CRMS Facts

• CRMS At a Glance

Location: Carbondale, CO

Founded: 1953 by John and Anne Holden, teachers from Putney School in VT looking to start an independent, coed-boarding school for college-bound girls and boys out West.

Size of Campus: 300+ acres

Students: 155

States & Countries Represented in Student Body: 24 states and 11 countries

Percentage of International Students: 16%

Percentage of Boarding Students: 60%

Percentage of Day Students: 40%

Average Class Size: 13

Foreign Language: Spanish I through V

Advanced Placement Classes: 4

Number of Faculty: 38 full-time and part-time members with 53% holding advanced degrees.

Average number of active/outdoor offerings each quarter: 17

Faculty/Student Ratio: 1:4

Annual Financial Aid: $900,000 in financial aid awarded to 38% of the student body

Percentage of 2008 graduating class accepted to a 4-year college or University: 100% (including Bates, Bowdoin, Univ. of Chicago, Colby, Colgate, Univ. of Colorado, Cornell, Dartmouth, Univ. of Denver, George Washington, Middlebury, Univ. of Pennsylvania, Pomona, Reed, Rhode Island School of Design, Savannah College of Arts and Design, Wesleyan, and Univ. of Wisconsin)

• About the School

Nestled at the junction of two of the West's most majestic rivers in the shadow of 13,000-foot Mount Sopris, Colorado Rocky Mountain School is a small school whose students graduate with big ambitions.

CRMS combines college-preparatory academics, outdoor and work experiences, arts, community service, and campus life. This comprehensive approach to education develops not only strong students but also engaged young adults with a global awareness and a local spirit.

With sustained, collaborative efforts by institution and students alike, CRMS has been turning out exemplary citizens for more than 50 years.

• The CRMS Mission & Goals

To cultivate a learning environment in which students discover their potential to excel as individuals, contribute to their communities, and participate thoughtfully in the world we share.

The Goals for CRMS Graduates:

1. to be academically prepared to attend and succeed at a college of their choice;
2. to contribute productively to their communities;
3. to engage in healthy, active lifestyles;
4. to be skilled participants in, and responsible stewards of, the natural environment; and
5. to develop sustainable life skills that will enable them to reach their full potential.

• About the Curriculum

CRMS’s curriculum integrates three key areas: Academic, Active, and Community. The academic program includes English, history, science, math, Spanish, and the arts and is complemented by the active curriculum which incorporates outdoor and athletic offerings, work crews, Wilderness, Fall & Spring trips, Senior Project, and Interim. Experience is an essential element for academic success. "At CRMS we connect the heart, hand, and mind. We learn by doing and are motivated by caring," says Nancy Hanrahan, Academic Dean. All programming utilizes intentional learning and is designed to impart the school’s three core values: Respect, Responsibility, and Excellence.

• About the Setting

CRMS sits on a 300-plus-acre ranch (maintained primarily as open space) in the Western Colorado town of Carbondale, 28 miles from Aspen and 150 miles from Denver. CRMS’s setting plays an integral role in school activities. It provides the backdrop for campus work crews geared toward environmental sustainability, such as solar energy, recycling, and ranch crews. And the millions of acres of surrounding wilderness give CRMS an ample playing field for its outdoor-education programs.