Founded in 1914, Foxcroft School is a college-preparatory boarding and day school for girls in grades 9-12. The school is located on 500 acres in Middleburg, Virginia, 50 miles west of Washington, D.C. It is accredited by the Virginia Association of Independent Schools and the National Association of Independent Schools. Foxcroft is, by design, a small, residential school. The 2014-15 student body is 72 percent boarding students with a total of 157 girls from 19 states, Washington D.C., and 15 foreign countries. Fifteen percent were U.S. students of color, 25 percent international students, and about 30 percent receive financial aid. Eighteen percent of the students are related to alumnae -- an impressive testament to the relationship between the School and its graduates. Foxcroft curriculum offerings number 83 courses and 14 Advanced Placement (AP) courses, as well as academic support through the Learning Center and the Math and English Labs. In in 2014, 25 students -- including six members of the (then) Junior Class, earned AP Scholar recognition from the College Board. Seven girls earned AP Scholar with Distinction Award status by achieving an average of at least 3.5 (out... of five) on all the AP exams taken and scores of 3 or higher on five or more tests. Nationwide, only 22 percent of students who take AP Exams earn such recognition. (AP Scholars must earn a grade of three or higher on three or more AP Exams.) The student:faculty ratio is 6:1 and 83 percent of the teaching faculty have advanced degrees. More than 80 percent of the faculty live on campus and all are available outside of class for extra help, review, and additional work. A diverse group, 16 percent of our classroom teachers are people of color/multiracial, and individual members have lived and worked all over the world, including Egypt, France, Germany, Japan, Spain, and Switzerland. Foxcroft is at the forefront of STEM education and inspiring girls to pursue these vital fields of study: More than 35 percent of its 2014 graduates chose STEM fields as their majors in college -- compared to 20 percent nationally. Science and Math faculty incorporate new teaching strategies, technologies, projects, and service learning into students’ lives and School facilities include STEM lab, an engineering workshop, an Animal Room and interactive whiteboards in every classroom. In addition, the Read Observatory houses a Newtonian-Cassegrain reflecting telescope, two 8-inch Celestron telescopes, and astrophotography and solar-observing accessories.