Middlesex School viewbook

Just as you suspected, there is more out there. A bigger, different life is calling— one with mentors and friends who will welcome you into it. You have potential you haven’t even imagined yet.

At Middlesex you will meet that potential.

Middlesex School is a non-sectarian, coeducational preparatory school. It was founded in 1901 and is located in Concord, Massachusetts, 19 miles from Boston. Enrollment each year is approximately 400 students with an equal number of boys and girls in grades nine through twelve. Approximately three-quarters of our students are boarders, most years representing over 30 states and 15 countries. The majority of students enter Middlesex in either ninth or tenth grade, with a handful of students entering in the eleventh grade each year.

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BURN BRIGHT not out

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You can climb to the top of so many pinnacles of achievement here, but you will always have friends calling you out to play.

We don’t believe rigor and joy are mutually exclusive. Current research on the teenage brain tells us that teens need an academically challenging and a socially engaging experience to really learn and grow.

Translation: we don’t believe in grind for grind’s sake.

We also believe teenagers shine brightest in a community where they are known and needed. Talented teens come to Middlesex from all over the world to share their lives and aspirations. Yet we are small enough for students and teachers to really know one another. So, while your Middlesex experience will make you a different person, you will also make Middlesex a different place. At a big school, you rarely change the story. Here you do.

Welcome to

MIDDLESEX

7:30–7:45 a.m.

Peak breakfast time. Located in Ware Hall, the dining hall is decorated with graduates’ plaques and flags of our students’ home countries.

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8:00–9:30 a.m.

First two classes of the day: Elements of Fiction, above.

Biology, below.

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9:30 a.m.

Weekly Wednesday Chapel Program. As part of their senior Chapel talks, students often include musical performances.

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10:00 a.m.

After Chapel, next three classes. Many students have a free period as well—time for a music lesson, extra help, or hanging out with friends.

“You can fill your day with activities from eight o’clock in the morning until about ten o’clock at night if you choose to do so.

The schedule is designed so that you do not have to choose between playing a sport and acting in the fall play. I love the way Middlesex gives you the opportunity to be involved in virtually everything you want to be involved in. Not only does this system give students the opportunity to pursue their passions and discover new ones, it also ensures that you learn how to manage your time really well.”

— Sam, day student

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10:45 a.m.

AP English, taken by all juniors at Middlesex, above, and Trigonometry, below.

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11:30 a.m.

Chamber Ensemble rehearsal for upcoming concert.

12:10 p.m.

Lunch. Today's special: grilled cheese, tomato soup, and ice cream!

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12:55 p.m.

Wednesday is game day, home and away. Above: boys' varsity lacrosse.

Below: Celebratory pond jumps are a tradition at MX.

“Middlesex kids are the ones with strong specialties who do more than just their specialty. Our campus Circle is a metaphor for these students with many talents. It’s the daily crossing point where the Honors student walks to the playing field and becomes the star lacrosse player and then walks to the music room and becomes the jazz band drummer. We cross the Circle a lot. Faculty and students are expected to change their roles in the community very quickly. People who like the excitement of those daily shifts really thrive here.”

—Matthew DeGreeff, Director of College Counseling; Head of Robert Winsor House

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5:00 p.m.

After games and scrimmages, clean up and head to dinner.

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6:30 p.m.

Peer tutoring begins.

Study hours in the library or dorms from 7:30–9:30.

7:30-9:30 p.m.

Play rehearsal: Pippin.

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9:30–10:00 p.m.

Ninth graders hang out with friends and then head back to their rooms for lights out at 10:30.

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BRILLIANCE needs to stretch

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No doubt you have been told that you are bright. What would it mean to turn up the volume on that brightness? And how would you go about doing it? Middlesex starts by asking students to push themselves in new directions—to take classes they ordinarily wouldn’t take.

Even students who arrive with significant talents in certain areas are required to branch out.

Many schools offer abundant intellectual and creative opportunities. So do we, but we don’t offer these choices passively.

Students find and stretch their brilliance here because the whole faculty mentors them. Even when you don’t have classes with particular teachers, they know you.

They know that something like studying opera or documentary filmmaking is just what you need to deepen your understanding of who you are and what you want to do.

We asked five students to tell us how they’ve stretched at Middlesex and what it has meant to them. As you will see, the goal is more than being well-rounded. When you stretch the edges of your brilliance, you are on your way to your most satisfying contributions and achievements.

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ANGELICA ACCESS TO FACULTY

“My favorite thing about Middlesex is the accessibility of the teachers. There is a strong sense of community, and students are encouraged to ask questions and transcend the parameters of the classroom.”

NEW SKILLS

“I spend a lot of time on music outside of the classroom, and when I took AP Music Theory, it brought music into an academic setting. I started listening to music in a more analytical way. AP Music Theory required a skill set that was so different from anything I had encountered in another class.”

PERSONAL CONNECTIONS

“I have stretched myself by aiming to combine multiple interests. The study of Classics has been a way for me to make relevant my love of language and history with my own ethnic Greek background. Learning Latin and Ancient Greek has allowed me to pursue, in a very personal way, subject matter centered in the past and in the basics of human experience, ultimately fostering a deep political and social understanding of the world.”

PASSION

“There's an intellectual idealism here that grounds and shapes the culture, and it's one of my favorite things about Middlesex. If you're passionate about something, and you work really hard at it, you can achieve a whole new, deep understanding.”

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BELMONT, MA FAVORITE MX ACTIVITIES: Chorus, Model Congress, Iris literary magazine, Freedom of Speech, Peer Tutoring

FAVORITE CLASS: AP U.S. History. We delved so deeply into topics I’d only

covered superficially before. It was fascinating to gain new perspective on the development of America.

ALEX

BERMUDA FAVORITE MX ACTIVITIES: Editor-in-Chief of the Anvil, Iris literary magazine FAVORITE CLASS: History of the Middle East my freshman year. My teacher’s infectious passion

made me excited to go to class every day. The discussions were quick and lively, and the class was challenging and inspiring. As a result of the class, during my senior year I’m pursuing an Independent Study Project in Middle Eastern literature.

MENTORSHIP

“Mr. Risley has been a hugely influential mentor. As my soccer coach, Mr. Risley has helped me develop as a player and as a person. We’ve also developed a great relationship in the classroom. He identifies my academic weaknesses and works with me to overcome them. He’s really invested in my success as a student.”

NEW HEIGHTS

“So many of us come to Middlesex with a certain confidence. In that sense, Middlesex will humble you, because everyone here is driven and intelligent. But more than humbling me, Middlesex has propelled me to greater heights. In the classroom, teachers and peers force you to self-examine, to hold your own ideas on trial. In that sense, I’ve learned so much about what I think and why I think it.”

PUSHING THE LIMITS

“It’s not possible to measure my growth at Middlesex. As a student, I’ve been pushed beyond my intellectual limits. I’ve tried to take the most difficult classes available to me, and the benefits have been innumerable even though the grades I received may have been lower than I was used to. You develop a confidence in your own intellectual ability. Middlesex has brought me into unfamiliar territory and given me a helping hand when I needed one.”

