Westridge School: The Girls’ School Advantage
At Westridge, girls are at the center of everything… and that changes everything. Study after study has shown that graduates from all-girls schools perform better on standardized tests, and graduate from college and go to graduate school at higher rates than their coed peers. They also tend to rise to positions of leadership faster and are more likely to enter careers in male-dominated fields.
The foremost pursuit at Westridge is to teach students how to think as conscious and critical citizens. I am driven by the analytical thinking, ethical concern, and social engagement Westridge instilled in me. – Carrie Ryan ’08 2012 Rhodes Scholar
This is because all-girls schools know how to engage girls and prepare them for success. With a curriculum tailored to the unique ways in which girls learn, every teacher, every class, and every program is specifically designed for her. Additionally, our students have positive female role models at every level—it’s natural when girls fill every role on campus.
With support from all sides, Westridge girls have the freedom to take risks and discover themselves so they’re confident in academics and in life.
What Does Research Show?
According to a 2013 study conducted by Indiana University’s Center for Evaluation & Education Policy, “students [at all-girls’ schools] compared to their female peers at coeducational schools have higher aspirations and greater motivation, are challenged to achieve more, are more actively engaged in the learning process, are engaged in activities preparing them for the world outside of school, feel more comfortable being themselves and expressing their ideas, report greater gains on core academic and life skills, and feel as or more supported in their endeavors.”
Women who attended single-sex schools tended to outscore their coeducational counterparts on the SAT. Mean SAT composite scores (Verbal plus Math) are 43 points higher for single-sex graduates within the independent school sector. – National Coalition of Girls’ Schools
Westridge School, 324 Madeline Drive, Pasadena, (626) 799-1053 ext. 200 or visit www.westridge.org.
