Frequently Asked Questions
We know you may have several questions about the application process and life at Madeira. Browse questions by the following categories.
Academics
Q: How many classes do I take?
A: Girls take five classes a day, with a free period and a lunch period
too.
Q: What language classes do you offer?
A: We offer French, Latin, and Spanish at all levels up to AP. We have
recently added an introductory Chinese class as well. See language course
descriptions.
Q: What do ninth graders read in English?
A: We read all sorts of books for English-The Odyssey, A Separate Peace,
Haroun and the Sea of Stories. See English
course descriptions.
Q: Is there a placement test to decide which courses to take?
A: A placement test determines your class in math, unless you elect to
take the entry-level math class. A placement test in world language is
also required, unless you elect to take the entry-level class.
Q: Do students at Madeira have advisors?
A: Advisors play an important role in your Madeira life. You will meet
with your advisor, along with the other six to eight girls in your advisory group,
on Monday and Thursday mornings at All School Meeting (ASM). You will
also meet as a group on Friday mornings. Some of the girls in your advisory
group will be the first friends that you make.
Q: What do I do if I am having a hard time in a class?
A: There are plenty of adults around who want to help you succeed here,
academically and otherwise. If you are struggling in a class, or even
if you just want to talk a bit more about the subject, you can take advantage
of one of the two conference periods built into the day. If you need more
time, you can schedule time to meet with your teacher before or after
school, during breakfast, lunch or dinner, or any time that is convenient.
Q: How much homework is there?
A: For ninth and tenth graders, girls are given approximately fifteen to twenty hours of
homework a week.
A: Depending on your grade level, you may participate in some type of study hall during the week. Ninth and tenth grade boarding students are in monitored study halls, and older girls can be in their rooms or the library.
Boarding Life
Q: What is campus life like on the weekends?
A: There are a lot of activities on the weekend, such as mixers, Washington
sporting events, shows at the Kennedy Center, ice skating on the Washington
Mall, tours of the Smithsonian museums, or a Baltimore Harbor
cruise, for example. If you and your friends prefer, there are adults
on duty who coordinate dorm activities like baking, watching movies, having
a spa night, or playing games.
Q: Are freshman all located in the same dorm?
A: No, freshmen are spread out among three dorms. Many freshmen live in New
Dorm, but some live in North, South, East or West, too. Main dorm is normally
reserved for seniors and some juniors.
Q: How do you meet boys at an all-girls school?
A: That is a very common question, and a great one to ask! Feel free to
ask your tour guide, hostess or online Madeira buddy that same question.
Madeira has a prom, several dances and mixers, and coffee houses to which
girls bring a date, or a group of girls attends with a group of boys.
Many girls remain friends with boys and girls from their old school and include them in campus activities. Sometimes girls will attend
a school-sponsored mixer at Georgetown Prep, Landon, Woodberry Forest
or Blue Ridge, all-boys boarding schools nearby with which we sponsor
joint mixers and other outings.
Q: My friend has promised to come and visit me next fall. Is she allowed?
A: You're welcome to have guests stay with you on weekends. There are cots in each dorm so that she can have her own bed. Madeira day students
are also welcome to spend the night with one of their friends who is a
boarder.
Q: How many girls live in a dorm?
A: Each dorm has about twenty-eight to thirty girls. An adult lives in the house adult
apartment, and she is on duty one or two nights a week. The other nights,
teachers from the school who live on campus but not in the dorm spend
the night in the adult-on-duty room. It is a great way to get some extra
help with schoolwork if necessary, or just fun to hang out with your history
teacher.
Q: Do you get a chance to meet your roommate before you get to school?
A: No, you don't. We make room assignments throughout the summer, and
don't finalize these assignments until right before Labor Day. Every new
girl has a "SWING" sister who will be in touch over the summer-it stands
for Students Welcoming In New Girls. Of course, if you have questions,
you should feel free to be in touch with any member of the Dean of Students
staff.
Q: How much freedom do boarding students have in terms of leaving campus?
A: We have a parent-based permissions policy that determines the type
of activities you are allowed to attend. The Dean of Students office is happy
to help you and your parents develop an understanding of what limits are appropriate
for your family.
Co-Curriculum
Q: What is a typical Wednesday like?
A: On Wednesdays, the ninth graders are involved in a variety of short
classes on campus, which include subjects that help make the transition
to Madeira easier. In the afternoon ninth graders participate in Outdoor
Adventure. They might rock climb, horseback ride, kayak, or canoe.
All other grades are off campus. Tenth graders work in community service placements such as hospitals, schools, soup kitchens, and other service organizations. Every junior is in the office of a congressman or senator. Seniors pick their dream job--NIH, Virginia Equestrian Hospital, a major law firm or TV network, or some type of physician's office. The sky is the limit, and our full-time staff helps each girl find her best placement.
Q: Is it tough having a four-day class week?
A: Not really. Teachers and students find that our small class sizes and frequent counseling periods and other opportunities for extra help make up for the missing class day when students are in Co-Curriculum placements. And having Tuesday and Wednesday nights to do one day’s homework adds a nice rhythm to the week.
Q: Are tenth graders placed in their assignments or do we get to choose
where we might want to work?
A: You can choose. We give all of the students a list of choices, and they
each pick their top three choices.
Sports & Performing Arts
Q: How competitive is Madeira in athletics? I have played basketball
all my life and would love to continue to play.
A: We are competitive overall, and very competitive in the A Division,
which we won last year. Learn more about athletics
at Madeira
Q: Are there pre-season sessions for sports teams?
A: All fall sports have pre-season for three days in August.
Q:What fitness options are there if I don’t want to play a sport?
A: If you don't want to
play a sport, you can take PE offerings, including fitness classes, Pilates, and yoga!
Q: Tell me something about performing arts at Madeira?
A: We offer the oppportunity to sing, play an instrument, participate in a play or musical, or take a variety of dance classes. We showcase the arts at our annual Winterfest. Learn more information about the performing arts.
Student Life
Q: What clubs do you have?
A: We currently have thirty-six clubs. View
a complete list.
Q: I know there is a debate aspect to Model UN, but are there actual
debates or forensics teams?
A: We do not have a debate team or a forensics team, but Madeira is the
place to start one. Madeira does have the Junior Statesmen of America.
It is a club where we participate in conventions where students engage
in debates on all kinds of topics. It is a national organization. We also
host parties during the State of the Union Address or presidential debates
in election years.
Q: How would you start a club at Madeira?
A: To start a club you just fill out a club application in the fall. You
would find a faculty sponsor, decide what your goals are, and think of
some activities for the year. After about two weeks of school, there's
a huge club fair during an All School Meeting where you can learn about
every club on campus and sign up to participate (or recruit members, if
you're starting a club!).
Q: Are there on-campus volunteering opportunities?
A: There's the community service club, the Red Cross Club, and a number
of other clubs that have service activities. Learn more about community
service opportunities at Madeira.
Q: Do you have to be enrolled in journalism class in order to be allowed
to be on the school newspaper or magazine?
A: All you have to do is sign up to be on the staff of the newspaper. In addition,
many students enroll in yearbook, a course offered in the Arts Department.
Students learn layout and design and produce The Madeira School yearbook.