WORKING TOGETHER

"There's no competitive feeling here; nobody's trying to be better than anyone else. You're just trying to reach your own goals. I often study for tests with my peers, talking about concepts and ideas, and bouncing ideas off of my classmates."

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JUDY PIVOTAL MOMENT

“We were reading the Scarlet Letter in English, and there was this moment when we were discussing the meaning of the brook that flows through the woods. Mr. Hirsch started to repeat the word ‘brook,’ and then gradually we heard the word ‘book’ – the brook is a symbol of the book’s attempt to recount the sorrows in life. His class changed my view of how allegory and symbols penetrate literature.”

COMMUNICATION

“I used to regard English as just a tool, but the English classes at Middlesex are so amazing that I started to appreciate and enjoy analyzing literary works.

The process of writing an essay also frustrated me, but I have learned how to be more effective in my argument and how to best communicate my thoughts.”

PERSONAL GROWTH

“I have grown to be more open to possibilities, and I have learned to embrace opportunities, changes, and challenges when they arrive unexpectedly. I’ve grown to respect and listen to different voices and to be true to myself.”

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GUANGZHOU, CHINA FAVORITE MX ACTIVITIES: Chorus, working in the garden, and studying in the library FAVORITE CLASS: AP English Literature. We learned about how themes overlap and interconnect in such an amazingly sophisticated way.

KELLY&KYLE

BEDFORD, NH KELLY’S FAVORITE ACTIVITIES: Soccer, Ice hockey, Crew,

Improv Club, playing Frisbee on the Circle, watching my friends in plays and performances

KELLY’S FAVORITE CLASS: Computer Science (with Kyle).

It requires a lot of logical thinking and problem solving, and it’s made up of lots of projects in which we have to apply everything we’ve learned. Plus, Mr. Pillai is a great teacher.

KYLE’S FAVORITE ACTIVITIES: Varsity soccer and baseball, TED talks club, Math club

KYLE’S FAVORITE CLASS: Computer Science (with Kelly).

I enjoy learning how to manipulate a programming language in order to complete tasks.

(KELLY) NEW INTERESTS

“Freshman English pushed me to find deeper meanings and to be able to communicate what I find. I used to say that I’m just a math and science person, but now I really care about writing too.”

FINDING BALANCE

“My advisor, Ms. Dukuly, encourages me to challenge myself, even if I’m already doing well. She motivates me to improve and to work hard, but she also reminds me to have fun.”

COLLABORATION

“I’ve learned that being a student is more than just getting a good grade. You need to be able to collaborate with your peers and contribute to the classroom.

I’ve learned a lot about developing and expressing my own ideas and trying my best at everything I do.”

(KYLE) ENGAGEMENT

“I’ve grown at Middlesex to become a much more outgoing and social person.

People in this community go out of their way to make everyone feel welcome and involved.”

FINDING NEW BOUNDARIES

“I try to do as much as I can here. I came to Middlesex as a new junior and took six classes, including four AP courses, while also playing varsity soccer and baseball.

I even tried squash, although I’d never played before. It didn’t work out, but I liked stretching myself. Stretching allows me to learn where my boundaries are, and then it allows me to focus on how to improve myself overall.”

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LIFE 360°

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We live life full circle at Middlesex— 360-degree engagement with people, with ideas, and with challenges that will test your intellect, your creativity, your character, and your physical abilities. We require you to take classes you might not otherwise take and to do sports you might not otherwise play. We require you to be prepared to contribute to your classes, teams, performing arts groups, and dorms. Why? To give you the power of knowing what interests truly thrill and nourish you, the power of knowing how to build relationships that sustain you and others. This is Life 360°.

You learn how to deal with and benefit from diverse backgrounds and experiences directly, openly, and positively. You learn how to recognize and step up to leadership opportunities so that you can bring out the best in yourself and in others.

Living this 360-degree life means that each student creates a network of friends, classmates, teachers, mentors, interests, and experiences that—in the end—teaches him or her how to engage with the world and contribute in ways that are personally meaningful and tremendously fulfilling.

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Bettina BOARDING STUDENT HOMETOWN Manila, Philippines FAVORITE THING ABOUT MX Students are able to participate in so many things, and we all support each other as a community.

FAVORITE PLACE ON CAMPUS Art studio CLASSES THIS YEAR Pre-calculus, Advanced Spanish, Advanced Drawing, Physics, US History, AP English, Advanced Topics in Quantitative Analysis, Spanish Play, Painting.

EXTRACURRICULARS Varsity crew, Middlesex Art Association, Indie Music Club.

I love painting, drawing, and playing the guitar, and I like sharing these passions with other people.

BEST CLASS AT MX AP English, because we have great discussions and I love all the books we read.

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Mary DAY STUDENT HOMETOWN Lowell, MA FAVORITE THING ABOUT MX The close and caring relationship between teachers and students.

FAVORITE PLACE ON CAMPUS The Circle. It’s a great place to relax and have fun with friends.

CLASSES THIS YEAR Art History, Geometry, Ecology: Life on Earth, European History, Intermediate Spanish, Writing Workshop, Literature and Composition, Drama, Advanced Algebra, Astronomical Tools.

EXTRACURRICULARS Varsity soccer, Varsity hockey (captain next year), Varsity lacrosse, and Divine Visions step dance club.

BEST CLASS AT MX Mindfulness. It helps me in every area of my life and reminds me to always live in the moment.

“I look up to my older sister, Irene ’14. She has led the way for me. She is a great role model, she was an amazing leader at Middlesex, and I want to be just like her.”

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Rock BOARDING STUDENT HOMETOWN New York, NY FAVORITE THING ABOUT MX The sense of community. At Middlesex, you don’t have to find just one thing you are good at, or something you will be known for—you can do many things, and nobody judges you.

FAVORITE PLACE ON CAMPUS The music practice rooms.

CLASSES THIS YEAR Advanced Algebra, Drama, Writing Workshop, Literature and Composition, Advanced Chinese, European History, Honors Chemistry, Drawing, Trigonometry.

EXTRACURRICULARS Cross-country, Track & Field, Jazz Orchestra, Jazz Lunch Club, Small Chorus, Debate Club.

BEST CLASS AT MX Honors chemistry. It’s extremely challenging for me, but it’s worth it, because I’m learning so much about the world around me.

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Eliot BOARDING STUDENT HOMETOWN New Canaan, CT FAVORITE THING ABOUT MX Having friends from all grades and from all over the world.

FAVORITE PLACE ON CAMPUS The Circle. Even just walking across it brightens my day.

CLASSES THIS YEAR Advanced Algebra, Drawing, Ecology: Life on Earth, Spanish Grammar, Writing Workshop, Literature and Composition, European History, Trigonometry, Art History, Astronomical Tools, Intermediate Spanish EXTRACURRICULARS JV soccer, Varsity skiing, Varsity lacrosse, Piano lessons, Pottery Club, Slack-Line Club, and Knee Hockey League.

BEST CLASS AT MX Writing Workshop. It has turned me into a significantly better writer.

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FIND YOUR Promise

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The Middlesex School mission is to “find the promise” in every student. It is our invitation to every student who comes here to find the essence of his or her character and the talents and sense of purpose within. No one can find someone else’s promise.

