The Masters School

The Master school boasts an excellent location, making it highly accessible and convenient for students. the school offers a diverse range of activities.

Very good school. Beautiful campus, convenient location (we realized how privileged when we moved to college in other place). Friendly staff and my kid wanted to go back to visit them every year

The campus is beautiful, and our daughter has quickly made many good friends.

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The masters school is the high school which my daughter attended. All the teachers are very kind and the boarding faculty is great.

From 8th grade to 11th grade now, my son has been studying in a school full of love. Teachers are very meticulous and patient with the students. The students also care for each other. The school environment is excellent, and there is a strong learning atmosphere.

The completion of the school's new library and the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center building has significantly promoted the development of the school in terms of further improving teaching hardware.

This school enjoys a high reputation in the Greater New York area. It is a campus with various ethnic groups and countries.

My son is currently a freshman at The Masters School, and our experience so far has been truly positive. He often shares wonderful things about his teachers and the valuable knowledge he’s gaining in his classes, as well as his enthusiasm for the sports programs he’s participating in.

I greatly appreciate the school’s convenient location, which makes travel to and from campus so easy for families. I’m also especially impressed with the school’s new “no cell phone during class time” policy. It’s a thoughtful approach that encourages students to stay focused and fully engage in their learning.

Additionally, the Parent Association here deserves a lot of credit for organizing such a wide variety of activities. From the very beginning, we have felt warmly welcomed into this vibrant and inclusive community. It’s clear that The Masters School places a strong emphasis on fostering connection and support among families, which we deeply value.

As a boarding parent, I want to share my son's four-year growth journey at The Masters School, from 9th to 12th grade, as well as the campus safety and boarding life that parents care about most.

Masters is located in the beautiful town of Dobbs Ferry on the Hudson River in New York State. The environment is beautiful, the community is mature, and the residents are very friendly. Our child lived here for four years, and we have always felt very safe about the school and its surroundings.

Masters has strict and standardized management for boarding students. Students can walk to restaurants and supermarkets in town and move freely within a certain range; if they leave Dobbs Ferry, they need to report and get approval according to school regulations. Dorms have adult managers such as Dorm Parents, and student Dorm Proctors also assist with management. The school strictly prohibits drugs and other contraband items, with clear and strict disciplinary requirements. I highly approve of this approach: it gives children space for independent growth while also providing clear rules and safe boundaries.

When my son first started in 9th grade, he strongly resisted boarding life; leaving home and adapting to a new environment was not easy. But he slowly integrated into campus and grew to like Masters more and more. By 11th grade, he became a Dorm Proctor, growing from a freshman who needed help from seniors to a senior who could help younger students.

The growth Masters brought to my child was not just in the classroom. He participated in sports activities three seasons a year: Cross Country in the fall, Swimming in the winter, and Volleyball in the spring. Later, he became the swimming team captain and also served as the manager of the girls' tennis team. Long-term physical exercise cultivated his perseverance, sense of responsibility, leadership, and teamwork.

In sports teams, dorms, and campus life, he made friends from different countries, ethnic groups, and cultural backgrounds. They studied, lived, and competed together, learning about different cultures through their interactions and developing respect and inclusiveness.

Parents are also very concerned about school meals. My son and his classmates have always highly praised the Masters cafeteria, which offers a variety of choices daily, such as beef, chicken, and fish, along with hot soup and hot tea. In addition to American and Western dishes, there are also Chinese, Spanish, and other Asian flavors. For children living at school long-term, rich and warm meals are also a source of happiness.

From resisting boarding in 9th grade to genuinely loving Masters; from a freshman needing to adapt to the environment to becoming a Dorm Proctor and sports team captain – these four years showed me not just the child's age increasing, but also the growth of independence, responsibility, perseverance, leadership, and inclusiveness.

For our family, Masters is not just a school; it's an important place that accompanied our child through adolescence, gradually growing and becoming independent.

