Life at Gow
Dorm parents, teammates, traditions, and the valley itself. See what it means to grow up as part of the Gow family.
Life at Gow
The Gow family.
Boarding at Gow means living, learning, and growing up together in a beautiful valley in South Wales, New York. Your dorm mates, your classmates, your dorm parents, and your teachers become your Gow family, and these become some of the most important years of your life.
Dorm Parents
Teachers and their families who live in the dorms, there for homework help, a late-night talk, or a birthday cake.
Dorm Mates
Friends from down the hall and around the world who understand exactly what you've been through.
Classmates
Small classes where everyone is known, everyone takes part, and no one has to hide.
Teachers and Coaches
The same adults teach you in the morning, coach you in the afternoon, and sit with you at dinner.
- BreakfastWith dorm parents and friends
- ClassesGow Method practices woven into every subject
- Athletics and the OutdoorsTeams, trails, and the valley
- DinnerFamily-style, with faculty
- Study, Then the DormTeachers on hand, then time with friends
Every student can play. Every season brings something new to try, against schools across the region and in the valley right outside the door.
- Basketball
- Flag football
- Golf
- Ski racing
- Soccer
- Squash
- Tennis
- Track and field
- Volleyball
- Wrestling
Letchworth State Park
Trips to the "Grand Canyon of the East": waterfalls, gorge trails, and a day the students talk about all year.
Nearby Cities
Weekend outings to Buffalo and other nearby cities for games, museums, food, and a change of scene.
Cultural Events
Concerts, theater, and exhibitions, on campus and across the region.
Science
Labs built for hands-on learning, where students who think in pictures and experiments thrive.
Learning Resources
A library, assistive technology, and specialists who help every student find the tools that work for them.
Nature as a Classroom
Woods, fields, and streams on 125 acres, used for science, art, and simply clearing your head.
Friends for Life
The friendships last a lifetime.
When Gow celebrated its centennial, alumni came back from across the country, around the world, and across the decades. They walked the same valley, found their old rooms, and picked up with classmates as if no time had passed. Friendships made here stay dear for life.
"Forty years later, my Gow roommate is still the first person I call."Alumnus, Class of 1984