School Profile

Brief History

• Founded by Lucy Madeira in Washington, D.C. in 1906
• Relocated to McLean, Virginia, in 1931
• Instituted a unique Co-Curriculum program in 1966
• Appointed Head of School Pilar Cabeza de Vaca in 2010

Location and Campus

• A 376-acre campus in McLean, Virginia, just outside Washington, D.C.
• Encompasses a student center, classroom buildings, art and dance studios, dormitories and faculty housing, a 590-seat auditorium, indoor and outdoor athletic facilities, playing fields, horse stable, indoor riding ring, indoor pool, and the Inner Quest ropes challenge course
• Overlooks the Potomac River

Academics

• Curricular integration across science, technology, arts, mathematics, literature, history, and world languages
• Co-Curriculum emphasizing real-world experience and applied learning
• College-level mathematics beyond AP Calculus BC 

In 2012, 126 Madeira girls took 251 exams in 21 subject areas, and once again, the Madeira students who took these exams did very well. In the words of the College Board, “the percentage of total AP Students with Scores 3+ at Madeira was 91.3 percent.” For the five-year period spanning 2008-2012, the percentage of Madeira students who earned scores of 3 or above on their AP exams hovered between 87.4 and 93.8 percent. In the state of Virginia, during the same five-year period, according to College Board statistics, 62 percent to 64.4 percent of the students who took AP exams earned scores of 3 or better; globally the percentage of “total AP students with scores of 3 or above” ranged between 60 and 62 percent.

Co-Curriculum 

Madeira’s Co-Curriculum Program, winner of the prestigious National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) 2003 Leading Edge Award, is now more than 40 years old. See the Co-Curriculum pages for grade-by-grade program details.  

Students

• Total number of students in 2014-2015: 309 
• Countries represented: 14
• States represented, including the District of Columbia: 18
• 52% boarding students
• 48% day students
• 32% students of color
• 16% international students

Faculty

• 37 faculty members 
• Student-faculty ratio of 8:1
• Average class size of 12
• 32 faculty members with master’s degree or higher
• 35 housing units for faculty/staff 

Student Life

• Welcoming community of day students and boarders from across the country and around the world
• Beautiful campus with spaces for fine and performing arts and indoor and outdoor athletics and access to Washington, D.C., for excursions
• 50+ student-run clubs and activities including political, cultural, arts, and media organizations all offering opportunities to build relationships and gain leadership experience
• Boarding students living in six dormitories housing around 25 students each and a dorm faculty of four
• Expansive Student Center with lounge area, pool table, and basement with snack bar, mailroom, and lockers for day students
• Dining plan that brings faculty and students together – day girls and boarders alike –for breakfast, lunch, and dinner

Athletics

• 12 interscholastic team sports include cross country, field hockey, soccer, volleyball, tennis, basketball, squash, swimming and diving, lacrosse, softball, and track and field
• Competitive horseback riding in all seasons
• Independent School League (ISL) competition

College Counseling

A natural consequence of a quality secondary education is college admission. Madeira’s College Counseling program is designed to ensure successful transition from the secondary school experience to a variety of post-secondary options. Madeira students have a variety of options, including Ivy League universities, highly selective liberal arts colleges, and universities around the country and the world. Recent college destinations include schools such as American University, Barnard College, Bates College, Boston College, Bucknell University, Carnegie Mellon University, Colby College, Colgate University, Columbia University, Cornell University, Duke University, George Washington University, Georgetown University, Kenyon College, Lafayette College, McGill University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, New York University, the University of Pennsylvania, Princeton University, Reed College, Sarah Lawrence College, Savannah College of Art and Design, Swarthmore College, Tulane University, University of Virginia, Washington University in St. Louis, Wellesley College, Wesleyan University, and the College of William and Mary, among others.

Tuition and Financial Aid

Cost of Attendance (2015–2016)

• Comprehensive boarding fee: $56,191
• Comprehensive day student fee: $42,224

Financial Aid 

• 26% of students receive Madeira financial assistance
• Total aid available: $2,776,000
• Average grant size: $33,964

Accreditation 

• Virginia Association of Independent Schools (VAIS)

Memberships

• Association of College Counselors at Independent Schools (ACCIS)
• National Association of College Admission Counseling (NACAC)
• Potomac and Chesapeake Association of College Admission Counseling (PCACAC)
• THE COLLEGE BOARD
• National Association of Independent Schools
• The Association of Boarding Schools