"We prepare students to engage in the world that is and to help bring about a world that ought to be."
-
Class of 2023 Early College Acceptances and Enrollments
Congratulations to the class of 2023! Click through to see the early acceptances and enrollments for this year's senior class. UPDATED Feb. 17, 2023. -
Making Faces
Middle Schoolers studied the work of Bisa Butler, an award winning African American textile artist. Inspired by her her vibrant, stunning, larger than life sized quilted portraits, students experimented and manipulated acrylic materials and methods to create a multitude of abstract paintings and self portraits. -
Building Bridges
Candy arcades, chocolate water fountains, towering bunk beds, and donut shops with unlimited supplies—Upper School Architecture students are tackling these extravagant requests after taking on first grade ‘clients' in a collaborative effort to build their dream spaces. This interdisciplinary project is built on an imaginative process and focuses on reimagining space and materials and breaking down the boundaries of design. -
Rock On!
The After Owls Friends rock band, The Awesome Possums, performed their second trimester culminating concert! The show resulted in much dedication and hard work from these young rockstars. -
Open Book
In honor of Black History Month, Bo, in collaboration with CPEJ and the Black Culture Club, hosted a lunchtime art discussion with Marcus Leslie Singleton, a Brooklyn-based artist whose work explores the joy, intimacy and hardships of Black America. Bo also presented a fascinating and compelling sampling of the work of Black artists across many decades. -
Full STEAM Ahead
More than 200 students, parents and staff members participated in the 7th Annual Maker Day at Friends Seminary. From engineering robot birds and coding with Upper Schoolers to testing uniquely designed protective egg-craft in the popular Egg Drop Challenge, the Friends community once again came together for a fun-filled morning of building, creating and designing. -
Divisional Programming Emphasizes the Power of Storytelling in Modern Iran
The Center for Peace, Equity and Justice, in collaboration with faculty, staff, student leaders from the Muslim Culture Club and Feminism at Friends, held insightful, multi-faceted discussions on Iran and Peace Week Keynote Speaker, Masih Alinejad. -
CHI OSSÉ ‘16 OFFERS CANDID GLIMPSE INTO POLITICAL LIFE
Friends recently welcomed Chi Ossé ‘16 to speak to Upper and Lower School students in a series of events. Chi is the Council Member for New York City’s 36th District, representing Bedford-Stuyvesant and North Crown Heights. He entered politics as an organizer and prominent figure in the Black Lives Matter movement. -
Now Hear This!
Ninth annual animation community period introduces Lower Schoolers to how sound is critical to the way animation makes us think and feel. -
James Turrell Skyspace at Friends Seminary
Designed and donated by Quaker James Turrell, an American artist, this installation will be the capstone of the School's five-year Campus Redevelopment Project, and will be located on the roof of the School's 16th Street campus. -
Students Engage in International Dialogue With Peer Schools
Friends is one of twenty-two schools that are Leading Partner Schools of the GEBG Global Student Dialogues program, and are helping to design and shape the curriculum. -
A DAY TO EXPLORE, TRANSFORM, AND REFLECT
On January 25, Upper School students, faculty and staff participated in Friends’ annual Day of Concern, which provided “An Exploration of Gender on the Path to Equity.”
1/12
237
YEARS OF QUAKER EDUCATION
Founded ten years after the birth of our nation, Friends Seminary is the oldest continuously operated, independent, co-educational school in New York City.
794
STUDENTS
| 266 | Lower School (K-4) |
| 224 | Middle School (5-8) |
| 304 | Upper School (9-12) |
39% |
STUDENTS OF COLOR |
1
CENTER FOR PEACE EQUITY AND JUSTICE
Grounded in the Quaker values of equality, diversity and community engagement, cpej supports academic, social, and cultural programs which contribute to wider movements for social change.
4,430
ACTIVE ALUMNI
32
ATHLETIC TEAMS
16 Varsity, 3 Junior Varsity, 13 Middle School
Baseball, Basketball, Golf, Soccer, Softball, Swimming, Tennis, Spring and Indoor Track, Cross-Country, Volleyball
87%
of graduates were accepted to one of their top three schools.
