A Passion for Learning
Students and faculty at Milton openly enjoy ideas. We cherish curiosity and honor scholarship. Inspired by teachers and classmates, Milton students develop new areas of interest and maximize their strengths.
Dr. Eyster has changed the way I think about academics and science. She's taught me how to ask hard questions, and then work for answers. Through her class, and the encouragement I received, I’ve developed a deep passion for the study of science, and I’ve learned the skills I’ll need to apply that passion outside of Milton.
Isabelle Lelogeais ’11
Cambridge, Massachusetts
A Respect for Others
Milton is a safe and generous place for young people to live and learn. The idea that each individual brings a unique and valuable dimension to our shared experience drives the relationships in our community.
Milton was my favorite school when I was applying, because the other students were so friendly. My transition to boarding life was not difficult because the girls act more like your siblings than your friends. When they ask you something, they really want to know how you are and what you’re doing. My friends are amazing. We’re all culturally so different, and that makes things interesting. But we also have so much in common: music, sports, activities, clothes. We’ve grown very close.
Maddie Gallagher ’11
Quebec, Canada
Millet House
Embracing Diversity
To us, growing and learning among individuals who share widely divergent life stories, and appreciating their respective cultures, is an invaluable aspect of a true education.
The diversity at Milton is such a valuable part of this place. There are all different types of kids, and I don’t just mean in terms of race or religion. Kids have different hobbies, different talents, they like different sports and are in different clubs. For instance, in morning assemblies, the student announcements could go on forever—“Try out for the lacrosse team! Come see the play! Write for the paper!"
Henry Russell ’11
Norwell, Massachusetts
The Pursuit of Excellence
Milton’s energy comes from striving to meet our own expectations. Seeking to meet the highest standards—in performance, athletic competition, artistic expression, leadership activity, intellectual exploration, and in understanding our world—is a cultural reality at Milton and a lifelong legacy for our students.
The essays that we write at Milton are a lot more analytical than I was used to. I had to present a much stronger argument than I had at my old school. Figuring it out was trial and error: making adjustments, talking with the teacher, reviewing the essay again. It was helpful being able to go back to the teacher again and again.
Maggie Walsh ’12
Milton, Massachusetts
A Community in Which Individuals Develop Competence, Confidence and Character
Milton students participate in numerous experiences and relationships that ultimately affirm their aptitudes, values and abilities. Milton alumni put their well-developed skills to work in the most competitive colleges in the country and pursue the broadest possible array of advanced studies and professional careers.
Coming to campus, you obviously have to learned the basics—how to do laundry, how to make sure you’re eating right—but you mature in other ways. You learn to live with a roommate, and to cope with difficulties without your parents intervening for you. You have to be reflective and notice your weaknesses, and then try to improve upon them.
The most rewarding experience for me at Milton has been giving back to the community and being a part of the bigger picture. That’s the most useful tool that Milton has given me.
Nikhil Bhambi ’11
Bakersfield, California
Goodwin House
Active Learning Environment, In and Out of the Classroom
Acutely aware that every encounter affects a young person’s development, faculty consciously surround students with opportunities for intellectual and personal growth, not only during class and during their extensive extracurricular lives but also within their social lives.
At Milton, you feel excited to be engaged. You’re with students who are on the same level as you academically. You feel encouraged in your classes and you want to do the best for your teachers—they are here because they love to teach. They’re so accessible and they make it easy to meet with them outside of class. The energy here makes you want to be involved with all kinds of activities. I’m on the math team, the debate team, the tennis team, and I even tried out for squash, which I’d never played before.
Henry Arndt ’12
Newport News, Virginia
Goodwin House
Develops Creative and Critical Thinkers
The mutual respect among faculty and students at Milton inspires—even demands—the free flow of ideas and analysis that both groups find intellectually stimulating. Identifying your own ideas, expressing them effectively, and learning how to disagree, are core skills shaped at Milton.
I love the discussions we have around the table in my history class. Our teacher helps us put everything into a much broader context—to see how something affects the whole world. And we all have different perspectives that help us understand more. Someone says, “What about this?”—that makes you rethink things. There’s lots of reading and lots of analysis. Our teacher expects a lot, but she knows what we’re capable of. She always relates things to current events, too. Recently she brought in an article about the last surviving member of the Ottoman ruling class—he even had the same last name as the person we were studying.
Carson Gaffney ’12
Cayce, South Carolina
Millet House
Prepared to Live By Our Motto, "Dare to be True."
Now in its third century, Milton has always developed strong, independent, confident thinkers. Students graduate with a clear sense of who they are, what their world is about and how to contribute. “Dare to be true” is not only a core value; it describes Milton culture, and the exhortation echoes in graduates’ lives forever.
What I like best is the way Milton does things. It’s a trust-based environment. We have free periods and the idea is ‘we trust you to do your work.’ That was a huge switch for me. Before, people expected us to do the worst we could do, so they made the policies and rules with that expectation. Here they expect the best person to come out, so it does.
Lina Neidhardt ’12
Canton, Massachusetts
