Earlham College and Tandem Friends School announce direct admissions partnership  

Earlham College and Tandem Friends School in Charlottesville, Virginia, have announced a new agreement designed to reduce barriers and create a clear pathway for qualified students to attend Earlham. 

Under the agreement, Tandem Friends School students who graduate in good academic standing with a cumulative GPA of 3.25 or higher will receive direct admission to Earlham College, beginning with the Class of 2027. As part of this pathway, Earlham will also guarantee eligible students a significant merit scholarship, helping make a nationally recognized liberal arts education both accessible and affordable.

The partnership is the second of several new relationships Earlham is developing with Friends schools across the country. In July, the College announced a similar agreement with Friends School of Baltimore, creating a direct pathway for qualified graduates of the Baltimore school to attend Earlham. 

“Friends schools and Earlham share a distinctive educational tradition grounded in intellectual curiosity, community, reflection, and preparing students to make a positive difference in the world,” said Jeffrey Perkins, Earlham’s vice president for enrollment management, marketing, and communications. “Our partnerships with Tandem Friends School and Friends School of Baltimore are important steps in building stronger connections with Friends schools across the country. We’re excited to create more opportunities for students who have grown up in these communities to continue their education at Earlham.” 

Founded in 1970, Tandem Friends School is a co-educational day school serving approximately 250 students in grades 5-12. The school’s Quaker-inspired educational program emphasizes academic excellence, community, character, and the development of engaged, thoughtful citizens. 

“We are excited about this direct admissions partnership, both in how it structurally recognizes how formidable our Friends School high school education is, and in how it makes it easier for our students who wish to extend their Friends Education experience to do so,” said Whitney Thompson, head of school at Tandem Friends. “An Earlham College education is a unique and compelling experience.” 

In addition to this partnership, Earlham now offers 19 new scholarships specifically for Quaker students, ranging from full tuition, room and board, to $5,000. 

Earlham also continues to offer its Quaker Fellows program, which fosters community, nurtures students’ spiritual lives and encourages deeper engagement with Earlham’s core values, including respect for persons, integrity, peace and justice, simplicity and community. Quaker Fellows receive a $2,500 annual renewable scholarship as well as an enhanced financial aid package. 

The program is open to students from diverse religious and spiritual backgrounds who are curious about Quaker values. Fellows participate in approximately 50 hours of programming and individual exploration each semester, with opportunities to develop community, spirituality, and leadership. 

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About Earlham College 

Earlham College and Earlham School of Religion foster a collaborative learning community that inspires and motivates students with opportunities and experiences so they can become catalysts for good in a changing world. Located in Richmond, Indiana, Earlham is one of U.S. News & World Report’s Top 100 national liberal arts colleges and offers one of the top 20 classroom experiences in the nation, according to the Princeton Review. 

About Tandem Friends School

 Tandem Friends School offers a rigorous college preparatory curriculum in an environment built on Quaker values. Tandem Friends School is a coeducational day school serving students in grades 5 through 12 in Charlottesville, Virginia. Tandem Friends students receive an education in which intellectual, ethical, artistic, and athletic ideals are pursued. We foster capable students who: value a spiritual, egalitarian, kind, and creative community; thrive on independent, imaginative thought; are fully engaged in learning; and seek the best from themselves and their community.