Riverdale Country School is a co-educational, independent, college-preparatory day school in New York City. One of the most competitive private schools in the nation, it is located on two campuses covering more than 27 acres (110,000 m2) in the Riverdale section of the Bronx, New York.

History
Founded in 1907 by Dr. Frank Sutliff Hackett (Riverdale's Hackett Hall is named after him), Riverdale is one of the oldest country day schools in the United States.

The present-day institution traces its origins to The Riverdale School for Boys, which was established in 1907 by Dr. Hackett. In 1920, the Neighborhood Elementary School was founded, followed in 1933, by the Riverdale Girls School. In 1972, the three schools combined to form a single educational community shaped by their common goals and ideals. Riverdale Country School aims to cultivate the unique talents of its students and to nurture their intellectual, creative, physical, moral, emotional, and social development.

Buildings
The buildings on the Hill Campus include: Hackett Hall, Mow Hall, Lindenbaum Center for the Arts, the Rachel Lloyd Building (aka the 9 10 Building), the Day Care, Vinik Hall (the Admissions Building), the Weinstein Science Building, and the Science Annex. The buildings on the River Campus are the K-3 building (the New building – gymnasium and classrooms from kindergarten to third grade), the senior building (includes chorus classroom, pullout reading, Spanish classroom, and honors math classrooms), Perkins Building (includes a theater, 4-5th grade classrooms), the Admissions/Junior building (includes various music classes, admissions office, nurse's office, Riverclub office, and lunchroom). Both campuses have a gymnasium and tennis courts. The River Campus also has a pre-Kindergarten room and a playground (Jolly Run Playground). The Hill Campus has three playing fields (upper field, lower field, and football field), as well as a pool, wrestling room, fencing room, workout room, two drama rooms, and three floors of rooms devoted to the arts.

School dynamics

 
The entrance sign at the Upper Campus

Riverdale has the largest overall school campus in the New York City area (27.5 acres: 19.5 for the Hill Campus; 8 for the River Campus).
Riverdale houses two campus areas: the River Campus (grades Pre-K–5 known as the Lower School), and the Hill Campus (grades 6–8 known as the Middle School, and 9–12 known as the Upper School). The River Campus received its name because of its location beside the Hudson River; the Hill Campus, overlooking Van Cortlandt Park, was named for its location as well.

Riverdale currently has an enrollment of approximately 1050 students (River Campus, 365; Hill Campus, 685), who come from all parts of the surrounding region. Dominic A.A. Randolph, formerly Assistant Headmaster of the Lawrenceville School in Lawrenceville, New Jersey, was appointed the sixth Headmaster in 2007.

Riverdale is chartered by the New York State Board of Regents and is accredited by the New York State Association of Independent Schools.

Institution
Arts and Activities 
Riverdale has an extensive arts program, offering courses in music theory and composition, acting technique, studio art, and film analysis. At least 3 arts credits are required for graduation. Upper School students mount one musical and one play each year in the Jeslo Harris theatre. Studio art classes take place in the Lindenbaum Arts Center, and are often taught by visiting artists. Riverdale students participate in the jazz and concert bands, orchestra, chamber music ensembles, chorus, and the a cappella singing group. Riverdale also supports an extensive offering of clubs and activities, which enable the students to: form student-government organizations; produce school newspapers, arts magazines, and political publications; perform service to the community; and provide a meeting place for like-minded students, interested in a host of current topics, to meet, compete with other schools, air their views, and organize events important to school life.

The classes taught in the Lindenbaum Center for the Arts include strings (violin, viola, cello, bass, etc.), band (trumpet, clarinet, flute, drums, etc.), chorus, painting, sculpting, photography, and many more. The building also has a dark room and a computer lab, which is open to students (other computer labs are the Mayo Lab, the language lab- used for foreign languages, and the 9/10 Lab.)

