Hi folks! I’m a rising Madeira senior who used this forum when she was applying to boarding school! If anyone is curious about Madeira, long-distance boarding, or the experience of going to an all-girls school, ask!
@Napper I know you offered this a while ago, but I’m wondering what the scene is like in the dorms on the weekends. With only half of the students boarding and a third of those being local boarders, I’m concerned that it will be like a ghost town. Any truth to that? We are local and my fear is that my daughter will want to come home all of the time and won’t get the full boarding experience that she would receive at a school with a higher percentage of boarding students. Hope I’m wrong.
I’m a mom of a senior Madeira girl. The dorms can be quieter on weekends, but that is not a bad thing! They also have “lock-in” weekends where all boarders stay on campus. I had the same concerns as a parent as you did because we live more than 1000 miles away, but it has not been a problem in any of her four years. In fact, having a large percentage of day students and local boarders has been an advantage in some ways! She has had the chance for overnight visits with local families many, many times. She has gotten to know their families – some of them who have had younger girls who later attend Madeira, and they are there to welcome them. Also, many of the local girls end up being boarders because their parents see that they are almost never home. They are so involved in campus activities that they are there most of the time anyway. The girls can and do eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner as a day student, and activities go into the evenings. There are weekend outings where day students return and go on the school-provided transportation (socials at other schools, and so on). Also, boarders can invite day students to stay with them. When it has been quiet, it is also nice. My daughter curls up with a great book in the library or under a tree. I think she enjoys the down time. If I can clarify anything, please let me know. It has been a great experience for our daughter to not only grow academically, which she has, but in leadership and soft skills.
@FrazzledMomofTwins Thank you so much for your insight. Is your daughter at Madeira one of your twins?
@ABJ8888, yes, indeed. There are actually MANY twins at Madeira – with most of them being the one twin at the school even when both are girls, surprisingly. It’s been funny discovering them over time.