cotter schools international boarding program: your home away from home

Proudly serving international students in Grades 7-12 who are ready to live and learn on Cotter's Campus.

What can you expect when you say “YES” to flying across the globe and starting a new journey at Cotter Schools?

• You can expect to be challenged, in all the right ways! At Cotter, our teachers and staff are here to support you and to help you reach your full potential. And, even better, our students are highly motivated and driven for success! Resident mentors live in the residence hall, right alongside our students, to offer support in this journey. We can’t think of a better combination to help you grow academically, emotionally and spiritually.

• You can expect to stay BUSY! 70% of our student body are athletes and over 85% of our students participate in more than one activity! Get ready for some epic theme nights coming out of the student cheering section at home games (hint: bring your grass skirt for Hawaiian night!). And let’s not forget about our THRIVING fine arts program (you can take in a concert from the award winning Cotter band or show off your dance moves and join our competitive show choir). The possibilities for being involved are ENDLESS at Cotter!

• You can plan on a truly GLOBAL cultural experience! Our established international boarding program has a long history of serving students from around the world and we’re obsessed with the rich diversity that we all get to celebrate!

• You can rest assured that you will always feel safe in our NEWLY BUILT secured residence hall. Going further, our campus is located in an incredibly safe and protected community. You can expect to not only be supported by our staff, faculty and students but also by our community as a whole. Winona has a long history of nurturing students from around the world, whether it is at Cotter Schools or any of the three local institutions of higher education.

• You can expect to wear a LOT of blue, Cotter Blue that is! School pride runs deep around here and our students love to show off their spirit with plenty of fan gear!

• You can look forward to eating well, both on campus and off! Our cafeteria is wildly popular with our students (everyone loves pasta day!) but our town is also filled with local coffee shops and cafes which provide the perfect place to schedule a study date or to grab a bite to eat with friends (don’t miss out on the hot hoagies at Acoustic Cafe - they’re a fan favorite). Our international students especially love to show off their culture and their cooking skills through themed dinners where they cook for each other and for friends and teachers on campus!

• Speaking of hanging out with friends, you should know that weekends around here are FUN! Whether you’re exploring the 16.5 K of groomed local nordic ski trails, listening to some local live music at an event downtown, joining the group for a trip to an NBA basketball game, grabbing a hot apple cider at a nearby orchard, or feeling the breeze on a boat ride down the mighty Mississippi…there is literally ALWAYS something going on here! 

• Perhaps most important of all, you can expect that you’ll walk away from this experience with a group of best friends, which really feel more like family, from all across the globe. What more could you ask for?

So what else do YOU need to feel confident that Cotter Schools should be YOUR next step? 

Isn’t it time that you find your home away from home? A place where you can live, learn and grow. A place where rich memories will be made, academic success can be found and a path for a bright future will be paved. 

That place is Cotter Schools. 

Let’s get you started…

All educational agents and advisors should contact Mr. Jeff Novakoski.