Emerson Preparatory School

The Emerson Institute & Preparatory School is a welcoming community of informed, engaged and exceptional learners seeking ways to answer questions and question answers.

Founded in 1852 and named in honor of George Barrell Emerson (Ralph Waldo’s cousin), innovative educator, author and Harvard graduate, the Emerson Institute originally prepared Washington, DC-area boys to enter Harvard College. Emerson Institue & Preparatory School’s evolution through the years has established it today as a school that draws a diverse student body of young men and women in grades 9 through 12 from the local and international community, and prepares them to confidently follow their chosen paths in life.

Emerson Institute & Preparatory School is a small, distinguished independent high school in the heart of Washington, DC . In small discussion-based classes, students are constantly encouraged and guided through the processes of critical thinking, analysis, synthesis, and debate.