Vermont Commons School
Tel:
(802)865-8084
- Founded in 1997, Vermont Commons School is an independent, college-preparatory school, located in South Burlington, Vermont for students in grades 6 - 12.
- At Vermont Commons School, we believe in engagement; engagement in our school community, in academic classes, in the natural world, in our towns, our state, the country and the world at large. Through small classes and individualized curriculum, mini-buses and public transit, projects both local and international, we engage students in multi-disciplinary academics, in community service and action, and most importantly, in the journey of self-discovery.
- VCS is proud to educate students who are academically motivated and intellectually curious.
- The average class size is 12, and each year 100% of the graduating class gains acceptance to college.
- The school primarily serves students from the greater Chittenden County area, although some students travel from as far away as Middlebury, Waitsfield, towns along the Canadian border and Plattsburgh, New York.
- Approximately 25% of the student body receives need-based financial aid to attend the school.
- Courses are offered on a semester and yearlong basis. Enrollment for the 2016-17 academic year is 115 students.
Quick Stats (2018-19)
- Grades: 6-12
- Students: 113 students
- Yearly Tuition: $25,725
- Average class size: 12 students
- Application Deadline: Feb. 20 / rolling
Top Placements
Vermont Commons School places among the top 20% of private schools in Vermont for:
- Category Attribute
- Advanced Degrees Highest percentage of faculty with advanced degrees
- Extracurriculars Most extracurriculars offered
School Overview
| School Type | School with Special Program Emphasis |
| School Membership(s)School Assoc. | National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) New England Association of Schools and Colleges |
| Religious Affiliation | Nonsectarian |
| Grades Offered | Grades 6-12 |
| Year Founded | 1997 |
Student Body
| Total Students | 113 students |
| Student Body Type | Co-ed |
| Students by Grade |  |
Academics and Faculty
| Total Classroom Teachers | 20 teachers |
| Student : Teacher Ratio | 6:1 National avg.: 13:1 |
| % Faculty w/Advanced Degree | 82% |
| Average Class Size | 12 students |
| List of Courses Offered | Link to List of Courses |
| Advanced Courses | Chinese, Diploma Program in Global Citizenship, Diploma Program in Natural Sciences, Diploma Program in the Visual Arts, Spanish |
| Average SAT score | 1245 |
| Average ACT score | 30 |
| Matriculation DataMatric. Data | Link to Matriculation Data |
| Classroom Dress Code | Casual |
Finances and Admission
| Admission Deadline | Feb. 20 / rolling |
| Yearly Tuition Cost | $25,725 |
| Tuition Notes | Price for the 2018 - 2019 academic year: Grades 6 - 8: $22,540 Grades 9 - 12: $24975 |
| % on Financial Aid | 30% |
| Average Financial Aid Grant | $9,000 |
| Admissions Director | Jill Strawbridge |
Sports
| Total Sports Offered | 4 sports |
| Sports | Basketball, Cross Country, Ultimate Frisbee, VolleyballBasketball, Cross Country, Ultimate Frisbee, Volleyball, |
Extracurriculars
| Total ExtracurricularsTotal Extra-curric. | 9 extracurriculars |
| ExtracurricularsExtra-curric. | Club or Organization: Amnesty International, Book Club, German Conversation Club, Junior Iron Chef, Model United Nations, Racial Justice Alliance, Robotics Club Arts and Music Programs: Jazz Band Recreational Athletic Programs: Alpine Skiing |
School Notes
- The academic program at Vermont Commons incorporates genuine life experiences with challenging academic offerings taught by a dynamic faculty, most of whom have advanced degrees. The central purpose of all academic activities is to provide students with exceptional skills, knowledge, and experiences in each academic discipline. Classes at VCS are writing intensive, hands-on, and focus on critical thinking skills across the curriculum. Students move from acquiring skills and understanding systems, to analyzing and communicating solutions.Vermont Commons presents a challenging college preparatory curriculum for grades 6 - 12. The curriculum offers courses in a variety of subjects and uses material in ever increasing depth and complexity throughout a student's career. At each stage in the process students enjoy strong mentoring relations with their teachers. By junior and senior year they experience the expectations of college level coursework. One semester of UVM's Calculus 21 is taught over the course of one year, enabling our students to earn four college credits, which are transferrable to other institutions. We offer a Contract Honors Program, which was implemented at the onset of the 2012-2013 academic year, and this program is an opportunity for students to gain extra challenge, complexity, and coursework in grades 10-12. Students "contract" for additional studies and earn an Honors designation for that course on their transcript.
Profile last updated:
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75 - NewtonMt Alvernia High SchoolAll-girls (Roman Catholic)Grades: 7-12 | 218 students
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218 - South BurlingtonCenterpoint SchoolSpecial Education SchoolGrades: 7-12 | 40 students
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40 - Burlington Grades: NS-8 | 263 students
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School Reviews
| 5 Vermont Commons School has made a huge difference in my son's life. He was not particularly motivated by the academics or his peers at our public high school. At VCS he has become engaged in the academics which are more rigorous, more thought-provoking, and more fun than what he had before. The teachers are passionate about the subjects they teach and they are there to help the students learn and grow. He has close friends now. The sports program is perfect for him. The basketball team is coed and all the kids practice and play. He signed up for it happily and he is in better shape and healthier due to the program. He went on a school trip canoeing in the Adirondacks for a week which again was both fum and good exercise. He is getting a solid base for college both in terms of a wholesome community in which to thrive and academics in which he is given college level assignments. - Posted by Parent - molly |
| 5 My child loves attending Vermont Commons, great teachers who are thoughtful and creative. The program is rigorous and my child works hard, but the end result is that she is happy! Great college placement, too. - Posted by Parent - rubys |
| 5 Our son was neither happy nor challenged academically at the local public school. He is thriving at Vermont Commons. The teachers are passionate about their subjects and dedicated to their students. They encourage high order thinking in the assignments they give. The sports program is perfect for him. He plays on the basketball team which is inclusive and great exercise. The sense of community throughout the school is strong and warm. - Posted by Parent - molly |
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