About OS

For nearly 150 years, Oldfields School has focused on what matters most...each girl's success. The primary challenge of adolescence is discovering who one truly is and what one truly wants to do. Oldfields is a place where this discovery happens without the pressure found in many other schools. Life Balance Our tailored college preparatory curriculum helps each girl develop her own intellectual capabilities while our artistic offerings expand her creative and imaginative talents. Also, whether on the basketball court, soccer field, or in the riding ring, we also offer many opportunities to improve our students’ physical fitness and skills.  

The Oldfields Difference: High Standards. Low Pressure. Supportive Environment.

Our mission at Oldfields is to provide an environment that allows EACH and EVERY girl to make the most of her academic and personal potential. Oldfields has dedicated itself to the intellectual development of each student in line with her particular learning profile. The academic program is designed to be rigorous and challenging, as well as personal and supportive, allowing her to expand and apply her strengths while also developing strategies to manage her weaknesses. Oldfields offers a complete college preparatory curriculum.  

Athletic Requirements and Philosophy

Athletics have been central to the educational philosophy at Oldfields for more than a century.  In fact, Oldfields was one of the first girls' schools to pioneer an athletic program in 1878. In keeping with the School's philosophy and mission, Oldfields athletics emphasize the value of each individual and respect for others.  We stress teamwork, sportsmanship, personal commitment, reachable goal setting, and an appreciation for lifetime activity. Each student is required to be involved in atheltic activity on campus for each of the three seasons.  Involvement can be in the form of a team sport, riding or co-curricular offerings in dance, theater, fitness and conditioning, or yoga.  All offerings meet five days a week and are considered regular school commitments.  Every student must participate in at least one team sport each academic year. At Oldfields, we believe that the lessons and skills learned on the playing field enrich a student in the academic classroom, in the dormitory, and in a girl's adult life.  We are proud that all of our girls at Oldfields are scholar athletes.  Healthy competition that welcomes athletes of all abilities helps build a strong school spirit, and plays a large role in ensuring each girl's success.  

Fine Arts at Oldfields

Oldfields believes in the critical link between learning in the arts and core curriculum subjects.  The School's comprehensive program in the Arts allows each girl the chance to be involved and to learn through a wide range of dance, music and theater opportunities - whether she is a beginner or an experienced artist.  As part of the graduation requirements, Oldfields students are required to take at least one year of art, including either performing or fine arts.  Many students go far beyond the minimum requirements. As part of the physical education requirement, students may choose to participate in the co-curricular dance program or theater in lieu of  a team sport.  In addition, Oldfields presents an annual Arts Week, five days of fine arts and performing arts workshops and demonstrations for the entire school, featuring performances by practicing artists and professional dancers and performance troupes.  Oldfields arts faculty are practicing artists and integral members of the teaching staff. Whether students enter Oldfields with little or no experience in the arts or with years of expertise and training, every effort is made to expose Oldfields girls to a wide variety of dance, theatre, and music.  The girls gain the satisfaction of being part of a different kind of team, develop creative problem-solving skills and build leadership skills that carry over to academic settings, and allow for personal discovery and growth that can last a lifetime.  

Riding at Oldfields

Oldfields Riding has been a vibrant part of the community for over 100 years. Our program is dedicated to each girl’s success, whether in the horse show ring, on a cross country course, or in the hunt field. From beginner riders through experienced riders, we create an environment that helps each student reach her riding goals. Students have the chance to compete in many horse shows, events, and Interscholastic Equitation competitions. Additionally, Oldfields is located in the middle of Maryland Hunt country. This gives students the opportunity to foxhunt on the weekends with three local packs. We also host several clinics throughout the year; past clinicians include Bernie Traurig, Greg Best, and Joe Fargis. Our motto “Where learning moves outside of the classroom and into the barn”, is part of our daily life. The girls have the opportunity to learn about horse care and management through our hands-on staff, veterinarian, and farrier.  

Campus Life

A Time for Lasting Friendships and Personal Discovery

Campus life at Oldfields plays an important role in fostering the Oldfields motto of Courage, Humility, and Largeness of Heart in each girl who passes through the school's green and white gates.  Full of traditions and new discoveries, campus life at Oldfields is rich in diverse opportunities for trying new things, learning to be a supportive and contributing member of a school community, and becoming an independent and well-rounded individual. Most importantly, life at Oldfields is full of the compassion and warmth of family.  Whether you are a boarder or a day student, you are embraced as part of the Oldfields family.  If you are 20 miles from home or have traveled across continents to attend Oldfields, you will receive the support you need to succeed in your academic and residential life. Friendships form across grades and cultures. If you feel worried about an exam or stressed out by your homework, you will always have an adult or friend with whom to talk. Oldfields students put it best - there are no social cliques at Oldfields and every one feels part of the family. Oldfields combines the wide-open spaces of Maryland's horse country with proximity to city life in Baltimore, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, and New York. This best-of-all worlds location enriches the Oldfields experience with an incredible diversity of outside speakers, field trips, service projects, and internships, and allows Oldfields to provide students with terrific options for weekend activities.  Dances and group events with nearby independent schools provide a chance to meet friends outside of school. Oldfields has plenty of trails and open spaces if you need a place for quiet contemplation. On campus, there are comfortable gathering spots to "chill" with friends, such as the spacious George S. Nevens, Jr. Library, Gookies Student Center, Rosa's Room or Miss Nan's Library equipped with Internet access. Student life at Oldfields is full of traditions, old and new, that build a strong school spirit and a collective sense of belonging.  A wide variety of co-curricular activities, including athletics, student clubs, riding, community service, dance, and theater keep each Oldfields student engaged outside of the classroom. Co-curriculars are part of the daily schedule, and students are encouraged to join many activities. At Oldfields, every student has ample opportunity to get involved. Enthusiasm and commitment are the only requirements! The compassionate and caring environment among students, with supportive faculty and staff, encourages students to take risks, to try new things, and to flourish. Campus life at Oldfields plays a pivotal role in producing generations of graduates in the spirit of the school's founder, Anna Austen McCulloch - girls of remarkable optimism and adaptability, full of courage and confidence.