Back-to-School Information | | The start of School will be here before we know it! Please note the following important information, deadlines, and updates. Further details will be sent in early August. | | |
Arrival Dates and Times
Student arrivals on campus will be staggered on the dates listed below.
All students must sign up for individual arrival time slots using the arrival form below.
PROCTORS
Tuesday, Aug. 26
Arrive at your dorm between 1-4 p.m.
ORIENTATION LEADERS
Wednesday, Aug. 27
Arrive at your dorm between 9 a.m.-12 p.m.
FALL VARSITY ATHLETES (by invitation only)
Friday, Aug. 29
New students participating in pre-season practice arrive at the Tremaine Foyer in the Main Building between 9 a.m.-12 p.m. (GPS address: 11 Interlaken Road)
Returning students participating in pre-season practice arrive at your dorm between 9 a.m.-12 p.m.
NEW STUDENTS
Monday, Sept. 1 (Labor Day)
Arrive at the Forrest E. Mars Jr. Athletic Center (MAC) between 9 a.m.-12 p.m. (GPS address: 22 Lime Rock Road)
RETURNING STUDENTS
Wednesday, Sept. 3
Arrive at your dorm between 9 a.m.-12 p.m.
STUDENT ACTION REQUIRED: Registering for an Arrival Slot
Each student must sign up for an arrival time slot via the 2025 Student Arrival Form. Please note that this form is only accessible to students as they will need to be signed into their Hotchkiss account to select a slot. Students should coordinate with their parent/guardian about the date and time of their arrival.
Students should make every effort to arrive on campus by the dates outlined above. If your arrival will occur beyond these timeframes, please contact the Deans' Office.
Sibling Students with Different Arrival Days
If siblings are scheduled for different arrival days, please contact the Deans' Office to confirm an arrival date. This will be handled on a case-by-case basis and will require approval due to the length of time between different arrival dates. Note that all new students should arrive on Sept. 1.
A Note about Dorm Move-In
New students will receive their dorm assignments at new student registration (Tremaine Foyer for invited pre-season athletes and the MAC for all other new student arrivals). Upon completion of registration, new students will move into their rooms where they will have the opportunity to unpack, decorate, and start making it feel like home. Family members are permitted in the dorms to help their student(s) get settled. On Monday, Sept. 1, family members are invited for lunch and other afternoon programming before Orientation kicks off. New students will not be allowed to leave campus after 4 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 1, due to continual Orientation programming.
Returning students will receive their dorm assignments via email before arriving on campus. This will allow returning students to go directly to their respective dorms for registration/check-in.
Roommate Information
Roommate assignments will be sent via email to students in early August. For those of you who are new students, we hope that having roommate information will give you an opportunity to begin to get acquainted. For returning students, it should be a chance to do some planning before the start of school. Stay tuned for further information!
Additional information about move-in day and new student Orientation will be provided in August.
| Academic Course Requests, Placement, and Scheduling for 2025-26 | Course placements for new students and entered course requests for all students will be available through the Veracross Student and Parent Portals this week—look for separate email communication from the Academic Life Office. Note that the Course Request Document shows current placement results and requested courses, not final scheduled courses. Over the coming weeks, the Academic Life Office will use this information to build the weekly schedule, working to maximize student requests. Students on a waitlist or with a schedule conflict will be notified during this process. Students and families will receive confirmation of successful enrollments by mid-August, and students will receive their weekly schedules shortly before classes begin. | |
Ordering 2025-26 Textbooks
Information about ordering required textbooks will be emailed to families in August.
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A complete list of required summer reading assignments was sent via email to students and their families on June 28 (books by class level and the All-School reading assignment).
Click here for a copy of the mailing.
Please note: students are responsible for purchasing their own copies of the required book assignments.
| | | Reminders and Announcements | | |
2025-26 Required Proxy Due Aug. 1
As part of enrollment, all families are asked to identify an adult who is able to come to Hotchkiss on short notice to pick up their student in the event the School needs to close its campus, or their student becomes ill or otherwise needs to be off campus for unexpected medical, safety, disciplinary, or other reasons. Whether the designated adult is a parent/guardian or an alternative emergency contact, this identified person should be someone available to come to campus within 24 hours and assume care of and responsibility for the student.
