YOU ARE THE MAIN CHARACTER IN
your
OWN STORY
Mercersburg Academy is a place of opportunity and exploration. A place to pursue passions you already have and to take chances on new ones. A place to express yourself and to imagine your future. A place where your story can unfold.
Here, you’re free to be.
Dream Big Dream Big Your first step on campus begins a journey to define yourself and to make your mark on
the world. We believe there’s something truly extraordinary about every student at Mercersburg, and we’ll work tirelessly to help your path of discovery come to life. You’ll learn to live and think independently, but you’ll be a part of something bigger: a community of peers and adults committed to each other and to lofty ideals. You’ll form lifelong friendships, access ideas and tools that you couldn’t have imagined, and grow into the person you want to be.
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g We know you have incredible untapped potential. At Mercersburg you will be challenged, supported, and inspired to become the best version of yourself. You can change the world, and we’ll be right beside you every step of the way. 2
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Simply Spectacular Driving here, you fall in love with our natural beauty. It’s easy to do. You pass rolling fields and picturesque farms. The Tuscarora Mountain ridge forms a majestic backdrop. Then suddenly, you’re standing on our eye-popping 300-acre campus. Distinguished buildings from a century ago sit alongside dazzling modern facilities, all surrounded by beautiful open spaces. You have stepped into a magical place. You have arrived.
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Room to Explore Room to Ex 5
Mercersburg Academy is an easy drive from New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, D.C., and Pittsburgh. The nature of our mid-Atlantic location means that we’re at a crossroads of geographies and cultures. It makes our campus an ideal environment for you to
plore
join students of all backgrounds to learn together, grow together, and find strength and unity in diversity. And since we’re just off the beaten path, it means that everyone who is here chooses to be here.
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Purposeful Rigor A Mercersburg education is second to none. You’re going to work hard here, but you won’t be stuck in run-of-the-mill courses. We’re devoted to learning that’s applicable and rewarding. You’ll have the freedom to help shape your own academic path, culminating in a personalized senior capstone experience. Our talented faculty will do more than instruct you. They are mentors who enliven the classroom and whose enthusiasm is contagious. The life of the mind flourishes here.
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170+
That’s the number of courses we offer
across eight academic departments. And
within this fascinating catalog of options, you’ll find topics ranging from journalism, film studies, and civil rights history to post-apocalyptic fiction, calculus, and forensic science.
At Mercersburg you will come to class eager to plug in to the discussion. In many classrooms, a Harkness table puts everyone in a common space, equally responsible for the conversation. Here technology is a tool, not the goal. Teachers often deliver assignments and special content through your tablet or laptop, and many of your textbooks will be iBooks your teachers actually wrote and tailored to your specific course.
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“ It’s a place full of laughter and love where people can express who they are without fear of being judged.”
Pablo
| Cancún, Mexico 13
THE ACADEMY WAS THE PERFECT EXCUSE TO GET OUT OF MY COMFORT ZONE AND MEET NEW PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD. I decided to apply to Mercersburg Academy because I wanted to see the world from a different perspective and because I saw this as an opportunity to grow as a person. I knew that coming to Mercersburg would help shape me into the man I’ve always aspired to be—as a person, a student, and an athlete. I wanted to explore and see what was out there waiting for me. Mercersburg Academy is a place where everything is fun—from sitting in circles after dinner with your friends to playing spikeball until the ball disappears into the night.
Push Reset Academics come first, but we make sure you have downtime too. There are so many ways to kick back, relax, and reenergize at Mercersburg. Join one of our 40 clubs. Play pool or foosball in the student center. Enjoy an evening fire on the patio with s’mores. Attend a trivia night, coffee house, or spoken word event. Set personal bests in the fitness center or on our 30-foot climbing wall. Walk into town with friends to see a movie in an old-fashioned theater or splurge on a pizza or latte at a local eatery. Bike or run on miles of trails. Or look forward to a weekend outing, like an off-campus shopping or sightseeing trip or a Mercersburg Outdoor Education hiking or camping expedition. The common denominator? It’s hard to be bored!
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It’s in Our DNA Mercersburg’s culture is the secret sauce that makes us who we are—and, we believe, what makes us different. We cultivate a community distinguished by acceptance, accountability, integrity, and empathy. We crave authenticity and humility over pretension and elitism. We celebrate both the individual and the community. It’s about more than simply being friendly; it’s about appreciating everyone for who they are and seeking to understand their story. Everyone will respect your privacy, but you will never feel isolated or alone. No one will ask you to be anyone but you.
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Getting together in the dining hall anchors each day. Breakfast is available until classes start at 8:50. Everyone gathers for lunch and for three family-style dinners a week. Monday dinners have an added touch: they’re semiformal. It’s a chance to dress up a little and start off the week in a special way.
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Fam
amily-Style Family -Style
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A Common Heritage Mercersburg Academy is a school with a rich history. Traditions like the Irving and Marshall societies are as old as the school itself and are part of a lasting heritage that ties you to every Mercersburg alum. Our graduates pursue careers in all sorts of fields and industries—as artists, athletes, entrepreneurs, educators, health care workers, and government and business leaders, to name just a few. Among them are Medal of Honor recipients, Rhodes Scholars, Fulbright Scholars, a Nobel Laureate, two Oscar-winning actors, and 54 Olympians. In short? Mercersburg equips you to be anything and anyone you want to be.
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“ If you’re considering Mercersburg, put your all into everything that you do.”
