Pros/cons Madeira and Maret

[Anonymous]

Would love to hear what everyone thinks about the differences between Maret and Madeira (other than co-ed vs not) academics etc

[Anonymous]

The HOS from Madeira seems to be a successful person.

[Anonymous]

How at Madeira is AMAZING

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How at Madeira is AMAZING

Former maret head of middle school. She is very talented. Wish maret had a similar HOS.

[Anonymous]

The vibes are so different! More rural, 9-12, all girls versus urban, K-12, co-ed. It’s comparing apples and oranges. What are you going for?

[Anonymous]

Both are fine schools. But I would not cross a bridge twice each school day for any school.

If living on the east side of the river, I would have DC board (during the week at least) at Madeira.

If living on the west side of the river, I would drop Maret (only due to logistics / geography).

For us, the ability of DD to ride at Madeira would likely tip the scale in their favor. We all ride and are definitely horse people.

[Anonymous]

NP here whose daughter also liked Madeira. She would be a day student. I do wonder what the social life would be like since they don’t have a brother school and it’s so remote. Seems like a much different social experience for high school. Can anyone weigh in on that?

[Anonymous]

The mod system at Madeira is unique, and it’s not a good fit for every student. If it is a good fit, it’s a great opportunity, however.

[Anonymous]

Madeira strongly emphasizes participation in its own after-school activities, so if your child has extracurricular activities apart from school it can be hard to manage

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Madeira strongly emphasizes participation in its own after-school activities, so if your child has extracurricular activities apart from school it can be hard to manage

+1
This was the reason a friend’s daughter left the school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The mod system at Madeira is unique, and it’s not a good fit for every student. If it is a good fit, it’s a great opportunity, however.

Can you elaborate on the type of student the mod system would not be a good fit for? My daughter likes the idea of it, but we don’t know what we don’t know

[Anonymous]

DD is a sophomore at Madeira with a long daily commute. She says the time in the car is absolutely worth it for the school. She loves it.

The mod system is intense, no doubt about it. Three classes in five weeks covers A LOT of ground. A LOT. That said, there is time during the day to study, and DD has never had to stay up late to get work done. (She plays a sport there and doesn't get home until between 6 and 7pm.) It has forced her to be incredibly organized. Some mods are harder than others, depending on the classes. It is nice to get a change after five weeks and roll into a new schedule.

Teachers are very accessible for extra help during lunch hour. They comment on most assignments online so students and parents can see progress. I have been impressed to see how in depth teachers can be with feedback -- and how tough. Grades are not inflated.

DD wasn't sure if she would like an all girls school, but within a week or two she said it was great. True, there is no brother school per se. There are a ton of activities on and off campus over weekends, although DD doesn't tend to participate, and my impression is most day students don't return to campus on weekends. Her friendships fill her bucket so much. She has great friends who are kind and lovely, more so than at any other point in her life.

Campus is beautiful, DD appreciates the physical spaces and says how much that impacts her day as she changes classes. Food is ok, hit or miss, but they can have three meals a day, which is nice.

The co-curriculum program is fantastic. DD has her first internship this year, and she's looking forward to her internship next year on the Hill and to developing her own internship senior year. It's a unique opportunity to try things.

[Anonymous]

^^ one more thing: lots of faculty and staff live on campus, which gives the school a real community vibe.

[Anonymous]

Thank you PP. One more question- if your daughter doesn’t return to campus on weekends, what does she do? Does
She hang out with other day students from Madeira off campus on the weekends? Or mostly hangout with friends from her old school? Is there a social divide between the boarders vs day students?

[Anonymous]

Different Madeira parent here. There is no divide between boarders and day students at all. There are different social groups, but each group contains a mix of day/boarders.