Special Interests

Have you ever thought about making money by starting your own business or selling a product or service that you’ve created? Have you ever wanted to present a business on Shark Tank? If so, you might be an entrepreneur in the making.

By definition, entrepreneurship is “the activity of setting up a business or businesses, taking on financial risks in the hope of profit.” But in reality, it’s so much more. To be a successful entrepreneur, you have to do the research to determine what a good product is, understand what will actually sell, in some cases find financial backers to help you to build the product, and decide how to market the product so that it becomes financially viable.

This full-year class explores the fundamental elements of entrepreneurship. It meets once per week, and there are mandatory monthly evening sessions and/or field trips as part of the course. Students are required to regularly communicate with others on their product team; only those fully engaged in the material of the course and able to commit to the evening sessions and field trips should consider enrolling. 

Priority will be given to juniors and seniors. When there is a high demand for the course, there will be an application process.

Full-year, once per week with additional meetings, pass/fail, 1/2 credit.

This comprehensive course centers on personalized attention for students and their taking ownership of their college search with the support of the College Counseling staff. Students gain an in-depth understanding of the college search process by learning about college applications, essay writing, and how to strengthen their presentation and interviewing skills. Students are challenged to think creatively through exercises that require self-evaluation and self-study. The course culminates with a final project focused on the college application process. This course meets once a week in the spring semester. Junior year requirement.

The purpose of Independent Study is to afford students the opportunity to pursue a course of study on a topic that has significant import in the development of their overall academic program.

Independent Study courses are meant to enhance, not substitute for, regularly scheduled academic courses and are only offered to students who have exhausted the current offerings. We do not offer Independent Study in a course that is offered in the curriculum. In most cases, the Independent Study should be a sixth course, not an alternative to a fifth course.

Students should discuss Independent Study ideas with faculty in the appropriate academic department. Students should identify a faculty sponsor with the expertise, interest, and time to support and supervise their study. Faculty are usually pleased, but are not obligated, to supervise an Independent Study.

Students must submit the Independent Study proposal to the relevant Department Head and Upper School Director of Studies during the spring course planning process. 

Depending on the proposal, a student and faculty advisor may request that the course be pass/fail or graded.