Read more details about The Madeira School on their 2025 profile page.
Reflections and Advice:
1.) What do you think makes your school unique relative to other boarding schools?
Madeira has a Co-curriculum program which allows students to take 5 weeks and immerse themselves in an internship. Sophomore year is about community service, Junior year is about citizenship, and Senior year is about career.
2.) What was the best thing that happened to you in boarding school?
The best thing that happened to me was learning how to be independent. I came in as a shy and awkward girl and came out ready to go to college. It was the most smooth transition to UCSB.
3.) What might you have done differently during your boarding school experience?
I would have definitely made more use of my surrounding area. I should have explored D.C. more with my friends. I would suggest making friends with everyone! Boarding school is a place where you will meet people from all over the world. Learn from them!
4.) What did you like most about your school?
I really enjoyed my Co-curriculum experience. My senior year, I worked for a reconstructive plastic surgeon in Oregon and it allowed me to work as a medical scribe for a surgeon my freshman year of college.
5.) Do you have any final words of wisdom for visiting or incoming students to your school?
check out black pond!
Academics:
1.) Describe the academics at your school - what did you like most about it?
It is a very small classroom setting which allows for class discussion. Additionally, most teachers also live on campus, so it is very easy to get outside help. The environment is not very competitive although the coursework still is. In building class schedules, the module system does not allow for much wiggle room to take electives.
Athletics:
1.) Describe the athletics at your school - what did you like most about it?
The athletics program kept me active and it has been reformed to supply students with whatever they need to stay active and play sports. I loved the spirit that athletics produced. We had pep rallies and we would attend other sports' games to support our classmates.
Art, Music, and Theatre:
1.) Describe the arts program at your school - what did you like most about it?
One of our best programs is the Visual arts, Music, and Theatre program. The productions always looked professional and the shows were amazing.
Extracurricular Opportunities:
1.) Describe the extracurriculars offered at your school - what did you like most about it?
We had the option of creating our own student organizations but there were limited spots open. This led to forced merging of organizations with different goals. There was also not much time in our schedule to meet. However, there were many to choose from.
Dorm Life:
1.) Describe the dorm life in your school - what did you like most about it?
Dorms are all renovated now, which is very very nice. I had a beautiful room in main dorm with a view of the Potomac river. Dorms are usually doubles and include two closets, two desks, two drawers, and two hanging mirrors. The room selection process is based of seniority and leadership position.
Dining:
1.) Describe the dining arrangements at your school.
The dining hall has specific opening times and is not open in between, which allows for no snacking. The chef really tries to use fresh and organic ingredients, but the options were very limited, especially for vegetarians. There are only all-school, sit-down dinners once a month.
Social and Town Life:
1.) Describe the school's town and surrounding area.
Being in McLean, we were not very far from D.C. The campus, however felt very secluded and full of nature, which I appreciated.
2.) Describe the social life at your school - what did you like most about it?
Social events usually happened on weekends and were school organized. The little buses would drop us off places like Tyson's mall or Georgetown, or the zoo. We also have events with other boarding schools around the area such as mixers. I enjoyed the freedom of exploring the city with my friends.
Read more details about The Madeira School on their 2025 profile page.
Alumni Reviews Review School
Review
Description
Madeira has a Co-curriculum program which allows students to take 5 weeks and immerse themselves in an internship. Sophomore year is about community service, Junior year is about citizenship, and Senior year is about career. . .
Of course, the two most obvious aspects of Madeira that set the school apart are the single-sex education, and the co-curriculum program. Learning with a group of all girls takes the competitiveness out of education. . .
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