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 take their strengths as far as they wish to go.

I never thought students would get so excited about words, or ideas, because that was never accepted where I was. In class we can joke around, and have a good time, but we have so much trust in others’ opinions. Hearing them is a great way to get into others’ minds and see how they think. There are so many brilliant people in my classes.
– Kelsey Hudson '07

My favorite subject is U.S. History with Mark Hilgendorf. This class, more than any other, sparked an intellectual drive and curiosity more powerful than any I’d felt before. My term paper was on the Weather Underground, a group of revolutionary students who wanted to overthrow the government in the 1960s. Learning what prompted them to question government ­ to question authority ­ and trying to determine why they failed to make change was where I focused. That class has made me look at everything in a different way. I’ve become a more critical thinker. I put historical fact into a broader context. I am a more motivated student because of this class.
– Ned Littlefield '06

 

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 is like a person; it grows and learns and reflects the personalities, abilities and interests of people. Milton is a prep school, but not a pretentious school. It’s friendly, down to earth and realistic.
– Olivia Woollam '07

I’m a day student, but my best friends are from Korea, Jamaica and New York. My classmates here are much more open-minded than the ones in my old school. They’re willing to accept lots of different kinds of personalities.
– Vallerie DePina '07

At my old school, people labeled you. Here, people try too many things to be labeled. Milton students tend to be easygoing but ambitious. We have to figure out when to be a good friend and when to be a good student. It’s good to work towards that balance.
– Megan Smith '06

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.

You learn a lot from academics, but you also learn so much outside of class. I live in Hathaway, and the bonding is incredible. It’s like having 30 sisters.
– Isa Gell-Levey '08

My first roommate at Milton was from England; my roommate Jess is from Massachusetts. People are into sports and into the arts ­ they are well-rounded, not just academically focused. They are open-minded and creative.
– Dilshoda Yergasheva '05

The Pursuit of Excellence

Milton’s palpable 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.

If students thinking about Milton are just going to come here and do what they’ve always done, there’s no point. Here, you can try new things every day and find new things to love doing.
– Natalia Welsh '06

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 graduates 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.

I like our intellectual environment. We have so many great conversations ­ they can be about small things or huge debates about ideas or issues where people have really different perspectives. I’ve definitely grown more independent. In the Midwest, the point of view is different. St. Louis is my home ­ I was born and raised there. Being away, I have more pride in where I come from.
– Lindsay McCutcheon '05

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.

It’s easy to get active, to find clubs, sports and arts that you like. Even if you don’t know what you’re interested in, people will help you find your way into things and get more excited about your classes by getting more involved. You have small classes, faculty all around you and your coaches nearby on the weekends.

The sports programs at Milton are really good. I came from a big public school, so big only a few people could be on teams. Here, there are lots of options.

When I started playing football I didn’t know anything about playing the sport ­ about what you do in each position, even about how to get the equipment. My football coach is in my dorm though, and he helped me with everything. I liked all my coaches and learning from the older kids on the team.
– Jacob (Zack) George '07

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 like history and I have a great teacher. I like learning about the French Revolution and its effects on Great Britain. The revolution changed Great Britain economically, socially and politically. Customs changed. The aristocracy changed. Seeing cultures shift in major ways and figuring out how it happens is really interesting.
– Basil Swaby '06

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.

Friendships and the students that are accepted and come are the best things about Milton. They’re curious and they’re asked to think about what they can bring to the community (outside of intellectual ability); they’re good people.

At Milton, I’ve learned how to make the most of my potential ­ how to use it. I know, now, that I can go anywhere and I know the steps to take to make the most of every situation. I have grown so much as a student and as a person at Milton. I’d tell people coming to Milton: “be prepared to be challenged every day.”
– Andrew de Stadler '05