Oli at a Glance & FAQs
Oliverian is a school like no other – a home away from home, a vibrant and caring community, a place to find your place.
We are a college-preparatory high school serving grades 9 through 12. We also offer post-graduate (PG) experiences for students who have finished high school but want to advance their academic, social, and/or independent living skills before going to college.
Our school is intentionally small, with an enrollment of about 40 students! We are gender inclusive and all of our students live on campus. Our students hail from all across the country, and around the world.
Did we already mention that we are small? That small enrollment allows for exceptional staff to student ratios. With an overall staff to student ratio of 1.2 to 1, our classes average 7 students, and our typical counseling caseload is 12 students. Our dorms range in size from 7 to 19 beds.
Wrap-around student support includes: daily academic advisory, a supportive dorm environment that teaches social-emotional and life skills, and weekly sessions (more if needed) with a master’s level mental health counselor.
We support students every step of the way through the college process, from identifying appropriate schools, to taking SAT and ACT, to applications.
Oliverian is a warm and relaxed “home away from home.” Students experience a family vibe with most faculty and staff living on campus. We take pride in our caring and accepting community.
At Oliverian, adventure is for everyone! Opportunities abound for hiking, rock climbing, skiing & snowboarding, ice skating, camping, paddling, mountain biking, and more.
Art & Music offerings are ever-changing to create new opportunities for students to express themselves creatively: ceramics, painting, sculpture, song-writing, instrumental study, vocal training, and rock band… just to name a few!
Stewardship at Oliverian means care of the land, community, and self. Activities include gardening, homesteading, fruit tree cultivation, wildlife tracking, spoon carving, and more!
Past trips have included:
Iceland, Greece, Italy, France, Peru, Honduras, Sailing the Keys, Harvard Model Congress, and more!
Located in Pike, New Hampshire, in a mountain valley adjacent to the White Mountain National Forest and contiguous with an 1800-2000 acre recreational wilderness trust with hiking, skiing, and mountain biking trails, cabins, streams, and a high ropes course; five minutes from the Appalachian Trail; 25 minutes from Cannon Mountain ski resort; 45 minutes from Dartmouth College.
Read reviews and testimonials straight from our alumni.
Oli FAQs
Oliverian is an alternative to both. We are a college-preparatory high school with a very high staff to student ratio, small individualized classes, and academic, counseling, and social-skills support. As such, we are a hybrid school that combines the best of traditional, alternative, and therapeutic education for students who want support but in a “normal” school environment.
Oliverian is a non-profit 501(c)3 governed by a voluntary board of trustees.
No. Oliverian is a completely independent non-profit boarding school.
We average about seven (7) students per class.
Oliverian is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC).
Yes. We have always been a proudly diverse and accepting community.
Yes! Moving back and forth between school and home is an important part of our school culture and helps students (and families) learn to manage transitions. We have regular school vacations between each term during which all students leave campus. Students also have a limited number of home visits allowable each term. We encourage keeping these to a minimum since much of our social skills learning and extra curriculars happen on weekends.
Yes. It is critical that students learn experientially how to manage these freedoms. However, during the school day we are cell-phone free. We offer feedback, support, and counseling when students are found to be abusing technology. When appropriate, access to these items may be temporarily restricted.
Students help create and select extracurricular activities. Depending on interest, students might ski, shop, spend a day at the beach in Maine or at a local lake, go into town for pizza or Thai food, hike, rock climb, go to the movies, et cetera. Students also have opportunities for interscholastic soccer and basketball per demand.
Our meals are prepared by a trained chef using locally sourced—often organic, free range, and grass fed—ingredients. Meals are healthy and delicious and served family style in our dining hall where students eat with our faculty and their families.
Our small community is extremely accepting and most students find it easier than usual to connect and find friends here.
Yes. Each student is assigned a therapist, and will receive counseling weekly, or more frequently as needed.
We have a very typical ratio of approximately 60% girls and 40% boys.
Yes! We are happy to arrange for prospective students to speak with current student, both during a campus visit and via video calls. You can also read alumni reviews and testimonials here to get a better sense of Oliverian students and their success stories.
Prospective families should speak with our admissions office at 888.922.5565, Admissions@oliverianschool.org (you can request a conference with any school leadership or staff through this office). Enrolled families can feel free to ask their advisor or any other member of the faculty or leadership team.
Start your journey to finding your place in the world