I am a graduate of the Masters Class of 2026. My four years at Masters have been incredibly happy and fulfilling. Four years ago, when I came to Dobbs Ferry alone with my bags, I never imagined these four years would be so wonderful. This school is incredibly diverse, with students and teachers from all over the world. Interacting with them broadened my international perspective and taught me many interesting things about other countries that I never knew before. The residential life at school is very rich, so there's no need to worry about not fitting in. Dorm supervisors and resident assistants provide very enthusiastic help, and dorms organize many fun activities to foster bonds among students, such as sports days, dance competitions, and more. My favorite part is the variety of off-campus trips the school offers every weekend. Far-off trips include going to New York to see Broadway shows, museums, and soccer/basketball games, while closer ones involve visits to large shopping malls, McDonald's, shopping centers, etc. Campus life is vibrant and never boring. The school's location is also excellent, only about a 40-minute drive from New York. The town of Dobbs Ferry, where the school is located, is very peaceful and well-equipped, with many sports fields, shops, restaurants, and a train station with direct access to New York.

As a graduate, I deeply miss the days I spent at Masters. I grew tremendously over those three years. The resources there are incredibly rich; as long as you learn to speak up and be proactive, you'll make excellent friends and enjoy wonderful resources. The dormitory atmosphere is also exceptionally good; you'll get to know almost everyone, and you can get along really well with friends from every country, with almost no barriers.

The Masters School is a top-tier private boarding and day co-educational school located in Dobbs Ferry, New York, founded in 1877, approximately 12 miles from New York City. The school is known for its Harkness table teaching, strong research programs, innovative curriculum, and excellent art resources, making it ideal for students with strong academic abilities, who are proactive in expression, and enjoy project-based learning.
School Advantages:
1. **Prime Location:** Extremely strong geographical location, adjacent to New York City, providing direct access to top-tier cultural, artistic, academic, and professional resources, offering natural advantages in fields such as business, media, art, and scientific research.
2. **Harkness Teaching Method:** The school employs a roundtable discussion-based teaching method, emphasizing critical thinking, expressive abilities, and classroom interaction, more closely resembling a university classroom model. The student-teacher ratio is 1:8, ensuring high levels of teaching attention.
3. **Outstanding Research Programs:** Offers a long-term research pathway, allowing students to conduct independent research under the guidance of mentors, and providing opportunities to participate in high-level competitions such as ISEF, GENIUS Olympiad, and NYSSEF, suitable for students interested in STEM research.
4. **Innovation and Entrepreneurship Programs:** Covers fields such as engineering, computer science, and entrepreneurship, emphasizing project-based learning and the development of practical problem-solving skills.
5. **Strong Arts Program:** Approximately 56 music, drama, dance, and other performances annually, fostering a rich artistic atmosphere. Coupled with the resources of New York City, it is highly suitable for students with artistic talents.

An excellent, small yet elite private high school, ideally located with a strong faculty, making it a preferred choice for Chinese students pursuing an American high school education.

The school's location is quite good, with a train to New York City, about a half-hour ride. The entire school is in a bustling small town, making life very convenient. The teachers all have high qualifications, many graduating with doctorates and master's degrees from prestigious universities. In recent years, the library has been renovated, and a new STEM building was constructed, addressing the school's previous shortcomings in STEM fields. Among international students, there are quite a few Chinese children, about 10 per year. Accommodation options include 7-day and 5-day stays, and the dormitory conditions are excellent, considered five-star level among North American high schools. The school management is strict and very safe. The cafeteria is very nice, much better than the food at other boarding high schools, with rice and miso soup. Every time I visit the campus, I make sure to grab lunch there, haha.

The school is conveniently located, only about forty minutes from New York Airport. The campus environment is beautiful; in recent years, a new science and innovation center has been built, and student dormitories have been updated, providing children with excellent teaching facilities and good accommodation. The school places great emphasis on the management of international students, helping them quickly adapt to their new studies and life, and children enjoy their learning experience here.

My child has been attending for over a year now and feels very good about it, loving his school very much. When I enrolled my child, the excellent geographical location, the ancient and beautiful campus, the responsible teachers, the dorm parents, and the Harkness Round Table teaching method all left a wonderful impression on me.

The school is nestled on the picturesque banks of the Hudson River, where its quaint buildings, bathed in sunlight, make every step a scenic view.