We recognize that identifying an emergency contact may be challenging for some families. Therefore, as a courtesy to our families, information about community-based resources that may be available to assist families in these types of situations is provided.
Click here for more information and to access the 2025-26 Proxy Form.
Questions may be directed to Carissa Clapper in the Deans' Office (860-435-3189).
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2025-26 Required Health Forms are Due
Attention all families! The Health Center staff requests your assistance in completing the required health forms as soon as possible. Click here for more information.
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Laundry Options for 2025-26
There are laundry machines in the basements of Buehler, Dana, Garland, Edelman, Flinn, Memorial, Redlich, Tinker, Watson, and Wieler dorms. The use of machines by students is free of charge, but students need to provide their own laundry supplies (soap, dryer sheets, etc.).
An optional laundry and dry cleaning service, E&R (the Campus Laundry), is located in the basement of Tinker Hall. Click here for information. Please note there is a fee for this privately arranged service.
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Student Activities - Required Waiver
Throughout the school year, Hotchkiss contracts with an outside vendor to provide amusements for students. These amusements are supervised by Hotchkiss and vendor employees and include, but are not limited to, the following: bounce house, mechanical bull, dunk tank, inflatable water slide, laser tag, obstacle course, and haunted house.
Students in all grades are invited to participate and must have a “Hotchkiss: Participant Waiver and Release of Liability 2025-26" on file with the company.
ACTION REQUIRED: Students over 18 or the parent/guardian of a student of minor age are asked to log into Veracross and click on the coral-colored "2025-26 Student Activities Waiver" button to complete the digital waiver.
Questions may be directed to Marcie Wistar P'26,'29, director of student activities.
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How to Ship Items to Campus
If you are shipping items or supplies to campus, please do not send packages until Aug. 22. (We accept packages sent via all common carriers — e.g., U.S. mail, UPS, FedEx, DHL, etc.)
Please send mail and packages to students (using their legal name if possible) at this address:
Student's Name (first and last)
The Hotchkiss School
11 Interlaken Road
Lakeville, CT 06039
Any shipped parcel or package will be available for student pick-up at the Hotchkiss Post Office during Orientation. Please note the School does not deliver packages directly to the dorm room.
Questions for the Hotchkiss Post Office? Call (860) 435-3299.
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A Message from the Mischianza (Hotchkiss Yearbook)
Each member of the Class of 2026 (seniors and post-graduates) will be featured on a half-page of the 2026 yearbook. Students are asked to submit their own portraits for these pages by March 31. We will offer on-campus photo sessions. Some students prefer to take their portraits at home—the summer break can be a good time to do this. For more details, please visit the Mischianza webpage.
| | For Families New to Hotchkiss | | |
Reminder: Parent/Guardian Action Required to Establish Veracross Account
On July 8, an email was sent to all parents/guardians directly from Veracross, Hotchkiss’s student information management system. If you have not already created your account, the email will guide you through the steps to do so.
Access to Veracross will allow you to view:
- Your student's schedule
- Your student's grades and comments (posted at mid-term and the end of semester)
- Your student's attendance
You will also use Veracross to:
- Update family contact information (address, phone numbers, email address, etc.)
- Submit absence requests for your student
Once your new Veracross credentials have been created, you'll be able to access Veracross from the Hotchkiss Parent Portal landing page. Simply click on the "Veracross Login" as shown.
Having trouble logging in? Please contact Registrar Heather Mechare at (860) 435-3186 for assistance.
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New Student Hotchkiss Accounts Now Active
Kevin Warenda, director of information technology services, sent an email to new students on July 8 containing their Hotchkiss username, password, and instructions on how to access their Hotchkiss email accounts (subject line "Action Required: Hotchkiss Student Login Account Information”). New students are encouraged to login as soon as possible as this is now the account the School will use to correspond with them moving forward. In addition, students will need to be logged into their accounts to sign up for an arrival time slot.
