Ages: 9-12 and post-grad

No. of Pupils: 613

Admissions: Online application and standardised tests plus interview. Applications are due by January 15.

Curriculum: Academically rigorous, Hotchkiss School offers a classical education with 224 courses, seven foreign languages (Chinese, French, German, Greek, Latin, Russian and Spanish), and unique off-campus study-abroad programmes.

Campus and facilities: Located in Lakeville, Connecticut, the school sits on 334 hectares of woods, fields and farmland in the midst of the scenic Berkshire-Taconic region, which the Nature Conservancy calls “one of the most extraordinary landscapes in the Northeast.” The school’s state-of-the-art facilities include the 116-hectare Fairfield Farm, the 212,000sqft athletic centre, and surrounding streams and trails.

Noteworthy: The Hotchkiss School is an independent boarding school founded in 1891 by Maria Harrison Bissell Hotchkiss, who didn’t want yet another “school for the pampered sons of rich gentlemen” and instead instituted a commitment to financial assistance. Remaining true to its founding principle, nearly one-third of Hotchkiss students currently receive some degree of financial aid. Hotchkiss also has a long tradition of enrolling international students, which dates back to 1896. One of the most diverse co-educational schools in the US, the school today has more than 65 clubs, student publications, community-service organisations and musical ensembles.

New: Students and teachers performed musical recitals across Asia this year, making stops in South Korea, mainland China and Hong Kong.

Fees: US$$59,630 (boarding); US$50,700 (day)

Hotchkiss School, 11 Interlaken Road, Lakeville, Connecticut, hotchkiss.org