Only you can do that. But Middlesex is a school designed to give you the best possible environment in which to do so.

You’ll learn how to burn bright without burning out. You’ll stretch your brilliance. And you’ll learn how to live a truly engaged, contributing, 360˚ life.

You will emerge as your best self, tested and with the purpose and the ability to live your promise, whether that means—as it has for some of our alumni—running for president of the United States, earning the Pulitzer Prize for journalism, becoming an Oscar-winning actor, or being nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.

How will you use the unique human spark that is yours and yours alone, first in the halls of this school and then in the larger course of your life? That is what finding your promise is all about.

LIFE at Middlesex On the edge of Concord, Massachusetts, just outside Boston, beyond an entry column of overhanging maples, you’ll find our sprawling green campus. Head into the main schoolhouse, and peek inside a classroom to see an intimate group of passionate students as they discuss, analyze, listen, laugh, strive and thrive. The houses you’ll see on campus belong to our faculty, who open their doors day and night to talk with students about Hemingway, Newton, Caesar, the big game, that great concert, or nothing in particular. Academic expertise, commitment, and eternal energy, however, only partly define the faculty at Middlesex. Their passion for the careful development of complete, ethical teenagers is the true reason they’ve dedicated their lives to Middlesex. When you come to Middlesex, you’ll find a place full of opportunity, challenge, and friendship. A place to take risks and become a leader. A place to discover passions, talents, and yourself.

A place, as our founder so aptly put it, to find your promise.

The Place

Middlesex benefits from its unique location just 19 miles from the vast cultural resources of Boston and Cambridge, while also being only three miles from the center of Concord - home of the renowned writers Alcott, Emerson, Hawthorne, and Thoreau, and the beauty of Walden Pond.

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Not far from town, you’ll see the red sign for Middlesex. Turning from the road, you’ll find us on 350 acres that include woods, fields, and a large pond. The campus was designed by the firm of famed landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, which also designed New York’s Central Park and Boston’s Emerald Necklace. The main campus buildings stand at opposite points around the green common called The Circle, the center of our campus, both literally and metaphorically.

The Houses

Residential life centers around our nine Houses: BryantPaine, Hallowell, Higginson, Kravis, LeBaron Briggs (girls’ dorms) and Atkins, Clay, Landry, and Robert Winsor (boys’ dorms). An average of 27 students lives in each House, giving dormitories a close-knit and home-like atmosphere. Students in all four grades live in each dorm, so younger students can benefit from the positive mentoring of older students.

Within the dorms, each grade is clustered together. Typically, three faculty members also live in each residence, providing supervision and guidance. Senior proctors, who live on every floor, are available to all students and help faculty monitor dorm life. Almost 80 percent of dorm rooms at Middlesex are singles, but all students will live in a double or triple at some point in their Middlesex career. The Houses have common living rooms, kitchens, laundry facilities, and a quiet study room. All dormitory rooms have phones and are wired for access to the academic and library networks, the Internet, and email.

Day Students

Day students make up more than a quarter of the student body, commuting to Middlesex from nearby towns. A vital part of the school, they provide an important link to the communities surrounding Middlesex. Boarding students benefit from the knowledge and experience of day students, who often help boarders feel at home by inviting them to share a meal with their families. Day students are affiliated with a “day house,” giving them the benefits of dorm camaraderie.

Community Life: Choices and Connections

The Community Life Program aims to address the topics and issues students will face both in the present and later in college, career, and life. We address these issues through organized events designed to stimulate open conversation. Our Community Life program includes the popular “Choices” program for freshmen and “Connections” for sophomores. The program “Choices” offers freshmen a relaxed atmosphere to discuss such topics as healthy living, coping with stress, friendship, relationships, and – most importantly – how to make good choices. Connections aims to help new and returning sophomores get to know each other, while simultaneously discussing topics such as appropriate technology use, citizenship (both local and global), and leadership, to name just a few. The curriculum is fun and engaging; students think about how to be happy, healthy, and productive members of the community.

Advisors

Course selection, advice about a friend, a trip to the movies, transportation to a dentist appointment, listening—advisors are students’ trusted guides and mentors from their very first day on campus. New students are assigned a faculty advisor before they arrive, but after several months, students have the opportunity to choose an advisor. Most students stay with one advisor through their years at Middlesex, forming close bonds that often become friendships that last beyond their years here. Students meet with their advisors individually and in advisee groups on a regular basis. Through the year, advisors host get-togethers with their advisee groups, inviting them to their homes for dinner and going on outings. Advisors also play an important role for parents. They serve as the first liaison between parents and the school.

Weekends

Great activities happen every weekend of the school year. The Student Activities Committee, which is open to any interested student, plans dances, parties, live music, and other events with the help of a faculty coordinator. Dances feature DJs and live bands. The SAC chooses a movie to be shown on the big screen in the school theater on Saturday nights and organizes a variety of off-campus trips. Day students are very much a part of weekend activities as well. Big, traditional events that students anticipate each year include the opening of school Square Dance, Field Day, Casino Night, Random Dance, Spring Carnival, Luau, and Senior Prom.

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THE MIDDLESEX Curriculum Middlesex offers more than 145 courses, including AP courses in 23 subjects. In small classes averaging 12 students, there is an exchange of observations, opinions, and ideas that is at the heart of learning. Everyone’s contribution counts. This spirit of give-and-take informs our exploration of different ways of viewing the world and helps us understand the complexity that lies beyond simple appearances. With a solid grounding in the liberal arts and sciences in their early years, students progress through a challenging curriculum, mastering increasingly sophisticated analysis of ideas and texts. Some students may take courses with college-level material as early as their sophomore year; all take advanced courses in their junior and senior years.

Sample Course Plans

Class IV (Grade 9) English 1 and 2 (Elements of Fiction; Elements of Poetry and Drama); mathematics (level determined by department); foreign language (Latin, Greek, Mandarin Chinese, French, or Spanish—level determined by department); in history, The Ancient World first semester and one course selected from among Topics in World History second semester; one course each semester from Elements of Style (our arts core curriculum composed of four half-credit arts courses intended

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to give each student the ability to sharpen his or her ability to look, listen, and participate in the arts with perception and discretion); and another full-credit course each semester in biology, chemistry, or computer science. A student in Class IV may take a full-credit arts course or a second foreign language with permission.

Class III (Grade 10) English 3 and 4 (Literature and Composition I and II) and Middlesex’s signature Sophomore Writing Workshop (weekly workshops on the craft of writing with particular emphasis on the analytical writing done in the disciplines of English and history); mathematics (level determined by department); foreign language (see choices above); either Early Modern World History or The Ancient World in the first semester, and Modern World History in the second semester; Elements of Style (Art 1, 2, 3, or 4); an additional full-credit course each semester offered in history, biology, chemistry, or computer science. Students may take a full-credit arts course or a second foreign language with permission.

Class II (Grade 11) English 5 and 6 (Advanced Placement English Literature and Composition I and II are required of all juniors; virtually all take the AP English Literature examination); mathematics at the appropriate level; United States History; foreign language; and one additional full-credit course each semester from those open to juniors. Students are strongly encouraged to take physics, an Advanced Placement science course, or a science elective.

