Winter and Spring Breaks), as requested. Logan Airport provides domestic and international service and is about a 30-minute drive from campus. When making transportation arrangements, families will need to factor in travel time and an approximate arrival time of two hours for domestic flights and three hours for international flights. We ask students to avoid booking flights that would require them to leave the dorm prior to 6 a.m. or arrive after 9 p.m.

The start of each school year is organized around welcoming new students. During orientation, there are special activities for all new Upper School students (including students coming from our Middle School), and each new student is paired with a Big Sister. Big Sisters (current students) will reach out to their Little Sisters (new students) over the summer. The Big Sister/Little Sister program helps new students with the transition as it allows them to ask questions and get advice as they prepare for the new year. Big Sisters will be there to welcome their Little Sisters during their first few days on campus.

After learning the basics of navigating the School, students engage in grade-level retreats and enjoy our annual Harbor Cruise in Boston.

Our students’ safety and well-being are Dana Hall’s top priorities. Campus security is a responsibility we take very seriously. Ongoing measures include:

• Regular student check-ins on evenings and weekends
• Monitored cameras throughout our campus and facilities
• ID-card access for all buildings related to student activity 
• Campus Safety staff members on duty 24 hours a day/7 days a week; they patrol campus day and night.
• We routinely train and practice age-appropriate lockdown drills with our students.
• Dana Hall has a close relationship with the Wellesley Police department, with officers frequently visiting our campus. Administrators routinely meet with the Wellesley Chief of Police to review the School’s safety practices and crisis management protocols.

A team of professionals provides Dana Hall students with comprehensive health care and counseling services at the Health Center located within the Shipley Center. Medical services are staffed by a nurse practitioner, registered nurses, mental health counselors, and athletic trainers who are on call 24/7 and supported by a consulting physician. With a 7-bed infirmary and private room, the Health Center is well-equipped to care for illnesses and injuries common to students. Our closest hospital is just 10-minutes away; Newton-Wellesley Hospital is a comprehensive medical center that provides the services and expertise of a major medical facility with the convenience and personal attention of a community hospital. In addition, the city of Boston is home to some of the best hospitals in the world and are an ideal resource for our students when necessary. The Health Center assists in setting-up medical appointments and arranging for off-campus transportation with a Dana Hall faculty/staff member. 

Dana Hall uses the REACH Student Life Management system to coordinate permissions and sign-outs. Boarding students use REACH to manage “Leave Requests” for all off-campus sign-outs and overnight/weekend permissions and parents/guardians can grant permission for these “Leave Requests” via email. REACH can be used from any electronic device via an app or an internet browser and can be translated in most languages.