Current parents answer your faq

Dear Prospective Family, 

As February in California has opened with a soft chill to the air, most of us at Midland are cozied up with our wood-burning stoves and a cup of tea to keep us warm. We hope that your family is staying warm and healthy as well.

With just over a week until our application deadline (if you haven’t started your application yet, you can do so here!), now is the time to ask us all of your questions and, if you haven’t yet, to schedule an interview with us. You can simply reply to this email to do any of those things. We are always excited to chat more about Midland.

Our Midland parents are, too! So this week, we are excited to share some of their advice and perspectives on joining the Midland community. If you’d like to hear more from parents, you can watch this panel or even reach out to them yourselves

Enjoy!

Cierra & Lydia
Midland's Admissions Team

P.S.We can’t wait to see you at next week’s Meet the Students webinar. RSVP here!


How can I tell if Midland — and boarding school in general — is right for my child?

"If your child is asking for the boarding school Midland experience, trust them and their knowing of themselves and what they seek next for their growth. I believe that seeking this experience is a sign of their independence and maturity, a compliment to their home life and the people behind them. A peer of our son strongly suggested he should apply to Midland because all the boys there were just like him. She was so right and we are forever grateful to her in getting us to all think outside of our box! Trust, try it for a year. If it is a good fit, the experience  will warm your heart and grow your child in ways that we as parents all dream of!" - Aero, Parent of Mateo ’21

Students on the Farm

"I felt and still feel that Midland is the right place for my daughter because the philosophy of the school is a great fit with her personality. She is a hard worker who embraces needs vs. wants and I wanted her to be in a place that truly lives those values. Everyone we interacted with during the admissions process was genuine, kind and loving and this helped me emotionally cope with sending her away to school. I believed at the beginning that she was going to be well loved and looked after and in year three that still holds true without exception. It truly felt like Midland was the right school; the only hard part was the boarding bit. However, this turned out to be a blessing as I have been blown away by her independence and ability to do what is needed." - Emily, Parent of Taylor ’22

 

Students in Ceramics

How has your child grown while at Midland?

"She has a deeper awareness of her ability to help and has a drive to do just that, be that with household tasks, making masks for others or working to make the world a safer place for all to live in. I feel like the genuine opportunity to serve on a daily basis thanks to the jobs program has made a very positive impression. Her hard work is needed and appreciated every day, a fact that has helped her self confidence and sense of agency." - Emily, Parent of Taylor ’22

"We've noticed in our son that he's got more pride in the contribution he makes to his school community - yes, chopping wood and lighting the shower fire really does emphasize the importance of the part each of them plays!" - Robin, Parent of Jasper ’23

students in stillman

What's it like being a parent to a teenager that goes to boarding school?

students playing basketball

"Well, this question makes me laugh. Our friends didn’t even believe us! It was not part of our vocabulary or lifestyle. We were always encouraging our son to be self directed, so of course he did something we would never have come up with on our own as parents. It is a sign of empowerment when your child chooses this experience of stepping out of their comfort zone of what they know to attend a boarding school. I would encourage  you to be proud of raising an adventurous child." - Aero, Parent of Mateo ’21

"It's hard, but the most important thing is allowing your child the space to grow up and become their best self. Midland does this much better than most families can. While Midland doesn't take the place of your family, it allows your child to have a supportive and beautiful place that is their own, in additional to their family. This places gives them their own purpose. It's hard to explain this to friends and family, but after school starts and your child comes home and talks about their school experience, with confidence and excitement that I'm sure they will, the judgment by others will go away." - Cathy, Parent of Jasper ’23

students in a tree

What advice do you have for parents who have a child who has been accepted to Midland and they are hesitant about making the leap to boarding?

"Trust the unknown. Try it for a year. If it is a good fit for your child...everything else melts away!" -Aero, Parent of Mateo ‘21

students on the field

"One year at a time. We were very apprehensive of the boarding part of the school. In our discussions choosing which school to attend, we said the decision was not a four year one but rather a one year commitment. This seemed to take some pressure off. It is a really special opportunity to be able to live with your friends, cultivate your independence in a super supportive community. There is no micromanaging of your child's life and they get to really own and learn from their success and failures. They can do it, and it is so empowering." -Emily, Parent of Taylor ‘22

"It's a 1 year commitment not a 4 year commitment, and if you don't give it a try you'll never know if you would have loved it." - Robin, Parent of Jasper '23


Virtual Open Houses - Mondays at 4:30 pm pst and Fridays at 12:30pm pst

If you haven't yet joined us for a virtual Open House to hear what makes Midland a truly exceptional place to live your education, you have one week left to join us!

RSVP TO A VIRTUAL OPEN HOUSE
Monday at 4:30 p.m. | RSVP here
Friday at 12:15 p.m. | RSVP here

If you enjoy our Open House and want to learn more, be sure to sign up for last deep-dive conversation of the Application Season, listed below!

Meet our Students Wednesday, February 10th at 5 p.m. Pacific time

Meet Midland's students and ask any final questions you have about their authentic lived-Midland-experience this coming Wednesday, February 10th at 5pm Pacific time.

RSVP to the event here.

Following this Wednesday, we'll be putting a pause on our Virtual Conversation series until after our reading period. Stay tuned for more information about upcoming events in the following weeks!


Don't Forget! Upcoming Financial Aid Deadline

Midland offers need-based financial aid to meet the difference between what a family can afford and the cost of tuition. For the 2019-2020 school year, Midland awarded over $1 million in need-based financial aid to 49% of the student body. 

Our Financial Aid Application Deadline is the same as our general application deadline: February 15th! Please be sure to submit your application by the deadline  at the link below:

School and Student Services (SSS)

Want to know more about applying for financial aid? Check out this helpful presentation.

If you have any questions regarding financial aid at Midland, shoot us an email at admissions@midland-school.org — we're here to help!

Upcoming Events & Helpful Reminders

See all upcoming events and details here — we hope you'll join us for an Open House or Virtual Conversation!

As always, we're here to answer any questions you might have. Simply shoot us an email at admissions@midland-school.org or call 805.688.5114

We can't wait to hear from you!

February 15, 2021 | Application Deadline for 2021-22 School Year

Want to know the ins and outs of the admissions journey? Read about it here.

Interested in starting your application? Please use the below link to access the SAO: SSAT Standard Application Online (SAO) 

Images of Midland | Collage

ESTABLISHED 1932 | SANTA BARBARA COUNTY
COLLEGE PREPARATORY | GRADES 9-12 | BOARDING

    

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