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Average Class Size

92 Faculty

4:1

Student: Faculty Ratio

74%

Teaching Faculty with doctorates and master's degrees

Class I (Grade 12) An English elective each semester and four additional full-credit courses each semester. It is strongly recommended that students continue mathematics and a foreign language through their senior year. Samples of highest level courses and electives by department are below.

Highest Level Courses by Department

Art AP Studio Art, AP Art History, AP Music Theory, Advanced Studio Art, Advanced Photography, Advanced Ceramics, Advanced Approaches to Acting, Advanced Projects in Theatre Classics AP Caesar and Vergil, Greek 30 Computer Studies AP Computer Science: Programming in Java, Seminar in Advanced Computer Science English AP Literature and Composition, senior English electives Mathematics AP Statistics, AP Calculus AB, AP Calculus BC, Vector Calculus, Multi-Variable Calculus, Seminar in Advanced Math, Differential Calculus Modern Languages AP Chinese, AP French Language, AP Spanish Language, AP Spanish Literature Religious Studies Senior electives Sciences AP Biology, AP Chemistry, AP Environmental Science, AP Physics 1 and 2, AP Physics C Social Sciences AP American Government and Politics, AP Economics (micro and macro), AP U.S. History, senior History electives, Psychology

SAMPLE ELECTIVES English 41: Studies in Medieval Literature English 52: Modern American Poetry French 43: Literature, Film, Culture of the Francophone World History 55: Era of the American Civil War Latin 43: Philosophy and Friendship: Roman Letters Math 65: Vector Calculus Math 50: Differential Equations Music 25: Steel Pan Ensemble Religious Studies 50: The Mystery of Mysticism Science 48: Applied Science: Engineering Science 42: CSI: Middlesex - An Introduction to Forensic

Science Spanish 43: Spanish and Latin American Film

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ExPRT Certificate

The STEM Division is committed to developing students’ abilities to investigate and solve 21st century problems.

Students may earn a certificate for completing an Experience with Problem-solving, Reasoning, and Technology (ExPRT) through designated ExPRT courses in the Division or through approved extra-curricular projects or contests. Each ExPRT consists of open-ended problems that require the equivalent of several course periods of work. These problems require students to perform research and analyze data, and they provide students with a variety of opportunities to incorporate technology. Each ExPRT requires collaboration and culminates with students presenting their solutions in both oral and written form.

The course enables students to study advanced topics such as multimedia and web design and production, networking, algorithm design and analysis, theory of computation, programming languages, computer architecture, software development, app development for iOS or Android, databases, or operating systems. Â

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Independent Study Program

Seniors have the opportunity to work with faculty members to design and develop independent study courses and projects to pursue academic interests in more specialized ways. Recent independent studies include: Heroic Literature, Literature of the New Testament, Short Story: Critical Analysis, Literature of the Beat Generation, The Traitor Within: Spy Literature, Contemporary Spanish Cinema, Hispanic and Latino Culture , Applied Math: Financial Analysis, The Dendrology of Estabrook Woods, Diversity & Social Justice, National Media on Politics, Comparative Government

Mindfulness

All new students at Middlesex, regardless of their grade, participate in an Introduction to Mindfulness course in the fall semester. Mindfulness is about learning to direct our attention to our present moment experience (senses, thoughts, emotions) with open-minded curiosity and acceptance. Rather than worrying about what has happened or might happen, mindfulness trains us to respond skillfully to whatever is happening right now. Using different mindfulness exercises, students explore attention, thoughts, emotions, and stress and learn to develop a more still, clear, and concentrated mind.

Students report that the course helped them sleep better, focus on schoolwork, reduce stress, and improve relationships with themselves and others.

Dialogues Across Difference

As part of our Global Studies program, we are thrilled to introduce our freshmen to “Dialogues Across Difference,” a weekly class that meets in small discussion groups (with no homework!). Dialogues Across Difference aims to teach students how to have difficult conversations about world topics using language that is compassionate, analytical, and free of judgment.

Students will be introduced to contemporary content from around the world that addresses issues of conflict including, but not limited to, race, gender, religion, cultural appropriation, sexuality, and class. By the end of the course, students will have begun to develop the cross cultural competency skills needed to enter and function in an increasingly global community and workforce.

After participating in the Introduction to Mindfulness course, students have the option to attend several level 2 Mindfulness courses, such as "Improving Your Practice" and "Mindfulness in Sports," to continue to explore mindfulness and deepen their practice. Students can also choose to participate in the Mindfulness Club or practice with the entire school at the beginning or our weekly Chapel.

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PAST ALL-SCHOOL READS Mountains Beyond Mountains: The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, a Man Who Would Cure the World

by Tracy Kidder

I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up For Education and Was Shot by the Taliban

by Malala Yousafzai

The Collapse of Western Civilization: A View from the Future

by Naomi Oreskes and Erik Conway

Writing at Middlesex

A hallmark of a Middlesex education is learning to write well. Our writing program is based on two fundamental principles: All students can learn to write well, and any student can learn to write more elegantly and effectively. While the Middlesex Writing Program encompasses three years of increasingly sophisticated work beginning in the freshman year, its centerpiece is the Sophomore Writing Workshop. In weekly workshops, students learn in detail how a successful argumentative paragraph works. They study the artful selection, integration, and development of the evidence that is necessary to support a strong argument. Next, they focus on the composition of well-developed essays, including composing strong “stand-alone” body paragraphs. Students have many opportunities to practice this overall approach to writing, which also includes a continuation of their freshman foundation in essential points of grammar, style, punctuation, concision, and diction.

All-School Read

Each summer the Middlesex community reads one book. The All-School Read is a book that helps us understand how our best selves connect to bettering the lives of those around us, imagining an extension of the self into the world. In the fall, the Chapel Program hosts presentations and discussions of the ideas raised in the All-School Read. These ideas serve as guiding themes for the Chapel Program itself as the year unfolds.

SAT Results for Class of 2017*

Critical Reading: 690 Math: 700 Writing: 690

Advanced Placement Examinations Results in 2017*

In 2017, Middlesex students took Advanced Placement examinations in English Language and Composition, English Literature and Composition, U.S. History, European History, World History, Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Science, Physics 1 & C, Calculus AB & BC, Statistics, Chinese Language and Culture, French Language and Culture, Spanish Language and Culture, Spanish Literature and Culture, Music Theory, Art History, Studio Art, Computer Science A, Computer Science Principles, Human Geography, U.S. Government and Politics, Statistics, Microeconomics and Macroeconomics. 96 percent scored 3 or higher; 81 percent scored 4s or 5s.

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COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES ATTENDED BY TWO OR MORE MIDDLESEX GRADUATES BETWEEN 2013 AND 2017.

