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Why Gunn
About
The Frederick Gunn School has always been a place for students to take risks. We want you to push yourself because you are the kind of student, the kind of person, who can achieve remarkable things. We will challenge you and will insist that you push yourself. We don’t believe in letting students default to a comfort zone. You will learn just how much you can accomplish. And you will be astonished.

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Admissions
Students at The Frederick Gunn School spend their high-school years growing up, growing wiser, and growing more confident. They form lasting friendships by supporting each other as they step outside of comfort zones alongside faculty who truly believe in them. Coming to Gunn is a choice to dig a little deeper, to get past the shiny surface of so much that surrounds us. We would love for you to become a Highlander.
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Academics
The Frederick Gunn School prepares students for college and global citizenship by integrating academic learning with the immersive experiences of boarding school life. By extending education beyond the classroom, we equip students with the leadership skills needed to thrive in an interconnected world.

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Arts
At The Frederick Gunn School, we invite our students to be creators and makers. Whether you are interested in the visual or performing arts, you will have the chance to leave your mark on the world, to challenge others to see the world in a new way, and to express your perfectly unique point of view.

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Athletics
Inspired by Frederick Gunn’s belief that athletics builds both "muscle and character," our program offers 36 teams across 16 sports. Whether you are a high performing athlete or a beginner, this is where you can master new skills, discover new passions, and contribute to the tradition of being a Highlander, in and out of competition.

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Student Life
At The Frederick Gunn School, the best moments often happen between the bustle of academics and co-curriculars. Whether it’s sharing lunch, hosting a movie night, or sledding behind Teddy House, you will find opportunities to gather, relax, and build lasting friendships across our campus. It's why students and alumni refer to Gunn as home.

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Giving
From experiential learning opportunities and faculty development, to student life activities, athletics, and financial aid, gifts of all sizes — from alumni, friends, faculty and staff, students, and families — collectively ensure the school can maintain our standards of excellence and improve where needed.

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Founders Day Regatta

In 1959, Katherine Conroy of Washington bestowed upon the school’s longtime crew coach Rod Beebe a gift of $5,000 to establish the Founders Day Regatta, and a large sterling silver trophy, originally called the Founder’s Cup.

In the inaugural race, 60 boys from The Frederick Gunn School, Choate and Haverford raced over a three-quarter-mile course on the New Preston side of Lake Waramaug, and Gunn won the cup.
With the advent of coeducation at The Frederick Gunn School in 1978, girls teams participated in the regatta for the first time, rowing a 1,000-meter course. That same year, the race course was moved from the New Preston side of the lake to Lake Waramaug State Park, and the regatta expanded to include teams from eight schools.
By its 50th anniversary year, Founders Day had become the largest one-day youth fours regatta in New England, drawing more than 1,400 rowers who competed on behalf of some two dozen high school and boat club teams from Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Ohio and Rhode Island.
In 2019, the school celebrated the 60th anniversary of Founders Day, the second longest-running high school regatta in New England after the New England championships on Lake Quinsigamond.
Spectators pitch colorful school tents along the shore and cheer on their teams for a day of racing in coxed four shells.

Explore Boys and Girls Rowing at Gunn