Masters School is a middle school that brings delightful growth to parents and students. Students here receive comprehensive development, embracing multicultural values, a wide array of sports programs, a high-quality student body, vibrant social activities, high-level academic programs, convenient access to New York resources, convenient transportation, a friendly and safe town, a beautiful campus, and a family-like faculty. During the pandemic, a child came here alone and quickly adapted to the environment, growing day by day, bringing pleasant surprises of growth every time they returned home. International parents can contact teachers at any time, and the school also regularly organizes themed communication events with international parents. Thumbs up for Masters School, may it continue to thrive!

Masters School is a middle school that brings surprising growth to both parents and students. Here, students receive comprehensive development, encompassing multicultural values, rich and diverse sports programs, a high-quality student body, vibrant social activities, high-level academic programs, convenient access to New York resources, excellent transportation, a friendly and safe town, a beautiful campus, and a family-like faculty. During the pandemic, a child came here alone and quickly adapted to the environment, growing day by day and bringing pleasant surprises of development home each time. International parents can contact teachers at any time, and the school also regularly organizes thematic communication events with international parents. Thumbs up for Masters School, getting better and better!

The principal's educational philosophy at this school is very inclusive and advanced. The entire campus is very safe. The teaching quality is high.

The school has excellent facilities, the teachers are responsible, the children are very happy, and they have made great academic progress.

My first impression of Masters School was enthusiasm. Every child and teacher had warm smiles on their faces. I felt that the children here had a high happiness index, and the teachers were very caring towards the students. Next was tranquility, because Dobbs Ferry is like a fairy-tale town, with the Hudson River nearby. The school is located by the river and connected to a residential area, making it very quiet and safe. I lived in the vicinity for a month in September, which is probably one of the most beautiful months of the year, watching the green foliage slowly turn yellow and red. The school has two large football fields, both with real grass. My child loves playing football, so they particularly enjoyed this natural 'oxygen bar'. The school's football team is also excellent; my child participated in many matches in the autumn and gained a lot. The school adopts the Harkness table teaching method, allowing children to experience a different way of classroom learning, where they can delve deep into certain issues. If they have questions about concepts taught in class, there's also 'x-band time' where they can seek individual help from teachers, which is very friendly for international students like us. The school offers rich course content, many extracurricular activities, and various trips, allowing students to experience diversity and broaden their horizons. On weekends, students can also take a train to downtown New York City (less than 1 hour), allowing them to relax after intense study.

My child joined Masters School in 8th grade and has spent 4 years there. He absolutely loves Masters School!
The school campus is very beautiful, the teachers are excellent, the educational infrastructure is top-notch, the teaching attitude is very rigorous, the curriculum quality is high, and the student atmosphere is very good.
The school board has a very clear vision for the future and is gradually realizing it. The renovated library, the newly built Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center (IEC), and the new music center currently under construction all provide students with first-class learning environments and conditions!
The school also offers a wide range of club activities, such as basketball, soccer, swimming, volleyball, fencing, cross-country running, barbecue, robotics, cybersecurity, and more, giving students a very rich extracurricular life!
The cafeteria is excellent, offering nutritious and balanced meals that fully meet the needs of children's physical growth!
Overall, the school is fantastic, and as parents, we are very satisfied!

This is a school full of positive energy. The teachers are excellent and loving, striving for perfection in their teaching, and caring for students with utmost dedication. Students are vibrant and enthusiastic about learning, full of anticipation for life. A positive and uplifting atmosphere permeates every corner of the campus, allowing everyone within to feel the power of growth.

Master is a very strong presence in areas such as safety, academia, environment, etc.

My son is currently in 9th grade. I didn't have very high expectations before, but after the school year started, I increasingly felt that we chose the right school. From academics to administration, from cafeteria food to dormitory management, and their attitude towards international students, everything has far exceeded my expectations. Thank you to all the teachers and staff at Masters School.

