Where effort means achievement

Economics students learn about the stock market by developing mock portfolios and following their progress. Biology students set up and monitor aquaria in a field on campus. An art class looks at the films of Alfred Hitchcock. "Coming to Webb, I encountered a higher percentage of kids who were actually interested in learning and I quickly understood why," says former Spanish teacher and alum, Harper Hulan. "Webb helped me get more excited about learning and education." Classes at Webb are designed to be exciting and engaging, to get students involved, and to make learning enjoyable.

Combining this approach with small classes (the average class size is 12), Webb is a place geared for academic success. For many this kind of environment was a welcome change. "I came from big, big, public schools and the size of Webb's classes is really nice. You get a lot of individual attention and you can't really hide, which motivates you to get your work done," says one student. Webb's strong tradition of academic excellence - numerous National Merit Finalists and Semifinalists, SAT scores well above national average, nearly 70% of students getting 3 or better on AP exams - is grounded in this personal attention.

But academic achievement is based on more than doing well on tests. Webb believes that achieving lies in doing your best, that success is in the effort students bring to their work. What truly counts at Webb is that students give everything they can rather than just getting by. "I've found that working hard is more important than being smart," says alumna Jennifer Suhr '02. This is the lesson students will carry with them long after they've forgotten how they did on a math test.