Upper School
Grades 9, 10, 11, 12
Our Approach
In Upper School, Harley students learn how to advocate, both for themselves and for others.
Our small class sizes (7:1 student-to-faculty ratio) build the foundation for this work where students routinely participate in round-table discussions, debates, and hands-on workshops. They grow comfortable asking questions, sharing their views, and listening to perspectives different from their own.
During Upper School, students have many leadership opportunities, such as working with Rochester City School District students through our Horizons at Harley program, presenting through the Commons Capstone program, and caring for Hospice patients. Our student council organizes many aspects of Upper School student life from new student orientation to elf day. The Upper School experience is uniquely tailored to each student’s goals and interests.
When they leave Harley, our students go into the world as confident thinkers, speakers, and writers—young adults able to articulate positions and defend them. They are ready for college—and the next chapters of their lives.
Loads of Dynamic Opportunities
Upper School Highlights
Capstone/Independent Studies
Hospice
Social Justice
Student Leadership
Food & Farm
Athletics
Clubs
College Counseling
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Academics and Outcomes
With 18 APs and plenty of other offerings, including over fifty electives each year, student inquiry and interests are spurred by topics such as: Computer Science, Economics, Food & Farm, Multimedia Journalism, Net Zero Energy, Philosophy & Ethics, and Hospice.
We are, at heart, a college preparatory school and we have the SAT/ACT scores, National Merit Finalists, college merit awards and acceptances to prove it. However, we are not interested in graduating students who learn to be outstanding test-takers but aren’t inclined to explore big questions and the larger world around them. As global life becomes more complex, each student needs to be ready to think critically and commit themselves to pursuing lifelong learning as active members of a healthy, thriving society.
Our whole person approach doesn’t force students onto one track or another. At Harley, students can participate in sports, performing and visual arts, clubs, and social activities in addition to academic pursuits. This vibrancy creates a close community, and friendships that last for decades.
STEM AP Scores--Harley vs. National Mean, 2018-2022
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Acorn Grants Are Now Available!
Interested in learning how to make a Harley education possible for your child? Acorn Grants are smaller grants awarded to families who may not be eligible for need-based financial aid. It is a grant of up to $5,000 intended to put the Harley education within reach for your family. The Acorn Grant stays with your child until graduation.
Come for a Visit
Learn more about what makes The Harley School experience unique.
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Harley’s Approach to College Counseling
“Club Rush” is an afternoon every fall in the Upper School when students have the chance to sign up for clubs for the year, and each year it is very different because new clubs are created based on student initiative and enthusiasm.
Each and every year, students at The Harley School participate in HAC Athletics, and their success continues to be impressive, both as students and athletes. Our athletic program is an integral part of Harley, teaching student-athletes invaluable lessons about teamwork, time management, persistence, and competition. Our program allows them to develop physically, mentally, socially, and emotionally as they represent their school on and off the field. They grow, mature, and work hard to be the best teammate they can, while creating lifelong memories with teammates who often remain friends for life. 
Our Upper School is filled with formal and informal opportunities for students to take on leadership roles. Whether following passions or learning new skills, student-driven opportunities take many shapes.
Unlike this class, death is not an elective. Although it is one of two universal human experiences, our culture often ignores, denies, or misconstrues the true nature of death and dying. What happens when we bear witness to this natural process in the cycle of life and develop our ability to be fully present with others when they need us more than ever? It has the potential to change us deeply and fundamentally while shining a brilliant light on the path of our own lives.
This program utilizes environmentally-focused approaches to education and hands-on learning in order to foster the next generation of leaders through a lens of sustainability and problem-solving.
At Harley, our students learn how to evaluate social systems in order to identify complex problems in society through a lens of social justice. They take a hands-on approach to working for a fair, equitable society by researching, exploring and evaluating different perspectives, and offering solutions—both theoretical and practical.
Students may create independent studies with supervising teachers throughout their Upper School experience or, during Grade 12, they can design Capstone projects—intensive collaborations with Harley faculty and off-campus mentors—involving rigorous academic study and culminating in public presentations. 