Emma Willard School | All-Girls Private Boarding High School, Troy, NY

Emma is a leader

in girls-first thinking.

For more than 200 years, Emma Willard School has celebrated girls’ intellectual curiosity and drive to make their mark on the world.
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I am inquisitive

and I want to know more.

Girls come to Emma seeking more than the typical high school experience. They want to be challenged as they learn to serve and shape their world.
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I am making friendships

that will last a lifetime.

Emma Girls come from 35 countries and 31 states, allowing girls to make globe-spanning friendships in our supportive, fun community.
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I am me

and I am uniquely me.

Emma honors each girl's personal journey by providing time, support, and guidance through our personalized study programs.
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I am fierce

on and off the field.

Girls are encouraged to try out new skills or excel in an activity they've been training in for years on one of our 13 interscholastic JV and Varsity athletics teams.
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Our Mission

Honoring its founder’s vision, Emma Willard School proudly fosters in each young woman a love of learning, the habits of an intellectual life, and the character, moral strength, and qualities of leadership to serve and shape her world.

Our Campus, Our Home

More than a school, a thriving community

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Emma Willard School is located atop Mount Ida in Troy, New York—in the heart of New York’s Capital Region.

The Pursuit of Trivia

Melissia Mason

When Leah Friedman ’02 announced that she was going to be on JEOPARDY!™ in February 2021, she joined a distinctive group of Emma Willard School alums who have put their trivia knowledge to the test. The first Emma alumna to appear on the famous game show was Jane Erskine ’75 back in 1986. Since then, Liz Reardon ’73, Ann Doyle Thurlow ’74, Amelia Hershberger ’01, and now Leah have experienced the adrenaline rush of appearing on “America’s Favorite Quiz Show.”™
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List of 3 news stories.

The Pursuit of Trivia

Melissia Mason

When Leah Friedman ’02 announced that she was going to be on JEOPARDY!™ in February 2021, she joined a distinctive group of Emma Willard School alums who have put their trivia knowledge to the test. The first Emma alumna to appear on the famous game show was Jane Erskine ’75 back in 1986. Since then, Liz Reardon ’73, Ann Doyle Thurlow ’74, Amelia Hershberger ’01, and now Leah have experienced the adrenaline rush of appearing on “America’s Favorite Quiz Show.”™
Learning in Process: Sharpening the Saw & Critical Friends

Kaitlin Resler

During the 2020-2021 academic year, Emma Willard School faculty have been invited to participate in sessions designed to strengthen their teaching practices. These colleague-to-colleague events, “Sharpening the Saw” and “Critical Friends,” provide a space for faculty to share and learn from a greater collective of institutional knowledge.
"Celebrating Black Joy": BLSU presents Black History Month 2021 Assembly

Kaitlin Resler

Each year, the Black Latinx Student Union (BLSU) hosts a packed assembly for Black History Month (BHM) to share important pieces of Black history and commentary on the experience of being a Black student at Emma Willard School. This year’s theme, ‘Celebrating Black Joy,” was woven through all of the skits, speeches, poems, and visual art presented over two days of celebration.