Boston College 19

Yale University 5

Dartmouth College 19

Santa Clara University 5

Georgetown University 17

University of Southern California 5

University of Chicago 15 Colby College 15 Columbia University 14 Trinity College 13

University of St Andrews 5 Franklin & Marshall College 4 Skidmore College 4

Hamilton College - NY 12

Williams College 4

Harvard University 11

Davidson College 4

Vanderbilt University 10

Duke University 4

Amherst College 10

Elon University 4

Middlebury College 10

University of Richmond 4

Tufts University 10 New York University 9 Boston University 9 Bowdoin College 9

Kenyon College 3 Barnard College 3 Lehigh University 3

Brown University 9

Syracuse University 3

Union College (New York) 8

Smith College 3

Babson College 8

Stanford University 3

Bates College 8

Johns Hopkins University 3

Northeastern University 8

Indiana University at Bloomington 2

Colorado College 7 Wake Forest University 7 Northwestern University 6 Cornell University 6

Oberlin College of Arts and Sciences 2 Dickinson College 2 Hobart and William Smith Colleges 2

Lafayette College 6

SUNY Buffalo State College 2

Princeton University 6

St. Lawrence University 2

Connecticut College 6

United States Military Academy - Army 2

Massachusetts Institute of Technology 6

Villanova University 2

University of Virginia 6

Fairfield University 2

Tulane University 6 University of Michigan 5 Bucknell University 5 Colgate University 5

College of William and Mary 2 The George Washington University 2 Georgia Institute of Technology 2

University of Pennsylvania 5

Carleton College 2

College of the Holy Cross 5

Southern Methodist University 2

Wesleyan University 5

Washington University in St. Louis 2

*See www.mxschool.edu for the most recent statistics and matriculation list.

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EXPAND Your Circle

Arts, Athletics, Leadership, Service, and Clubs

Every Middlesex student or alumnus seems to have one—the story of a previously unknown talent revealed here. When they tell these stories, you can hear the delight and surprise in their voices and the voices of their parents. It’s not that they weren’t talented in other ways before. It’s that suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, a new gift emerged, took hold, and defined them in a new way—filmmaker, guitar player, writer, football player, school leader, public speaker. Invariably, these talents began with the suggestion of a friend or a teacher. Such is life at Middlesex—the combination of powerful programs and opportunities plus the intimacy of friends and teachers who say, “Why don’t you try that?” Middlesex has breadth and depth in the arts, athletics, and extracurricular activities to allow both the novice and the experienced student to push their talents as far as they can.

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DISCOVERY AND DISCIPLINE: The Arts at Middlesex Central to our daily life, the arts at Middlesex are both academic and extracurricular. Two aims guide the practice of art here: discovery and discipline. Visual arts, theatre, and music programs emphasize finding new powers of expression, powers gained by moving beyond habitual ways of seeing and hearing and behaving. Teachers emphasize the discipline required to create and complete a whole project, encouraging students to shape and direct their powers of expression through careful work—on a Mozart sonata, a ceramic vessel, a staging of a student directed play, a charcoal self-portrait—into a presentation for an audience.

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Students expand their self-confidence, self-awareness, and selfdiscipline through their own creative work and performances.

They become discriminating in their reaction to the work of others. They gain a vocabulary necessary for an appreciation of art and the humanities, and they gain exposure to the works of various cultures—both modern and historic. A unique program for ninth and tenth graders requires all students to take half-credit introductory courses in studio art, drama, music, and art history.

These courses give students direct experience in the arts. With both formal courses and extracurricular options through clubs and activities, every student explores creative expression here. All graduates gain creative and artistic fluency. Those who wish to pursue professional careers in the arts have the faculty mentors, facilities, and curricular depth to do so.

“During my junior year, I took a video course and made a documentary film about California. I loved that class and the work so much that I spent a ridiculous amount of time on my film. What struck me was that I had planned to take a ceramics class, but my advisor suggested this one instead. Because of her advice, I found something I really enjoy that I want to take to the next level.”

—Hadley, boarding student

140

Students performing in a mainstage or black box performance each year

102

Students taking private music lessons annually

88

Members of choral groups

Visual Arts

Drawing, painting, photography, ceramics, sculpture, printmaking, woodworking, installation, mixed media, and textile design are all offered here. Whether students are interested in delving into the fundamentals of skill in figure drawing, in which concepts of space, line, relationships, and form are explored, or in conceptual problem solving, where they create an installation, performance piece, or kinetic sculpture, they will find their place in the art department at Middlesex School.

Working Studios The art studios are working studios where students are treated as real artists and can have ownership of both the work they make and the space where they make it. Working in these studios, students

gain an understanding of formal art concepts and a familiarity with a wide range of materials. There is a balance between developing a strong foundation in the tools of art-making and the development and creative exploration of ideas. The studios are open for all to use, whether a student is enrolled in a formal class or not.

In an atmosphere of creativity and camaraderie, students produce innovative, thought-provoking, and lively work.

Exhibitions and Visiting Artists Students exhibit their work throughout the year in the Cornelius Ayer Wood ’13 Gallery and in Ware Hall. Visiting Boston galleries and museums and working with visiting artists on campus through exhibitions, workshops, residencies, and gallery talks add another important dimension to the art program.

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Portfolio Development In their senior year, students have the opportunity to take AP Studio Art, in which they develop bodies of work and have solo exhibitions in the spring. These seniors are given private work spaces within the studios, allowing them to devote significant time to their projects.

Music

There are many options to explore and create music at Middlesex. The philosophy of the Music Department is simple: If you want to make music, we will help you, encourage you, and support you.

Chapel Chorus Our largest singing group, close to 100 members, this chorus is a non-auditioned ensemble intended to give every student an opportunity to sing with friends and peers. Chapel Chorus performs at the Holiday Concert and Spring Concert.

Small Chorus This select group of singers tackles sophisticated, challenging music and performs more frequently than the Chapel Chorus. Small Chorus is an auditioned chorus of 24 to 30 members.

THOREAU MEDALS

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Named after the illustrious poet, naturalist, and philosopher Henry David Thoreau, whose historic home is not far from campus, Thoreau Medals are awarded at Middlesex for specific accomplishments in the arts, as well as the humanities and social sciences. Each spring, two major school events are eagerly anticipated by our community—the Thoreau Medal Recital and the Thoreau Arts Exhibition.

These events are juried by experts to determine medal recipients.

Bateman’s Bullfrogs (boys’ group), MxOlydians and SWAG (girls’ groups) These elite a cappella groups at Middlesex perform collegiatestyle popular music and are the featured performers for many formal and informal school functions.

Instrumental Ensembles Our instrumental ensembles include the Middlesex Jazz Orchestra and the Classical Chamber Ensemble. Students may join these ensembles as a course for academic credit, when combined with studio lessons, or as an extracurricular activity.

Many students also choose to form their own bands, playing various contemporary musical genres. All student ensembles, choral and instrumental, are invited to perform in the annual Spring Benefit Concert, a fund-raising event for a charity chosen by students.

Private Studio Music Lessons Highly trained and skilled professional Boston-area musicians comprise our studio music faculty. Lessons may be taken for academic credit, when taken as a course or when combined with participation in an instrumental ensemble. We offer lessons in all major instruments: piano (classical and jazz), voice, organ, violin, viola, cello, bass, flute, clarinet, saxophone, oboe, trumpet, trombone, horn, guitar and bass guitar, and drums. There have

also been, at various times, students studying less common instruments such as bagpipes, harmonica, penny whistle, mandolin, marimba, tympani, and ukulele.