Masters is a treasure of a boarding school, offering single rooms for girls and double rooms for boys, which is quite rare among boarding schools. The school manages its international students exceptionally well, with great care and attention, and frequently organizes various activities. The school's academic requirements are also very rigorous, helping students build strong academic abilities. Its location is very convenient, situated in a safe, beautiful affluent neighborhood, and very close to Kennedy Airport, making travel to and from home countries extremely convenient. The school principal and teachers highly value China, regularly visiting China to gather and interact with alumni and parents.

I believe every mother accompanies their child into any school with a feeling of uncertainty, regardless of its ranking or how others describe it. I, too, sent my child to Masters with a critical and scrutinizing eye. After a semester of study, I feel my child is very lucky, and it was the right choice. The school is very loving, has correct values, and my child has adapted extremely well to it. The geographical location is also excellent; it's only a 30-minute train ride from Manhattan, yet the area around the school is very safe, being a riverside town. Overall, I am grateful for the choice to study at Masters.

Meister Middle School was founded in 1877 and is located in a beautiful woodland area in Dobbs City, boasting an excellent geographical location with 30% boarding students. The school is very close to New York, offering numerous trips to Boston and New York, and even many abroad trips to help students understand the world. The wife of former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger once attended this school.

This is a very, very typical AP school, offering a total of 19 AP courses, including English, French, Spanish, Biology, Chemistry, and more. The average SAT score over the years is 1350. The school boasts rich art resources and a very strong art program; students frequently participate in drama, musicals, opera, and other performances. Sports courses are also diverse and colorful; this school's fencing program is one of the strongest in the entire US. It features an athletics center of nearly 7000 square meters, 16 courts, and 5 sports fields. However, the school believes their Art and Science programs are balanced. School facilities are comprehensive, including a swimming pool and other sports equipment, with several buildings being newly constructed.

The school strongly encourages the cultivation of students' critical thinking, creativity, independent thinking skills, and a passion for lifelong learning, striving to provide students with a highly challenging academic environment.

First-hand information: Just finished a school visit. The school allocates 70%-80% of its spots to international students, with the remaining 20%-30% going to local students. This year, 6-8 spots are allocated to Chinese students.

Maister Middle School's educational goal is to provide students with a challenging academic environment. The school consistently encourages the development of students' critical thinking, creativity, and independent thought, and cultivates a passion for lifelong learning. School featured programs:

1. The Ethical Leadership Program: Creates an engaging environment for students and staff to gain a deeper understanding of themselves and their impact on the world around them. Through various methods, including self-reflection, current events discussions, and team-building activities, students begin to understand who they are and are empowered to pursue a purposeful life.

2. The Global and Civic Exchange Program: Inspires students to engage with and understand critical issues facing the world today, preparing them for a broader, more complex future. Through dialogue and experiential travel, students' current worldviews will be challenged and expanded.

3. The Innovation, Engineering and Computer Science Program: Aims to foster students' originality by challenging their thinking, strategy, and problem-solving creativity. The school offers courses such as design thinking and social entrepreneurship, engineering, computer science, and robotics, cultivating students' interdisciplinary entrepreneurial thinking processes while developing skill concepts and character traits.

Founded in 1877, The Masters School is a co-educational full-time boarding school located in Dobbs Ferry, New York, USA. The school is conveniently located just a half-hour drive from New York City and also a half-hour from JFK Airport.

The educational goal of The Masters School is to provide students with a highly challenging academic environment, encouraging and cultivating their critical, innovative, and independent thinking skills, as well as a lifelong spirit of inquiry. The school employs the unique Harkness discussion method, which develops students' ability to deeply understand course material, fostering collaboration and the expression of their ideas. The classroom atmosphere is active and opens up new perspectives, with teachers also participating in discussions and mentoring students.

The Masters School offers a range of required and elective courses in art, music, and drama. Visual arts courses for middle and high school students include drawing, painting, ceramics, 2D/3D design, sculpture, printmaking, art history, and criticism. In terms of sports activities, the school offers 15 different types of sports, with fencing being one of its stronger programs.

The Masters School continuously strives to shape and maintain a diverse community, encouraging students to actively participate in decisions that impact their lives and cultivating a profound awareness of personal responsibility when facing a complex society. At The Masters School, students can explore their interests and abilities in a supportive and encouraging environment, preparing them for future learning and life.

