Hi fellow parents!
Congratulations for getting to M11!!
I was thinking of you all on this first M10 in a few years where I have gotten any sleep (finally a cycle where I don’t have a daughter waiting for results!).
Having gone through this with two very different daughters and visited over 25 schools and survived a boarding school transfer after a freshman year misfit, I feel well-positioned to answer your questions. :). Both of my girls ended up at Mercersburg, for very different reasons, and not by design. So if you have any questions about Mercersburg, drop me a DM and we can connect.
Also: if your student wants to connect with another student, I can absolutely connect them with my daughter via IG DM!
Happy M11-A9. It’s an exciting time, but I know also overwhelming sometimes.
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Agree! I have kids at different boarding schools. While both schools suit different kids, Mburg shines in so many ways. I was so impressed with the curricular innovation that is going on at Mburg and symbolic of how Mburg is always trying to improve.
Love to hear more about Mercersburg - my rising 11th grader was accepted and is trying to decide bw mercersburg, westminster and kent
Would love to have her set up with a student at M to chat about the curriculum, social life etc
i couldnt get my rising 9th grader to apply (despite having a fantastic dance set up) - so she will go elsewhere
My son is a 4 year senior and has found his time at Mercersburg to be transformational. He is one of the 65 seniors who experienced a full year at Mercersburg that was not impacted/ interrupted by Covid. He has a diverse friend group, and has found a true sense of community at Mercersburg.
Before the start of each school year, Mercersburg takes a few days for all the students to participate in community building activities. New students start the Inbound orientation a day early so they can bond with other new students, and learn some of the logistics of the school. Since 20-21 was so disrupted by Covid, the school took extra care this year to rebuild the culture that had been lost or damaged due to Covid restrictions.
During a regular year, Mercersburg has sit down lunches Monday - Friday. Tables are assigned and rotate every two weeks. There is at least one faculty member at every table. I always found the lunch setup a great way for kids to meet different kids, and spend time with various faculty members and admins. These lunches did not happen at all in 20-21, and have begun to come back this academic year. Hopefully next year things will return back to a fully normal setting.
My son has found the academics to be challenging, but not in a “pressure cooker” kind of way. He feels confident that he is well prepared for college, and we have been very pleased with college counseling and admission results. He has had positive experiences with many of the faculty and have found them supportive when he needed help. There were a couple teachers he did not care for, but you will find that anywhere you go.
The campus and facilities at Mercersburg are stunning! Whenever I am on campus, I don’t want to leave! Of the schools you listed, the only one with which I am familiar is Kent, since one of my kids went to summer camp there. While Kent is a fine school, their dorms and facilities can’t hold a candle to what we have at Mercersburg.
I’m happy to answer any questions you may have about Mercersburg. I know Calliemom is a great resource as well, even moreso since she could set you up to speak to her daughter. I wish you the best of luck in your decision process!
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