Midland School

Midland School

1. The school was founded in 1932, located in Santa Barbara, Southern California, a 2.5-hour drive from Los Angeles International Airport.
2. Signature Programs: Experiential learning, outdoor leadership program, work program, maintenance team, etc. The school has its own farm and ranch, where students can participate in various campus operations such as farming, ranching, kitchen duties, and equipment maintenance.
3. Outdoor Education: Explore the beaches, coastline, and wilderness areas near the school, including Los Padres National Forest. Day hikes and overnight or longer backpacking trips are offered. Cultivate the habit of connecting with nature and develop crisis management awareness in outdoor environments.
4. Circus: The program is guided by professionals who are circus performers, conducting learning and training three times a week in outdoor or indoor stadiums.
5. Experiential Week: In early April (the last week of the fourth term), all students participate in experiential projects that complement the main subjects they learn in class.
6. Equestrian: The program teaches students basic horsemanship. All participants learn preventive veterinary care, nutrition, ranch management, horse behavior, fundamental knowledge, and how to ride a horse.

I am a student from the Midland Class of 2025. This school is different from others; each of us has our own job. In my ninth grade, my job was to be a waiter and clean classrooms. The waiter job was very interesting, and I learned a lot about formal dining. We only have about 20 students in each grade, so our relationships with classmates are exceptionally good. What's particularly interesting is that we used to have to burn firewood ourselves to get hot water for showers, but unfortunately, due to some policies, we can no longer burn firewood for shower water. At school, we don't have mobile phones, and computers are designated. Precisely this increases communication between students, as well as between students and teachers. Our relationship with teachers is also very good. Midland is a very interesting school.

I am a student from Midland's Class of 2024. During my time here this year, I've truly felt that this school is a paradise. My other classmates have never chopped wood, built fires, or fed pigs, and they likely never will... These tasks, which seem out of place for a high school, have become part of the students' daily lives here. Our school doesn't have a single cleaner, because we don't pamper students like they do in the city. From cleaning classrooms to washing dishes, these are daily tasks and responsibilities for the students. Although students might find the process dirty and tiring, looking back, it feels very worthwhile. Personally, I feel a sense of superiority, thinking others wouldn't experience this. The relationships among Midland students are excellent because there are only about 80 people in the entire school. Students not only know all the teachers but also the cooks, workers, gardeners, and so on... Anyone who comes to this school becomes part of a family. Teachers' homes are always open to students; you just need to knock on the door (you can even ask for some snacks or ice cream). Many students might find it hard to accept that they can't use their personal phones and must use school-provided computers. Actually, there's no need to worry. After class every day, all communication websites are open. You can watch YouTube, scroll Instagram after class. Even WeChat can be used at school now. The key is that students will discover things more interesting than playing on their phones during this process. Many parents are concerned about college admissions. Our school's advantage is the small student body, which naturally leads to less pressure. It's relatively easy for Chinese students to achieve good grades if they put in the effort. In recent years, other Chinese students have been under immense pressure ('involution'), but our school has fewer people, so the competition isn't as fierce.

Over ten years ago, a good friend asked me to help him find a suitable university preparatory boarding school for his son in the United States. After extensive searching, I was deeply drawn to Midland's educational philosophy of 'needs not wants'.
I have always believed that for growing teenagers, understanding and providing what they need for their development is more important than simply giving them what they want. The school focuses on cultivating students' learning abilities while also emphasizing exercise and life skills development.
Midland's environment is nestled between mountains and the sea. All teachers and students live together on campus. Mobile phones have no signal, and school online gaming websites are blocked. In such an 'idyllic' campus environment, students cannot be addicted to modern devices like mobile phones, making it easier for them to return to the essence of simple learning and living. Here, students can treat teachers as their friends or even family, and can knock on a teacher's door anytime to seek help or guidance. At Midland, students become more confident, open-minded, and independent. Furthermore, they can improve their practical skills through daily tasks.
Midland does not have ELS courses specifically for international students; Chinese students attend classes with local American students, teaching them better self-supervision and self-discipline, which I believe is very important for adolescents.
Appreciating Midland's educational philosophy, I have always been dedicated to recommending Midland to Chinese students and their parents. I know Chinese students who, after leaving Midland, were accepted into their ideal universities, such as Duke, UCLA, and Boston College.

What reassured us most about Midland School is that upon arrival at school, mobile phones are collected, dorm rooms typically don't have internet, and students must go to the library to study every evening, using the school's Chrome books with controlled internet access. This semester, after the COVID-19 situation in the US became severe, evening study sessions could be held in dorm rooms, with internet cut off at 9:30 PM. The school offers a very rich array of activities; different sports are available throughout the year. My son participated in the school's varsity cross country and basketball teams, and on weekends, he would take a sleeping bag to camp and sleep in the mountains. During weekdays, students are required to take turns doing chores in the cafeteria, such as wiping tables, washing dishes, serving food, and on weekends, they clean the campus. Teachers are very caring towards students, and students can seek out teachers anytime for free one-on-one tutoring. As for international students, two weeks before each holiday break, the school actively contacts parents to arrange their children's travel plans, assisting with bus ticket bookings, airport transfers, or contacting host families. All these efforts make us international parents feel very comforted. The school's epidemic control is excellent; the entire school undergoes weekly full-staff COVID-19 testing. Even if a teacher's family member is confirmed positive, all parents are informed. This semester, there hasn't been a single on-campus infection among students.

