The year begins in September and ends in June, with breaks in December and in the early spring.
Students normally have three or four class meetings per day.
Classes are held on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, the full class days, and on Wednesday morning and selected Saturday mornings in the fall and spring terms. Classes do not meet on Sunday. This flexible weekly schedule provides time for independent study, rehearsals and sports, for informal visits to the art and archaeology museums and for student-run extracurricular organizations such as the literary magazines, the school newspaper , the school radio station and the many student clubs . Social events during the week are limited by the demands of the academic program, but the weekend program on campus includes dances, concerts, movies, plays and informal activities. Participation in athletics is required of all students, and athletic activities are scheduled four afternoons a week for approximately two hours each.