Scholarship Opportunity

The Successful Greenwood Applicant

The Greenwood School is a junior boarding school that offers a comprehensive, individualized remedial program, balanced with an emphasis on enrichment programs designed to awaken students’ hidden talents. The result is a school that transforms lives by providing the best environment possible for students with specific learning challenges to realize their academic, social, and creative potentials.

Students: Boys, ages 9-14 (at time of admission) who are diagnosed with language-based learning differences.

Cognitive Skills: The Greenwood Applicant should possess “average” cognitive skills as measured on the WISC-IV. When looking at borderline test scores, it is encouraging to see variability in subtest scores that suggest areas of strength, specifically in the General Ability Index (GAI), which is a composite of verbal comprehension and perceptual reasoning. While subtest scatter is common among our applicants, a profile in which the Cognitive Proficiency Index (CPI) composed of the Working Memory Index (Digit Span, Letter/Number Sequencing) and the Processing Speed Index (Coding, Symbol Search) is depressed relative to the GAI, is most common.

Academic Profile: Every student receives a daily individualized remedial language tutorial that is specific to his unique learning style and needs. Greenwood uses a diagnostic –prescriptive approach in which research-based principles are integrated throughout the curriculum and delivered by highly trained specialists who have a deep understanding of the structure of language. For students who demonstrate a need, Greenwood offers speech and language, occupational therapy and social pragmatics services.

Creative Profile: Greenwood believes that it is as important to empower our students to develop areas of strength and to find hidden talents as it is to empower them to improve in areas of weakness. Therefore, Greenwood offers well-developed creative and extracurricular programs that are integrated into the student’s day such: music, drama, public speaking, studio art, sculpting, ceramics, woodworking, soccer, basketball, fencing, winter sports, mountain biking, baseball, and outdoor leadership.

Emotional and Psychological Profile: Because of the often significant gap between their potential and their achievement, many students come to Greenwood academically frustrated and suffering from low self esteem. Some applicants may exhibit avoidance behaviors that are a reaction to their academic struggles. With a 2:1 student: teacher ratio, Greenwood provides a safe and supportive community in which students can be understood and enjoy the success they deserve for their efforts. Greenwood does not accept students with primary social, emotional, or behavioral difficulties. We consider primary difficulties to be behaviors that persist despite successful experience, or behaviors that will limit other students’ ability to engage in the learning process.

Admissions Process: Prior to a formal interview, we require comprehensive, psychological testing, which includes a WISC-IV, and achievement testing [i.e. Woodcock Johnson]. All testing must be current within 3 years. Before the admissions committee can meet to discuss a student, the student's file must be complete to include the above tests, application, application fee, preliminary health form, math and English recommendations from current school, parent questionnaire, and a character recommendation. If a concern exists about an applicant, Greenwood may require an extended overnight interview to ensure appropriateness of fit in our community.

If you have any questions about Greenwood, please contact Melanie Miller, Director of Admissions by email at mmiller@greenwood.org or by calling 802-387-4545 . We look forward to working with you to place students who can benefit from The Greenwood Experience!