Dorm Counselor
At Eagle Hill, we don’t talk about learning disabilities—we talk about learning.
Students can only truly be seen, understood, and flourish as individuals when we set aside categories such as dyslexic and disabled to seek in earnest the individual genius of each person.
Learn
At Eagle Hill School, we are pioneers, ready to explore with a sense of wonder and possibility each day in the classroom.
Our flexible nine-term academic year is individualized for each student, and a course of study is developed by each student and his or her family, academic advisor, and the teachers with whom he or she is working.
Live
Dormitories are not merely places to sleep but also places to learn.
Eagle Hill School strives to provide an appropriate balance between fostering independence and providing structure, support, and guidance for each individual student. All of our dorm counselors receive training to become certified life coaches.
Thrive
Each student comes to Eagle Hill School with a unique set of interests and talents, and EHS takes every opportunity to explore and nurture those gifts.
Eagle Hill students are afforded virtually unlimited opportunities to get involved in the life of a vibrant campus.
Become
With a newfound sense of self-esteem and balance, Eagle Hill School alumni/ae actively seek and confidently rise to future challenges.
They are Pioneers!
A community that honors individual genius and values diversity.
Located in Hardwick, Massachusetts, Eagle Hill School believes that every adult who interacts with a student is a teacher. A day in the life of our students finds them surrounded by a network of more than 150 members of our faculty and staff, ensuring that all students are encouraged to become the best version of themselves.
Class of 2022
Class of 2022
Director of Food Services
English Teacher
Pragmatics Department Chair and Academic Advisor
Assistant Head of School for Student Life
Director of College Counseling
Director of College Counseling
Jed Geary is the director of college counseling, as well as an advisor, coach, and member of the school’s administrative team. In his role, he helps students such as Connor and Zoe (and their families) plan for their journey after Eagle Hill. At EHS since 1996, Mr. Geary is acutely aware of the intricacies of the college process and, more importantly, how to coach students with diverse learning profiles, interests, and goals to navigate that process successfully.
What is it about EHS that has kept you here for over two decades?
I often tell my friends that the education at Eagle Hill is what education is supposed to be. Each faculty member of the EHS community wants what is best for each student and we have the ability, responsibility, dedication, and determination to do what is best for each individual. Faculty members understand that many of our students have had a difficult educational history and learn in a different manner but are able to learn in the right environment. Faculty members are given the freedom to do what is best and can unleash their creative sides to help connect with a student and the student to the material. We are not limited by a standardized curriculum and have the ability to work with students differently even within the same class.
What’s the most important part of your role as director of college counseling?
I want our department to continuously improve in our goal of facilitating the college search and application process for our students and families. The application process is stressful for every student, and adding in a learning difference adds to the complexity. However, as we are able to work with every student in our required College Orientation course, we have the opportunity to develop a better understanding of each student and work closely with each to help facilitate greater self-awareness for needs and desires in the post-secondary search.
Can you talk about your experience living on campus with your family?
I am fortunate to work with my wife and to be able to raise my two boys here. My children love the food in the dining hall, the access to the gym, the woodshop, and the campus as a whole; I enjoy that they are able to see my wife and my work with students outside the classroom. They have seen my wife make pudding pies for my advisees and have also seen her laugh and cry with students after the school day or on weekends. My boys are able to see me coach the Ultimate Frisbee team and push the players to be better athletes and hopefully better humans. They are beginning to appreciate what Eagle Hill has to offer outside of the wonderful resources that we have available. They see us get to know our students in ways that they hope to connect with their teachers in the local public school.
What’s something that new families might be unexpectedly surprised by at EHS?
Families are often surprised that we are able to understand their children in a short period of time—whether that is at the end of the five-week summer program or at the fall family weekend in October of the school year. Our small classes allow us opportunities that are not available at most schools. After sometimes years of a student and family just not connecting with teachers or administrators, we’re able to bridge that gap very quickly.
Eagle Hill at a Glance
Students stay on weekends
Trips/activities offered each weekend
Interscholastic sports
Annual student theater productions
Student-to-faculty ratio
Courses offered—29 new this year
Faculty with advanced degrees
Years of average faculty tenure
Graduates attend 4-year colleges
Accepted to first choice colleges
Overall college acceptance rate
Graduates connected to the Pioneer Network for life
Total enrollment
Boarding
Grades offered
States and countries represented