Best Senior Boarding Schools for English Learners

When you have an exceptionally bright child who does not yet speak English fluently, finding that balance of social fit, academic support, and academic challenge can be especially difficult. If your child is testing below a C1 level (below a 90 TOEFL ibt or 125 Duolingo English), then may be time to consider the best boarding schools for English Language Learners! 

Below you will see the most highly prestigious schools with English Language Learner programs. These programs are most appropriate if your child receives top grades, participates actively in extracurricular activities, steps into leadership roles, wins competitions, and actively seeks out academic challenges.

Northfield Mount Hermon

Northfield Mount Hermon (NMH) ranks among the Top 30 Boarding Schools in the United States for matriculation to Ivies, Stanford, and MIT. NMH offers comprehensive academic support on campus for all students, including English Language Learners. NMH offers two levels of English Language Learner courses. In the lower level course, students spend one year learning close reading, discussion, presentation, and writing techniques as their English literature course. In the upper level course, students spend the year preparing for the transition to mainstream English classes by developing more complex reading, writing, presentation, and discussion skills. All four years, students have access to academic coaching and office hours with teachers. 

Cranbrook Schools

Cranbrook Schools ranks among the Top 40 Boarding Schools in the United States for matriculation to Ivies, Stanford, and MIT. Cranbrook ranks in the Top 20 Boarding Schools in the United States based on educational data and student and family ratings on Niche. Cranbrook offers International Student Program classes. These classes introduce students to American culture, teach informal English speech, formal presentations, American analytical writing, and vocabulary development. Cranbrook is also known for its strong mentorship on campus.  Students have student mentors, house advisors, host families, international student outings, and weekly, peer-led group discussions to help students adjust and navigate life at Cranbrook.

Cushing Academy

Cushing Academy ranks among the Top 50 Boarding Schools in the United States  formatriculation to Ivies, Stanford, and MIT.  Cushing Academy offers two levels of English as a Second Language courses: Advanced-Intermediate and Advanced. At the Advanced-Intermediate level, students take all 4 courses through the English Language Learner program. They take scaffolded writing and grammar, listening and speaking, reading, and Math or Science courses. At the Advanced level, students take two more complex literary studies, grammar, and composition courses alongside the students’ standard History, Science, and/or Math classes. English Language Learner courses are usually ten students or smaller.

Trinity-Pawling School

Trinity-Pawling School ranks among the Top 50 Boarding Schools in the United States for matriculation to Ivies, Stanford, and MIT. Trinity-Pawling offers a two-year English Mastery Program to help students for their challenging courses on campus and in college. Students learn English phonetics, vocabulary, reading comprehension, auditory skills, the American analytical writing structure, and grammar. Three English courses are taken over two years, alongside the students' standard History, Science, and Math classes. If students need any additional help with organization, problem-solving, or self-regulation, they offer a separate small-group program dedicated to teaching those skills. 

Below you will find other boarding schools and homestay programs with strong English Language Learner programs. These programs are most appropriate if your child receives strong grades, works hard, participates in extracurricular activities outside of class, and wants extra support in their transition to the United States.

BASIS Brooklyn

BASIS Brooklyn ranks among the Top 20 Best Private K-12 Schools in the United States based on educational data and student and family ratings on Niche. BASIS launched its English Language Learner support more recently, hiring a full-time specialist in English Language Learner support in 2024. They offer homestay, rather than traditional dorms. 

Williston Northampton School

Williston Northampton School ranks in the top 70 Boarding Schools in the United States based on educational data and student and family ratings on Niche. Williston offers one level of support, through their Advanced English Language Learners course. The class prepares students to transition into standard English classes. International students received advisors with personal experience studying or traveling in their home country. The advisors continue to visit their students’ countries in order to update their understanding of how to best support the academic and social success of English Language Learners. Williston Northampton also revises diploma requirements, as needed, for English Language Learners, such as removing the foreign language requirement or adjusting the course load.  All students have access to extra help sessions with teachers, student tutoring, private tutoring (for a fee), and assistance with summer school planning, but English Language Learners can consider this support an extension of their English Language Learner services.

Veritas Collegiate Academy

Veritas Collegiate Academy ranks in the Top 70 Boarding Schools in the United States based on educational data and student and family ratings on Niche, even though they are a day school with a homestay program. Veritas Collegiate Academy uses its International Student Program to recruit strong applicants. Veritas Collegiate Academy teachers logical reasoning in grades 7-9 in their Dialectic Stage and writing and public speaking skills in English in grades 10-12.  

EF New York

EF New York ranks in the Top 75 Boarding Schools in the United States based on educational data and student and family ratings on Niche. They offer their most supportive programming to their 9th graders, so we recommend any students requiring extra support start in 9th grade. EF New York offers three levels of English Language Learner support, ranging from 2 months to 8 months in length, based on the students’ need and availability. English Language Learner classes prepare students for mainstream, Harkness-style courses. 

Wilbraham and Monson Academy

Wilbraham and Monson Academy offers two levels of English Language Learner Support: Advanced and Superior. The courses provide comprehensive education on reading and writing practices, including academic language skills, critical thinking and learning strategies, grammar, oral fluency, vocabulary building, analytical writing, creative writing, public speaking, and conversational speaking. Students also take a special history course, U. S. History for International Students. In addition to their standard peer tutors and office hours, Wilbraham and Monson Academy also has student tutors who can provide additional assistance in a student’s native language.

The Webb School

The Webb School offers two levels of English Language Learner support: Intermediate and Advanced. Intermediate students take English Language Learner courses for two years. Advanced students generally finish the course in one year, and transition into mainstream classes in their second year. All students participate in Study Center courses, where they do independent study and learn skills, like time management and public speaking, in classes of 12-14 students. Each year, all students participate in a presentation, starting with orations of existing texts through grade 10, presenting their own work in grade 11, and presenting and defending their thesis in grade 12. The Webb School offers various levels of challenge afterwards, including a three-tiered system: standard courses, Honors courses, and AP courses. 

Westover School

Westover School offers one Language and Culture course for English Language Learners who are nearly fluent in English. In this course, English Language Learners study English, History, United States culture, and leadership skills. For all students, the Learning Center offers extra support to students and teachers offer additional office hours.

Justin-Siena High School

Justin-Siena High School offers three levels of English Language Learner Support, for students with TOEFL ibt scores as low as 42 and as high as 120. Their Academic Reading and Composition course teaches fluency in English reading and writing over the course of two years, regardless of their entering English level. During and after the Academic Reading and Composition courses, English Language Learners receive additional customized language support, such as academic vocabulary lessons, Conversation Club, grammar lessons, Book Club activities, college admissions writing, group content-specific support, and pronunciation practice. Their on-campus and off-campus dorms are available, provided by Amerigo. The dorms both include in-residence homework help and academic supervision.

If you would like to learn more about which schools would be the best fit for your child, please reach out to us for a consultation! We are able to discuss the required English skills and test scores for each school. We would love to help you and your family on your Boarding School journey.

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