The Masters School data: 531 students, student-teacher ratio 1:8, 16% international students, 27% boarding students, 70% of teachers hold advanced degrees. The school was founded in 1877 and is located in Dobbs Ferry, New York, approximately a 35-minute drive from New York City. The school requires TOEFL and SSAT scores: TOEFL iBT 54+ for 9th grade, 64+ for 10th grade, and 79+ for 11th grade. An interview is also required. The Masters School is situated in a suburban area, spanning 96 acres, just 35 minutes from downtown New York City. The educational goal of The Masters School is to provide students with a challenging academic environment. For over a century, we have fostered critical, creative, and independent thinking skills, and cultivated a lifelong passion for learning. The unique Harkness discussion method develops students' ability to deeply understand course material and enhances their skills in listening, collaborating, and articulating their insights. The Harkness discussion method challenges students' knowledge, encouraging them to conceptualize topics, generate questions, and initiate discussions. This approach creates an active classroom atmosphere and leads to new perspectives. Teachers participate in topic discussions, guiding students. This collaboration strengthens academic rigor and core principles.

The Masters School believes that 9th and 10th grades are crucial for solidifying English foundations. To this end, the school provides a two-year foundational English education. In English classes, students will enhance their experience in critical, creative, and personal writing, and develop discussion skills and awareness within the Harkness teaching system. The school hopes to cultivate a sense of "gathering" in the hearts of 9th and 10th graders. In English classes, they will learn discussion methods and community service skills, how to pursue truth with peers, and how to adjust their behavioral patterns and habits when they encounter difficulties in their interactions. They will undertake learning from simple, additive writing to more challenging, structured writing. Students will begin to find their own style across different writing content and genres, ensuring their writing becomes increasingly fluent, comfortable, and stylized. Finally, they will learn how to refine and structurally polish their work to form a final draft. After completing the first two years of study, 9th and 10th graders will understand authors themselves and the characters in their works, master the fundamentals of close reading and analysis, and begin to form their own style.

Masters offers the GLOBAL AND CIVIC EXCHANGE program, which inspires students to engage with and understand the critical issues facing today's world, and prepares them for a complex world. Opportunities offered by this program include: living in a Tibetan Buddhist monastery and temple, where the school will lead students to participate in a two-week homestay program at a Tibetan Buddhist monastery in Lijiang, China; visiting advanced schools, where the school will lead students to visit some boarding schools in Tokyo, Japan; renovating kindergartens, where the school will lead students to renovate kindergartens in the Dominican Republic; discussing historical/social issues with political leaders, where students, accompanied by host families, will converse with political leaders in Santo Domingo to explore historical and social issues; and spring break abroad programs, where the school will lead students to travel to places like Cuba and Montreal during spring break.

Entirely self-taught

Masters School, with a history of over 144 years, boasts a unique geographical location, situated just 12 miles north of Manhattan in New York. The school also leverages New York City's museums, landmarks, and universities as much as possible to enrich students' educational experiences. Students can experience the rich resources and fashionable charm of a world-class city, such as watching the latest Broadway shows, visiting the Metropolitan Museum of Art, or getting a close-up view of the famous Yankees baseball team, which has over 100 years of history.

The school's Harkness method of teaching requires students to prepare thoroughly before class. During class, they sit around an oval table, engaging in active interactive discussions, collaborating daily in the learning process to solve problems, and exploring different ideas. In this way, students play an active role in their own learning and take responsibility for it.

Past students have been admitted to universities including: Harvard University, Princeton University, Yale University, Stanford University, University of Chicago, Columbia University, and others.

To add:

6. Innovation & Entrepreneurship Center: This center offers courses on design thinking & social entrepreneurship, engineering, computer science, and Zetetics, and has received multiple awards, including: multiple design awards for Best Engineering & Documentation; multiple championship awards, including state championships; Robotics Skills Champion; Craftsmanship and Innovation Award for Robotics Design; Honorable Mention: CREATE U.S. Open National Robotics Championship; for six consecutive years, at least one team has entered the top 20% of the M3 Challenge; one of only two teams to represent the U.S. in the International Math Modeling Challenge in 2018; Best TV Broadcast in the 2017 Agile Youth Challenge; 2017 Senior CyberPatriot IX State Champion, etc.

