Admission

Welcome to Highland

WELCOME TO HIGHLAND SCHOOL

At Highland School, a Pre-K to Grade 12 independent school in Warrenton, Virginia, we know that every child is unique. Our students get the tools and opportunities they need to find themselves and the world around them in an academically challenging yet supportive, engaging, and friendly environment.

What makes you unique? We'll help you find it

What makes you unique? That's often a difficult question for a young student to answer. At Highland School, a Pre-K to Grade 12 independent school located in Warrenton, Virginia, it is one of the most important questions that drive us every day. We work tirelessly to make sure that each student has every opportunity to find out what makes him or her unique.

We provide our students with the tools and opportunities they need to discover themselves and to discover the world around them. To achieve this, we strive to create an academically challenging yet supportive, engaging, and nurturing environment.

Blending academics, athletics, and the arts

Highland School takes seriously this commitment to balancing academic, athletic, and artistic excellence while encouraging leadership and community service among our students–from our Kindergartners to our graduating seniors. Each member of our faculty and staff works hard to help every one of our students participate and excel in as many ways as possible.

Check out the Frequently Asked Questions section below to read more about some of the things that make Highland – and its students – unique.

View our admission overview

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some answers to questions we frequently receive from new students and families. Have other questions? Please feel free to contact Donna Tomlinson, Highland's Director of Admission and Tuition Assistance via email at dtomlinson@highlandschool.org or at 540-878-2740.

List of 7 frequently asked questions.

Can we afford a Highland education?

Managing the cost of tuition is a consideration for every family interested in an independent school education. To help, we use an easy and accessible approach called "Indexed Tuition" that bases tuition on how much a family can contribute toward its child's tuition.

Read more about our 'Indexed Tuition' program here.
How big is Highland School?
Highland School is conveniently located on a 42-acre campus in the heart of Warrenton, Virginia. We offer 183,300 square feet of educational space across three divisions. The school employs a full-time faculty and staff of 97.

Highland School currently has an enrollment of 510 students. The school's enrollment breaks down as follows:
- Lower School (Pre-K2 to Grade 4) currently enrolls 143 students
- Middle School (Grades 5-8) currently enrolls 128 students
- Upper School (Grades 9-12) currently enrolls 213 students
Do Highland students wear uniforms?
Highland School does not have uniforms but we expect students to adhere to a dress code that corresponds to their division (Lower, Middle, or Upper Schools). To receive a copy of the dress codes by division, please contact:
- Lower School Assistant Megan Hubbard: mhubbard@highlandschool.org
- Middle School Assistant Carla Butler: cbutler@highlandschool.org
- Upper School Assistant Carolyn Klares: cklares@highlandschool.org
What are school hours?

Highland's academic hours are 8:00 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. Before and after care is available.

School offices are open from 8:00 a.m to 4:00 p.m. during the academic year.
Does Highland offer Before and After care?

Before and aftercare is available. For more details, please contact Mike Costello at mcostello@highlandschool.org.
At what grade do interscholastic sports begin?
All students in Grades 6, 7, and 8 play interscholastic sports during the last two periods of the regular school day.
Upper School sports teams practice and play their games after school
Can my child play sports and still participate in robotics, musicals, or clubs?
Yes. Art and music are a part of the regular school day for all students, Kindergarten through 12th grade.
Beginning in Middle School, there are extracurricular (outside of class) options in visual and performing arts as well.
Lower and Middle School physical education and team sports take place during the regular school day four days a week. Upper School students participate in sports after school, beginning at 3:30 pm.
Middle School play and musical rehearsals typically begin at 3:30 pm.

Nondiscriminatory Policy

Highland School does not discriminate on the basis of race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, or ethnic origin in the administration of its educational, employment, or admission policies, its scholarship, athletic and other school-administered programs. Highland School is an equal opportunity provider.