The Kiski School

Saltsburg, Pennsylvania

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Something Extraordinary

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The Kiski School is a national leader in educating boys. Founded in 1888, Kiski offers an exceptional boarding or day school experience to families in search of a highly personalized, challenging, and safe high school education for their sons.

Located just 30 miles east of Pittsburgh on 350 beautiful acres, Kiski is a special place where boys engage their minds, focusing on schoolwork, sports, and just being boys. Our students receive a classic liberal arts education that mirrors the curricula of the nation’s best universities, using innovative technology and hands-on learning techniques that nurture boys; curiosity, creativity, and confidence. The results speak for themselves: All Kiski graduates are accepted into four-year colleges or universities, 80 percent of which are U.S. News Top 100 institutions.

I look at my son, and I see what a tremendous change he has gone through at Kiski. He has always wanted to march to his own tune. At Kiski, he is allowed to be his own person, but there’s a guiding hand. He is thriving.

—Kiski parent, mother of Mario ‘13

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Think

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At The Kiski School, we know how to teach boys. Our classrooms are vibrant, high-energy places where students engage in lively discussions with teachers and peers and often work in teams.

Kiski boys learn by doing, whether it’s using tablets and smartphones to determine the angular movements of the roof trusses in the Pre-Calculus classroom or designing and building replica shields and armaments and then engaging in a mock battle as part of an Ancient World History course.

And when it’s report card time, the Headmaster takes the time to review each student’s grades with him individually, a Kiski tradition called “grade readings” that exemplifies the personal nature and high standards of the Kiski academic experience.

Kiski is a school that is full of history and tradition, but at the same time it’s very forward-thinking. Being innovative is what the faculty is all about, and that trickles down to the students.

— Howie, senior, Hollidaysburg, PA

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Engaging

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Here are a few of the innovative courses designed by Kiski teachers to engage young men through hands-on activities that incorporate technology and critical thinking.

Robotics. In this hands-on introduction to simple machines, students study sensors and movement, employing mathematics, physics, and computer programming skills to build autonomous robots.

Kiski Survival Arts. After a semester studying a variety of art, woodworking, environmental science, and design concepts, boys "take to the woods" to test their ability to survive in nature using only primitive materials. The culminating event is the unveiling of a major design-and-build project, which has most recently included the construction of igloos and kayaks.

Science and Physiology of Athletics. This course explores the concept that exercise and athletic performance all begin at the cellular level. Boys learn about muscle cell structure and function, cellular energetics, nutrition, and hydration, and they investigate how proper exercise and training create cellular adaptations that will improve overall athletic performance.

The boys have so much fun while they’re learning. I love watching them come up with so many creative ideas. They just soak up so much knowledge when they are enjoying themselves.

—Bill Bower ’73, math teacher and director of studies

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Power

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Everyone from the Headmaster and faculty to coaches and staff is personally involved in the daily lives of the student, quietly modeling core values of respect, integrity, and personal responsibility. Boys might not even notice the daily life lessons that occur at the lunch table, during get-togethers at a staff member’s home, or just in a short stroll across campus with a favorite teacher, but the results are noticeable as they become more confident, mature, and independent.

As Jim Perry, Kiski science teacher and football coach, puts it, “I love watching them grow, learning how to communicate thoughtfully, responding to their leadership roles, and taking pride in responsibility.”

A boarding school that strengthens family bonds?

Some parents may be dubious at first, but they discover that Kiski helps them connect with their sons in new and deeper ways.

Instead of being relegated to the roles of homework enforcer and chaperone, Kiski parents become confidantes as their sons take pride in learning to manage their time, make good decisions, and even do their own laundry (yes!!).

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Shine

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Students from all over the country and the world, of all races and ethnicities and backgrounds, come together as part of the close-knit Kiski community. It’s a brotherhood in which all students respect and support one another, celebrating their differences without the distraction of cliques or other pretenses.

Kiski Sports

The Kiski School field 23 varsity and junior varsity teams in the following sports:

  • Baseball
  • Basketball
  • Cross-Country
  • Football
  • Golf
  • Ice Hockey
  • Lacrosse
  • Soccer
  • Swimming
  • Tennis
  • Track & Field
  • Wrestling
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Home

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Kiski boys live together around the clock, bonding in the dormitories, on the sports fields, and over shared meals. Weekends offer a variety of activities to choose from including movies, paintball, cheering on the home team, trips to museums and other cultural attractions, and dances and get-togethers with area girls’ schools. Outside of the classroom, there are activities to match every boy’s interests, or to allow him to explore a new one:

Sports fans. Join a game of pickup basketball or play a round of golf on Kiski School’s private, on-campus course. Gather a group of friends to watch football on the multiple flat-screen TVs in the Swank Student Center. Head into Pittsburgh for a Steelers, Pirates or Penguins game.

