Woodlands Academy Of The Sacred Heart

Posted: July 13, 2026

Woodlands Academy is a hidden gem. The school does everything it can to support each student, which is rarer these days than you might expect.

A few examples from our own experience. Our daughter wanted to take AP Physics 1 as a freshman, and we worried it might be too challenging. Without our even asking, the principal scheduled Honors Physics in the same time slot so she could switch seamlessly if needed. Another example: the school had never offered AP Physics C, but a small group of motivated girls was interested, and the school made it happen. There is none of the bureaucratic gatekeeping around APs that you find elsewhere. When our daughter's Spanish placement test suggested she was not quite ready for the AP preparation year, we asked that she be placed there anyway, and the school supported us. When she wanted to take two AP social sciences in 10th grade, her teacher acknowledged it would be a heavy load but trusted her to manage it. By the end of 10th grade she had completed eight APs with excellent results.

The faculty go far beyond what anyone could expect. One of the math teachers spends most of his weekends driving the math team and Scholastic Bowl team to their competitions, and he has even paid out of his own pocket for food for his students and for a competition hosted at the school. The teachers are passionate and extremely knowledgeable.

The all-girls environment matters more than we anticipated. Our daughter never felt embarrassed to join activities like math team and robotics that are too often seen as "for boys." At Woodlands, girls are free to be nerds without worrying about how boys judge them.

The college outcomes speak for themselves: roughly half of each class places into top 20 universities in the US, often with scholarships. The global opportunities are also exceptional. Our daughter spent time in Vienna, Austria through the school exchange program. And while the school is Catholic, it welcomes students of many faiths and cultures; one of the top math students is from the Middle East, and the boarding program brings girls from Latin America, Europe etc.

The campus itself is beautiful and peaceful, with its own woods and statues, and whenever the weather allows, the girls are outside for sports, even biking. Beyond academics, there is a rich life of arts, orchestra, choral, photography, and clubs, and because the school is relatively small, every girl has real opportunities to lead.

Our second daughter starts this fall!

Posted: July 13, 2026

Posted: July 13, 2026

Posted: July 13, 2026

Posted: July 13, 2026

Posted: July 13, 2026

Posted: July 13, 2026

Posted: July 13, 2026

Posted: November 7, 2019

The mod system supports a rotating schedule which includes free periods to meet with teachers and/or do homework.

Posted: November 7, 2019

The teachers are amazingly talented, dedicated and accessible!

Posted: November 7, 2019

Woodlands is part of the Sacred Heart network of schools, and educates to the internationally-acclaimed goals and criteria of the network.

Posted: November 7, 2019

The Head of School is an award-winning administrator. The Board is outstanding!

Posted: November 7, 2019

Woodlands is able to support the academic superstars, and also those who need additional help, due to its emphasis on individualized attention and small classes.

Posted: November 7, 2019

Posted: November 7, 2019

Our two daughters loved their Woodlands experience, and the "all-girls' advantages" it afforded, including twice the opportunities to lead, and the freedom to take more academic risks!

Posted: February 13, 2010

Posted: October 5, 2008