Northwood as a school is always changing, and this year is no different. This article will go in-depth about this year’s Northwood student population and diversity.
New students come to Northwood annually, keeping the community fresh and vibrant. Northwood enrolled 191 students this school year, 53 of which are day students, and 88 are new students. That is nearly half of the school who are new students. In addition, Northwood takes considerable pride in its student diversity. The student population takes roots locally and internationally from 21 different states in the U.S.A. and 24 different countries.
For the school year of 2022-2023, Northwood students include 11 post-graduates, 63 seniors in the class of 2023, 59 juniors in the class of 2024, 48 sophomores in the class of 2025, and just 10 ninth graders in the class of 2026.
Last year, the ninth-grade class had over 20 students, but the small size of the youngest class is no surprise to Mr. Gino Riffle, Director of Admissions. “The hardest market for prep school is ninth graders. Families think that their kids might be too young to send away. And there’s also faculty kids. I think last year we had three in the ninth grade, but this year we only have one. We had a large number of ninth graders apply, but ultimately, they either didn’t get accepted, or the ones that did get accepted felt that they don’t want to go away yet, so they are reapplying for tenth grade.”
Students at Northwood have a variety of interests. 74 students compete on four hockey teams, 45 students compete on two soccer teams, and 25 students are ski racers. Beyond that, 17 students participate in the Northwood Outing Club, 10 students take part in dance, and nine are part of the crew team. In the minority but certainly not the least, Northwood is proud to have four Nordic skiers and three lugers. Furthermore, many students take a combination of activities, in addition to what was listed above, such as yearbook, sports manager, and music.
Out of the 21 states that American students originate from, the 5 most common are: Connecticut and New Jersey, with five students each; six students from Pennsylvania; and eight students from Massachusetts. New York is home to 77 students, with more than two-thirds of them being day students.
From the 23 international countries (excluding U.S.A.), the 3 most popular countries from the student body include: Canada (26 students), Hong Kong (SAR PRC) (6), and Viet Nam (5). Bermuda, Ecuador, and Russia are each home to three students.
When asked about the student diversity this year and how it compares to last year, Mr. McCauley, director of international students, replied: “Overall, diversity across the whole school population is greater and bigger. We have a larger collection of students from Ecuador, three new students from Russia – we didn’t have any Russians last year. I think it shows greater diversity and it’s exciting. It’s probably the best [diversity] in Northern New York.”
At Northwood, every year is a new year. Whether it is fresh faces, subjects, or co-curriculars, there is always something new for everyone, newcomers and returners alike. Students should go beyond their comfort zone and experience all that Northwood has to offer.
