I was recently accepted to Middlesex and Andover. I have conducted a lot of research but I can’t find much information on CC about Middlesex. Does anyone know how the school is? I know it is small but does it feel too small? How is the social life there? I know there is a lot on Andover but is the school very competitive? Is there any free time? Is the workload manageable?
What did you think of the schools when you visited? Have you scheduled revisit days? You can talk to students at both schools then. Both schools are academic, but Middlesex is about 1/3 student body size (375 students vs 1100). Also has a dress code and Saturday classes. Good luck with your decision.
As an MX alum (old enough to have children in BS!) I have been following Middlesex pretty closely over the years. I continue to be so impressed by Middlesex (on so many levels) that I can’t help but chime in here. In particular, the Faculty and administration have put tremendous energy into developing and maintaining a healthy, diverse, and tight knit community. Community building is woven into the fabric of daily life- in the curriculum, in the dorms, in the dining hall, on the playing fields, even on stage. Middlesex’s investment in faculty, its ambitious facility renovations/expansions, and its nurturing of the arts alongside athletics are other priorities realized that have made a tremendous impact on the Middlesex experience.
Whether or not a school that is approaching 400 enrollment (slight increase with the new Landry dorm opening fall of 2016) feels too small is a personal decision. The academic and extra curricular opportunities are deep and varied, there are endless options for undertaking meaningful work regardless of your path. There is no getting lost in the crowd at Middlesex. The academics can be pretty intense but I can’t imagine Andover any less so. I hope you get to go to revisit days because meeting potential classmates and experiencing the campus culture first hand will help you tease out what attributes are important regarding what you are looking for in a boarding school. Congrats on your acceptances, and good luck making your decision!
Thank you so much for all the information! This helps a lot. I will be revisiting both schools to help with the decision.
@lr4550 Thank you so much for all the information! This helps a lot. I will be revisiting both schools to help with the decision.
@MA2012 I loved both schools so much! I have scheduled revisit days. Thank you for the advice!
I had to chime in here since last year after revisit days, my son had narrowed down his options to these two schools. He had fallen in love with both of them for very different reasons as these two schools are quite unlike each other. He liked that both schools allowed you to simultaneously partake in athletics and the arts. Some of his other options made you choose between the two due to time constraints.
He knew several kids going to Middlesex and his best friend was headed there. A small, intimate, caring atmosphere is a very real aspect of Middlesex. The drama and music department are outstanding and the frequent option to take a 5 to 10 minute ride to the charming, very safe town of Concord was a draw. The academics at Middlesex have really been accelerated in the past 5 to 10 years under the new headmaster. Our experience led us to feel like 9th grade at Middlesex would be a much easier transition from his middle school.
His attraction to Andover was for the vast opportunities and unique experience that only Andover can offer. Phillips Academy blends kids from different socio-economic, races, and countries like no other. My son described it quite simply as…“We all look different, but we are all the same.” Since Andover is a larger school there seemed to be more opportunities for extracurricular activities, class options, and social interactions. You can walk right into downtown Andover for a bite to eat or a run to the drug store.
He had a better revisit day at Middlesex, but in the end chose Andover. He could not pass up the dynamic, once in a lifetime opportunity that only Andover can offer. He also felt he there is no chance he could outgrow PA by 12th grade. He has had an outstanding 9th grade year, but still says he could of been very happy at Middlesex.
@oak2maple Thank you for this very informative response. This will really help navigate my decision in the next few weeks.
I go to a school pretty similar to Middlesex, and as someone who fell in love with both MX and PA along the way, I must say that I am so glad I ended up at a small school. Even with <380 kids, there are many I don’t know, and if anything I’d make my school a bit smaller.
That’s just my own experience, so take it with a whole grinder of salt! You can’t go wrong either way.
…and on the flip side, Saturday classes blow. A few kids in my SS class were discussing how at 7:30 every Saturday morning, they wish they’d chosen Andover.
^That is definitely one of the things I am most thankful for at Andover. We had Saturday classes once during my freshman year, and the week felt SO MUCH longer. Luckily the administration got rid of Saturday classes after that…
@stargirl3 Thank you! I have taken the Saturday classes into account. Do you feel that you will outgrow the school by 12th grade?
@PrepGal Not at all. I’m currently taking the highest level of Spanish offered, as a sophomore, and my teacher has been in touch with me and the other language teachers about what we’ll do for the next two years. I’m sure Middlesex is the same way in that teachers are very flexible. I’m taking an intro to computer science class this spring that’s just me; they didn’t shut it down because no one else signed up.
Keep in mind that the majority of classes you take will be completing requirements. There’s not a whole lot of room for random electives, so even though Andover might offer more courses, you’re only taking a small number of them. That’s advice I saw on here years ago when I fell in love with Exeter, and it’s true.
A wise prep school grad once told me that when the time comes to graduate, I should feel ready to move on. Satisfied, nostalgic, and eager. Outgrowing a place isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
@stargirl3 Thank you for sharing. I will definitely keep the course offerings in mind when deciding which school.
I have to echo @oak2maple. I loved both schools and would have been happy at either one. Revisit both and then make your decision.