Prepared for the world's most selective colleges — and for lives of consequence.
Beacon's Upper School (Grades 9–12) is a rigorous college-preparatory program of 45+ courses, six signature programs, a senior capstone, and a college-counseling office that helps every student find the right next step.
Four years, one arc.
Grade 9
The foundation year: Foundations of Literature, World History I, first-year Upper School math, Biology, world language, an arts elective, and a required 9th-grade seminar on academic habits.
Grade 10
World Literature, World History II, math on track (usually Algebra II or Geometry), Chemistry, world language, and an elective; students begin considering signature-program applications.
Grade 11
American Voices, U.S. History, Pre-Calculus or Calculus, Physics, world language, and one or two electives — often the first year of an honors offering.
Grade 12
Senior seminars in English and history, advanced mathematics, science electives, and the required Senior Capstone in a signature program, independent study, or project.
Every academic department.
English
7 courses
The English program teaches students to read closely, write with purpose, and speak with clarity. Every course emphasizes revision, discussion, and the craft of argument.
History & Social Sciences
8 courses
Students learn to work with primary sources, weigh competing evidence, and build historical arguments in writing and discussion.
Mathematics
9 courses
Beacon's mathematics program develops fluency, reasoning, and mathematical writing. Every student is placed on a track that meets them where they are.
Science
8 courses
Every Beacon student takes Biology, Chemistry, and at least one Physics course, learning by doing in laboratories designed for inquiry.
World Languages
4 courses
Beacon offers four modern and classical languages, with an emphasis on communicative proficiency and cultural literacy.
The Arts
8 courses
The Arts department teaches craft, critique, and performance. Every Upper School student takes at least two arts credits across visual, performing, and media disciplines.
Go deep in an area of interest.
A four-year integrated humanities and social science track culminating in a senior thesis.
Original laboratory research with faculty mentors and outside scientists, presented at a spring symposium.
Modern language proficiency, international exchange, and a senior capstone in comparative studies.
Design thinking, prototyping in the maker space, and a semester-long venture project.
Two-year capstone combining field ecology, laboratory science, and public policy analysis.
Case-based seminar on moral reasoning, civic engagement, and leadership.
Individualized, family-first advising.
College counseling begins formally in the second half of the junior year, but the office is open to families from Grade 9. Our two counselors carry a caseload of roughly 40 students each and know each family personally.
Where our graduates have enrolled.
Beacon graduates from the last five years have enrolled at more than 140 colleges and universities, including small liberal arts colleges, flagship state universities, and the most selective research institutions. A full matriculation list is shared with 11th-grade families.