Academics are certainly the strongest aspect and biggest draw of Maret School. Classes are always very small and personalized where everyone is encouraged and expected to participate. Teachers tend to pick up on each individual's learning style and personality, especially in advanced 'elective' courses taken Junior and Senior years. Focused on the individual as it is, and owing to its reputation as a rather liberal school, exams are not stressed when weighing in on a student's understanding of a subject, though of course, tests did occur and counted for grades. Writing skills were definitely emphasized more than test-taking ones, a fact I really came to appreciate in college, though not while taking my SATs. In terms of teachers, it's a mixed and rather eccentric bag, but I have to say there is no way I'll ever be as close to a professor in college as I was at Maret. Everyone knows their teachers really well, and by graduation, each student has had at lest one who has really been meaningful to him or her. Accessibility isn't really much of a question. Teachers are always around and many are even willing to give out personal numbers and e-mail addresses. That's not to say they're all wonderful. Maret seems to hire teachers more on the basis of the individual's personality and/or accomplishments rather than teaching ability, which often leads to likable people who just don't know how to properly explain themselves or give good notes. It's pretty much the same as in college. Work load is definitely heavy, but the great part about that is once Maret grads go to college, they are fully prepared for whatever kind of courses they have decided to take. On that point, I don't think Maret falls short in any one academic arena, though, as I said earlier, writing is a big component of every student's learning, which might be a bit annoying to future engineers. I took primarily humanities there, which are excellent. Math and science are also very good, but perhaps less popular. Art is really wonderful; I wish I had taken advantage of it. Languages could use some help, though. I took Spanish there since Kindergarten and still was only at an intermediate level by the time I graduated. But going back to the individualized atmosphere, if a student displays interest and ability to pursue a subject to a more advanced level than the courses being offered, teachers are willing to form classes as small as two individuals in order for students to fulfill personal academic needs.