At Northfield Mount Hermon, students are supported as they explore their interests and passions. That is exactly what aspiring doctor Put has done during his time at this top college-prep boarding high school.
Coming all the way from Thailand, Put’s parents were determined to find a school with a welcoming and safe space where their son could thrive. They found that at Northfield Mount Hermon’s serene, wooded, 1,320-acre campus in Massachusetts.
At NMH, Put has developed skills in leadership, time management, and communication. “He has grown so much and even became a resident leader in his senior year,” says his father. “We are very impressed at how he can self-manage his time with all the things he has to do during his college application preparation.”
Put has his heart set on becoming a medical doctor in the future — an interest that developed in his biology and chemistry classes at NMH. Beyond the classroom, he’s been able to explore his interest in sports, including wrestling, cross-country, golf, and soccer.
“He was so excited and committed to the junior varsity wrestling team,” says his father. “When he came back to Thailand during winter break, he continued his training in the gym and controlled his diet to ensure that he was in good shape. He has learned that when he finds out what he wants to do, he needs to commit to it and put in his best effort.”
None of this would be possible without the consistent support, guidance, and opportunities Put has received at Northfield Mount Hermon. NMH’s education for the head, heart, and hand allows students like Put to make a difference — starting on campus and throughout the rest of their lives.
Rigorous curriculum preparing students for college
Ranked the 38th best boarding school in America, Northfield Mount Hermon has a curriculum like no other. Students feed their curiosity as they broaden their minds, choosing from almost 200 course offerings ranging from Introduction to Robotics to Global Ethics and Climate Change, The Evolution of Hip-Hop and Its Role in Documenting Social Commentary to Playwriting, Stop-Motion Animation to Modern Hispanic Culture. Whatever the course, students engage deeply with the material.
Under NMH’s distinctive College-Model Academic Program (CMAP) — described by faculty as “an intellectual game changer” — classes meet for longer periods than at most high schools, allowing time for deep discussions, hands-on work, and collaborative projects. CMAP also offers a glimpse of what’s to come in college, with students taking and completing three core academic courses each semester, which enables them to cover two years of a sequential subject in one academic year.
More immersive learning experiences are available through NMH’s Advanced Program. These advanced courses, which replace typical AP courses, serve the school’s mission to engage the intellect, compassion, and talents of their students, empowering them to act with humanity and purpose. Students not only master relevant skills and understanding of subject-specific content, they also apply their learning and engage with diverse voices and perspectives.
In some courses, students have opportunities to travel abroad to places like Brazil, China, South Africa, and Qatar during spring break or over the summer. Seniors may also pursue a capstone project, where they investigate an interest that goes beyond the curriculum. Recent capstone projects have included a play that adapted Slavic literature into English-language drama, the development of an app that allows users to track and then improve their sleep habits, a children’s book that teaches kids the importance to protecting themselves from skin cancer, and a biomedical project that uses DNA left on medical masks to analyze the wearer’s health.
Encouraging growth through service activities, arts and athletics
Northfield Mount Hermon has plenty of clubs and organizations where students can pursue their interests, whether it’s the arts, volunteer work, sports, or other activities.
The school offers one of the broadest prep-school athletics programs in the country, and CMAP gives students the time to participate in sports without sacrificing their studies — and to great outcomes, too, with NMH’s teams often winning championships.
The arts curriculum is just as expansive, covering dance, music, theater, and, in the visual arts department, painting, drawing, ceramics, digital design, photography, and video. NMH has some of the finest arts facilities in secondary education, with stunning performance spaces as well as practice rooms, classrooms, and visual art studios.
These diverse offerings — and the importance the school places on striking a balance among them — are why Emma’s parents chose Northfield Mount Hermon. It’s where she can pursue her interests in creative design, art, basketball, and social justice, in addition to doing well in the classroom and building strong relationships with her peers. Unlike at her previous school in Hong Kong, Emma can do it all at NMH, in a supportive environment.
“We wanted a school where Emma would find positive competition – not vie for recognition among the rest of the student body,” said her mother. “After one semester, we are convinced that we selected the right school for her.”
The impact of Northfield Mount Hermon on Emma has been profound. “Emma’s confidence is sky-high,” says her mother. “Academically, she is performing very well, and she is finding the confidence in herself and her abilities to start thinking about top-tier universities at the next phase in her academic career.”
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