During their four years at Burke, 9th grade through 12th grade, it is recommended that a student take 4 years of English, 4 years of math, 4 years of French, 3 years of science, 2 years of history,  and art every year but the junior year.   These recommendations exceed the basic graduation requirements, listed below.  Approximately half of our senior class starts at Burke in the 9th grade.  

Our average class size of twelve and our boarding school setting provide ample, favorable opportunities for tutorial or extra-help sessions and special attention. In the same vein, our small size also affords room for student enrichment, often beyond the bounds of our regular curriculum structure, based on student interests, abilities, and accelerated preparation.  If a student exceeds our core curriculum, two Senior Year Electives are offered each year, and vary from year to year. 

We work with two weekly class schedules, one for the fall and spring, and a different one during the winter ski season.  We state quite clearly that we expect the “heavy lifting” in the academic program to occur during the fall and spring, when the typical class meets four days per week for fifty-minute periods and homework assignments anticipate an additional thirty to forty minutes of preparation per class per night.  The winter schedule reduces the class meetings to three per week and does not increase outside preparation to make up for the less frequent meetings. The objective during the winter is to maintain continuity in the academic program, with realistic expectations.