Middlesex School - Review #11

The first unique aspect of Middlesex that comes to mind is our plaque tradition. It is and always has been a graduation requirement to carve a plaque and every single one is hung up around the school. There are no templates or guidelines. It is a unique and tangible way for each and every graduate to "leave his/her mark" on the school.

I gained a lot of independence at boarding school. It was refreshing to, to an extent, be able to do what I wanted when I wanted to. It was also much more of a challenge than my previous school so I learned how to handle that pressure, academically, athletically, and artistically. I learned how to manage my time very well because there was always so much work and so much to do. I also had a ton of fun living in the dorm with my friends and I formed some amazing relationships with the faculty who were my teachers, coaches, and lived in my dorm.

I wish I had jumped into more activities when I got there. Not commitments, but club meetings or faculty sponsored outings or things like that.

I loved the full participation aspect. Although it made my life very difficult at times, I learned a lot from it about myself, my studies, and life in general. Middlesex taught me a lot and not just what I learned in my classes.

Go to breakfast. It's worth it. Use the library. Play sports.

Academics at Middlesex were very challenging constantly. But that does not mean that the teachers are not there for you when you have questions or need help every step of the way. There is a lot of work, but you learn to manage your time effectively because of it. Middlesex students are not competitive with each other, but they compete with their own standards. There are classes for students of every ability level in every subject and department. And finally I cannot stress enough how much the teachers want to help their students succeed.

Middlesex requires each freshman and sophomore to play a sport each season, juniors must play at least 2 and seniors have to play at least 1. For such a small school, there are tons of options for sports and many people will learn to play a sport at Middlesex and end up going to college for it. The coaches are almost exclusively also members of the faculty so they know how to work with the students and many have also taught their players. I played 3 sports each year for my entire career and I loved every minute of it.

Middlesex has a lot of talent when it comes to the arts. Whether visual or performance arts, I, as someone who dabbled in singing and acting a bit but otherwise didn't delve too deeply in the arts, am constantly amazed by the amazing productions and exhibitions on our campus. You don't have to choose between a performance and a sport too which is so valuable.

One unique aspect of extracurricular life at Middlesex is the Community Service program. Community service is not required at Middlesex (except on Community Service Day) but the amazing thing is that even though it is not required, students still participate actively and enthusiastically. As far as clubs and similar student run organizations go, anyone can start one. Some are serious, some are not; all you need is a faculty member who will be your faculty advisor. Extracurricular opportunities are abundant and widespread at Middlesex and I have never heard someone complain that there wasn't enough to do.

We have about 30 people per dorm and there are people from all grades in each dorm in addition to 2-3 faculty apartments. We have a lot of singles so if you want one you'll probably get one; if you want a double you'll probably get that too. They don't tell you which dorm you're in/who your roommate is until you get there which can be frustrating. The dorm parents often have food at night though and they do a great job connecting with students and fostering community in the dorm. The proctor system is also good for that (one on each floor).

The dining hall at Middlesex is open for breakfast, lunch, afternoon snack (2:30-4ish), and dinner (5:30-7) Monday-Saturday and Continental Breakfast (8-10), Brunch (10-1), and Dinner (5:30-7) on Sundays. There are always a variety of options (hot meal, salad, sandwich, rice, toaster w/ bagels etc, fruit, dessert, cereal, and much more).

Concord, MA is a very quaint, traditional New England town. There is lots of history there which can be interesting, lots of really great food options, as well as the necessary grocery store, CVS, Starbucks, DD, etc. There is a bus that runs into town after school and Sunday afternoons roughly every 40 mins. It is very accessible and everything you need is in Concord.

We have an excellent Student Activities committee for planning events on Sundays and Saturday nights. They do a great job keeping people involved in the community. I loved living with my friends in the dorm and I also had a number of day student friends and that was also a lot of fun. The day students are just as integrated into the community as the boarders.