Academics

The River Campus of Riverdale Country School
Riverdale founder, Dr. Frank Hackett, shared a deep commitment to "scholarly, intimate teaching; rigorous, uncompromising academic standards; abundant play in the open; and a care for the best influences."

The curriculum in the early childhood program is designed to develop basic academic concepts and social skills. In Grades 1–5, a strong, sequential approach to skill development in reading and math is balanced with literature, writing, and math problem-solving.

The Middle School is housed in the fully renovated Frank S. Hackett Hall, but students use arts, science, athletic, and dining facilities in common with upper schoolers, and the schedules of the two divisions permit teachers to teach classes in both.

The Upper School curriculum is a coherent sequence, co-ordinated with the Middle School program. It features numerous elective courses for juniors and seniors, including honors courses in language and mathematics; recently though, AP courses as a whole became no longer offered, leaving all maths and a few languages with advanced courses under the title of honors. Innovative courses are required of all juniors and seniors: juniors are required to take a co-taught, combined American history/literature course called "Constructing America"; seniors take a multi-taught course, "Integrated Liberal Studies," with readings and assignments covering Western culture, surveying classical philosophy as well as the history of science, and featuring literature, religion and arts components.

Foreign languages taught at Riverdale are: Japanese, French, Spanish, Mandarin Chinese, and Latin. Riverdale also teaches Study Skills instead of a language in the Middle School. In the Lower School, half a year of French and half a year of Spanish are taught in third and fourth grades. In fifth grade, students choose either French or Spanish. In the Middle school, one language is chosen, and in the Upper School, students have the opportunity to take a second language.

To earn a high-school diploma, students in Grades 9–12 must complete 4 credits in English; 3 credits in a single foreign language or 2 credits in each of two languages; 3 in history; 21⁄2 to 31⁄2 in mathematics; 2 in science; and 3 in the arts. Seniors must also earn 1 credit in Integrated Liberal Studies, and meet various requirements in health, technology, and physical education. Each Grade 6-12 has a Dean of Students who coordinates academic programs and serves as a liaison among students, parents and the school. Students in Grades 6–12 must complete from 10 to 18 hours of community service yearly, depending on age, with two-thirds of the requirement to be fulfilled off-campus. Most students exceed these academic requirements, and go on to a diverse selection of nationally ranked universities and colleges. Among the most popular destinations in recent years have been: The University of Chicago, Yale, Brown, Princeton, Johns Hopkins, University of Pennsylvania, Columbia, Northwestern, Cornell, Bowdoin College, Washington University in St. Louis, Vassar, and Oberlin.

Admission
As a member of the Independent School Admission Association of Greater New York (ISAAGNY), Riverdale Country School participates in testing programs administered by the Educational Records Bureau (ERB). Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 4 applicants take the ECAA (Early Childhood Admissions Assessment) and Grade 5 applicants take the ISEE (Independent School Entrance Exam)

Riverdale Country School requires that applicants to Grades 6 -12 take either the ISEE or the SSAT test. Both tests consist of multiple-choice questions and an essay. Students are evaluated on their quantitative, math, reading, and verbal skills. Although neither testing agency scores the essay portion of the test, the Office of Admission will receive a copy of the essay and will use it to evaluate the applicant’s writing ability. Both of these admission tests are administered in the New York City area on Saturdays throughout the fall and winter. For information on these tests, contact the Educational Records Bureau or the Secondary School Admissions Test Board.

Student Life
Co-curricular include clubs that provide the students with an opportunity to produce publications, hone their debating skills, participate in activism and much more. Among the many clubs are:

Asian-American Alliance (AAA)
 
Ski and snowboard Club
 
Chess Club
 
Coalition for the Homeless
 
Computer Club
 
Yoga Cub
 
Environmental Cub
Chipotle Appreciation Club.
 
