Middlesex School

SILVER PROGRAM

School Location

Concord, Massachusetts

Establishment Year

1901

Platform

Gateway, SAO

Website

Link

Acceptance Rate

19%

Deadline

Jan 15

Overview

Writing Requirements

Candidate Profile (Common)

Academic, Athletic and Personal Achievements (1,500 characters)
- Please note your interests and activities in areas such as music, drama, art, community service, debate, writing, athletics, employment, or hobbies. We understand that some candidates have more opportunities for organized activities than others, but we are interested in how you spend your time outside of the classroom. Please only submit information from the past two years. Please use the “Add More” button below the first two listings if you would like to enter additional activities. If you still need more space, please use the “Additional Information” section.
- Academic, Athletic and Personal Achievements-List or briefly describe any academic or personal achievements of which you are especially proud. Use this area to note any academic honors you have received. (1,500 characters)
Additional Information/Explanation (6,000 characters)
- If you would like to provide any additional information that was not specifically requested or did not fit in the spaces provided, you may use the space below or upload a PDF (files must be under 1MB). Please only submit relevant information from the past two years. Do not upload grades, official test scores or transcripts in this section.
- If you have a document in a format other than PDF, you can download an official add-in for the latest versions of Microsoft Word that can convert Word documents to PDF. View the Gateway Knowledge Base article at https://www.gatewaytoprepschools.com/articles/6-creating-and-reducing-size-of-pdf-files for more information on creating PDFs. Please do not add pictures or scan printed documents. Doing so will potentially cause your file to be too large to upload.
- Provide Additional Information (6,000 characters)
Multimedia Description 1&2 (1,500 characters)
- Please check with the school to see if they have other ways of accepting multimedia.
- Students who have a very strong interest in a particular area are invited to submit up to two links to multimedia content. Examples of multimedia content that students have provided in the past include YouTube videos, music files, and art portfolios. Be sure to provide a description of the content in the space provided. Many schools no longer accept CDs, DVDs, videotapes or portfolios. Links are the simplest and most commonly accepted way to send multimedia to schools.
- NOTE: If you have more than two links you may add them to the “Additional Information” section above along with a description. Please limit additional link submissions in the “Additional Information” section to no more than three multimedia links.
- If your multimedia will not be available until later, do not delay in submitting your Candidate Profile now. Each school participating in the Gateway system has alternative means of accepting multimedia later in the application process. Consult each school for directions.
- Description (1,500 characters)

Parent Statement

Please share your hopes for your child’s high school experience. (2,500 characters) (*)
What additional information about your child would you share with their Middlesex advisor that may not be evident in the application? (2,500 characters) (*)
Has your child ever repeated or skipped a year, or had a major disruption to an academic year? (2,500 characters) (*)
In the past the three years, has your child incurred serious or repeated disciplinary infractions, or ever been dismissed, suspended or separated from school, or been placed on probation for any reason (*), If the answer to the previous question is yes, please explain. Please also have your school counselor/administrator include a statement about your child’s situation when submitting the Counselor Recommendation. (2,500 characters)
Additional Information – Please use this space to provide any additional information. (6,000 characters)

Student Essay – First Essay

Please answer ONE of the following questions, limiting your response to 500 words. (*)

Prompt 1 : What is a trait you genuinely like about yourself? (5,000 characters)
Prompt 2 : What can a person learn from failing? (5,000 characters)

Student Essay – Second Essay

Please respond to the following question, limiting your response to 750 words.

The Middlesex motto is “Find your promise.” Given all the opportunities and experiences offered to our students how do you intend to find your promise at Middlesex? (7,500 characters) (*)

Recommendation

Current Principal/Counselor Recommendation (*)
Current English Teacher Recommendation (*)
Current Mathematics Teacher Recommendation (*)
Personal Recommendation
Special Interest Recommendation

Optional Materials

If you have a strong interest in athletics or the arts, please submit the Athletics Interest Form or Arts Interest Form so that our coaches and arts department can learn more about you. You can use this form to submit a video or samples of visual art to our Arts Department.

