Maine Central Institute

Maine Central Institute, founded in 1866, is located in Pittsfield, Maine. Since 1866, MCI has graduated thousands of students who have formed lifelong friendships with classmates and teachers and strengthened their connection to our school.

School Advantages:

1. MCI provides students with opportunities for vocational education through SCTC, as well as the chance to take college courses at local private and community colleges.

2. STEM is excellent. Students who participate in the weekly STEM boot camp gain knowledge on various topics from professionals and teachers working in those specific disciplines.

3. Aviation Program: Starting in 11th grade, MCI students can participate in blended learning courses to prepare for flight instruction, in readiness to obtain their private pilot's license.

4. MCI International Dual Diploma: CIA First International School (Cambodia) and MCI (USA) recognize the need to establish new partnerships and share intellectual, material, and human resources.

5. Arts are great. MCI's award-winning music, visual arts, and theater programs offer performance and non-performance opportunities for students of all skill levels, interests, and talents.

6. Ballet is great. MCI's professional ballet company, Bossov Ballet Theatre, provides ballet students with the experience of learning from and performing with dancers from around the world.

7. In 2018, the MCI Jazz Vocal Ensemble won first place at the Berklee College of Music High School Jazz Festival and received music awards in Maine and New England.

My child attended MCI for four years of high school, and I hope my experience and insights will be helpful to parents choosing an American high school for their children in the future!
When my child was in eighth grade, our whole family specifically traveled to the United States to visit several American high schools. Ultimately, we chose MCI, a private boarding school in Maine. 1. The biggest reason for choosing this school is its excellent safety and security environment. According to the data we found, the town where the school is located has a zero crime rate.
2. Many teachers at MCI are either alumni of the school or reside in nearby towns. They have a strong attachment to the school, possess simple and honest characters, and genuinely care about the students.
3. MCI's admissions director is Chinese-American, and gives special attention and care to students from China.
4. Each dormitory building has a "dorm dad" or "dorm mom" who manages the students and regularly inspects the dorms.
5. International students come from approximately more than twenty countries.
6. School finishes at 2:00 PM. Students who are not proficient in English can go to the library to find a teacher to practice speaking, or be paired with a local student for assistance.
7. Bangor International Airport is conveniently located near the school, making travel back to China very easy.
8. Students can choose to take computer courses at the nearby Colby College (ranked 11th nationally). The academic ability in mathematics is also very high. The clubs and extracurricular activities are even more impressive; in addition to basketball and ballet being nationally renowned, sports like football and golf also have very high standards.
9. SAT exams are very convenient, as they are taken at the school, and the SAT training provided by the school is also free.

MCI is truly a low-key school, where student attention is very high. Furthermore, there are Chinese admissions officers, and their feedback and care are top-notch.

University admissions received by Chinese graduates in 2020 include:
- Cornell University
- University of California--Santa Barbara
- University of California--Irvine
- University of California--San Diego
- University of California--Davis
- Brandeis University
- University of Wisconsin--Madison
- Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
- The Ohio State University
- Florida State University
- Rutgers University--New Brunswick

Admissions officers will be visiting China this month. Their detailed schedule is as follows:
[Shanghai] December 3, Tuesday, 14:00~17:00
Pullman Shanghai South, No. 15 Dapu Road, Huangpu District, Shanghai
[Hangzhou] December 5, Thursday, 14:00~17:00
Courtyard by Marriott Hangzhou Wulin, No. 28 Hushu South Road, Gongshu District, Hangzhou
[Shenzhen] December 6, Friday, 15:00~21:00
Marco Polo Shenzhen, No. 28 Fuhua Road, Futian District, Shenzhen
[Guangzhou] December 8, Sunday, 19:00~21:00
The Westin Guangzhou, No. 6 Linhe Middle Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou

The college's unique tree-lined campus features 4 academic buildings, including a new Math and Science Center, a 2300 sq ft state-of-the-art building with 14 instructional areas, two computer labs, a chemistry lab, and a botany area. On campus, there are over 210 computers available for student use. The library houses over 8,000 books, along with a computerized card catalog and internet access. Wi-fi internet access is available, secured by a firewall, and powered by fiber optics. Additionally, the school provides a high-end CAD lab. Athletic facilities include 2 gymnasiums with modern basketball courts and weightlifting equipment, fields for rugby, soccer, field hockey, baseball, a running track, a rifle range, and tennis courts. Nearby ski areas are used for ski competitions.

Featured Courses or Programs
1) Music, Drama, and Performing Arts
2) Classical Ballet - Boasts its own ballet company
3) Colby College (Top 10 Liberal Arts College) offers university credit courses
4) Humanity program - An interdisciplinary humanities program covering history, culture, and English
5) College Essay Program & Presentation - The final 10 finalists present their essays to the entire school
6) Senior Internship Program: A 100-year-old internship program through which many students complete pioneering works and creations.
7) AutoCAD (Computer-Aided Design): In AutoCAD classes, students learn to design 2D and 3D models for computer-aided design software. The purpose of this course is to provide students with the technical knowledge to interpret residential architectural blueprints, as well as the concepts, principles, and necessary techniques for creating basic and intermediate AutoCAD drawings.

The school's ballet program is divided into two tracks: recreational and professional. The school has its own ballet company, and professional track students, upon graduation, tour with the ballet company and apply to professional ballet academies.

Bossov Ballet Theatre. Maine Central Institute boasts its own in-house ballet company, a unique feature among schools nationwide. Bossov Ballet Theatre has been at Maine Central Institute for 15 years, providing students with professional-level training and a high-quality American college preparatory education. The company performs world tours annually, from Boston to Russia.