HOLA (Hispanic Organization for Latino Awareness)
 
SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions)
Students of Color Coalition (SCC)
 
Student-Faculty Council
 
Photo Club
School Government
Foremost among school activities is the Student-Faculty Council. Riverdale's active student government is composed of both student and faculty representatives elected by their peers each spring. The council meets weekly, and student representatives meet with their constituents in grade-wide assemblies throughout the school year. The council's purpose is to establish principles, procedures, and rules for student life in cooperation with the school administration, to present the opinions of the student body by means of motions or resolutions, to help allocate student activities funds, and in general, to provide channels of communication among students, faculty, and administrators

Student publications
Impressions, has published the visual art and creative writing of students in the Upper School for almost 30 years. Past Editorial Boards have sought diversity, experimentation, imagination, and honesty in personal expression in soliciting poems, short stories, essays, paintings, graphics, photographs, sculpture, and mixed media submissions. The Editorial Board and staff review submissions anonymously and set a direction for each year’s content and design. Students work after school and publish online, working with both the Adobe Photoshop and InDesign programs.
 
The Riverdale Review is Riverdale's student-run paper. Published once a month, the Review is managed by two editors-in-chief chosen by the students and an editorial staff of about ten others. The editors and writers meet weekly to decide the content for the next issue and cover a wide variety of issues from school news and world events to new films and music and what to do on the weekend. 

Crossroads is Riverdale’s Middle School Literary and Art Magazine. The poetry, stories, memoirs, book reviews, sketches, and collages are all by our sixth, seventh, and eighth grade student

The Falcon Times is the newsletter of the Middle School. Printed quarterly, it aims to represent the opinions and interests of the Middle School. Run by a small group of dedicated students, it serves as a source of entertainment and local, national, and world news.

Athletics
Riverdale Country School places a strong emphasis on balancing a student's academic, arts, and athletic careers. The Middle School supports 14 girls' and boys' athletic teams in 10 sports, fall, winter, and spring; the Upper School supports 23 girls' teams in 13 sports, and 22 boys' teams in 12 sports.

The Riverdale Boys' Cross-Country team won the NYSAIS State Championship in 1999, and the baseball team won the State Championship in 2000. The Riverdale Boys' Soccer team won back-to-back Ivy Prep School League titles in 1998 and 1999, and in 2005, 2006, and 2007. Their undefeated season in 1999 led to a NYSAIS State Championship, which they won again in 2006. The boys' soccer team also went on to win the Regional Championships in 2007. The boys' basketball team reached the NYSAIS 'C' State Championship game in 2011 which they lost to Columbia Prep. The Boys' Football team went undefeated in 2011, the school's first undefeated football season since 1990.

The girls' soccer team have equalled the boys' varsity, winning the NYSAIS State Championship in both 2003, 2007, 2010 and 2011. The Riverdale Girls' Field Hockey team were co-champions of the AAIS and Ivy Leagues in 2007. In 2009 the girls' field hockey team went undefeated as Ivy League Champions, champions of the AAIS League undefeated, and winners of the AAIS tournament. The same year they were also seeded first in the NYSAIS State Championship which they lost to the second seed Rye Country Day School 1-0. In 2010 the Girls' Field Hockey team were the Ivy League Champions, Undefeated Champions of the AAIS league, and winners of the AAIS tournament against Fieldston, 2-1 in overtime. They also seeded first place in NYSAIS State Championships. They lost to Holy Child in the semi-finals to strokes, in triple overtime. The Girls' Basketball team won the NYSAIS State Championship in 1996, 1998, and again in 2000, while the Girls' Softball team won the State Championship in 2000. The Girls' Lacrosse team won their first ever NYSAIS State Championship in 2010, following a regular season campaign that saw Riverdale win its first outright Ivy League title.

Riverdale's swim team, the "Guambo", have won either a boys' or girls' championship every year since 2002. In August 2011, Riverdale added a strength and conditioning Coach to their Athletic Department.