Theatre

of the classroom. In courses, students take on all aspects of technical production, including scenic, lighting, and sound design. All of our productions fully utilize our student tech crew, and every aspect of backstage work from construction to sound and lighting operation is undertaken by Middlesex students.

Our outstanding facilities, centered in the much-lauded Cornelius Ayer Wood ’13 Theatre, speak to the high premium our school places on the pursuit of excellence in the theatre arts.

Middlesex offers a variety of semester-long courses in acting, scene-writing, directing, design, and children’s theatre. Each year Middlesex produces three main-stage events: a fall play, a winter festival of student-directed one acts, and a spring musical. We also offer several opportunities rare in high schools:

Middlesex Theatre in London During this week-long study trip, students see four or five shows, tour Shakespeare’s Globe, shadow students at a performing arts school for a day, spend a day in Stratford-on-Avon, engage in workshops with a director from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, and participate in several days of Shakespeare workshops.

New Plays and Film Project All great theatre and film start with the author, yet most high school students never work with one. To bring our students directly to the source, Middlesex founded the New Plays and Film Project that commissions new works from nationally recognized, working playwrights and screenwriters. Students work with these artists in residence on full-length, original productions.

Middlesex’s dance program takes place during the winter.

Under the direction of our own choreographer, the dance ensemble prepares a full evening performance with a focus on jazz and modern dance. Dance students are given an opportunity to choreograph and perform in original pieces of their own design. The dance instructor also serves as the choreographer for our spring musical.

Dance

Technical Theatre Working with the department’s full-time designer and teacher, students can pursue technical theatre interests in and out

“During our son’s freshman year, he wanted to learn to play guitar but had been intimidated by the skill of other guitar players at Middlesex. Then in his sophomore year, he attended the Senior Chapel of one of the best guitar players in the school. This senior said that Middlesex had really opened him to new experiences, including music. He said he had not started playing the guitar until the spring of his sophomore year. My son could not believe that this other boy had learned to play so well in such a short period of time. He took up the guitar that day. Two years later, he performed in the Spring Recital. After his performance, several students came up to him saying, ‘Wow, we didn’t know you could play like that!’”

—Ann, Middlesex Parent

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GAME ON! Athletics at Middlesex Whether you live for practices and game days or have never stepped foot on a field, the Middlesex Athletics program is for you. Perhaps you’ve heard it before, but being on a team can teach you satisfaction, cooperation, sacrifice, determination, resilience, and leadership, and test your physical abilities in ways nothing else can. For these reasons, participating in interscholastic team sports is an exciting and important component of the Middlesex experience.

From the novice to the future All-American, each student brings different talents and experience to his or her athletic involvement. Three levels of teams in most sports—varsity, junior varsity, and thirds—provide everyone with appropriate

“They know you on the field, they know you off the field, and they know who you are as a whole person.”

—James Sanderson ’17, Captain: Varsity Soccer, Alpine Skiing and Varsity Lacrosse

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levels of challenge and support. Since Middlesex does not enroll new seniors or post-graduates, younger students who start on our lower-level teams have more opportunity to move up to the varsity level. In keeping with our philosophy of stretching one’s abilities and branching out, freshmen and sophomores play three seasons of sports. This means that even seasoned athletes in a particular sport try new ones and develop a range of skills. Juniors play at least two seasons and seniors are required to play only one season, but most students participate beyond the requirement. The athletic experience here builds community and confidence on our campus, across sports and levels of participation.

Winning Record

Experienced athletes can count on high levels of competition.

A founding member of the 16-member Independent School

League, Middlesex boasts a winning tradition all across the ISL. Our teams are competitive, with many regularly posting winning seasons and competing in championships against schools nearly twice as large. Middlesex athletes are noted for their commitment to the ideals of teamwork, leadership, and fair play. Several Middlesex students have been named All-Americans, and many graduates go on to compete in college, both at the Division I and Division III levels.

playing fields in the Independent School League, two artificial turf fields, three practice grids, a hockey rink, indoor and outdoor tennis courts, 12 squash courts (International and North American), a wrestling arena, a weight room with Nautilus and Cybex machines, a conditioning and free-weights area, and dance and yoga studios. Students and teachers also enjoy a boathouse on campus for the novice programs and a boathouse on the Concord River for the varsity programs.

Facilities

Team Trips

The athletic facilities support the program with ample space for practice, competition, and state-of-the-art training rooms.

The Atkins Athletic Center houses basketball and indoor practice facilities, with team and officials’ rooms as well as two basketball courts. Athletic facilities include six of the best

Many Middlesex varsity teams travel together prior to the start of their season. During March vacation, the baseball, crew, tennis, and lacrosse teams often travel for spring training. Teams have also traveled outside the United States for international competitions.

IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS:* 176

SPORTS

All-League Athletes

Fall: Cross-Country,

All-New-England Athletes

Field Hockey, Football, Soccer, Volleyball

Winter: Alpine Skiing,

Basketball, Dance, Ice Hockey, Squash, Wrestling

Spring: Baseball, Crew,

Golf, Lacrosse, Tennis, Track

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Boston Globe All-Scholastics

6

League MVPs

10

All-Americans

10

Academic All-Americans

7

Team League Sportsmanship Awards

* Five years ending 2016-17.

For athletic updates, please refer to website at www.mxschool.edu

LEARNING TO LEAD:

Leadership Opportunities at Middlesex

Pursuing old challenges or taking on new ones, making new friends, making a difference, running a group, launching a venture, and standing up for your beliefs are all leadership opportunities. Being a leader at Middlesex is more than carrying a title. It means doing, believing, motivating, inspiring, sharing, and learning. Student leaders here encourage and excite others with their vision and give back to the community.

We rely on student leaders to create and support an environment that promotes individual and community values and ideals, one that sets high standards and fosters learning and growth. In this sense, we expect all our students to be leaders.

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Specific leadership opportunities await students of all class years in clubs, in academic organizations, in the dorms, on teams, in the arts, with peers, in student government, and in the administration.

Service is Leadership: Community Service Opportunities

Community Service at Middlesex is both voluntary and required. The entire school devotes a day in the early fall to various community service projects. Twice a week, students can volunteer at either a local nursing home, visiting with residents, or at a food pantry. Middlesex students also participate in several ongoing Boston service projects and many design their own projects while at Middlesex. We believe community service is about connecting on a level that is both human and

compassionate, stretching our comfort zones, giving our time and something of ourselves in the process. Some of the frequent community service sites and projects that Middlesex students participate in include: Boston Food Bank, Codman Community Farms (produces vegetables and fruits for various shelters), The Food Project at Lincoln and Gaining Ground in Lincoln (community-based farms where produce is donated to shelters), Cor Unum Meal Center, Habitat for Humanity, Open Table (local food pantry), Pine Street Inn (Boston shelter for men and women), River Street AIDS Community, Rosie’s Place (shelter for women in Boston), Walden House (nursing home in Concord), Youth in Philanthropy.

Senior Chapel Talks

Middlesex is a non-sectarian school that is nonetheless graced by a beautiful chapel that in turn encompasses a vibrant, meaningful program of meeting and speaking. Every Wednesday the school gathers for a 30-minute chapel service.

