The School:
- Acceptance Rate: 25%
- Location: Concord, Massachusetts
- Enrollment: 342
- School Type: Coeducational, boarding school
- Grades: 9-12
- Church Affiliation: Non-denominational
- Number of faculty: 65
- Tuition: $42,820 for boarders, $34,250 for day students
- Percentage of students receiving financial aid: 31%
- Admissions Deadline: January 31 for boarders; January 15 for day students.
- School Website: Middlesex School
Middlesex School was founded in 1901 by Frederick Winsor, a Roxbury Latin School alumnus. Winsor's educational goal was "to find the promise in every student."
A Brief History:
Relatively young as New England schools go, Middlesex nonetheless has filled the past almost 110 years with some remarkable achievements. Frederick Winsor conceived of the school as being different from the usual religious schools of its day. The school was non-denominational and still is.
Grounds designed by Frederick Law Olmstead's sons, buildings by Peabody and Stearns and musicals by Gilbert and Sullivan certainly set the school off on a different path. The school has been coeducational since 1974.
Academics:
As is the case with top prep schools, Middlesex' teachers hold degrees in their primary subject. 70% have advanced degrees in their subject area. The school offers academic courses in 10 departments:
Art
Classical Languages
Computer Studies
English
Mathematics
Modern Languages
Music
Science
Social Sciences
Theater
Middlesex offers 25 AP courses.
Facilities:
Middlesex has come a long way from the simple choices of the past when boys played football and ice hockey in the fall and winter and baseball and crew in the spring. Over 24 varsity sports are now available. Middlesex is a member of the Independent School League.
Middlesex offers first rate facilities for the arts including a theater, music studios, art studios and more.
Finances:
Middlesex does not have the enormous endowment of Phillips Exeter, but then not many schools do. On the hand as the chart shows the school awards copious amounts of financial aid, $3.32 million to be precise, to students who meet its financial aid benchmarks.
Matriculation:
Middlesex for many years sent most of its graduates to Harvard. That has changed with graduates in recent years matriculating to universities and colleges just about everywhere.
Commentary:
Being less than 20 miles from Boston is certainly an attractive feature of Middlesex. Because the school is so selective you will want to be sure that your son or daughter is a good match for the school's requirements. The answer to the question "What are you looking for in an applicant?" reveals much: "This is a hard question. Middlesex enrolls a diverse group of students each year. However, we do expect all of our students to possess energy, curiosity, initiative and a desire to contribute to a vibrant residential program." Visit the school and prove during the interview that you have what it takes.