Kalwa
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| C e n t r e v i l l e , VA
THE SCHOOL HAS HELPED ME SEE THAT ANYONE CAN BE THERE TO HELP A STRANGER IN NEED. I chose Mercersburg Academy because everyone is part of the community. Not only that, they all have something unique and original to add to it. Mercersburg is a campus full of faculty, staff, and students who passionately enjoy everything they can choose to do here. Whether it’s chemistry, soccer, or dance, everyone is pushing each other to be the best version of themselves. Even if you don’t know what your drive is, Mercersburg can help you find it. At first, I was so nervous to be at a new school, but I quickly found my people. Mercersburg really pushes you to become a more confident, devoted, and well-rounded member of society, and even after one year, I feel like it’s been my best school experience so far.
Sports Abound Want to take your game to the next level or try a sport for the first time? Look no further. Start with 27 varsity teams, add in JV teams, and get ready to push your limits. Our facilities complete the picture: expansive natural and artificial turf fields and 209,000 square feet of indoor athletic and training space, including a strength and conditioning center, the Hale Field House (the largest facility of its kind in the mid-Atlantic), and the new Lloyd Aquatic Center with an Olympic-size pool.
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That’s how many varsity sports are available at Mercersburg. We’ll match your athletic strengths and competitive groove with whatever sports are right for you.
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“I love the Davenport Squash Center, as well as the laboratories that connect to science classrooms.”
Kevin
| Shanghai, China 29
I CHOSE MERCERSBURG ACADEMY BECAUSE OF ITS BEAUTIFUL CAMPUS, WELCOMING ENVIRONMENT, AND TOP-NOTCH FACILITIES. In my freshman and sophomore years, I challenged myself to run for class president. With the support of peers and faculty, I learned how to find my voice, confidently express ideas in front of crowds, and be an effective leader. I’ve also started my own interdisciplinary independent study of West Nile virus and COVID-19 public health policies with my teachers’ guidance. Mercersburg Academy, in short, is a home away from home, where you can discover an unlimited number of possibilities.
The Artist in You
Discover artistic bliss in the spectacular Burgin Center for the Arts. Most colleges don’t even have facilities like these under one roof. Want to paint, draw, perform in a play, dabble in digital music production, or design and build a theatre set? Master an instrument, learn photography, fire ceramics, or dance for the first time? It’s all here to spark your creativity. You can even take private music lessons or join the Jazz Band, Percussion Ensemble, String Ensemble, Chapel Choir, or one of our a cappella groups. There just might be an artist in you waiting to break free.
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65,000 MERCERSBURG
That’s the number of square feet in the Burgin Center for the Arts—sprawling
space to grow artistically, find something you love, and take it to the next level.
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Real-World Living Independence is the greatest reward of boarding at Mercersburg—your room, your schedule, your doorway to learning the joys and responsibilities of living on your own and yet with others. You’ll walk down your hall and greet peers from 27 states and 39 countries. The result? When you graduate, you’re already prepared for life in the world beyond Mercersburg.
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Mercersburg will become your second home. Together, you and your roommate will open up each other’s worlds. And when you hang out with other friends in your dorm, the fun flows naturally. Plus you’re never stranded: a faculty member lives down the hall, so you always have the security of knowing your dorm parent is there for you— whether you need a late-night snack, homework help, or just someone to listen.
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“While Mercersburg does have great academics, the community is what really strikes me as being integral to the school.�
Maddy
| Re c t o r, PA 39
MY EXPERIENCE HERE HAS DEFINITELY HELPED DEFINE ME. I CAN EXPLORE DIFFERENT PARTS OF MYSELF WHILE STILL FEELING SAFE AND WELCOMED. I never expected to go to Mercersburg Academy until I actually started my 10th-grade year here; in fact, I never expected to go to a boarding school at all. I was planning to go to my local high school, but I decided to apply on a whim after convincing my parents to let me tour and interview. To a student wondering if they should apply to Mercersburg Academy, I’d say go for it! Applying to Mercersburg could change your life. I know it definitely changed mine.
Think College Mercersburg is all in when it comes to preparing you for college—in fact, your personalized, grade-appropriate college counseling experience begins the very first year you’re enrolled. Your counselor is a personal college authority who will see you through every application and essay and will help you plan a course load that’s challenging and manageable. Unlike most schools, Mercersburg provides complimentary ACT or SAT prep sessions. Add in our emphasis on key college skills, our mock admission exercises, and our college visits hosted on campus, and you can be sure of one thing: you’ll be ready for what’s next.
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Seeing Is Believing To truly get a taste of Mercersburg Academy, we invite you to visit campus and experience the people and the place firsthand. Take a guided tour. Enjoy the views. Visit a class. Talk to teachers and students. People-watch on the quad or in the Simon Student Center. Have lunch in the dining hall. In short, see for yourself. We’re confident you’ll feel right at home—and we’re guessing you won’t want to leave.
SCHEDULE A VISIT:
717-328-6173 or admission@mercersburg.edu
NEW YORK 240 miles
PIT T S B U R G H 150 miles
PHIL ADELPHIA 180 miles
GETTYSBURG 45 miles
W A S H I N G T O N , D. C . 95 miles
BALTIMORE 95 miles
mercersburg.edu 717-328-6173
fi ty
Mercersburg Academy abides by both the spirit and the letter of the law in all its employment and admission policies. The school does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, or national or ethnic origin.