The educational landscape between middle school and senior year of high school is more than just a bump in the road on the way to college, it's the time to get things right and get prepared for what the future holds. One way to do this is by opting for a college preparatory school like Westover School.

Located in Middlebury, Connecticut, Westover School is an all-girls' boarding and day school that's focused on helping students succeed in their studies and in life. What makes it stand apart from conventional high schools, says Laura Volovski, director of admissions, is that students are "learning and living with girls from all over the world. There are girls from 19 different countries and 18 different states; it's a very diverse socio-economic environment. It's a microcosm of the world."

That last point is what also makes Westover School stand out amongst other college preparatory and boarding schools. While the tuition price normally costs about as much as a year at a private university, financial aid is available to students with approximately half of the student population receiving assistance at any time. (Depending on whether they attend on a day or boarding basis, students may be awarded anywhere from $2,500 to the full costs of tuition.) It's a system that allows girls from a variety of economic backgrounds to have the opportunity to excel.

Says Volovski, "I feel strongly about the setting: the academic rigor is high and yet it's a supportive environment." What helps is the level of familiarity that Westover School creates within its halls. Dorms occupy the top two floors of the school's building, and students spend their after-hours relaxing and entertaining each other in the comfort of a dorm parent's apartment -- there are eight total. "We specifically don't have student lounges so that the dorm parent's apartment is the social life."

This family-feel is part of what helps girls succeed, although it's not the only benefit this same-sex school offers students. "The all-girl factor is actually quite empowering," Volovski explains. "It allows them to take risks that they might not otherwise try."

That's because, without boys in the classroom, girls aren't as worried about how their actions inside the classroom are perceived -- there's no worrying about looking silly or being the subject of derision. What's more, students of Westover School are focused on, and understand the benefits, of the diploma their earning. "They're very invested in their own education and they're very proactive about how they're going to reach their goals," attests Volovski. As for grads? "They treasure and are grateful for the foundation they have received from here."

In fact, according to Volovski, many alumni from graduating classes long past have found that their time at Westover School "resonated more with them than their college experience."

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