John Bapst School

John Bapst Memorial High School, established in 1928, is a highly-regarded coeducational, nonsectarian, independent , 100% college preparatory boarding and day school for grades 9-12. Located in the safe, small city of Bangor, Maine, within walking distance of downtown, the school serves 90% day students from 35 Maine towns and cities and 10% boarding students from various countries, such as Brazil, China, Germany, Italy, Korea, Spain, Switzerland, Ukraine and Vietnam.

John Bapst boasts a strong academic reputation, evidenced by its consistent #1 ranking in northern New England by the Washington Post (2012, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018) and its recognition as an AP Platinum School by the College Board on the 2023 and 2024 AP Honor Roll in the US and Canada. Accredited by NEASC and a member of several prestigious associations (NAIS, iTEP, TABS, AISNE, SBSA, EMA), the school offers a challenging curriculum with 25 AP courses and 22 honors courses, along with ESL support and individualized scheduling catering to interests in arts, music, drama, business, and economics. A capstone program is also available for distinguished graduates.

The school fosters a caring community supported by 49 teachers, 2 college counselors, and 10 on-campus houseparents (primarily faculty). This environment, combined with a wide array of sports and extracurricular activities, prepares graduates for top universities worldwide, including Ivy League institutions and other highly-ranked global universities, including Harvard, Stanford, Yale, Princeton, Columbia, Penn, MIT, Brown, Dartmouth, McGill, Johns Hopkins, Chicago, Northwestern, Carnegie Mellon, Georgia Tech, UC-Berkley, Emory, Washington University in St. Louis, UCLA etc. The strong art and music programs have also successfully placed graduates in renowned art and music colleges such as Pratt, Parsons, Fashion Technology Institute, Rhode Island School of Design, the Art Institute of Chicago, Berklee College of Music and Los Angeles College of Music.

Beyond academics, John Bapst emphasizes student involvement in American school life through sports, band, musicals, community service (Key Club), and student-run publications and clubs (Model UN, Yearbook, newspaper, art). The school has a robust STEM program, particularly in robotics, engineering, and programming. International students actively participate and often lead in various academic teams (math team and robotics) and athletic teams.

Students benefit from Bangor's location, which offers both access to outdoor activities (hiking, water sports, skiing, Acadia National Park) and urban conveniences (restaurants, movies, shopping, entertainment venues). Weekend activities are generally within a 10-minute drive. The Bangor International Airport, with direct flights to major cities like New York, Washington DC, Philadelphia, and Chicago, and bus lines to Boston provide convenient travel options for all students, especially international students. Ultimately, John Bapst aims to cultivate well-educated global citizens ready for future academic and professional success.