Eight Schools Association

The Eight Schools Association (ESA) is a group of private college-preparatory schools in the United States.

It began informally during the 1973–74 school year and was formalized in 2006 with the appointment of a president and an executive director.

The ESA member schools are:

There must be unanimous agreement among ESA schools before its membership can be expanded, and no new school has been admitted since 1974. By further institutionalizing the group in 2006, the eight member schools "ultimately aim to forge ties in a similar fashion to the Ivy League, but with a focus on academics and other extracurricular activities rather than just athletics," according to a 2008 article in Andover's newspaper, The Phillipian.

Article 1 of the ESA by-laws states that the Association was established for "the purpose of mutual support and collegiality" and that its main aims should be to "address critical educational issues in order to ensure the best educational experiences and outcomes for students, explore new research and trends in education, and develop collaborative programs".

According to a May 2009 news release from Lawrenceville School, on the occasion of Elizabeth Duffy's accession to the ESA presidency, the Association "fosters greater interaction among administrators, faculties, students, and trustees in the form of arts and athletic events, student conferences, faculty seminars, administrative meetings, shared policies, data collection, and summer and international programs".

In a May 2009 interview with the Choate student newspaper, The News, inaugural ESA president and Choate head Edward Shanahan was asked to differentiate ESA from other prep school organizations, such as the Ten Schools Admissions Organization. Shanahan mentioned "the close relationship among the eight school members" and said, "We have been together for a long period of time and there's a great deal of trust and sharing."

During the April 2008 ESA meeting at Andover, The Phillipian published a page of coverage with an introductory note headed "A Young Ivy League." Its lead sentence was, "Eight high schools are attempting to create an Ivy League of preparatory educational institutions". Comparison of ESA to a fledgling Ivy League continued in a May 2010 article in Choate's The News. The writer noted that the Ivy universities had established a "legacy of 'The Ivy League' as an educational brand name. Now eight boarding schools in the East Coast are attempting a similar — and perhaps even more ambitious — grouping." Choate English Department chair Cyrus Cook was, however, more circumspect, telling The News, "The point of Eight Schools Association is not that we think we are the eight top schools in the country. It really isn't. The important thing with Eight Schools is that we think of each other as peers and learn from one another."

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