Charles Wright Academy
www.charleswright.org
Niche A+
• CWA is a member of the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) and is an accredited member of the Northwest Association of Independent Schools (NWAIS). CWA is also accredited by the Northwest Accreditation Commission (NWAC) and approved as a private school by the Washington State Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI).
School at a Glance School Type: Private, Co-ed Religious Background: None Founded: 1957 Grade Levels: PreK-12 Number of Students: 650 (300 in 9-12) Average Class Size: 15 Teachers with Advanced Degrees: 61% Student to Teacher Ratio: 8:1 International Students: 64 (58 from China, 4 from Korea, 1 from Malaysia, 1 from Canada) Housing Type: Homestay Cambridge Homestay Partner: N
Location at a Glance Address: 7723 Chambers Creek Road West, Tacoma, WA 98467 State: Washington Closest Major City: Seattle (50-minute drive) Closest University: University of Washington (#54 National University) Climate: moderate year-round Airport: Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA)
Tacoma, Washington is a creative, lively, and historic city. Tacoma sits right along saltwater shores, and with just an hour-and-a-half drive to Mount Rainier it is a perfect blend of big city activity and access to nature. Point Defiance Park makes Tacoma a nature wonderland, with 702-acres of forests, gardens, trails, and rocky beaches. Tacoma is also in the greater Seattle area. Seattle is 36 miles away and can be accessed by car, bus or train. Known for its world-renowned glass art, Tacoma is more accessible than Seattle, but still features big city attractions.
Cambridge Network | Expanding Human Perspectives And World Harmony Through Education Academic Programs
# of AP courses: 15,Average AP Score: 4,AP Pass Rate: 82% Students taking AP Courses: 70%,47% of grade 10,76% of grade 11,81% of grade 12
AP Math and Science Courses
Calculus AB Chemistry Computer Science
Calculus BC Physics Biology
Statistics
AP Humanities Courses
English Literature French US Government and Politics
US History Spanish Language Economics
European History Spanish Literature
Learning Beyond the Classroom: International Student Support • Outdoor Education – Every year, the faculty leads the sophomore Charles Wright Academy has a high class on four-night backpacking and kayaking trips. Students learn to degree of academic rigor, and recommends appreciate the wilderness and work as a team. all international students applying for • Global Exchanges – The school hosts an annual Global Summit admission to take the TOEFL exam, as in September, with delegations coming from Poland, UAE, China no formal English Language classes are and Colombia in recent years — and sends students to the annual offered. The patient, personable subject Holocaust Remembrance Week in Poland. In recent years, students teachers work with students on a one have visited France, Spain, Japan, UAE, Italy, El Salvador, Guatemala, on one basis to help them improve their Mexico, and Zambia on exchange programs. English and academic performance. New • Winterim - Every winter in February, students spend a week exploring students take an English for Academic themes and activities outside the traditional classroom experience. Purposes course with the International For example, students might learn glass blowing or travel to Latin Student Coordinator to help prepare them America, volunteer at the Boys and Girls Club or tour Civil War for upcoming topics and texts they will battlefields, learn to fly-fish or hike in the Southwest. Themes and encounter, particularly in their English and trips change annually. history classes. • Academic Research and Competitions: Students may take an individualized science research class in which they create and execute their own advanced experiment with the guidance and mentoring of dedicated science faculty. In recent years, two students have been selected to have their advanced history projects exhibited at the Smithsonian Museum of National History through the National History Day competition.
