Girls Preparatory School

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A day school in Chattanooga, Tennessee, for girls grades six through 12

Where everything begins and ends with what is best for girls

For more than 110 years, Girls Preparatory School has been committed to academic excellence while educating the whole girl through a broad array of educational experiences. As students at GPS, girls grow in intellectual curiosity, honor individuality, learn to share their opinions with confidence, and discover the strength within them to change the world.

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Why A Girls' School

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Why a Girls' School?

"In an all-girls school, we have a way of modeling for girls all the diversity within what it means to be a woman. There's not just one way to be a girl or to be a woman or to be a leader. There are literally hundreds of examples of that every day. I think that it's really important for girls to see there's not just one way to be smart, or one way to be successful, or beautiful, or one way to be a leader."
—Dr. Autumn Adkins Graves, Head of School

Our School at a Glance

ENROLLMENT: 560

Middle School Average: 210
Upper School Average: 350
FOUNDED

in 1906
MASCOT

GPS Bruisers
SCHOOL COLORS

Black, Blue, and White

100% of our graduates attend four-year colleges and universities around the country and world

75% of the class of 2019 earned merit, talent, or athletic scholarships totaling more than $10 million

42% of our students receive financial aid

12%

Students of Color
14

Average Class Size
28

Zip Codes
49

Average # of Sending Schools

99% of recent graduates report that they are thriving in college

100% of recent graduates see the benefits of their GPS education in their everyday lives

94% of parents say GPS is thoughtfully designed for girls

66

Faculty Members
8 to 1

Student to Teacher Ratio
80%

of Faculty have advanced degrees

100% of recent graduates say they were appropriately challenged at GPS

92% of recent graduates say their relationships with faculty are one of the most valuable aspects of attending GPS

Nearly 90% of recent graduates say they appreciated/saw the value of their GPS education while in college

ARTS OFFERS

3 major theatre productions each year, 48 fine arts courses, 3 dance, 6 instrumental music, and 4 vocal music ensemble groups
ATHLETICS OFFERS

15 Varsity sports and 12 Middle School sports
SINCE 2006

Athletics has won 20 state titles and 23 region/district championships

More than 90% of recent graduates rate attending an all-girls school as the most valuable aspect of their school experience

91% of Middle School students report that the friendships they've made at GPS are one of the most valuable parts of their school experience

85% of recent graduates matriculated to their first or second choices of colleges and universities

21

AP courses
SINCE 2006

49 National Merit Semifinalists, 63 Commended, and 7 National Achievement Semifinalists or Hispanic Scholars

Statistics sourced from GPS enrollment and student data and "GPS Constituent Surveys," Spring 2016.

That’s one of the things that makes a girls’ school great—I feel like you’re more free to be yourself. GPS Student.
You can be anything. Dr. Autumn Adkins Graves, Head of School
When girls are just with girls, they tent to build each other up. GPS Alum
Girls need to be in a space that is countercultural. Dr. Autumn Adkins Graves, Head of School
Compared to males, females report lower levels of self-esteem across the lifespan; this gender gap is most pronounced during adolescence. Dr. Lisa Damour, The Truth About Gender Differences
Self-esteem plays such a huge role in the way girls operate. So much is rooted in the way they think about themselves. Sarah Jackson ’06, Upper School Dean of Students
There’s not just one way to be a girl or to be a woman or to be a leader. Dr. Autumn Adkins Graves, Head of School