Engineering Aspect: Students use current 3D design and modeling software to represent and communicate solutions. The four courses offered are Introduction to Engineering Design, Principles of Engineering, Principles of Computer Science, and Computer Science Applications.

Through a partnership with Rochester Institute of Technology, students can earn college credits.

Design Thinking & Social Entrepreneurship Program: Through intense Harkness discussions, students learn about the entrepreneurial mindset and how businesses drive social change.

Zetetics Academic Enhancement Program: Focuses on interscholastic team competitions, not just mathematics. The program is interdisciplinary, primarily concentrating on areas such as engineering, mechanics, and innovation, and requires participation through an innovation, nomination or application, and election process.

Masters is only a half-hour drive from New York City and JFK Airport. The school boasts complete educational facilities, strong faculty, and adopts the Harkness teaching model, focusing on cultivating students' creativity and independent thinking skills. The educational goal is to provide students with a challenging academic environment.

School Features:

1. **Strong Fencing Program:** The fencing team is one of the best, having consistently ranked #1 nationally for several years. The fencing coach was a Spanish Olympic fencing champion and also the head coach of the Spanish national fencing team.
2. **Global and Local Exchange Programs:** These programs expand students' worldviews and foster global thinking. Activities include homestay programs in Lijiang, China, visits to advanced schools, and spring break trips.
3. **Rich Arts Curriculum:** In collaboration with Oxbow School, a visual arts center has been established, offering various musical instruments and different levels of dance classes. Students frequently participate in plays, musicals, operas, and other performances.
4. **Comprehensive Sports Facilities:** The school features five sports fields, eight tennis courts, a 75,000-square-foot athletic center, a six-lane swimming pool, four squash courts, two volleyball courts, and advanced fencing facilities.
5. **Emphasis on Developing Students' Ethical Leadership:** Numerous leadership programs and activities are offered, such as self-reflection in curriculum, case study leadership style exercises, and team building. Extracurricular activities include captain training, student leader training, peer leadership programs, as well as ethical leadership seminars and summer leadership camps.

· The fencing team is one of the best in the nation, having continuously ranked first in the US for several years.

o The school's fencing coach was once Spain's Olympic fencing champion and also the head coach of the Spanish national fencing team, making him highly respected. There are various fencing competitions in the US, and the school will lead its fencing team students to participate in them.

· The campus features five expansive athletic fields - Evans Family Field, Reunion Field, West Field, Pamela Clarke Field, and the Greene Family Field and Track - as well as eight tennis courts and a new 75,000-square-foot Maureen Fonseca Athletic Center. Architectural highlights include: state-of-the-art fencing facilities, a six-lane competition swimming pool, four squash courts, a fitness center, a running track, and a gymnasium with a regulation basketball court, two practice courts, and two volleyball courts.

· Zetetics Academic Enrichment Program

o In middle and upper school, the program focuses on interscholastic team competitions. Although there is a traditional math team, most of the program is interdisciplinary, mainly concentrating on projects in engineering, mechanics, innovation, and other fields.

· Early College Experience Program: The school partners with the University of Connecticut to offer college courses to 11th and 12th-grade students. Students can earn both high school and college credits from the courses offered through the program.

The Masters School fosters students' creativity, independent thinking, and perseverance in a challenging academic environment. The school offers distinctive academic programs and a wide array of extracurricular activities to promote students' all-round development.

Due to its proximity to downtown New York City, the school's curriculum integrates resources from the city center, offering numerous outdoor learning experiences, urban explorations, and community service opportunities. The school requires students to take a semester of public speaking, and by 10th grade, they must study world religions, exploring how various traditions influence culture, politics, history, and psychology, among other fields.

The school offers 15 different types of sports, with fencing being particularly strong. Students frequently participate in drama, musicals, opera, and other types of performances.