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Ethel Walker School
Admission Overview
Lead your own journey
Do you believe in the power of girls?
We do.
People who know Walker’s will tell you that when girls in grades 6–12 first arrive here, they fall in love with the all-girls environment, the serene beauty of our campus, and the power of learning in our classrooms that elevates academic performance.
Walker’s has a strong reputation in three areas: high academic standards that stretch students and motivate them to direct their own learning, the spirit of our all-girls community, and the individual attention we focus on our students. At Walker’s, girls in our Middle School, Upper School, and our postgraduate year pursue their passions, find their voice, take risks, try new things, and make lifelong friends.
We are often asked what we look for in an applicant and, frankly, there is no one type of girl. Rather, we look for girls who can both be academically successful and contribute to our community through their passions and co-curricular activities. We seek students who want to push themselves to explore new opportunities and enrich the lives of others in their own unique ways.
Connect with us
Meet with a member of our Admission Team to go over any initial questions and the application process.
Meet the Admission Team
Pamela Safford '81
Assistant Head for Admission and Enrollment
Pamela holds a B.A. in Sociology and Anthropology from Carleton College and an M.S. from the University of Pennsylvania. Previously, she was the Director of Enrollment Management and Financial Aid at The Country School in New Canaan. Pamela has also been employed as Dean of Admission and Financial Aid at Deerfield Academy; Associate Head for Communications, Enrollment and Planning at Concord Academy; and Director of Admission at Northfield Mount Hermon School. Pamela is a founding trustee and former chair of the board for the Association of Independent School Admission Professionals (AISAP) and she currently serves on the board of the Enrollment Management Association (EMA). Committed to supporting professional development among her peers, Pamela regularly presents at various national conferences including IECA, NAIS, SSATB, and TABS.
Sarah Edwards
Financial Aid Specialist
Sarah Edwards joined Walker’s in the fall of 2022 in the role of Financial Aid Specialist. Sarah has held leadership roles in secondary school admission and financial aid for the past 23 years. In 2009, Sarah founded a consulting firm to support independent schools implement mission-aligned financial aid policies. She served as Director of Admission and Financial Aid at The Derryfield School in Manchester, New Hampshire and previously led the Admission and Financial Aid Department for Boston University Academy in Boston, Massachusetts. After graduating from Phillips Exeter Academy, Sarah earned a B.A. from Syracuse University, magna cum laude. She has taught English in Fukuyama, Japan before beginning her career in independent schools. Sarah just completed her term on the SAU 16 public school board in Exeter, New Hampshire. Sarah lives with her husband, Adam, and two teenage sons in Exeter, New Hampshire, where she enjoys mountain biking and other outdoor adventures.
Elizabeth Wilde Foody
Associate Director of Admission
Elizabeth holds a B.A. in Music with a concentration in Vocal Performance and a Master’s of Music Education from the Hartt School. Previously, she was the Admissions Coordinator at The University of Connecticut School of Fine Arts. Elizabeth has also been employed as Associate Director of Admission and Assistant Director of Financial Aid at Westminster School, Director of Operations at Westminster School, and Associate Director of Alumni Relations at Trinity College. Elizabeth began her career as an elementary music educator, currently sings in two local choirs, and is a certified fitness instructor. Elizabeth and her husband, Paul, have five children and reside in Simsbury.
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Colin R. Griggs
Assistant Director of Admission
Colin R. Griggs joined the Walker’s community during the summer of 2022, and he comes to Simsbury with more than 15 years of experience working in the New England boarding school community. After spending the first four years of his professional life in Connecticut at Indian Mountain School and Marianapolis, Colin moved to Maine where he spent nine years at Hebron Academy. While at Hebron, Colin coached over 400 athletic contests in soccer, basketball, and tennis and earned more than 200 victories as a head varsity coach. Colin also spent time in the Alumni and Development Office, Dean of Students Office, and as an Assistant Athletic Director among many other positions. During 2019, Colin moved again with his family to High Mowing School where was was both the Director of Athletics and Residential Life and the head coach of the girls’ team for the Black Rock FC Residential Academy. Colin lives on campus with his wife, Sarah, and their two sons, Raleigh and Henry.
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Amy Paul P'16, '18
Associate Director of Admission
Amy received her Bachelor of Arts from Syracuse University and her Juris Doctor from Boston University. She worked as an attorney in a general practice in Hartford for several years before taking a position as a full-time parent caring for her three children. She is committed to volunteering in her community, served as co-board chair of Horizons at The Ethel Walker School, is involved in local politics, and serves on a mental health board. Amy was the president of The Ethel Walker School Parent Association and served on the School’s board of trustees when her daughters Georgia ’16, and Holly ’18 were students at Walker’s. Her work in the Admission Office has been a seamless transition due to her deep affection for Walker’s and her involvement over the years. Amy lives in Avon with her family.
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Holly Westfall
Admission Office and Database Manager
Begin Your Story at Walker's
UPPER SCHOOL
Our grades 9 through 12 high school serves not only as preparation for college, but for life itself in this century of constant change. Walker’s graduates, whatever field they pursue, are societal engineers, reworking and rewiring the mechanisms of our world.
MIDDLE SCHOOL
As the only private all-girls middle school in central Connecticut, Walker’s Middle School offers a day program for girls in grades 6 through 8 along with a boarding program for girls in grades 7 and 8.
Our Community is Remarkable
Faculty
One of the most wonderful things about language teaching is improvisation. Almost anything can become a reason to communicate.
Head of School
Walker’s beckoned me in a way that few schools have ever done. I found its ethos, energy, and devotion to learning irresistible.
Students
Being a member of the riding team has been a completely different experience than any other team that I have been a part of.
Alumnae
Walker’s is a community that inspires boldness by regularly providing opportunities for its students to step beyond their comfort zones.