Music lovers. Host your own show on KRC, the campus radio station. Enter the Friday night Wii rock band competition. Audition for the Glee Club or the Double Quartet singing ensemble.

Outdoorsmen. Take a weekend white-water rafting trip. Go hiking or camping. Join the Woodworking Club and build a kayak to test out in the Kiskiminetas River.

“It’s easy to get involved. I get emails every day about things to do, whether it’s planning a weekend trip or just saying, ‘Come play Risk in the Student Center tonight.”

— Bray, freshman, Lafayette, LA

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Make It

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The entire faculty and staff of the Kiski School are deeply committed to helping each boy become the best person he can be, both academically and socially. When boys leave Kiski, they are ready not only for college, but for life.

Kiski helped me to prepare for being away from home, to compete at higher levels, and to enhance my study habits and skills. I had a great experience with my basketball teammates – they made me a better player and a better person

—Jonathon Ward-Adams, a 2011 Kiski graduate who now plays Division I basketball for the U.S. Naval Academy

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Good Company

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Each boy can expect to receive academic and personal coaching and mentoring through a variety of venues:

Academic counseling. Faculty and staff work individually with students starting freshman year, helping them to build a challenging course schedule and meaningful slate of extracurricular activities that will substantively represent their work and talents.

Tutoring. Teachers conduct evening “extra help” sessions for particular classes and provide one-on-one tutoring to students as needed.

College counseling. Although college counseling begins the very first year students arrive, it is during the junior year that Kiski counselors begin to meet regularly with students and parents to develop a list of “best fit” schools to explore. Senior year, boys receive assistance as they prepare college applications and write essays.

Personal support. There’s always a shoulder to lean on at Kiski. Each residence hall is assigned a faculty “dorm parent” and student prefect whom boys in that dorm can turn to for help with any concern, no matter how small or large.

Where do they go from here?

Kiski graduates gain acceptance to a variety of prestigious colleges and universities. Some of the institutions chosen by recent graduates include:

  • Baylor University
  • Boston College
  • Bucknell University
  • Carnegie Mellon University
  • The Citadel
  • Davidson College
  • Denison University
  • Dickinson College
  • Emory University
  • Georgia Tech
  • Haverford College
  • Howard University
  • Johns Hopkins University
  • Kenyon College
  • Lehigh University
  • Morehouse College
  • New York University
  • Ohio State University
  • Penn State University
  • Princeton University
  • Purdue University
  • Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
  • Rochester Institute of Technology
  • Syracuse University
  • Trinity College
  • UC Berkeley
  • UCLA
  • U.S. Air Force Academy
  • U.S. Naval Academy
  • University of Colorado
  • University of Michigan
  • University of North Carolina
  • University of Notre Dame
  • University of Pennsylvania
  • University of Pittsburgh
  • University of Southern California
  • University of Wisconsin
  • Vanderbilt University
  • Villanova University
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Success

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We asked a group of Kiski students – of all different ages and backgrounds – to describe how Kiski makes them feel. Reading their answers (in the word cloud) made us feel very happy, proud, and amazed once again at the insight, thoughtfulness, and drive that we see in our boys every day.

Kiski by the numbers

  • 1888
    Year founded
  • 200
    Enrolled students
  • 30
    Miles from Pittsburgh
  • 10-12
    Average class size
  • 6:1
    Student-teacher ratio
  • 12
    Varsity sports
  • 1988
    Year the school began providing personal laptop computers to every student
  • 100
    Percentage of graduates who are accepted by a four-year college or university
  • 80
    Percentage of recent graduates who enrolled in a U.S.News Top 100 college or university
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The Kiski School

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We invite you to come to Kiski and get to know our faculty, our staff, and most importantly, our students – to listen to their stories, to watch them in action, to be inspired by them. In addition to several Open Houses each year, we offer personal campus tours (with or without an interview) as well as “shadow days” where prospective students may follow a current student through a typical school day.

Contact Us

The Kiski School 1888 Brett Lane Saltsburg, PA 15681
Toll-free: 1.877.547.5448 Office of Admissions: 724.639.8035 Fax: 724.639.8596
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