Besant Hill School

Besant Hill School was founded in 1946 by a group of progressive educators and philosophers that wanted to establish a school where students could learn how to think not what to think. The school is situated in the east side of the Ojai Valley in southern California overlooking the valley and mountains beyond on 500 acres of beautiful land.

The school enrolls 100 students each year, 20% of which are international. The school has an individualized approach to the admissions process and is looking for students with average to excellent cognitive abilities who have demonstrated a responsibility for learning.

The school’s program is a rigorous and college preparatory, but unique because it incorporates right-brained thinking activities into it’s curriculum. The school believes that the leaders of tomorrow will need not only analytical and sequential training (left brained traits), but of equal importance will be creativity, empathy and aesthetics. This program is backed with current research which shows that the fastest growing number of jobs in the U.S. are ones which require high emotional intelligence and people skills.

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Academic and Sport Facilities

2 science labs, 14 classrooms, Library, ESL Center and Learning Center, Several classrooms, Nationally known Zalk Theater, New Visual and Fine Arts Building, 2 Observatories, Dark Room. Soccer Field, Baseball Field, Tennis Court, Weight Room, Basketball Court, and Volleyball Court.

Dormitories and School Residences

The dorms are very modern structures and house 2 students per room. Every room has internet access, 2 beds, 2 desks and a large shared closet. The dorms are very close to all classroom and all other campus buildings.

Student Population

Boys and Girls

Grades

9-12, PG

Number of students in each grade

20-30

Teacher/Student ratio

1:4

ESL Programs

Yes

Starting dates

School starts early September

Tuition Fees

Boarding: approx. $38,000

Colleges and universities attended by Besant Hill students

• UC Santa Barbara, UCLA, University of Redlands, Columbia College, Berklee College of Music, Chicago Institute for the Arts, RI School of Design, Evergreen College, Bowdoin College, California State Long Beach, UC San Diego, University of Colorado – Boulder

Other Services Offered

• Orientation service
• Assistance in acquiring books and material
• Help with holiday accommodation
• Help with travel services during holidays
• Academic progress reports

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Extracurricular activities

• Basketball, Cross-Country, Baseball, Volleyball, Soccer, Hiking, plus over 30 offerings in the arts and international travel opportunities.

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Contact Info

Closest international and local airports

• Los Angeles International
• Burbank
• Ontario
• Santa Barbara