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A supportive boarding school and study abroad experience in Costa Rica

Go beyond traditional college preparation

Collaborative Learning

Build skills for academic success.

Experiential Education

Step outside your comfort zone.

Personal Growth

Take charge of your future.

400+

alumni since 2005

24

students at a time

1:4

student : teacher ratio

6

average class size

20+

years in Costa Rica

Students create our community

At New Summit Academy, we emphasize student agency by integrating personal choice and self-discovery into every aspect of boarding life.

​Students advocate for their needs and interests, influence school decisions, mentor new students, organize activities, propose changes to guidelines, manage budgets and lead community projects throughout Costa Rica.

Alumni Profiles

Kai | 2023

"The college guidance I received at New Summit Academy was second to none. After I graduated high school from New Summit, I continued my studies at St. Lawrence University. I am doing well here because of the skills I learned at New Summit Academy."

Charlie | 2016

"There was so much experiential learning at New Summit Academy. I am really grateful for that, and I was the type of learner who really needed that. I loved being in Atenas. It really is one of the most beautiful places in the world. We were so lucky to be there."

Owen | 2024

"I feel so much more enabled to succeed than I could have ever imagined a year ago. I don't want to go back. I want to stay on this path. That's what I am most grateful for is that New Summit has helped me orient myself toward a future that I really want."

Our story is unique

Our school was established in 2005, through a partnership between the founders and eleven families seeking better options for their sons’ education. With support from these founding families, the students arrived at a modest campus on a local mango farm, where they helped paint cabins, build desks, and co-create the first handbook.

​Although we’ve come a long way since then, the spirit of co-creation lives on. We remain a tight-knit and caring school, and after 20 years, New Summit Academy continues to be an owner-operated organization with all five founders working full-time on our beautiful campus.

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Connect within. Contribute beyond.