Middlesex School - Review #13

One aspect of Middlesex that makes it unique is the sense of community that exists between students, faculty, staff, and administrators. There is an incredible amount of support that stems from all sides and the feeling truly exists that everybody is invested in each student's growth. Secondly, I would say that the atmosphere is collaborative rather than competitive which is rare given the academic standards.

The best thing that happened to me was deciding to go to a boarding school, and since being here I'd say that the best part was the relationship's I've formed.

There isn't really anything I would change. The best advice I can give is to be yourself and not try to act like somebody you're not...people will recognize and respect you for who you are if you stay true to your convictions.

As I said before, the close community and the true sense of engagement from every member of the school.

Hal is the best girls dorm...other than that you'll have to find your own wisdom.

Academics at Middlesex are rigorous, intellectually demanding, yet simultaneously rewarding. The teachers have high expectations and are highly invested in their teaching. Students reciprocate this energy especially in the AP and higher level classes. My favorite academic aspect of Middlesex is the incredibly close relationships between students and teachers. 2 of my 5 classes this year had 3 or fewer students, which speaks to the small class sizes and opportunity for close connections.

Sports are mandatory for all three seasons for freshman and sophomores. Juniors and seniors are required to play 2 sports. Middlesex is a small school versus other ISL schools so teams have to work harder in order to be competitive in the league. Despite these obstacles, Middlesex has a good athletic reputation especially in Field Hockey, Hockey, Lacrosse, and XCountry/Track. My favorite aspect of athletics is the team cohesiveness at Middlesex. Teams are truly teams, especially given that practices for varsity teams are at least 2 hours everyday. Teams are not hierarchical or senior-dominated. There is great chemistry between players of all ages and with the coaches.

I didn't participate in the arts program in any way, but the performances that I attended were all moving, beautiful, and well-supported. I loved that all of the school supported the various performances.

There are a variety of options for extracurricular activities at Middlesex. The easiest to participate in is student government, which has opportunities for involvement at various levels. Students often start clubs like Indie Music Club, Pottery Club, or Ping Pong Club. Clubs meet mostly at lunch, but occasionally after school. My favorite thing about the extra-curricular life at Middlesex is the wide range of options. You can really do whatever you can think of.

Dorm life is great regardless of the dorm or your rooming situation. The closest connections formed are those that come from dorm life. Each dorm has 2 or 3 faculty apartments. There are singles, doubles, triples and a few quads. Each room has a bed, desk, dresser and mirror. Students are assigned dorms by the deans and do not have control over which dorm they are placed in. Students can request who they would like to live near/close to, but ultimately there are no guarantees. The dorm is a haven, a respite from the academic challenges, a place to relax, find comfort and seek advice.

There is one dining hall with mediocre food that lacks diversity. Students typically find the food situation to be among one of the largest problems at Middlesex and there is action taken by the school senate every year to try to improve the quality. Students are generally seated by class, but there are not formal meals or strict seating requirements. Apart from the dining hall there is a small grill which operates at night and on the weekends where students may purchase snacks and comfort food.

Concord is a very affluent, very pretty area with a classic Massachusetts small town feel. There are expansive outdoors with plenty of options for running or biking. The town itself is fairly small, but it has the essentials and is less than 20 minutes from large suburban areas like the Burlington mall.

The social life is whatever you make of it. Some students prefer to stay in their dorms and hang out on weekends, while others attend the weekly dances, take trips to the movies, or go on a train to Boston. Students can sleep over in other dorms on the weekend or go home, so there are many options.