Aramco Expats

Stormy S. Johnson, Director of Admission
1014 Cave Spring Road, Rome, GA 30161
Telephone: 706-235-6051, 800-368-4437 (toll free)
Fax: 706-232-3600

What is it about this place?

At Darlington School, “child-centered” is not a theory but a practice. Founded in 1905, Darlington is an independent, coeducational, college preparatory school, serving boarders in ninth grade to post graduate and day students in pre-kindergarten through grade 12. The School is nestled around a small lake on 500 wooded acres in Rome, Georgia, located in the southeastern United States, only an hour and a half north of Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta. Situated on the outskirts of a small, Southern town, Darlington is only an hour's drive from Atlanta and Chattanooga and offers frequent trips to cultural and athletic events, outdoor adventures, theme parks, and shopping centers.

Who chooses Darlington

Our diverse student body gives students a realistic perspective of the world. Students typically come from 25 states and over 35 countries. Our current faculty and student body represent 17 states and 38 countries. The School has a long history of educating Aramco students; admission representatives visit Saudi Arabia every two years to meet with prospective students and parents.

Darlington graduates students who exemplify the School's motto:

Wisdom more than Knowledge; Service beyond Self; Honor above Everything. The friendly spirit of the School inspires students to take full advantage of their gifts and talents and to grow intellectually, morally, physically, culturally, and socially.

Why students choose to board at Darlington

Darlington is a family-oriented environment that meets students where they are and seeks to develop them into confident young adults through innovative teaching and child-centered learning. Resident life at Darlington focuses on an English House System unique among American boarding schools. Students are accepted into one of six Houses, three for girls and three for boys. New in 2006, the First-Year Experience Program focuses on the freshman student and the adjustments and responsibilities that come with adolescence. This is accomplished through the freshman retreat and designated freshman houses. Fifty-five teachers live on campus, providing teacher/student interaction in and out of the classroom. Additionally, local families serve as "Rome Parents" for boarders. Designed to give students a family away from home, these “parents” invite students into their homes, provide care packages during exams, and often house them during breaks. Student prefects manage the life in the Houses and also sit with the heads of house on the House Senate.

Students thrive on the academic challenge that we provide

All Darlington graduates go to college, and many win lucrative merit scholarships in the process. Over the last five years, Darlington students have been awarded over $18 million in college scholarships. We invest heavily in a coherent curriculum with small class sizes (averaging 14 students), current technology, and most important, inspiring teachers who assign meaningful homework and who conduct imaginative and highly interactive classes. Darlington provides structure and daily coach classes   for those who need additional support, while offering greater freedom and challenge to those who have mastered the basics (21 Advanced Placement courses and honors courses available in all subject areas). Parents and students follow academic progress through confidential student pages on our Web site.

Darlington students expect a lot from one another. Their determination to live in a just community, where trust is more than just a word, is embodied in the School's venerable Honor Code, established by students over a century ago.

Athletic facilities second to none

All 9-11 grade resident students participate in either an after-school activity or on an athletic team, including 12 varsity sports each for boys and girls. The A.J. Huffman’67 Memorial Athletic Center houses an Olympic-sized indoor pool, aerobics room, wrestling room, practice gym, performance gym and state-of-the art fitness room in a 96,000-square-foot space. The School has extensive playing fields and cross-country trails through 400 acres of wooded hills.

Students can choose classes like Graphic Design, Video Editing, Web Authoring and Cinema. They can express themselves in art and video classes; participate in a musical theater class; or perform in one of the Darlington Players' three annual productions. Writing, designing, and desktop publishing are available through the School's award-winning student publications. Ladies' and Men's chorales, Concert Choir, Wind, Percussion and Jazz ensembles, and Concert and Steel Drum bands perform on the road and for the School. A month-long celebration of the arts takes place each fall to highlight our students’ accomplishments.  Additionally, artists in residence visit campus in an effort to share new levels of expertise in visual and performing arts.

Middle School students have an opportunity outside the ordinary in boarding camps from June 1 through Aug. 1. Campers choose from our Summer Scholars Program, a unique and challenging enrichment opportunity for highly motivated and talented middle school students in areas like forensics, foreign language and robotics, and other one-week School-sponsored camps, such as boys' and girls' basketball, total football, and fast pitch softball. Several outside-sponsored camps are scheduled as well, such as tennis, Soccer Plus and Number #1 Soccer.

Don’t take our word for it...come see for yourself.