Please note, new parents/guardians received a copy of this email for informational purposes, but students need to set up their accounts themselves.
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Reminder: Final Transcripts Due July 15
Your student's final official transcript must be sent to Hotchkiss by July 15 in order to be registered for courses in 2025-26.
Please have it sent to admission@hotchkiss.org, faxed to (860) 435-1525, or sent via U.S. Mail:
The Admission Office
The Hotchkiss School
11 Interlaken Road
Lakeville, CT 06039
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New Student Advisor Assignments
Advisor information will be emailed to students in August. Students, families, and advisors are encouraged to reach out to each other in August to help prepare for the upcoming school year.
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New Student Co-curricular Sign Ups
STUDENT ACTION REQUIRED: Please sign up for your fall co-curricular by completing this form. You will need to be signed in to your Hotchkiss account.
If you have any questions or difficulties completing this form, contact Athletic Operations Manager Amber Jordan.
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Upcoming Webinar: Parenting from Abroad
Join Director of International Programs David Thompson P'27 for an overview of ways that families can prepare for the Hotchkiss experience, with particular attention paid to some of the typical challenges that students from abroad encounter and how their families can partner with the School to help their students find success.
Event Date: Friday, July 11 at 8 a.m. EDT
A Zoom event link will be sent to all registrants. A replay will be posted for those who are unable to join us.
Questions may be submitted in advance. Click here to register.
New Family Webinar Replay Available
In case you were unable to join us, you can watch a replay of the "Getting Ready to Come to Hotchkiss" webinar. It contains useful information for those joining the Hotchkiss community. Click here to watch this video.
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Reminder: Personal Debit or Credit Card Needed for Campus Spending
All students should come to campus with a personal debit or credit card. Our snack bar, campus store, post office, and vending machines are all equipped to accept debit and credit cards.
For those who do not have access to a card, we encourage you to open a student checking account at your bank of choice to obtain a debit card.
If you have questions, please email studentaccounts@hotchkiss.org.
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Summer 2025 Hotchkiss Welcome Events
Receptions to welcome new and returning Hotchkiss students and their families are being held this summer in several locations.
Please visit Welcome to Hotchkiss 2025 for more information on dates, times, and registration.
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Save the Dates: New Family Drop-Off Day Events
New Bearcat parents—be on the lookout for email invitations to the following gatherings generously hosted by local Hotchkiss parents.
Pre-Season Athlete New Parent Gathering: Aug. 29, 2025
If your student has been invited by a coach to participate in fall pre-season varsity athletics, please join us after drop-off at the home of Joella and John Lykouretzos P'23,'27 in Lakeville for an informal, post-drop-off gathering. It's a great chance to meet other parents/guardians, enjoy some lunch, and swap early-season stories.
Date: Friday, Aug. 29, 2025
Time: 11 a.m.- 2 p.m.
Note: If your student is interested in trying out for a fall varsity team, they should contact the head coach by Aug. 1. See "Tryouts for Fall Varsity Athletic Teams" in this newsletter for more information.
New Parent Post-Drop Off Gathering: Sept. 1, 2025
After you’ve said your (bittersweet!) goodbyes, you’re invited to drop by the home of Jessica and Tim McCarthy P'26,'29 in Lakeville for a casual gathering with fellow new parents/guardians. Come as you are—whether you need a snack, a chat, or just a moment to exhale—we’d love to see you!
Date: Monday, Sept. 1, 2025
Time: 4-6 p.m.
| | 2025-26 Student Travel Opportunities | | |
Education at Hotchkiss often extends beyond the Scoville Gate, and over breaks, students can learn and travel with Hotchkiss faculty. These programs offer opportunities for immersion in other cultures, direct engagement with material studied in the classroom, academic research at university libraries, and a chance to build strong communities with a range of fellow students. These experiences enrich the learning that happens on campus. For the 2025-26 academic year, programs are planned for China, France, Italy, Peru, Poland, Atlanta, Cambridge, Washington, D.C., Ithaca, New Haven, and Princeton. A preview of these programs can be found on the Off-Campus Programs website. Full descriptions will be available by Family Weekend in October.
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