These services usually feature a senior who, in collaboration with the coordinator for the Chapel Program, chooses readings, readers, and music, and then delivers a talk that can best be described as personal and secular, yet spirited and significant.

The quality of speaking is high, as is the quality of attentiveness and listening. Senior Chapel talks are a signature moment for both the speaker and our school.

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“A big idea at our school is that, at the beginning of your high school career, don’t focus on just one thing. If you do, you will have lost the knowledge that all the other things can pump into the main things you love to do. You will actually improve your focus areas by having a range of other experiences.”

—Dan Sheff, Dean of Students and Spanish teacher

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SAMPLE CLUBS AND ACTIVITIES The Anvil (newspaper) Astronomy Club Cooking Club Debate Club FOCUS (Fellowship of Christians in Universities and Schools) Fishing Club Improv Club Indie Music Club Investing in Girls Iris (literary magazine) Jazz Club Jewish Club Math Team Model Congress MXTV Peer Tutoring Politically Incorrect Debate Club Pottery Club Running Club Outdoors Club Science Club Short Story Society Society of Latinos Spirit Club Walden House (community service) Youth-in-Philanthropy

SAMPLE LEADERSHIP POSITIONS Proctor Student Admissions Committee Peer Support Alumni Ambassador Community Service Officer Diversity Committee Student Government Student Activities Athletic Captain Student Publications: The Anvil (newspaper), Iris (literary magazine), Middlesex Yearbook Performing Arts Groups: Chorus, Theatre, Jazz Club, Contemporary Chamber Ensemble Cultural, Academic, and Social Organizations: The Asian Society, Middlesex Art Association, Latin Club, Gay-Straight Alliance, Spectrum (multicultural organization), Common Sense (Environmental Organization)

VISITING

and admission

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Think “New England Boarding School,” and the classic brick buildings surrounding an idyllic circle of green that we have at Middlesex may be exactly what you picture. But despite our quintessential New England look, the experience here is different from many schools you may visit.

At the heart of that experience is the fact that we don’t mold our students into preconceived notions of “excellent.” Rather, we teach young people to grow to excellence in their own ways.

We invite you to discover what it would mean for you to burn bright, to stretch your brilliance, and to live a 360-degree life.

Find your promise at Middlesex.

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FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL 54

From parents’ perspectives, we tend to focus on our student’s “promise” as the talents, interests, and skills that help a young person find confidence and contribution and manifest themselves later in fulfillment, achievement, and satisfaction in adult life. From a student’s perspective, though, the emphasis is on the “finding” process and the now.

Thank you for your interest in Middlesex! I hope that as you learn about our school and how we approach the education, growth, and development of great people, you will get to talk with our current and former students, teachers, parents, friends, because connection with people and community are at the heart of our enterprise. It is well known in psychological circles that as choice proliferates, it becomes harder, not easier, to make the “right” decision and feel satisfied with it. Choosing an independent residential school certainly is a big decision; as the parent of three Middlesex graduates, I know that these decisions are milestones in family life. I hope that in learning about what sets Middlesex apart, you see the opportunities and possibilities a Middlesex education can hold for you.

The shorthand for Middlesex’s mission is “finding the promise” in our students, and there is no better mission around which students, parents, and teachers can form partnerships. From parents’ perspectives, we tend to focus on our student’s “promise” as the talents, interests, and skills that help a young person find confidence and contribution and manifest themselves later in fulfillment, achievement, and satisfaction in adult life. From a student’s perspective, though, the emphasis is on the “finding” process and the now.

In a recent chapel talk, one of our seniors told the School that while our attention is diverted by trying to define the promise in each student, it is really the process of finding that gives the Middlesex experience its lasting power in a person’s life.

This student clearly believed that he was divulging state secrets and debunking myths, but we at School have known for a long time that naming or quantifying “the promise” is not nearly as important as success in its finding—in

inspiring, motivating, engaging, and creating the curiosity, skills, disciplines, strengths, and aspirations young people need to live great lives. Indeed, this finding is our work on a day-to-day basis, unique to each student but pursued in the larger context of expecting each student to become an engaged contributor, and yes, eventually a leader, in a dynamic, ethical school community.

Academic strength is central to our mission and focus.

Objective measures of academic success, such as test scores and college admissions, support our confidence in our program; perhaps more importantly, so do the numbers of students seeking more, be it taking extra courses, designing independent studies, or creating clubs to nurture their interests. Young people need to develop sustaining, compelling interests, and our program nurtures that capacity. Strong intellectual inclinations and lively habits of mind create the foundations upon which to build a sophisticated understanding of our increasingly complex world. But critical competence also comes from building relationships, taking risks, solving problems, taking joy in the quest, confronting failure, practicing resilience, celebrating growth, and surmounting challenges around the classroom table, on the fields, on the stage, in the studio.

A young person grows in confidence and capacity when she organizes a fundraiser; when he submits a poem and gets published in a journal; when she researches then presents a bill at Model Congress; even, believe it or not, when he learns to ask a teacher for help, finds a lost bag of laundry, confronts a wayward friend, or auditions for a solo in the Holiday Concert. We believe in positive youth development, a growing body of psychological, developmental, and physiological

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We believe in positive youth development, a growing body of psychological, developmental, and physiological research that focuses attention on the potential of adolescence rather than on its liabilities; the unique capacities for growth and development at a critical time in personal and physical development; and the benefit of a young person’s being a powerful, positive choicemaker in his or her growth, supported by a strong and supportive community and connected with principled, caring adults. research that focuses attention on the potential of adolescence rather than on its liabilities; the unique capacities for growth and development at a critical time in personal and physical development; and the benefit of a young person’s being a powerful, positive choice-maker in his or her growth, supported by a strong and supportive community and connected with principled, caring adults.

We are a leading school offering mindfulness training for all of our students, and the early data shows that such training increases their sense of well-being, equanimity, and self-control in directing their energy. Learning to do hard things well is an invaluable life skill, and both the structures and practices of our school foster the development of broad and deep personal competence that begets authentic confidence that makes anything possible.

Our iconic and now-retired art history teacher, Malcolm Russell, once offered a description of Middlesex that I regard as the school I hope we are and can be. He wrote: We believe that learning to live in a small, intimate, and transparently honest community best fosters the development of an ethical person, a person who will view the opportunities gained from an elite education as opportunities to benefit larger communities and, with time, the world at large. Thus our

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goal of finding the promise in each student envisions the fulfilled student becoming a full citizen of the world.

Even while we focus on the day-to-day teenage work of learning and growing, we orient our students towards the well-being of the community and their responsibility for it. Leadership and citizenship are not just ideals; they are fundamental responsibilities of members of our community, just as they are the price adults pay for living in a democratic society. This is the most important training for the “real world” an adolescent can get—that his or her voice matters; that with opportunity and independence comes responsibility to others; and that it is all of our responsibility to care, to engage, and to contribute as full citizens of the world.

As a parent and an educator, these are my answers to the question: Why Middlesex? I hope you will visit us and see for yourself.

