Read more details about Massanutten Military Academy on their 2024-25 profile page.
Reflections and Advice:
1.) What do you think makes your school unique relative to other boarding schools?
Massanutten Military Academy has been developing leaders of character since 1899 by instilling Courage, Purity, and Industry in its cadets.
The Academy uniquely prepares its student body for a successful, productive life by challenging them in three ways; Academic (earning a College Preparatory Diploma with school grades), Physical (playing sports competitively at the high school level), and Leadership (active participation in a rigid, structured, military environment).
2.) What was the best thing that happened to you in boarding school?
Three unforgettable accomplishments:
1) The summer school after my junior year I served as the cadet battalion commander, the highest position in the Corps of Cadets.
2) My senior year I served as a cadet company commander, where I had the opportunity to lead in a more focused way, interacting with all 40 cadets in my unit face-to-face every day, multiple times per day.
3) My senior year I earned my acceptance the United States Military Academy at West Point, and a four-year scholarship to the Virginia Military Academy and The Citadel.
3.) What might you have done differently during your boarding school experience?
I would have become completed invested in the military structure even sooner than I did.
4.) What did you like most about your school?
I loved the structure and the friendships I made while at the Academy.
5.) Do you have any final words of wisdom for visiting or incoming students to your school?
You get out of this experience what you put into it!
Trust the faculty and cadet leadership; they WANT to see you succeed!!
Academics:
1.) Describe the academics at your school - what did you like most about it?
There are three things that make Massanutten Military Academy extraordinarily unique when it comes to academics.
The first is the Academy's small class sizes. Are typically about 12 cadets to every teacher, which means that instructors have the opportunity to spend more one-on-one time with each cadet. I was able to leverage this during my time as a cadet to help bolster my understanding of subjects that I had difficulty with.
Second is the Academy's plethora of academic programs. Massanutten Military Academy offers online classes, an International Baccalaureatte program, and STEM tracks to help cadets prepare themselves for a highly sought-after academic major in college.
Third, Massanutten Military Academy boasts a 100% college acceptance rate for all of its graduates, and an average of $90,000 in college scholarships. I believe the Academy had a direct positive influence on my ability to get accepted to the United States Military Academy at West Point.
Athletics:
1.) Describe the athletics at your school - what did you like most about it?
Massanutten Military Academy has an excellent mandatory athletic program. What I enjoyed most is that not only is there an activity for every cadet, but the Academy also does a great job of connecting leadership development to participation in its sports teams (not surprising, as the Academy's mascot is 'The Colonels').
I found extra confidence and credibility as a leader after proving myself out on the athletic field, particularly in the Raiders program.
Art, Music, and Theatre:
1.) Describe the arts program at your school - what did you like most about it?
I did not participate in visual arts or music, but I know Massanutten Military Academy has a music program, and historically has even had it's own 'Band Company,' a unit of cadets that march and play their instruments together every day during formation and parades.
Extracurricular Opportunities:
1.) Describe the extracurriculars offered at your school - what did you like most about it?
Cadets at Massanutten Military Academy spend quite a bit of time volunteering throughout the community of their own town, Woodstock, VA.
The town and the Academy have come to have a great, symbiotic relationship as a result of this.
Dorm Life:
1.) Describe the dorm life in your school - what did you like most about it?
The dorms at this Academy are unique because they are split up according to which unit a cadet is in. This made for a competitive environment in which different companies would try to have the most organized, or cleanest dorm.
Cadets are expected to keep their rooms extremely clean, organized, and uniform to the standards set forth by Massanutten Military Academy.
Dining:
1.) Describe the dining arrangements at your school.
All dining is provided by Brock, a proven nutrition company. Cadets march to the mess hall and eat three full, nutritious meals per day.
Social and Town Life:
1.) Describe the school's town and surrounding area.
Cadets are allowed to walk into town on the weekends. Woodstock is a small town in the Shenandoah Valley with “mom and pop” shops and restaurants within walking distance of the school.
2.) Describe the social life at your school - what did you like most about it?
Social life is influenced by the cadet rank structure. Leaders tend to have meetings to discuss cadet operations, and these meetings will develop bonds between cadets. This same concept applies to each level of cadet leadership, and also manifests itself into cadets on the same sports teams.
Read more details about Massanutten Military Academy on their 2024-25 profile page.
Alumni Reviews Review School
Review
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The structure at MMA and the leadership responsibility sets MMA apart from other boarding schools. I had specific instructors and mentors assigned to me who supported me not only in academic growth but also in. . .
Massanutten's academic offerings allow students to explore their world and gain maturity and experience. At the same time, the school's structured environment helps students to learn self discipline and develop leadership skills. . .
Your quality time in class , small classes make it a great way to interact with the teacher and the other students. The school sets an example of life time structure of your day to. . .
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