Rabun Gap at a Glance

Mission Statement:

Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School combines its strong academic program, mountain setting, and Presbyterian heritage to inspire young people eager to learn and grow.  Living our motto, Work Study Worship, our community nurtures and challenges students from diverse backgrounds as they prepare for college and a lifetime of service.

• Rabun Gap is a college preparatory day and boarding school located in the southeastern United States serving students in grades 5-12.
• The School has an enrollment of 400 talented students with over half being involved in a vibrant boarding program.
• Enrollment represents 15-20 states and 15-20 countries, reflecting a global and cultural competency, with international students comprising approximately 25% of the student body.
• Rabun Gap's academic program includes 15 Advanced Placement (AP) classes covering all academic disciplines.
• Rabun Gap students have a 100% college acceptance rate and placement includes the nation's most selective institutions including Harvard, Princeton, Duke, Brown, and Emory as well as highly regarded colleges and universities both domestic and abroad.
• The School's dedicated faculty have a commitment to experiential learning including utilizing outdoor learning laboratories, integrating technology, and incorporating cross disciplinary projects.
• The faculty to student ratio is 8:1 with 85% of faculty residing on campus.
• Rabun Gap has a highly acclaimed arts and theater program including a full orchestra, choral program, and one of the longest running high school Cirque programs in the nation.
• The Athletic program includes 28 varsity and middle school competitive sports teams with accolades at the conference and state levels.
• The campus is located on 1400 acres and includes many environmental and outdoor education opportunities, including environmental stewardship programs (ESP).
• Rabun Gap was founded in 1903 and is distinguished by its Presbyterian heritage.
• Location is less than 2 hours from Atlanta, Greenville, and Asheville.
• The School maintains full accreditation through SAIS and SACS.

 

Academics

What makes Rabun Gap's academic program unique?  As a college-preparatory school, we offer an educational program designed to both challenge and nurture each student.  We encourage natural curiosity and, by example, we demonstrate that discovery and learning are life-long pursuits.  Private, independent schools are well-known for their academic excellence with life-changing effects of attending school in a residential setting.  Our private boarding and day school has small classes taught by a faculty committed to serving the needs of every student and eager to prepare the next generation for the challenges ahead.

Fast Facts:

• We are an independent, co-educational, college-preparatory boarding and day school for students in grades 5-12.
• Our academic program offers a classical liberal arts curriculum and a wide array of cultural activities on and off campus.
• Students benefit from extensive opportunities for experiential learning in laboratories, studios for music, art, and dance, directed and independent research.
• Advanced Placement (AP) courses are offered in all academic departments.
• Faculty incorporate hands on research, cross disciplinary projects, and technology to enhance learning.
• Our faculty community values small classes and working both in and outside the classroom with students.
• Rabun Gap is fully accredited through SACS and SAIS.

 

Athletics at Rabun Gap

The purpose of the Athletic program at Rabun Gap is both educational and recreational with the ultimate goal being to develop social, emotional, and physical maturity in our athletes.  The interrelationship of 1) the individual, 2) the team, 3) the coach, and 4) the school is the foundation of not only a successful program but also a successful team. The individual’s character is built on respect of him or herself and others, physical and emotional discipline, the ability to give 100% during practice and competition, and most importantly, the acceptance of defeat and victory with equal poise.  The team is built on commitment, cooperation, tolerance, and enthusiasm between the individual players.  The coach must be able to reach each individual on a personal level, pull them into a compatible and productive unit, and exemplify the expected standards of an athlete and a sportsman.  Rabun Gap, including its administration, faculty, student and parental body, is the support behind the individual, the team, and its coach. The cohesiveness of the above four factors is the backbone of the Athletic program; therefore, win or lose, the goal of creating a positive and rewarding experience of personal growth is obtainable.  

Fine and Performing Arts

The Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School Fine and Performing Arts Department fosters maximum development of human creative potential by familiarizing students with fundamental principles of each art form through participation in the creative process, criticism, and history, thus providing the students with meaningful self-expression and cultural expression.  At Rabun Gap, we strive to give students a greater appreciation for the arts as an important realm of human knowledge through direct experiences as audience and as creator.  We provide for the continuing growth and development of students through advanced level classes, cooperative endeavors, and extracurricular activities in all areas. Why the Fine Arts Are Important The Arts make a contribution to education that reaches beyond their intrinsic value as direct forms of thinking.  Because each Arts discipline appeals to different senses and expresses itself through different media, each adds a special richness to the learning environment.  As students imagine, create, and reflect, they are developing both verbal and nonverbal abilities necessary to school progress.  At the same time, they are developing problem-solving abilities and higher-order thinking skills.  Research points toward a consistent and positive correlation between a substantive education in the arts and student achievement in other subjects and on standardized tests.  A comprehensive, articulated arts education program also engages students in a process that helps them develop the self-discipline, cooperation, and self-motivation necessary for self-esteem and success for life.  

