Admissions

Collegiate Difference

For over 70 years we’ve been a forward-leaning school. We don't teach our students how to take a test, but instead provide opportunities for students to learn to think critically, question the world around them and become leaders in their communities. This difference has never been clearer than today. When K-Grade 12 schools closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, our faculty provided digital learning through vibrant, project-based lessons that allow students to learn and progress rather than complete packets of worksheets and watching recorded lectures.

As you learn more about Collegiate, you’ll also see the power of our community and how we support one another. Our challenging academics, competitive athletics, vibrant arts and signature programs, as well as our convenient transportation options draw families from Norfolk, Portsmouth, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Suffolk, North Carolina and abroad.

The Collegiate difference is not limited to our ability to provide valuable, engaging digital instruction when needed, but it also resides in our competitive athletic program, signature academic programs and one-of-a-kind learning spaces. These are only a few of the ways in which we’re continuing to provide a great education and an even better experience for our community.

We encourage you to reach out to our admissions team to learn more today by calling 757.480.1495 or emailing admissions@norfolkcollegiate.org.

Sincerely,

Head of School

- Scott G. Kennedy | Headmaster

What Makes Collegiate Different?

List of 4 items.

Small Class Sizes

We are proud of our 9:1 student-to-teacher ratio.
Expert Faculty & Staff

55% of our faculty, staff and administrators have master's degrees.
Digital Learning

When we can't meet in person, we continue our lessons online.
Signature Programs

These provide students an advantage as they prepare for life, college and beyond.

Lower School

Our mission to create critical thinkers, doers and explorers begins in our pre-K classrooms and continues into our middle and upper schools. Our lower school (pre-K3 through Grade 5) offers the perfect blend of comfort and challenge.

List of 3 news stories.

Relationships Are at the Heart of Norfolk Collegiate

Children learn through the pure act of playing. At Norfolk Collegiate's lower school, our students also learn through tinkering, analyzing, exploring, debating and reimagining equations, concepts and their learning. It’s critically important that 21st century education has 22nd century planning by teaching students to think critically, creatively and collaboratively. At Collegiate, our students exhibit this daily in the classroom, on the playground and more.
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What to Look for in a Preschool Program

How do you know if a preschool is right for your child? Being a mother and an educator, I get asked all the time how I know if a school is right for my child, especially when looking at a pre-Kindergarten program. Early childhood expert Dr. Catherine Thomson '94 has helps ease the process with 9 things to consider when looking for a preschool program.
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Is There a Difference Between pre-K3 and pre-K4 Programs?

Early childhood education is often thought of as the means of preparing children for kindergarten and the school years beyond, but it’s so much more. At Norfolk Collegiate, our pre-Kindergartens are tailored to foster the development of the whole child and lay the groundwork for lifelong success. While the day’s schedule may look similar between the classes, the content is quite different.
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Middle School

We make sure the only thing middling about middle school—Grades 6-8—is the name. Early adolescence is a time of intense discovery, and young people are acutely attuned to their individuality, emotions and community. This range of intellectual, physical and social differences among middle school students is why our faculty is student-focused and committed to personalizing instruction and building relationships.

List of 1 news stories.

Middle school is a time of profound growth and change.

At Norfolk Collegiate, our students develop the academic skills and sense of agency over their learning, time and lives that are key to healthy adolescent development.
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Upper School

The culminating years of a Norfolk Collegiate education are distinct in many ways. We prompt students' awareness of the opportunities available to them through activities fostering social responsibility, leadership, service and philanthropy. Our commitment to knowing and guiding each student to success is evident in our advisory system and college counseling program, and the depth of connections made between teachers and students in and out of the classroom.

On an academic level, we continue to challenge them to think globally, to question strategically, to work collaboratively and to grow in a multitude of directions.

List of 1 news stories.

We Understand Adolescent Development

Adolescence is a complicated, exciting, challenging and energizing time in our students’ lives. As wonderful as it is to see them growing into the men and women they will become, trying to determine how much structure to give versus how much leeway to give is not an easy balance to strike. And the trickiest part is that balance is different for each child. However, our faculty are experts not only in their academic discipline but also in understanding adolescent development.
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College Counseling

Our robust College Counseling program helps students and their parents navigate the journey to higher education. Finding a college that is the “right fit” is a gradual and incremental process that all students and their families should move through at a reasonable pace. Understanding college admissions requires a substantial investment from the student with assistance from his or her family. Students need to be comfortable with taking ownership of the process and advocating out of their own self-interests to find their happy home during college. At Collegiate, our College Counseling office assists students and their families every step of the way.

List of 2 news stories.

5 Things to Consider When Looking at Colleges

“The right fit” is the guiding philosophy college counselors work every day to ensure their students realize at the end of what can be a daunting admission process. The outcome is students who find and are excited to begin their post-secondary journey at a school that’s the right fit.
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Is College More Than Job Preparation?

There are many benefits that are difficult to measure in a four-year residential collegiate experience.
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