Charles Wright and the Arts Students are required to take a full year of Visual Arts and a full year of Performing Arts classes. Courses offered include: • Printmaking • Photography • Digital Design • Sculpture • Beginning, Intermediate, Advanced Ceramics • Symphonic Band • String Orchestra • Jazz Ensemble • Guitar • Modern Music Ensemble
Cambridge Network | Expanding Human Perspectives And World Harmony Through Education College Statistics
College Acceptance Rate: 100% SAT (Class of 2018) – 100% of students tested Average: 1327,International Student Average: 1398 Ranking* Name of College or University 1 Princeton University 2 Harvard University 3 Yale University 5 Columbia University 5 Stanford University 3 University of Chicago 8 University of Pennsylvania 11 Dartmouth College 10 California Institute of Technology 11 Johns Hopkins University 18 Washington University in St. Louis 14 Brown University 14 Cornell University *2018 US News and World Report National Universities
Extracurricular Activities
# of Sports Offered: 12,Participation Rate: 100% # of School Clubs and Activities Offered: 10+,Participation Rate: 100%
Clubs
Global Outreach Team Yearbook
Fall Play Literary Magazine
Winter Play One Acts Festival
School Musical Whistling Club
Model UN Outdoor Club
Ultimate Frisbee
Sports
Football (boys) Basketball (boys and girls)
Volleyball (girls) Dance (girls)
Cross Country (boys and girls) Golf (boys and girls)
Soccer (boys and girls) Soccer (boys and girls)
Tennis (boys and girls) Track (boys and girls)
Aerobic Fitness (non-competitive) Baseball (boys)
Cambridge Network | Expanding Human Perspectives And World Harmony Through Education Modern Facility The large Lower, Middle and Upper Schools are linked by rolling lawns, athletic fields, tennis courts, two gymnasiums, the innovative Visuals Arts Center, and the new Robert A. Camner Language and Performing Arts Center (built thanks to the generosity of donors in the school community; it cost $14 million to build). There is a network of three fully staffed campus libraries, and learning resources include state-of-the-art classrooms, technology labs, science labs and art studios.
Teacher Profile 71% of faculty has taught at the school for more than 5 years, with 41% having been at the school for more than 10 years. • David Adams teaches U.S., European and Middle Eastern History at Charles Wright Academy, and is the History Department Co-Chair. Mr. Adams graduated from both the University of Washington and Western Washington University with bachelor’s degrees, and obtained his master’s degree and PhD in history from the University of Utah. Dr. Adams has been working at Charles Wright Academy since 1998, and also helps lead students as part of the Outdoor Education Program. His two children attend the school as well. • Ann Vogel provides international students with academic support (particularly in writing for English and history classes), recruits host families, serves as liaison between the school, host parents, and natural parents, provides a cultural transition program, and works on international admissions. She also works with the students' advisors and teachers to help them be successful at Charles Wright Academy.
International Student Profile/Success Story Jin Won Yune from South Korea, graduated from Charles Wright Academy in 2009, after taking the schools most advanced math and science courses, and performing independent study projects with several teachers. He went on to MIT, where he graduated in the Class of 2013. His math teacher Howard Wouters said of him: “Very few mathematics students at the high school level are problem solvers… Ji Won, however, is an exception. I am convinced that he is destined to become a mathematician of distinction.”
Notable Alumni Charles Wright Academy Alumni include: actors Charlie Frank, Kevin O’Rourke and Kevin Lapin; mountaineers Eric Simonson and Kathy Phibbs; business leaders Aaron Reynolds (Microsoft), Brad Cheney (Cheney Lumber), James Will (Titus Will), Megan McGowan Epstein (Goldman Sachs); and scientist Cathy Niakan.
Student Awards and Honors In the spring of 2016 65% of sophomores, 51% of juniors, and 87% of seniors took at least 1 AP Exam. 84% of Charles Wright students who took an AP exam passed the exam with a 3 or higher earning college credit. In 2016 a total of 80 Charles Wright students, members of the Classes of 2016 and 2017, were honored with AP Scholar Awards for high scores on multiple tests. 9 Charles Wright students were named National AP Scholars by having an average score of at least 4 on all exams taken and scored 4 or above on 8 or more exams.
International Student Cost of Attendance Study costs (2018-2019): $53,112 including tuition and residential accommodations Additional Recurring Fees: Student account, $1000, Student Health Insurance (Required), $1,268 (approx., and includes the school's sport insurance fee, $82); International Student Cafeteria Plan (lunch on campus), $1500 Additional One-Time Fees (first year only): Application fee, $160; I-20 Processing fee, $250; Orientation, $2000*
Costs do not include textbooks, clothing, sports elective expenses, trip fees. * The International Student Orientation fee includes a two-day pre-departure orientation in China and a four- day orientation in the US upon arrival at the school.
Cambridge Network | Expanding Human Perspectives And World Harmony Through Education