My daughter has been accepted into Middlesex and Loomis. Can you share thoughts on pros and cons of each school?
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Can you tell us something about your daughter?
Off the top of my head MX is more respected academically. Loomis is going to be better at sports (generally, this varies by team, girls sports at MX are in a building phase right now).
Both communities are regarded as kind and welcoming.
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Congratulations to your daughter on her acceptances. My DD is in her first year as a boarder at MX and very much enjoying her experience.
Pros for us: strong humanities program (especially Writing Seminar in Sophomore year); scheduling purposefully allows her to do theatre, sing in a choral group, and play a sport all three seasons without having to choose one over the others; the vertical housing which has allowed her to make close friends across all grade levels quickly; the welcoming community with a diverse student body; the advisor system (she has lunch once a week with her advisor who is also a dorm parent, the advisor only has three advisees and so has time to spend with my daughter - and she will stay with her advisor all 4 years!; proximity to Concord with daily shuttles to town, leadership has weathered Covid this year with very little intrusion on her experience.
Cons: the dining hall food (I have mentioned it before in another thread), the math department is a bit uneven, the resignation of the Head of School in October (But under Pro I would list the acting Head of School, Karlyn McNall, who is really wonderful, understated, and well-liked by the student body!); the new theatre and music center are wonderful facilities.
Overall, we have very little negative to say about MX. Of course, it has only been 7 months!
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Congratulations! We were in the same boat 2 years ago. Both are great schools and it was a difficult decision for our daughter. Ultimately she decided that MX was a better location for her. She is very happy at MX. I’m sure she would have been happy at LC as well. Tough to say what the pros/cons are without knowing what is important to your daughter. IMO both are great options. (BTW my daughter likes the food)
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I think the big difference here is in size. Middlesex is ~400 students. Loomis is more than 700. I think your daughter may want to give some thought as to which environment better suits her. I am more familiar with Loomis, so here are some comments:
Pros: Loomis has a brand new theater/dance facility that is opening up this week - they are doing Spamalot for their musical. Loomis also has a well regarded writing program that takes place sophomore year (similar to MX). The town of Windsor is walkable from campus (grocery store, etc.). And the campus has a wonderful feel to it, with a good amount of new buildings and new dorms. School leadership is solid (although see comment below) and the admissions department is strong/responsive across the board. The school is very close to Hartford’s airport if you are boarding from farther away.
Cons: The Head of School at LC is transitioning away in June 2023, so like MX there is some upcoming change there. Middlesex may have a slightly better academic reputation, but it is close and motivated students would likely do well both places. LC’s financial strength/endowment is lower on a per student basis.
The two schools do share a lot of similarities, but I think overall size is likely going to be the determining factor here.
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Congratulations! Would definitely recommend Middlesex.
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LC student here ! I think having the location in mind is also important. originally I thought that it wouldn’t matter as much whether a school is more rural/urban but it became more important as I went off campus with friends to go to NYC, etc.
can also talk /answer any questions if you need!