25
Most Attended Institutions (2018-2022)
Bard College
Boston University
Brown University
University of Chicago
Colgate University
Columbia University
Cornell University
Emory University
George Washington University
Hamilton College
Haverford College
Kenyon College
Middlebury College
The New School
New York University
Northeastern University
Oberlin College
University of Pennsylvania
Skidmore College
Tufts University
University of Virginia
Washington University, St. Louis
Wesleyan University
Williams College
Yale University
1
MISSION
To prepare students to engage in the world that is and to help bring about a world that ought to be.
176
FACULTY and STAFF
| 90% | Faculty hold advanced degrees |
| 8:1 | Student/faculty ratio |
| 15 | Average Upper School class size |
15
STEPS TO NATURE
Stuyvesant Square, a beautiful four-acre park, borders the east end of campus, and punctuates the tranquility that surrounds our neighborhood.
12,500
SERVICE HOURS
Service Learning and Public Purpose is an integral part of the culture at Friends. In 2021-2022, Upper School students collectively logged more than 12,500 service hours.
| 17,000+ | Hours of service completed by the entire Friends community, including students K-12, employees and parents. |
17
Global Education Trips
Over the past seven years, students and teachers participated in 17 global education immersion experiences, including Peru, Nepal, Jordan, China, Israel, Morocco, South Africa, Columbia, France, Germany, India, Taiwan, as well as the Deep South to visit four cities critical to the Civil Rights Movement, and a series of four trips in 2021-2022 exploring sustainable energy in the United States.
MORE THAN
15
CLASSES IN MUSIC, THEATER AND DANCE
Including: Acting, Playwriting, Directing, Public Speaking, Choreography, Technical Theater.
9
ANNUAL PRODUCTIONS AND CONCERTS
MEAN SAT SCORES
| 700 | Reading and Writing |
| 702 | Mathematics |
MEAN ACT SCORES
| 32 | Composite |
1
TRANSFORMED CAMPUS
COMPLETED SEPTEMBER 2019
Highlights Include:
- 100% ADA accessibility
- New Upper School Building
- Two new Middle School floors
- Upper School Commons and Terrace
- Turfed Skyfield
- Center for Peace, Equity and Justice
- New flexible classrooms
- Fitness Center
- Academic Center
- Music Suite
- Dance and Yoga Studio
- K-6 Makery
- Collaborative spaces
- K-12 Rooftop Greenhouse and Garden
- K-12 Multipurpose Great Room
Other Campus Highlights:
- 1860 landmarked Meetinghouse
- K-12 Gym with 80 ft. Climbing Wall
- Library and Media Center
- Six K-12 Science Labs
- Lower School Library
- Digital Media Lab
- 7-12 STEM lab
- Two Visual Arts Galleries
- Blackbox Theater
45+
STUDENT-LED ORGANIZATIONS
5
WORLD LANGUAGES ANCIENT AND MODERN
Friends was the first NYC independent school to introduce Arabic in 2008.
$0
At no additional cost, students in Grades 11 and 12 are eligible to enroll in NYU courses for high school credit.
$37.5
MILLION
ENDOWMENT AS OF
JUNE 2021
$52
MILLION
OPERATING BUDGET
(2021-2022)
$6.35
MILLION
FINANCIAL AID BUDGET
20%
OF STUDENTS
RECEIVE FINANCIAL AID
Friends Seminary actively promotes diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racism in all its programs and operations, including admissions, financial aid, hiring, and all facets of the educational experience. To form a community which strives to reflect the world’s diversity, we do not discriminate on the basis of race or color, religion, nationality, ethnicity, economic background, physical ability, sex, gender identity or expression, or sexual orientation. Friends Seminary is an equal opportunity employer.
Friends Seminary — the oldest continuously operated, coeducational school in NYC — serves college-bound day students in Kindergarten-Grade 12.