Course Registration

Freshmen and sophomores will be assigned to English courses. Juniors should choose either English III or the CL English III Seminar. Seniors should select their three (3) first choice and at least three (3) second and third choice term electives. Note that Seminars and certain senior electives, identified in Course Offerings and Descriptions, require permission of the department. Sophomores will be automatically enrolled in the required Writing Workshop for all three terms.

Third level proficiency in one language is a graduation requirement and must be taken consecutively until that requirement is met. Students may select two modern and classical languages if all other diploma requirements can be fulfilled. A two-year commitment in the second language is expected. In most cases, seniors and postgraduate students may not elect the first level of a language. For international students for whom English is not their native language a two-year commitment is required, unless they have entered Loomis with academic study of their native language at the secondary-school level; with permission from the Director of Studies those students may be considered exempt from the requirement.

The World History requirement must be taken during either freshman or sophomore year. It is expected that juniors will take U.S. History (regular or CL). Exceptions must be approved by the Director of Studies and the college guidance office.

Students are expected to continue the study of mathematics beyond the diploma requirement of Algebra II and Geometry. It is typical for a student to study mathematics each year.

Students must take two years of science, one a life science, such as biology or environmental science, and the other a physical science, such as chemistry or physics. Students are strongly encouraged to take at least one science course of either variety during freshman or sophomore year. Electives in the science department have specific prerequisites and co-requisites, as outlined in Course Offerings and Descriptions.

Students must receive credit for two courses from these subjects (found across the departments of History, Philosophy, and Religious Studies, and Social Sciences); one of these courses must be taken at the junior/senior level; one of these must be Philosophy or Religious Studies. All are term courses for 1/3 credit.

Students who enter as freshmen must take three courses in the arts to satisfy graduation requirements (chosen from any art, music, or theater offering); all others must take two art courses.

Visual Arts: Students should be aware that there are charges for certain supplies, such as camera rentals.

Performing Arts: Please note that there is an additional charge for instrumental lessons; lessons must be arranged on-campus and through the music department. Credit will be given only after a full year of lessons, consisting of at least eight to ten (8-10) lessons each term, for a minimum total of twenty-six (26) lessons.

For each term, students should select either: (1) a team activity or (2) a physical exertion activity. Further requirements regarding type of after-school activity are outlined on page 61 in the Course Descriptions book.

If you have chosen five full academic courses (yearlong or term) in any term you may not, under most circumstances, take an additional full course. Academic courses are English, Modern and Classical Language, History/Philosophy/Religious Studies, Social Sciences, Math, Science, Art/Music/Theater, and Computer Science/Design Thinking/Entrepreneurship.

Students may take one or (more rarely) two yearlong half course(s) in addition to the five full courses. This is often a wise way for students with five classes each term to add a diploma requirement credit in visual or performing arts. Students should be taking a long view — planning out all four years to be sure that the senior year is not unnecessarily crowded with diploma requirements. A broad selection of classes across the disciplines throughout the four years is the best profile for any student.

A term course runs for one third of the year on the same schedule as a year course, meeting two or three times per week. A year course runs for the full year, two or three times per week. A half course runs all year at half intensity — one to two meetings per week. Half courses are an exception to the five-course rule, not because they are less important, only because they require less reading and generally have no “homework” outside of class. While practice or occasional extra work will be expected in these courses, the majority of the work and learning is done within the context of the rehearsals or classes themselves.

Four full academic courses (yearlong or term) in any term is the minimum required course load. Students may elect this curriculum in one term or throughout their time at Loomis Chaffee, though most students do take five and certainly strive to do so. Arts may not be a fourth full course. To complete an academic year and be invited to return, a student must earn a total of at least four year-end credits, not including half-course credits. To receive a diploma, a student must earn a minimum of sixteen credits (full-course equivalents) between grades nine and twelve, although most Loomis Chaffee students earn between nineteen and twenty credits, not including half credits, in those four years.

The information available now is all that will be necessary to making good decisions. Focus on the information in the Course Descriptions. If the subject and the readings are of interest and if the prerequisites and co-requisites are met, then you should consider requesting the class. Please be wary of making predictions about terms or teachers. Ignore the inevitable gossip about what is a “good” class, teacher, etc. Second and third choices should be approached with equal care. With any elective class it is possible that a second or third choice will be scheduled because of unavoidable conflicts with other academic priorities.

Tell us. When you meet with your advisor to complete your course registration, they will have, on the portal entry form for your requests, a free text space for notes to the academic office. Be sure that they write in any details of priorities for courses. The more we know the better we can make schedules as close to ideal as possible. Of course, we cannot promise to schedule every special request. We cannot guarantee that a course will be available in a particular term, or that conflicts between desired courses will not happen. But we will endeavor to meet your request if possible.

No. Students/parents may not request specific teachers. There are two small exceptions to this rule. If a student is assigned to the same teacher for two years in a row (which we try to avoid in scheduling during the summer) the student may request a shift. If a family or student has had a teacher in past years and wishes for a different experience, then the student or family should get directly in touch during the add/drop period with their director of studies, as appropriate, to discuss the matter.

ISPs work differently in academics and athletics, but for either an ISP proposal must be completed and approved. ISP forms are available in the Academic Office and Dean of Faculty office, and generally require that the student write a proposal, identify a willing faculty sponsor, and have all parties on the form sign off on and approve the ISP.

In athletics, an ISP could be an independent study outside our offerings, a community service exemption, or an exemption from a special project in art, music, theater, or dance.  The paperwork (and possibly audition) must be completed by the beginning of the appropriate term. During the registration period, the student must register for an offered sport for each term until an ISP or exemption is approved. Their schedule will be adjusted when the completed forms have been processed and approved.

In academic subjects, an ISP is generally possible for students who have exhausted current curricular offerings and wish to build upon their experience further. An academic ISP proposal and its approval must be completed by the end of the term PRIOR to that when the student hopes to engage in the ISP.

Loomis Chaffee does not accept credit from other schools, except credit at admission for sequential disciplines. Classes in English, language, history, math, science or any other discipline may be taken in the summer to reinforce understanding or to enrich a student's performance, but they do not receive Loomis Chaffee credit. The only class that is currently approved for students to take for both credit and advancement to a higher level is Geometry, and that only with departmental approval. A student recommended for summer advancement will remain scheduled for geometry until he/she passes the examination that is administered at the close of the summer vacation. It is the student’s responsibility in that case to obtain our math department’s geometry curriculum and to find the local resource that can provide an equivalent preparatory experience.

Learn more about Summer Acceleration in Mathematics

No. One course must be taken as a junior or senior, and both may be taken then. Two courses taken as a freshman/sophomore does not fulfill the requirement. Additionally, one of the two must be in philosophy or religious studies.

Think of it as one extra English class per week for sophomores. It is automatically scheduled for each term and contributes to the English grade. New juniors take the class in their first fall term only. The Writing Workshop is required but is not graded or credit-bearing.