Madeira - Spill the beans, please . . .

[Anonymous]

I have found few DCUM posts regarding Madeira. When we first arrived in the area, we were under the impression that it was in the same league as NCS and Holton. It may very well be, though I am surprised at the little amount of DCUM traffic. So, if you know about the school, please post your experiences here. Incidentally, we are also looking at Stone Ridge in addition to NCS and Holton. Thank you.

[Anonymous]

Academically, Madeira is in the same league as NCS and Holton. However, IMO it has more of a feminist edge (a good thing IMO, but it freaks a lot of people out) and it also promotes a more free thinking environment.

My DD opted not to attend because she did not want single sex environment, but I think if she had given it a chance she would have enjoyed it. Other girls we know who attended did enjoy and went on to good colleges.

From what I have read, heard and observed, Stone Ridge is not in the same league as these other schools. This doesn't mean it isn't a good school, but just not as challenging as NCS, Holton and Madeira.

And I agree, I am surprised that Madeira is not mentioned more frequently in these discussions.

Good luck with your search. I hope you find a great school.

[Anonymous]

Hi, PP -- a few thoughts on Madeira from someone with ties to other DC-area independent schools but not Madeira itself. A couple reasons you may not see a lot of posts: (1) it is in Virginia, and of the non-DC schools discussed one tends to see more about the DC Metropolitan area schools in Maryland (such as Holton, Georgetown Prep, Landon) than Virginia schools (maybe that's true of the DCUM readership too? not sure); and (2) more significantly, Madeira is boarding AND day school (and its history and core identity was as a boarding school) while Holton and NCS are day schools only. So more of the Madeira parents would be outside of the area and not perusing DCUM!

A couple more thoughts. Based not on experience with Madeira, but with other boarding schools (so this could be wrong, but it's a hypothesis), boarding schools sometimes have to relax admissions standards to do what I used to hear being called "filling the beds." So there may be some very bright boarders but may also be boarders with lesser academic ability than the average day student because Madeira. If this is true (and you should check it out more), it may explain the area perception that both NCS and Holton are more academically rigorous than Madeira. (For what it's worth, both NCS and Holton produce significantly higher percentages of National Merit Semifinalists.)

Definitely visit for a sense of school culture. I've been told by a friend who used to teach at Madeira that it is indeed a very nurturing atmosphere where they emphasize community and nurturing over competition, and the school is happy and proud of that emphasis. (It sounded pretty nice!) I think a fairly international student body (again, because of the boarding aspect), which could be fun for a child. Maybe because of the nurturing thing, or also because of the international student body, etc., Madeira does tend to be at the bottom of the league athletically in almost all sports (I believe swimming is a noticeable exception). So if athletics is very important to your child, she might want NCS or Holton. Unless she is a horseback rider of course (I'm sure you've seen their horse stables at Madeira).

Good luck!

[Anonymous]

I have a daughter there now. I think it doesn't get mentioned a lot for the reasons some of the other posters mentioned. Schools like Episcopal don't get much play either. My impression is that Madeira is a little different from other top girls schools. The school is very challenging (in fact I think they probably have more homework than at the other schools based on what I've seen) but they really emphasize the girls doing their personal best. As a result it is much less internally competitive. The sports, other than swimming and riding, are not top tier, although that is changing because a new athletic director started this year and is raising the bar. And some of the teams are starting to do pretty well. Girls basketball beat NCS a couple of weeks ago. The sports piece can be good or bad depending on your daughter's skills/interest. It's been great for my daughter because she has been able to be on sports teams even without having played the sport since age 5. The theater program at Madeira is really strong - the productions are pretty amazing.

There is a strong international element in the boarders, especially a large group of girls from Korea. The international piece is great as it really broadens the perspectives of the girls.

Go visit to check it out - you can decide whether it is a good fit for your daughter.

[Anonymous]

"Definitely visit for a sense of school culture. I've been told by a friend who used to teach at Madeira that it is indeed a very nurturing atmosphere where they emphasize community and nurturing over competition, and the school is happy and proud of that emphasis. (It sounded pretty nice!) I think a fairly international student body (again, because of the boarding aspect), which could be fun for a child. Maybe because of the nurturing thing, or also because of the international student body, etc., Madeira does tend to be at the bottom of the league athletically in almost all sports (I believe swimming is a noticeable exception). So if athletics is very important to your child, she might want NCS or Holton. Unless she is a horseback rider of course (I'm sure you've seen their horse stables at Madeira). "

I went there over 20 yrs (well over 20 ) and these things were true back then as well. The boading aspect has a strong legacy appeal so there were students who struggled more but the majority were the same top 5% minimum of their class prior to admission. Madeira's grading and work was more rigorous than other prep schools. The brother schools in particular still held the concept of a "gentleman's C" and grade inflation for As and Bs were the norm.

It really was not competitive by design and they did not allow any class rankings to support this.

They have invested alot in athletic facilities but aside from equestrian sports I can't imagine it ever being very competitive. I remember our junior varsity field hockey team was beaten by middle school kids. It was not the international students trust me. The southerners, CA, NYC, and midwestern girls were just as uncoordinated! If your daughter is not serious about competitive sports though this is great. I participated in more sports than I ever would have if I had been at a school that focused on gifted athletes. I honestly credit my staying in shape over the years to this experience. (I was on the team beat by 7th and 8th graders )

If I was going to send my kids to boarding school I would choose Madeira but I would not do so for day school. I hear the numbers of day students has increased but the identity and strength is as a boading school. There are more downsides to being a daygirl at a boarding school than a boader at a school with day students.

[Anonymous]

I only know about Madeira from a co-worker that attended. She was a boarder and definitely had the international group of friends. She couldn't say enough good things about her school. Especially she mentioned something about the independent studies and/or internships that was part of the experience. When I think of how I was when I started my first post-college job and my co-workers in the same boat - the person that was the Madeira alum stood out in my mind as being exceptionally self-confident, self-assured, intelligent, and down-to-earth and with a maturity that to me wasn't that common in a early 20's - 1st post-college job. It made me think, if that is an example of a Madeira grad, I should be so lucky that my daughters are like that.

[Anonymous]

Madeira grad here and still very active with the school. I can't say enough good things about the school. I encourage anyone to check it out. FWIW I was a day student and liked the fact that it was day and boarding.