What reassures us most about Midland School is that phones are collected upon arrival, dorms usually don't have internet, and students must go to the library to study every evening, using the school's Chrome books with controlled internet access. This semester, after the severe COVID-19 situation in the US, evening study can be done in the dorms, with internet cut off at 9:30 PM. The school offers a rich variety of activities, with different sports throughout the year. Our child joined the school's varsity cross country and basketball teams, and on weekends, they go camping in the mountains with sleeping bags. During weekdays, students take turns on duty in the dining hall, cleaning tables, washing dishes, serving food, and on weekends, they clean the campus. Teachers are very caring towards students, who can always approach teachers for free one-on-one tutoring. As for international students, two weeks before each holiday, the school proactively contacts parents to arrange their children's travel plans, helps book bus tickets, provides airport pick-up/drop-off, or arranges host families. All of this makes us international student parents feel very warm. The school's epidemic control is excellent; the entire school undergoes weekly full-staff PCR testing, and even if a teacher's family member is confirmed positive, all parents are informed. This semester, not a single student has had an on-campus infection.

My son has been at school for almost three months. As an international student who flew to the US alone during the pandemic, he has felt an immense amount of care from the school. A dedicated teacher drove for over 6 hours round trip to personally pick him up from the airport. When he arrived at school in the evening, Jose, the dean responsible for students, had already prepared our son's bed with bedding from his own home.
Every teacher at the school promises students that they can visit their office anytime. My son's history grades weren't ideal, so he went to his history teacher's office. The Stanford-educated history teacher patiently provided him with free one-on-one tutoring many times. My son and another Chinese student both remarked that while the school facilities are average, the teachers genuinely love their students. Students can go to a teacher's office anytime they have difficulties.
Initially, we hesitated, wondering if a TOEFL score of 108 and an SSAT score of 2275 made it necessary to attend this niche school. After enrolling, my son repeatedly remarked that not a single 10th-grade student there doesn't study; everyone is there to learn!
Our initial motivation for choosing this school was that phones are collected upon arrival, there's no internet in the dorms, computers are limited to Chrome Books with restricted internet access by teachers, and all studying is done in the library. This was to solve the fundamental problem of our child's love for gaming. The reality is that the school's teachers have moved us. On weekends and during evening study, teachers accompany the children, whether farming together, cleaning the kitchen, or studying and tutoring in the library. It has truly become a place where it's either study, exercise, or work.
After a few months, our 'city boy' has undergone significant changes: diligent studying, focus on grades, and a great improvement in hands-on abilities. He now wakes up early every morning to run before breakfast!

My child attended high school at Midland. The learning atmosphere there is excellent. The school has no cell phone signal, and students' phones are all turned over to their teachers. Each grade has just over 20 students, all taught in small classes, and teachers provide thorough guidance for every student's academic issues. Furthermore, each student is assigned to an "advisor group," with each teacher leading one such group, typically comprising seven or eight students from different grades. These small communities facilitate student interaction, making friends, and sharing various aspects of boarding life and academics. Teachers can also understand students' needs immediately. In this environment, my child's English reading and writing skills greatly improved, and she quickly integrated into American culture.
The school's approach to daily life (clothing, food, housing, and transportation) consistently reflects a harmonious coexistence with nature. Students can apply to bring pets; I remember my child brought her horse to school. Many other students bring dogs. The school has an organic farm that provides seasonal vegetables, and many students participate in planting. Teachers and students also spontaneously organize outdoor activities like hiking and camping.
Students are responsible for the school's daily operations, with each student having a specific duty, such as cleaning classrooms, sorting trash, feeding horses, or cleaning the kitchen. My child became more independent, self-reliant, and responsible.
My child always tells me she misses her four years of high school the most because everyone lived in the present, enjoyed nature, and practiced kindness. How many children nowadays are addicted to games, short videos, and the virtual internet world?
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I am Zhang Guopeng (Michael), the parent of Jenny, a student who enrolled in this school in 2015. I have visited the school five times, attending my daughter JENNY's matriculation and graduation ceremonies, as well as school open days. Each time I stepped onto the campus, I felt the warm smiles from the school staff and students directed at us parents, creating a very friendly and welcoming environment. The school's unique and beautiful environment is highly conducive to students' learning and growth. The school rules are strict; from Monday to Friday, students' mobile phones are kept by the school. However, the rich learning and club activities ensure students focus on healthy and positive content! In addition to providing high-quality high school education, school teachers offer many unique learning and exercise opportunities, such as ceramics courses, horseback riding lessons, vegetable gardening at the school farm, and students taking turns chopping wood to heat bath water – all excellent growth experiences for students! The school's small size greatly facilitates student-teacher interaction, allowing every student, teacher, and staff member to build strong, close relationships. This is one of Midland's biggest advantages. During her time at school, my daughter JENNY not only had excellent relationships with her subject teachers but also received meticulous care from school nurse Janet. The friendship she formed with Midland's Assistant Head of School, Jill, continues to this day. Now my daughter is a junior in college in the US, and Jill invites her back to Midland to stay at her home every year. This helped my daughter get through the most difficult period of the pandemic. My daughter calls Jill "grandma," and Jill considers her a granddaughter! This is the reward of attending Midland.

Midland School is a co-educational boarding school located in Santa Barbara County, California. Founded in 1932, the school offers rich and challenging academic, community, and responsibility programs, with a curriculum rigor that helps students prepare for admission to the best universities nationwide.

School Advantages:

1. Excellent equestrian program: Students participating in the equestrian program can access Midland's 25-mile trail and join a horse camping trip in May.

2. Signature program - Outdoor Leadership Program: Students can develop various skills by visiting current beaches, coastlines, and nearby wilderness areas in the fall and spring.

3. The school implements small class teaching, has excellent drama programs, and advanced campus facilities.