“Everyone here looks out for everyone else”

Emily - Class of 2008 Tenafly, New Jersey

“Coming to PA as an athlete, musician, and academic, I was nervous that I would always be a drifter—never quite an ‘athlete,’ never quite a ‘musician,’ ” says Emily, “but everyone here seems to appreciate you for who you are. I’ll never forget how happy I felt last spring when my entire softball team showed up for one of my big jazz concerts.”

Last year Emily took on an independent research project in biology. “I was so intimidated the first day,” she says. “The other students seemed to know all the lab techniques and have a clear direction for their projects. But by the end of the term, not only was I extremely proud of my lab report (39 pages!), I had a new group of brunch buddies.

“In four years I never met a teacher who wouldn’t have done anything in their power to help me improve or succeed. The coursework is rigorous, but if you need help, all you have to do is ask. Everyone here looks out for everyone else.”