"We prepare students to engage in the world that is and to help bring about a world that ought to be."
-
Bearing Witness: A Deepened Study of The Diary of Anne Frank in Middle School English
This spring, Grade 6 students at Friends Seminary have been engaged in a powerful and multifaceted exploration of Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl. As part of their English 1 curriculum, students have been reflecting on the enduring importance of personal narratives and what it means to serve as a witness to injustice. -
Inspiring Inquiry: NYPL Visit Prepares Students for Capstone History Projects
As part of the lead-up to their culminating independent research projects, Susannah Walker’s Advanced U.S. History students took a meaningful and eye-opening trip to the main research branch of the New York Public Library. -
Third Graders Craft Functional Animal Art
Artists in Valerie Garcia’s class have been hard at work on their Animal Step Stool Project! -
Where Language Meets Life: A Joyful Immersion in Spanish Culture
The Exchange Program with Colegio Sant Ignasi (Saint Ignatius) in Barcelona continues to grow as a cornerstone of Friends Seminary’s global education offerings. -
Spring Sports in Full Swing
Follow the official Friends Seminary Athletics Instagram account to stay up-to-date on Middle and Upper School sports. -
Sushi, Sprinkles, and Sculptures: Inside Kinley’s Imaginative World
Colorful cakes, sprinkled confections, rolls of sushi, and puffy pastries—these whimsical delights fill the world of Kinley ’29, a Middle School artist at Friends whose work has turned heads and sparked smiles. -
Friends Students Connect at Inaugural NY Quaker Schools Conference
Upper and Middle School students recently attended the first-ever New York Quaker Schools Conference. The conference, entitled Creating a Closer NY Quaker Community and hosted by Friends Academy on Long Island, brought together students and faculty from Friends Academy, Friends Seminary, Brooklyn Friends, Mary McDowell Friends, and Oakwood Friends. -
Turntables & Timelines: How Hip-Hop is Remixing History in the Classroom
As part of Case Study in Social History, students took their exploration of hip-hop further by recreating an early 1980s hip-hop party. Within the constraints of the era, they took on roles as DJs, MCs, choreographers, and promoters, immersing themselves in the cultural and logistical realities of the time. -
From Friends to Film
We are proud to congratulate filmmaker Faye Tsakas ’09 on the recent debut of her latest documentary, Christmas, Every Day (2024), which recently debuted at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). -
Stitched Stories
Inspired by the vibrant storytelling of artist Bisa Butler, Morgan’s Grade 8 art students dove into a powerful mixed media project that explored identity, expression, and collaboration. -
Students Take on Capitol Hill for Economic Justice
In February 13 Upper School students traveled to Washington, D.C., on the eve of the House vote on the budget to lobby in support of economic justice, Medicaid, and SNAP. -
Class of 2025 Early College Acceptances and Enrollments
College admission season is well underway. Congratulations to seniors from the Class of 2025 on their early college acceptances and enrollments! Click through to see the full list of institutions to which our seniors have been accepted and/or committed for next year.
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239
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.
790
STUDENTS
| 259 | Lower School (K-4) |
| 227 | Middle School (5-8) |
| 304 | Upper School (9-12) |
41% |
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.
4,570
ACTIVE ALUMNI
33
ATHLETIC TEAMS
15 Varsity, 3 Junior Varsity, 14 Middle School
Baseball, Basketball, Golf, Soccer, Softball, Swimming, Tennis, Spring and Indoor Track, Cross Country, Volleyball
92%
of graduates were accepted to one of their top three schools.
25
Most Attended Institutions (2020-2024)
Boston University
Brown University
Colgate University
Columbia University
Cornell University
Duke University
Emory University
George Washington University
Georgetown University
Hamilton College
Haverford College
Kenyon College
University of Michigan
Middlebury College
New York University
Northeastern University
Northwestern University
Oberlin College
University of Pennsylvania
Rice University
University of Southern California
Syracuse University
Tufts University
Washington University- St. Louis
Wesleyan University
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.
179
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.
10,694
SERVICE HOURS
Community Engagement and Service are integral parts of the culture at Friends. In 2023-2024, Upper School students collectively logged more than 10,000 service hours.
| 15,000+ | Hours of service completed by the entire Friends community, including students K-12, employees and parents. |
22
Immersive Global Education Travel Programs
Since 2017 students have traveled to 22 international and domestic destinations through our Global Education Program.
MORE THAN
15
CLASSES IN MUSIC, THEATER AND DANCE
Including: Acting, Playwriting, Directing, Public Speaking, Choreography, Technical Theater, Musical Theater, and Jazz, Orchestra and Choral ensembles.
9
ANNUAL PRODUCTIONS AND CONCERTS
MEAN SAT SCORES
| 1478 | Composite |
| 734 | Reading and Writing |
| 744 | Mathematics |
MEAN ACT SCORES
| 34 | Composite |
$6.9
MILLION
FINANCIAL AID BUDGET
23%
OF STUDENTS
RECEIVE FINANCIAL AID
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.
$40.3
MILLION
ENDOWMENT AS OF
JUNE 2023
$57
MILLION
OPERATING BUDGET
(2022-2023)
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.