Boarding community, dorms, residential life

Our Mission

The Athenian School prepares students for the rigorous expectations of college and for a life of purpose and personal fulfillment.

We offer a challenging academic program with a difference: intellectual inquiry is active, learning is interactive, the disciplines are interrelated, and analysis and creativity thrive simultaneously. The acquisition of knowledge becomes authentic and joyous.

We cultivate the personal qualities of each student to become an integrated human being with integrity, strong moral character, aesthetic sensitivity, and physical well being. The Athenian community requires students to face life directly through open communication, while developing their inner strength to exceed their perceived potential and emerge compassionate, responsible adults.

We instill an appreciation of the reciprocal relationship between the individual and cultures, society and the natural world. We value the power and beauty of multiculturalism within our diverse community. We embrace the principles of democratic governance, stewardship of the environment, respect for human dignity, and service as a way of life.

By providing an atmosphere of intellectual, artistic, and physical challenge within the warmth of a nurturing community, we develop in our students the confidence and skills required to meet the complexities of their future.

What We Offer

Athenian offers a beautiful and well-equipped 75-acre campus of oak-covered hills at the base of Mt. Diablo in Danville, just 32 miles east of San Francisco. The Athenian School is fully accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges and the California Association of Independent Schools.

Athenian buses transport students to and from many East Bay communities (from Berkeley/Oakland to Pleasanton/ Livermore), meeting the Bay Area Rapid Transit System (BART) at four stations.

Athenian faculty are noted for expertise in their subjects, enthusiasm for teaching, dynamic classes, multiple roles on campus, and strong connection with students. 74% hold MAs or Ph.D. degrees. Athenian faculty bring a wealth of real-life experience to the classroom. Athenian faculty are published authors, Peace Corps volunteers, lab scientist, marathon runners, conference presenters, wilderness first responders, business owners, and former college professors.

The Admission Committee seeks students who bring a strong academic record, show readiness for Athenian’s rigorous curriculum, fit with our mission and programs, and contribute positively to our community of learners. The Committee considers the whole student, including grades, writing, student statements, a parent questionnaire, teacher recommendations, admission testing, and a student visit.

Distinctive Features

Middle School Focus Days energize learning with challenging and engaging projects and activities.
The Athenian experience is international, with students enrolled from around the world and opportunities to spend time outside the United States through exchanges, community service projects, and conferences.
Athenian practices democracy as students share their ideas and are involved in the decisions which affect them.
Every student has an opportunity to learn design and engineering in our Carter Innovation Studio (engineering and design classes, robotics, programming, airplane construction, and more).
The Athenian Wilderness Experience, required in grade 11, builds teamwork and confidence for college and life.

Student Body

List of 4 items.

Boarding Students

• Sixty Boarding Students from around the country and the world attend Athenian
   • International and domestic students join in a cross-cultural boarding experience.
   • Recent international students have represented more than 13 countries.
   • Recent domestic boarding students have attended from throughout the Bay Area, California and the United States (typically from the West).
Day Students

431 Day Students come from throughout the East Bay to attend Athenian.
• 51% from the local area (Alamo, Danville, Diablo and San Ramon)
   • 17% from Oakland, Berkeley, and El Cerrito
   • 13% from Walnut Creek and Concord
   • 7% from Lafayette, Moraga and Orinda
   • 11% from Pleasanton, Dublin, and Livermore
   • 1% from other Bay Area communities
   Note: A greater number of students attend the Upper School from the Oakland/Berkeley area.
Diversity

The Athenian student body exhibits a rich variety of ethnic, cultural, geographic and socioeconomic backgrounds.
   • 59% of the student body are students of color: African-American, Asian, Asian-American, Hispanic/Latino, Indian/Native American, Indian or Middle Eastern.
   • International students represent more than 20 different countries or special territories: China, Colombia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Panama, Philippines, Romania, Russia, South Africa, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.
   • The financial aid budget, over $3.5 million, supports socioeconomic diversity (22% receive aid).
Athenian's Buses

Our buses transport students daily throughout the East Bay (from Berkeley/Oakland to Pleasanton/Livermore), meeting them at six Bay Area Rapid Transit System (BART) stations.

College Admissions

Athenian’s college counselors identify colleges and universities that are well-matched to each student’s talents, interests, and aspirations. In the past four years, nearly 100% of Athenian graduates earned admission to over 220 outstanding four-year colleges and universities. Colleges in which Athenian graduates enrolled are in bold. The colleges which admitted Athenian graduates include:

Middlesex University (UK)

*University of Minnesota

University of Mississippi

Montana State University, Bozeman

Morehouse College

Mount Holyoke College

Muhlenberg College

University of Nevada, Reno

University of New England

The College of New Jersey

University of New Mexico

New Mexico Institute of Mining & Technology

New York School of Interior Design

*New York University

University of North Carolina, Charlotte

University of North Carolina, Wilmington

University of N. Carolina School of the Arts

*Northeastern University

*Northern Arizona University

Northwestern University

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame de Namur University

Nottingham Trent University (UK)

*Oberlin College

*Occidental College

Ohio University

Ohio Wesleyan University

*Olin College of Engineering

Oregon State University

*University of Oregon

Otis College of Art & Design

*Oxford Brookes University (UK)

*Oxford College of Emory

Pace University

Pacific Lutheran University

*Pacific Northwest College of Art

*Pacific University

*University of the Pacific

*Pennsylvania State University

*University of Pennsylvania

Pepperdine University

Philadelphia University

*University of Pittsburgh

*Pitzer College

Point Loma Nazarene University

*Pomona College

Portland State University

*University of Portland

*Pratt Art Institute

*Prescott College

*Princeton University

*University of Puget Sound

*Purdue University

Quinnipiac University

Randolph-Macon College

*University of Redlands

*Reed College

Regis University

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

*Rhode Island School of Design

Rhodes College

Rice University

University of Richmond

*Richmond, The American International

University in London

*Ringling College of Art & Design

Robert Morris University

*University of Rochester

*Rochester Institute of Technology

*Rollins College

Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

Rosemont College

Rutgers, State University of New Jersey

Saint John’s College (NM)

*Saint Mary’s College of California

Salve Regina University

University of San Diego

*University of San Francisco

*Santa Clara University

*Sarah Lawrence College

Savannah College of Art & Design

School of the Art Institute Chicago

School of Visual Arts

*Scripps College

Seattle Pacific University

*Seattle University

At a Glance

Our Mission

Dyke Brown, Athenian's Founder

What We Offer

Distinctive Features

List of 4 items.

21

22%

530

59%

Student Body

List of 4 items.

Boarding Students

Day Students

Diversity

Athenian's Buses

College Admissions