Kathleen Carroll Giles Head of School

A GUIDE TO ADMISSION FOR STUDENTS As we hope you understand from this book, we are looking for motivated students who demonstrate academic promise, a willingness to take risks, curiosity, imagination, maturity, and concern for others. We enroll students from a wide range of cultural, racial, and socioeconomic backgrounds from across the United States and around the world. What they all have in common is intellectual curiosity, a genuine caring for others, and the ability to meet the demands of the Middlesex academic program.

If you are eager to contribute to the shared life of this community and to take advantage of the many academic, artistic, athletic, and extracurricular opportunities available here, we encourage you and your family to visit Middlesex.

We suggest that you schedule your visit between the months of September and January that precede the academic year in which you would like to enroll. You and your family should contact the Admissions Office to arrange a tour and interview (see below for details).

Applying to Middlesex Middlesex's application forms and instructions are available at www.mxschool.edu and www.gatewaytoprepschools.com/ school/middlesex-school. You will be required to submit three teacher recommendations, a counselor's recommendation, a transcript, and current year SSAT or ISEE scores. Students for whom English is not their first language are also required to submit the results of a TOEFL test.

The Middlesex Admissions team also carefully considers each applicant’s talents and activities outside the classroom. All our students are admitted based on their academic merit and personal credentials, without regard to their family’s ability to pay tuition and fees.

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Visit Us!

We think visiting a school is extremely important. You meet its people, both faculty and students, and absorb its atmosphere. A visit helps you find a school that fits you. If you haven’t already had an official tour and interview, we would love to meet you.

Middlesex offers tours and visits throughout the year, including ten Saturdays between September and January. The office is closed for visitors between February 1 and April 15, during school holidays, and on Saturdays during the summer. You will find tour and interview times in the Admissions section of our website, www.mxschool.edu.

Your interview with a member of our friendly Admissions team will be scheduled immediately following your tour. The entire visit lasts approximately 1.5 hours. To schedule a tour and interview, please call the Admissions Office at 978-371-6524 to arrange a mutually convenient time. We look forward to meeting you and your family.

Affording Middlesex

Financing an independent education is a major investment in a student’s future. Middlesex offers a variety of strategies and resources to help make the net cost of this remarkable education and experience affordable.

Financial Aid Intent on enrolling an economically diverse student body, Middlesex offers financial aid to students based on need. In the 2017-2018 school year, $6 million dollars was awarded to 33 percent of the student body. The average grant was over $45,000.

Grants were awarded to families with incomes ranging from below $40,000 to over $300,000.

To apply for financial aid, please fill out the Parents’ Financial Statement (PFS) provided by the School and Student Service for Financial Aid (SSS) in Princeton, New Jersey, no later than January 31 of the year your child is applying for admission. The PFS form is available online at http://sss.nais.org/parents.

Families must reapply for financial aid each year; however, barring any significant changes in their income, they can expect approximately the same award from the prior year. In cases of separation and divorce, we ask that both biological parents submit financial data to the Financial Aid Committee.

The Middlesex Financial Aid Office works individually and confidentially with each family during the financial aid process.

Payment Options We offer three forms of payment plans to assist families of all income levels: • Two Annual Payments: Due July 1 & December 1.

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• Monthly Payment Plan: Ten monthly payments beginning May 1. Administered through Tuition Management Systems (TMS).

• Tuition Stabilization Plan: Parents may choose to pay the total tuition for their child’s two, three, or four years at Middlesex at the tuition rate at the time of original enrollment. Doing so allows parents to avoid future tuition increases.

Directions

Our address: 1400 Lowell Road, Concord, MA 01742 From Boston Massachusetts Turnpike (Route 90) west to Route 128/95 north to Exit 29B and on to Route 2 west (Acton/Fitchburg) to second stoplight; straight through light and follow sign to Concord Center; proceed straight to the Colonial Inn; take quick left and then quick right around Inn into Lowell Road; school gate approximately 2.7 miles on right.

From T.F. Green Airport in Providence, RI When exiting airport follow signs for Route 95 north. Proceed on Route 95 north to Route 2 west Exit 29B; continue with directions above.

From New York and the West Massachusetts Turnpike (Route 90) east to Route 290 northeast to Route 495 north to Route 2; Route 2 east to rotary; third exit off rotary (Carlisle) on to Barrett’s Mill Road and follow to blinking red light (Lowell Road); left on Lowell Road; school gate is approximately 1 mile on right.

Driving Distances Concord Center to Middlesex: 3 miles Boston to Concord: 19 miles Providence to Boston: 46 miles New York to Boston: 204 miles Hartford to Boston: 98 miles Philadelphia to Boston: 300 miles Route 495 to Middlesex: approx 10 miles

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MIDDLESEX at a Glance

400 12 Students

Girls

Average class size

34%

224 4:1 605 96% 3

Students of color

Student/faculty ratio

92

Total faculty

74%

Teaching faculty holding advanced degrees

50% 50%

students took

AP exams*

Boys

160 Courses

23 Advanced Placement Subjects

48,000

scored

Books (including eBooks and audio books) in Warburg Library

or higher

1901

5,431 Alumni

School founded as a non-denominational boarding school

*Data for 2017–2018 year. See www.mxschool.edu for most recent statistics.

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9 Dormitories

30 Faculty dogs on campus

MEAN SAT:*

690 700 690 2080

critical reading

math

writing

total

Average dormitory size:

27 3

Students Residential Faculty

FAMOUS ALUMNI: Steve Carell

Television and movie actor

William Hurt Academy Awardwinning actor

Joseph Kahn

Distance from Boston and Logan Airport:

19 miles

Courses taken per semester:

5.5

freshmen and sophomores

5

juniors and seniors

25%

taking more!

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist

Patty Kazmaier-Sandt Namesake of the USA Hockey Foundation’s premier prize in women’s hockey

Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr.

Former U.S. Senator from Massachusetts

Bill Richardson

Former Governor of New Mexico and former Presidential candidate

Cass Sunstein

Former Head of Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Administration of President Obama

Kevin Systrom

Co-Founder of Instagram

William Weld Former Governor of Massachusetts

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Make Your Mark Since the founding of Middlesex in 1901, every senior has designed and carved a wood plaque before graduating. Indeed, completing a plaque is a graduation requirement. These plaques are displayed on the walls of the Terry Room, Eliot Hall, Ware Hall, Warburg Library, Clay Centennial Center, and Rachel Carson Music and Campus Center. A striking reminder of generations of Middlesex graduates and the mark they have made on the school, the plaques also reflect historical trends and events. Most of all, they capture the individual imagination and personality of their creators. Students work with an art instructor in a wood carving class on their plaques, planning the design and learning how to carve. The plaques are a wonderful legacy graduates leave to Middlesex and a symbol of the mark they will make on the world once they leave.

Middlesex School complies with all applicable statutes forbidding discrimination or harassment in administration of its educational policies, financial aid, athletics, and other school administered programs as well as in its hiring and employment practices on the basis of age, sex, gender identity, race, ethnic background, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, or disability.

Writing: Andrea Jarrell Design: Heather Burke/Llewellyn Creative Photography: Tim Llewellyn, Tony Rinaldo, Leo Sorel, Robert D. Perachio and Tim Morse Printing: Recycled Paper Printing, Inc.

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