Standardized Testing & English Testing

Standardized testing

Standardized testing is required for all applicants and must be sent to Middlesex directly by the testing service. Middlesex “super scores” the SSAT, considering the highest section scores across all the tests.
9th / 10th grade applicants: We accept the SSAT or the ISEE.
11th grade applicants: We accept the SSAT, PSAT, or the SAT.

English testing

For international applicants (for whom English is not the language spoken at home, and who have not been attending a school where English is the primary language for 2+ years), we require results from the TOEFL iBT, and TOEFL ITP Plus, Duolingo, or IELTS Indicator Exams.
In general, successful applicants to Middlesex have a high proficiency in English, which is typically demonstrated by a TOEFL score of 110 or higher, a score of 7.5 or higher on the IELTS, and a score of 125 or higher on Duolingo.

Interview

How to Request an Admission Interview

Complete Middlesex Inquiry Form

School Instructions:

Once you have filled out an inquiry form you can schedule your visit through the Middlesex Admissions Portal.
While an interview is not required, we would be pleased to host you on campus for a tour and interview. Virtual interviews are also available. Click here to learn more about the admissions visit and schedule your tour.
International students who wish to schedule an interview will need to review our interview eligibility requirements prior to making an appointment.

About Middlesex School

About Middlesex School

Middlesex School is an independent boarding and day school serving grades 9–12 in Concord, Massachusetts, approximately 20 miles outside Boston.
Founded in 1901 by Frederick Winsor, Middlesex was designed to be different from traditional boarding schools of its era, emphasizing both opportunity and close community.
The school describes itself as combining “small-school intimacy and big-school opportunity.”
Middlesex enrolls approximately 425 students, with about 70% boarding students and 30% day students.
The school’s guiding philosophy centers on Winsor’s belief in helping students “find the promise” within themselves.
Middlesex emphasizes the development of the whole student, focusing not only on academics but also on ethical character, leadership, citizenship, and personal growth.
Faculty members are deeply involved in student life, often living on campus and serving as teachers, advisors, coaches, and mentors.

School Is Known For

A highly rigorous college-preparatory academic program delivered in small classes with an average student-faculty ratio of 4:1. Exceptional access to faculty and individualized attention due to its intentionally small size.
A philosophy of developing broad capabilities rather than encouraging early specialization in only one area.
Strong programs across academics, athletics, arts, music, theater, leadership, and community engagement.
An emphasis on intellectual engagement, classroom discussion, and active participation rather than passive learning.
A residential experience where faculty and students interact closely both inside and outside the classroom.
Commitment to global education through international representation, cultural inclusion, global competencies, and overseas learning opportunities.
Strong college preparation while maintaining a focus on character, ethics, and leadership development.
A balanced educational experience where students are encouraged to participate in multiple areas of school life rather than focusing narrowly on one strength.
A tradition of helping students discover talents, passions, and leadership potential through challenge and opportunity.

Culture

Middlesex promotes a close-knit, highly relational community where students are known personally by peers, faculty, and administrators.
The school believes that a transparent and familiar community creates an ethical community.
Students are encouraged to take risks, explore new interests, and grow through challenge rather than remaining within their comfort zones.
The culture values friendship, collaboration, leadership, and personal responsibility.
Diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging are considered core institutional values rather than separate initiatives. Students are encouraged to engage respectfully with different perspectives, backgrounds, identities, and life experiences.
The school promotes mutual trust, emotional safety, inclusivity, and shared responsibility among community members.
Respectful dialogue and open exchange of viewpoints are viewed as essential parts of intellectual growth and community life.
Boarding and day students are intentionally integrated into one unified community rather than functioning as separate groups.
Service, empathy, and civic engagement are important aspects of student development, with numerous opportunities for local, national, and global service work.
Students are encouraged to become globally minded citizens who are comfortable engaging with unfamiliar ideas, cultures, and perspectives.
The overall atmosphere is often described through the school’s central theme of helping every student “find their promise.”

SILVER PROGRAM