Student Life Overview

Student life at Rabun Gap embraces the belief that learning is a lifelong process that occurs both in and out of the classroom.  The School is committed to teaching integrity, personal responsibility, diversity, spiritual growth, and a passion for life and learning. These commitments honor the Rabun Gap heritage, illuminate the School's historic motto of Work Study Worship, and prepare students for a lifetime of service.  

Residential Life at Rabun Gap

The boarding experience at Rabun Gap is both energetic and relaxing.  It provides students with increasing responsibility for their personal, academic, and social lives under the nurturing guidance of Rabun Gap residential faculty.  These uniquely dedicated adults live in dorms with students, supervising our residence halls and weekend activities.  They become extended family, opening their doors and sharing their families, their pets, and their hearts with Rabun Gap boarding students.  Great care is taken to aide students in developing effective study habits and social skills that will allow for meaningful relationships with adults and peers. Seven residence halls serve as a home away from home for our boarding students, who make up approximately 50 percent of Rabun Gap's student population.  Residential life includes many planned weekend activities, and the halls have amenities such as computer rooms, kitchens, laundry rooms, vending machines, and common areas. Our sprawling campus offers a range of activities, from swimming and canoeing at Indian Lake to enjoying a movie under the stars.  When the weather is not quite as accommodating, students are treated to off-campus events including Movie Trips and Mall Trips.  Spending weekends on campus is a wonderful way for students to bond outside the classroom doors, and we encourage any and all students to participate.  

Spirituality at Rabun Gap

The Chapel program is one of the oldest traditions at Rabun Gap.  The practical theology of Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School begins with an understanding that the teachings of Christ do not need insulation, but rather need to be practiced.  Thus, Rabun Gap emphasizes a fostering of the Christian faith.  Students with religious experiences outside the Christian tradition, as well as students who consider themselves non-religious, are welcome. Anchored in the School motto, Work Study Worship, Rabun Gap’s Chapel is the center of the school’s spiritual life and community and the chief symbol of Rabun Gap’s affiliation with the Presbyterian Church.  Students take an active part in the worship services, working closely with the Chaplain, who leads worship and spiritual formation programs and is available to the entire Rabun Gap community, regardless of spiritual affiliation.  

Student Leadership

Student leadership is the moral center and the voice of the Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School student community.  Student leaders set a positive example, support the student body, and represent the school in all school matters.  They lead by example in all manners of speech and daily living. They are visible and active in all areas of community life, and they strive to increase community understanding and preserve the integrity of Rabun Gap.

Prefects:

Prefects assume a major responsibility in the life of Rabun Gap by helping to maintain the quality of life for both boarding and day students. Modeling an attitude of mutual trust, openness, fairness, empathy, and cooperation, prefects share with faculty members specific management duties in dorms and other campus facilities.

Student Government:

Led by students elected from each grade and advised by faculty, the Student Government assists the administration and faculty in governing the student body. Their task is to manage and initiate positive social activities and to promote school spirit, as well as to seek policy changes that will benefit the community.

Honor Council:

The Honor Council increases community understanding and preserves the integrity of the Honor System.  The students, parents, faculty, and administration of Rabun Gap have established a code for all to embrace.  The Honor Code makes explicit what has always been implicit at Rabun Gap by setting the highest standard for truth and honesty.  

Clubs & Organizations

Clubs and Organizations in the Middle and Upper School allow students to shape individual involvement in areas such as campus diversity, language arts, music appreciation, environmental awareness, and community publications. Organizations like the Model UN, the Philosophy Club, Quiz Bowl, and the Diversity Club are led by students and advised by faculty.  In addition, nationally recognized societies celebrate and encourage the artistic ability, intellectual curiosity, and academic achievement of Rabun Gap students. Students may choose from over 20 different clubs and organizations to join, enabling them to commit to the development and success of a group that speaks to them.  Students also have the ability to create and spearhead a new club or organization, providing greater depth and diversity to campus involvement.  

Student Health

The Student Health Center is located in the Jackson Apartments, just south of the Dining Hall and is open Monday through Friday, 7:15 AM - 4:15 PM.  A Student Care Team is on-call from 4:15 PM - 7:15 AM weekdays and 24 hours on weekends for emergencies. The center is staffed with a full-time nurse and a health care assistant who provide health services as needed.  An Athletic Trainer is also available to provide additional evaluation, recommendations, and treatment. Services provided by the Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School Health Center include:

• Health Assessment
• Emergency evaluation and treatment
• Maintenance of immunization records
• Medication Administration
• Supervise medically infirmed boarding students
• Health promotion and wellness information
• CPR instruction for faculty and staff
• Administration of annual flu vaccine

 

Rabun Gap Dining Hall

The campus community comes together daily to enjoy wholesome, great-tasting food in the Addie Corn Ritchie Dining Hall.  The Rabun Gap Dining Hall is managed by Sage Dining Services.  With an emphasis on freshness, flavor, and seasonality, our talented chefs custom-design menus to reflect guest preferences while using fresh products available in the local community. In addition to providing diners with nutritious and tasty meals, our dining program is designed to encourage students to make healthy menu choices.  We understand the importance of accommodating guests with food allergies and other dietary restrictions.