Sports teams
Interscholastic Athletic Teams
Sport Level Season Gender
Baseball V, JV, MD Spring Boys'
Basketball V, JV, MD Winter Boys', Girls'
Cross-Country V Fall Girls', Boys'
Field Hockey V, JV, MD Fall Girls'
Fencing V, JV Winter Boys', Girls'
Football V, JV, MD Fall Boys'
Golf V Spring Boys', Girls'
Gymnastics V Winter Girls'
Lacrosse JV, V, MD Spring Boys', Girls'
Soccer V, JV, MD Fall Boys', Girls'
Softball V, JV, MD Spring Girls'
Squash V Winter Boys', Girls'
Swimming V, MD Winter Boys', Girls'
Tennis V, JV, Fall (Girls'), Spring (Boys') Boys', Girls'
Track V Winter Boys', Girls'
Ultimate (Frisbee) V Spring Boys', Girls', Coed
Volleyball V, JV, MD Fall Girls'
Wrestling V, JV, MD Winter Boys
V = Varsity, JV = Junior Varsity, MD = Middle Division
Notable alumni
Bradley Abelow, former State Treasurer of New Jersey
Dan Abrams (born 1966), General Manager of MSNBC
Sean Altman (born 1961), founder of Rockapella
Josh Appelbaum, writer, producer of October Road
Cliff Bayer, Olympic fencer
Richard Blumenthal (born 1946), U.S. Senator from Connecticut.
Jack Carpenter (born 1984), actor
Chevy Chase, actor.
Neal Conan (born 1949), NPR radio journalist
Paul Dickson, writer
Richard Engel (born 1973), author and reporter for NBC News
Varian Fry (1907–1967), journalist
Peter Galison, historian of science Harvard University
James Gleick (born 1954), science writer, author of Chaos: Making a New Science.

Leopold Godowsky, Jr., musician, inventor of Kodachrome
Calvin Hill, former NFL player
Jeffrey Hollender, President and CEO of Seventh Generation Inc.
Molly Jong-Fast, author
John Kao, author, strategic advisor
Edward M. Kennedy, U.S. Senator from Massachusetts
Ron Kim, member of the New York State Assembly
Robert Krulwich, broadcast journalist
John Lahr, theater critic
Leopold Mannes, musician, inventor of Kodachrome
Megan McArdle, journalist, The Atlantic Monthly
Nick McDonell, author
Lee MacPhail, Major League Baseball executive
Fred Melamed, actor, writer
Tim Morehouse, Olympic fencer, Silver Medal winner in the men's sabre as a member of the United States Men's Fencing Team at the 2008 Summer Olympics.
Erik Lee Preminger, writer, actor
Philip Proctor, actor
Ed Rendell, Governor of Pennsylvania
Cesar Romero, actor
Carly Simon, musician
Joanna Simon (mezzo-soprano), opera singer
Claude Kelly, songwriter and singer
Scott Snyder, author
Jordana Spiro, actor, star of TBS series My Boys
Joss Whedon, writer, director, and executive producer; creator of several television series (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Firefly, Serenity)

Sarah Michelle Gellar, actress
David Yazbek, composer, lyricist, writer of Broadway shows and TV including The Full Monty, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, etc.

Tim Zagat, restaurant critic
Michael Zakarin, guitarist for The Bravery
Ratan Tata, Chairman of Tata Group
Geoffrey Wigdor, Actor, Sleepers
John F. Kennedy and Robert F. Kennedy attended Riverdale's Lower School, while Francis Fukuyama attended the Middle School. Vincent Price and Nathan M. Puseytaught at Riverdale Country School, as did Peter Schickele, as a substitute teacher in the early 1960s. Kemba Walker (professional basketball player) attended the day care center.

Associations
Riverdale is a member of the Ivy Preparatory School League and the New York State Association of Independent Schools.
The "Hill Schools": Riverdale Country School, The Fieldston School, and Horace Mann School together are known as the "Hill Schools," as all three are located within two miles (3 km) of each other in the village of Riverdale on a hilly area above Van Cortlandt Park.