Middlesex School

Campus and facilities

The Middlesex School campus is located in Concord, Massachusetts, about 20 miles outside of Boston. Most of the campus buildings are located around The Circle, a grassy field at the center of the school. There are four dorms for boys (Clay, Landry, Robert-Winsor, and Atkins) and five dorms for girls (BP, Higginson, Hallowell, LeBaron-Briggs, and Kravis). There are two academic buildings: the Clay Centennial Center, constructed in 2003, and Eliot Hall, which also houses several administrative offices. The Theater puts on productions several times per year, houses the visual arts department, and hosts the twice-weekly all-school assemblies. The Warburg Library, besides housing Middlesex's collection of books and magazines, also contains classrooms and the Middlesex Archives. The music center is located in the basement of the library. The dining hall is located in Ware Hall, as well as more administrative offices and the student center. Many members of the faculty live on campus, either in dorms or in several faculty houses.

At Middlesex, there are two turf fields for field hockey and lacrosse, five grass fields (for soccer, lacrosse, and football), a wrestling room, a dance studio, a baseball diamond, eight outdoor tennis courts, eight squash courts, two basketball courts, an ice rink, a boathouse and large pond (Bateman's Pond) for crew, and a fitness center (the James Oates '65 Center).

Students

Middlesex has 395 students from 15 countries and 30 states. 12% of students are international students and 32% are racially non-white. 70% of the school are boarders and 30% are day students. All students are in grades 9-12.

Tuition is $58,020 for boarders and $46,420 for day students. Need-based financial aid supports 35% of the student body. The Middlesex annual financial aid budget is $5.7 million and the average aid grant is $45,200.

Faculty

Middlesex School has about 90 members of the faculty. In 2015-16, 71 percent of the teaching faculty have an advanced degree.

Academics

The average class size at Middlesex is 12. Middlesex offers 23 AP (Advanced Placement) classes with at least one in every department: English, Math, Sciences, Computer Sciences, Social Science (including History), Modern Languages, Classics, and Arts.

For the class of 2016, the mean Middlesex SAT score was 2100. 85% of the AP tests taken by Middlesex students in 2015 had scores of 4 or 5 and 98% of AP tests taken had scores of 3, 4, or 5.

Arts

Middlesex offers several arts courses and extracurriculars. AP Art History, AP Studio Art, and AP Music Theory are offered. Neither the Chamber Ensemble nor the Jazz Orchestra requires an audition.

Athletics

Middlesex fields teams in 17 different sports and competes in the Independent School League. The fall sports are football, cross country, volleyball, soccer, and field hockey; the winter sports are wrestling, dance, squash, ice hockey, alpine skiing, and basketball; the spring sports are crew, lacrosse, baseball, tennis, track, and golf.

Middlesex's primary athletic rival is the St. George's School.

Extracurricular activities

Besides the arts and athletics programs, there are several dozen student-run clubs that receive funding from the school administration, including the student Senate, Young Democrats Club, Young Republicans Club, two book clubs, Short Story Society, Robotics Club, Math Club, Politically Incorrect Debate Club, Society of Latinos, GSA, French Club, Science Club, JSA (the Junior Statesmen of America), Common Sense (an environmental club), Middlesex Couture, Finance Club, Zebrettes (a club that sponsors activities that connect students with young faculty children), and more.

The Middlesex student newspaper is The Anvil, which releases several physical issues as well as online content through its website. An Anvil tradition is the annual Anvil Poll, which polls the student body on itself. The Middlesex literary publication is The Iris, which contains short stories, poetry, drawings, and photos sent in by students.

Community service

Middlesex offers several community service programs. Students may help clean up a food pantry at Open Table (weekly), serve food and clean at a food pantry at Cor Unum (on long weekends), talk to people at a home for the elderly at Walden House (weekly), visit the elderly at Sunday Visits (special schedule), and help small children learn to skate at Gazebo (special schedule). Every fall, all students participate in a Community Service Day instead of going to classes. Several student Community Service Officers, all seniors, help manage the program.

Juniors may participate in the Youth in Philanthropy Program, which focuses on teaching students the techniques behind philanthropy and provides $10,000 for the students to distribute to worthy causes annually.

Every summer, the school sponsors a community service trip to the Linawo Children's Home in South Africa, where students tour the surrounding area, learn about South African culture and history, and assist in the operation of the shelter.

Chapel program

Every Wednesday morning, from 9:30 to 10:15, the Middlesex community (the entire student body and faculty and staff) meets in the school chapel for a speech given by a senior on the topic of the senior's choosing. Most speeches are given by one senior, though 'dual chapels' (chapel speeches given by two seniors) are permitted. Spots in the chapel program are allocated in the beginning of the school year.

Throughout the year, there are also several class chapels (gatherings involving one grade) and a few evening chapels, which are given by faculty members and outside speakers.

Traditions

Since 1905, every senior has carved a wooden plaque to leave behind as his or her permanent, personal legacy to the school. Most plaques are located in Ware Hall, Eliot Hall, Warburg Library, and the Clay Science Center. Seniors take a weekly plaque class on carving.