Middlesex admits 18% for the class of 2028

The Office of Admission remains deliberate and selective in shaping the student body.

Photo by Sarah McLaughlin

While teachers, the administration, clubs, and teams can heavily influence culture at Middlesex, the Office of Admission makes an indelible mark on the make-up of the Middlesex community. In the competitive world of boarding school applications, the Admissions Office brings a diversity of perspectives and life experiences to the student body.

At the height of the Covid pandemic, Middlesex had an acceptance rate as low as 14%, where its test-optional policy resulted in a larger applicant pool. Across the nation, other private schools also saw an increase in enrollment, while public schools witnessed a modest decline. As most public schools shifted to remote learning, many private schools (especially boarding) held an advantage for continuing in-person classes, largely due to its smaller class sizes. This edge could have explained the increase in private school enrollment.

Nevertheless, Middlesex admissions post-pandemic steadied to an acceptance rate of 18% for the past class of 2028. As institutions across New England returned to a standardized testing requirement, students either without a test score or are unprepared for testing may have withdrawn from application. Still, Middlesex received about 1250 applications in the past admissions cycle. The international applicant pool, also, continues to be exceptionally competitive, with about 30% to 35% of total applications being international applicants. The easing of travel restrictions post-pandemic has also contributed to this high percentage.

Beyond the general percentages in the past admissions cycle, there were other notable trends in the student body. In recent years, the office of admissions saw a growing number of repeat students, with about 25% of applications being students intending to repeat a school year. At the same time, there is also a growing number of applicants who sought for specialization—those having specific interests in athletics, the arts, or an academic subject—at Middlesex.

Regardless of admissions data, Middlesex School continues to be deliberate and selective in choosing its student body. As the yield rate continues to grow for Middlesex, the institution remains a top choice for boarding school applicants. After all, as the Dean of Admissions remarked, what really attracts students to Middlesex–to convince them to say ‘Yes to Middlesex’–is quite simple: it all comes down to the “strong academic program and the single, unified, warm community.”

Sixing Wang