Middlesex School review by Northwestern University student.
English: In the freshman year, students learn how to form a well-written argument in the form of a paragraph analyzing a literary source while learning the rules of grammar (we call them Blue Sheet Rules). Sophomores are required to take Writing Workshop, a class that meets once a week to fine-tune writing skills. Sophomores must pass out of an objective test (testing grammar) and a paragraph test to pass the class and avoid continuing Writing Workshop into junior year. All juniors take AP English which prepares students for the AP English Literature test. Juniors also take the AP English Language exam, but the English course focused primarily on the Literature exam. We had one or two classes to prepare us for the language exam, so we walked into the exam pretty blind. We were well prepared for the Lit exam, but not so much for the Language exam. However, Middlesex consistently preforms well on both exams (avg. around 4.5 out of 5). Senior year, students get to choose which elective english classes to take. These range from fiction writing, medieval lit, English romantic lit, modern American poetry, etc. and are generally more relaxed than previous English courses. English is my least favorite subject, but Middlesex made me an excellent writer. Middlesex's English program is highly successful in preparing for college level classes. There are math and science courses for every level of student; many leave the school with 4s and 5s on several APs. Freshmen take bio, sophomores take chem, juniors take physics, and seniors have a choice to take electives (biomedical ethics, robotics, etc.) or an AP science. Languages are strong, APs are available, but they didn't seem to be a high priority for the School. Same goes for history. Classes are small, as advertised, usually 10-12 people. I've been in a class of one (me-- it was a technical theater class) and I've been in a class with 16 people (Freshman math class). Teachers are generally reasonable. There are some that I don't believe are qualified to work at Middlesex, specifically a math teacher who lacked basic respect for students and didn't really know how to teach. And this was the second semester of my senior year, in an AP Calculus class.
My college counseling experience was great-I had no issues. College conversation between you and your.... Get the real inside story on college counseling at Middlesex School as experienced by former pupil and Northwestern University student — Login or Sign Up to access full review
Sample insights on college counseling
They have contacts at most of the major universities and feel perfectly comfortable picking up the phone and advocating for a student to get accepted somewhere they feel is a good fit for that student. However, these counselors are certainly not magic bullets. They cannot guarantee that a student will get into an Ivy League university...
For those wishing to move on to Oxford or Cambridge, the provision is second-to-none. In the months running up to application and interview, every subject faculty offers classes (often run by former Oxbridge tutors) exploring further areas of their subject as well as offering advice on personal statements, interview technique and more...
Honestly, Middlesex wasn't really on my radar until my mom and I decided to stop.... Get in-depth insights and personal advice on admissions to Middlesex School by former pupil and Northwestern University student — Login or Sign Up to access full review
Sample insights on admissions
For the interview, dress conservatively. Try to be very clean and put together. Also, I was a tour guide for two years and at the end of every tour, we were asked to evaluate the candidate so if you think the tour is not apart of the process, you are very wrong. Ask questions and be interested. Also, tip for the parents: the kids speak on the tour. Do not ask their questions for them...
Most younger siblings have an easy time in the admissions process. I can only think of one case of a younger sibling not being admitted. About half of the students who entered with me had come from public schools. The remainder came from private K-6 schools, or had transferred from other New York private schools The Elizabeth Morrow School and St. Bernard were two of the larger feeder schools...
My student life experience has had its ups and downs, but my experience was an anomaly, as I am a student with a disability. I have an incurable syndrome which limits my mobility and causes chronic pain. The campus is not handicap accessible at all. When I had to get knee surgery my freshman year, I had to live in the health center since I couldn't go up stairs to get to my dorm room on the 2nd floor. It was an awful experience. The nurses were great, but the health center is in the basement of the dining hall.... Get the real inside story on quality of school life and extracurricular offerings at Middlesex School as experienced by former pupil and Northwestern University student — Login or Sign Up to access full review