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Surrounded by New Hampshire’s lakes and White Mountains, Holderness School is an independent boarding and day school of joyful learners, adventurers, artists, advocates, and athletes.
At Holderness, students are respected, known, and challenged. Whether you’re interested in epic outdoor experiences, serving the community in our leadership program, or exploring your intellectual passions, Holderness is committed to the growth and success of each student. By graduation, Holderness students are prepared to excel in college and life.
"Holderness has been a wonderful experience for our daughter, so much so that her younger sister will also attend this fall!
Holderness faculty and staff truly care about the whole student; they are invested not only in their academic success, but also in their development as people. The focus on the whole student extends to life outside the classroom, and we are amazed at all the opportunities there are to engage with the community. We love the dedication to service on campus and in the surrounding areas, in the belief that doing for others makes all of us more complete. And Holderness’s unique place in the White Mountains of New Hampshire creates an incredibly special student experience." - Parent
Holderness is more than a school. It's an elevated experience.
The Holderness School is a private, coeducational college-preparatory day and boarding school for grades 9-12 & PG in New Hampshire.
ACADEMICS
At Holderness, the focus isn’t just on grades, or how well you perform on a test. Our broader goal is to help students develop a lifelong passion for learning. With small class sizes, interdisciplinary learning, and endless opportunities for real-world lessons in New Hampshire’s lakes and mountains, a high school education at Holderness fosters the growth of mind, body, and spirit. We have a robust curriculum, with a wide variety of classes in English, History, Science, Math, Languages, Visual & Performing Arts, and Theology & Religious Studies.
LEADERSHIP & SERVICE
Leadership and service are central to every aspect of our culture at Holderness. Since the 1930s, students - led by senior leaders - have worked alongside staff to help care for the wellbeing of the school. Today, students spend several hours each week working on grounds crews, giving Admission tours, serving as dinner stewards, leading campus sustainability and recycling efforts, and building community as house and floor leaders. Forty hours of community service are required for graduation, but students regularly go far beyond that.
OUTDOOR EDUCATION & ATHLETICS
Holderness counts Olympic skiers, world-class mountaineers, and everyday adventurers among its graduates. Situated at the confluence of New Hampshire’s mountains, lakes, and rivers, Holderness is the perfect home for students who love to play, live, and learn outdoors. For example, an 11-day winter backpacking expedition through New Hampshire’s White Mountains, Out Back has been a rite of passage for generations of Holderness students. We also offer a premiere snow-sports program, in addition to 34 Varsity and 18 JV teams in sports such as soccer, xc and track, basketball, hockey, lacrosse, tennis, baseball, and more.
BOARDING & STUDENT LIFE
At Holderness, community begins with relationships - the carefully tended bonds that unite us with friends, coaches, and teachers. With an 8:1 student to dorm parent ratio and seventeen dormitories, our campus feels like a neighborhood – a home away from home – where common rooms, hallways, and even dorm parent kitchens come to life with the sounds of laughter and friendship. We also have over 20 dogs on campus and are right down the road from downtown Plymouth, which boasts a variety of coffee shops, restaurants, performing arts venues, and more.
33 Chapel Lane, Holderness, NH 03245
Phone: (603) 536-1257
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Snowsports Virtual Panel: Thursday, January 16 | 7 PM
Alpine Ski Racing Meet & Greet: Sunday, January 26
Join us on Zoom to meet our snow sports coaches! The event will start with an overview of snow sports at Holderness and then you'll have a chance to break into sport specific rooms to meet and chat with coaches! Register now.
Join us at Mittersill Performance Center at Cannon Mountain to meet our alpine ski racing coaches, athletes, and alumni! Register now.
