Our Oldest Tradition is Forward Thinking. There are girls’ schools… And then there’s SEM. Among the oldest schools for girls in the United States, SEM has designed a constantly innovating culture of achievement, scholarship, creativity, and leadership since 1851. Our school, on the National Register of Historic Places, is a cozy campus of grand homes renovated for student and faculty residences on a historic parkway, a grass field and regulation squash courts (our squash team is nationally ranked), in a leafy neighborhood. Situated on Lake Erie, SEM teams include sailing and crew. While most girls’ schools are established in specific faiths, SEM was instead established with character development and scholarship at our center. Seated at Harkness tables, girls are encouraged to question and revisit answers until they are satisfied and expected to be respectful and community-minded. No uniform, secular.