St. Mark's School

I have attended Saint Marks for two years and love it. I love the community in the dorms, and the friendships formed through sports.

St. Mark's School, founded in 1865, is a top co-educational boarding school serving students in grades 9 through 12. The school is located in Southborough, Massachusetts, just 25 miles west of Boston. St. Mark's has very strong academic capabilities, especially in STEM. The academic curriculum integrates classical liberal arts courses with innovative elements of contemporary education, helping students engage in interdisciplinary studies and fostering their critical thinking, communication skills, writing prowess, and research abilities.

School Features:

1. STEM Research Fellowships: Provide students with opportunities to deeply explore their specific areas of interest while developing the real-world skills required for high-level scientific research.

2. St. Mark's School values literature and writing, with a prominent classical education. In addition to Latin and Greek classical studies, the school has added Chinese classical studies.

3. The level of STEM education is particularly outstanding, especially the robotics team, which offers STEM-related research projects.

4. Lion Term: A three-week program launched in May 2017. Students participate in a form-based experience focused on the educational learning outcomes required for intellect, character, and leadership, as outlined in the SM2020 strategic plan.

St. Mark's School, founded in 1865, is one of the oldest private boarding schools in New England. It is located in a small town in the suburbs of Boston, a half-hour drive from downtown Boston. The campus is quiet and beautiful, and the buildings are distinctive. The entire school gives a feeling of being small yet exquisite, with a long-standing Episcopal church background. Directly opposite St. Mark's is the popular junior boarding school Fay School, making its geographical location excellent.

St. Mark's has very strong academic capabilities, especially in STEM. Its academic curriculum integrates classical liberal arts courses with innovative elements of contemporary education, helping students engage in interdisciplinary research and cultivate their critical thinking, communication skills, writing ethos, and research abilities. Starting in the fall of 2014, St. Mark's most rigorous courses have been Advanced courses rather than AP courses, with a difficulty level that meets or even exceeds that of AP courses. St. Mark's offers visual arts, performing arts, and music, and the school also emphasizes applying art to students' lives.

6. St. Mark's Saturdays: St. Mark's Saturdays provide innovative opportunities for students and faculty to engage in relevant, developmentally appropriate academic, service, character, and wellness programs. St. Mark's Saturday core and elective courses will run in three seasons: Fall, Winter, and Spring. Students will take a core course in one season and elective courses in the remaining two seasons.

7. Academic Symposium: The Academic Symposium aims to allow St. Mark's students to explore a complex global issue each year. Students will hear diverse perspectives from external speakers, participate in small group discussions, research and debate issues, and attend all community events.

8. STEM Research Fellowship: Provides students with the opportunity to delve deeply into their specific areas of interest while developing the real-world skills required for high-level scientific research. For example, five St. Mark's students received honors at the 2018 Massachusetts Science & Engineering Fair held on the MIT campus on the weekend of May 4th and 5th; in the 2016-17 academic year, over a dozen STEM fellows participated in challenging research projects ranging from neurobiology to computer science to engineering and performed exceptionally.

9. School Administration: The school and dormitories are fully covered by Wi-Fi networks, and there is a very comprehensive electronic information system platform. Students need to develop the habit of checking their emails promptly every day to avoid missing information about courses, activities, etc. The platform also has a parent webpage, allowing parents to view their student's annual schedule (including holidays, student activities, parent activities, etc.), course schedule, report cards, and evaluations from teachers of various subjects.

1. Historic Background: St Mark’s is a historic Anglican church-affiliated school, established following the model of British aristocratic high schools. All school buildings are connected, and they pride themselves on being a 'School under One Roof.' It has strong local ties, inherits the elite culture of New England's prominent families, and is a member of Saint Grottlesex.
2. Emphasis on Academics: Upon enrollment, students are first tested in mathematics and a second foreign language. Based on their test levels, they are assigned to different course levels, reflecting individualized instruction.
3. Prominence in Literature and Writing: St Mark’s places a strong emphasis on literature and writing, and its classical education is particularly prominent. In recent years, in addition to Latin and Greek classical studies, the school has added Chinese classical studies.
4. Distinguished Alumni: St Mark’s boasts many well-known business leaders among its alumni, such as Walter Robb, CEO of Whole Foods Market; David Gardner, co-founder of the famous American online stock analysis website Motley Fool; and even an astronaut, Story Musgrave.
5. Lion Term: This is a three-week program launched in May 2017. Students engage in a form-based experience focused on the educational learning outcomes required for intellect, character, and leadership, as outlined in the SM2020 strategic plan.

St. Mark's School is located in Massachusetts, near Boston, offering courses for grades 9-12, and is a co-educational school.
Its STEM education is particularly outstanding, especially its robotics team, which offers STEM-related research projects (STEM Fellowship). Former graduates have participated in the Massachusetts State Science & Engineering Fair and received the National Science Talent Honor.

Special programs include:
Lion Term: A three-week program held annually, with different projects for each grade level.
9th Grade My Footprint: Students go camping, focus on their surroundings, and learn about environmental protection and sustainable development.
10th Grade Community Engagement: Students visit local organizations to explore areas of interest.
11th Grade Critical Curiosity: Students visit various locations in the New England region and then begin preparing their own projects.
12th Grade Intellectual Independence: Students submit their own proposals and execute them.

Gray Colloquium: Each Gray Colloquium session explores a global issue, where students present or listen to different perspectives and opinions, participate in group discussions, write about, and debate the issue.

St. Mark's School data: 375 students, student-teacher ratio 1:6, average class size 12, boarding rate 75%, international student percentage 18%. St. Mark's School was founded in 1865, boasting a long history of 150 years. The school's motto is: "Whatever you do, strive to do it well." Centered around this theme, the school has consistently emphasized not only rigorous academic education but also the cultivation of students' abilities in various other aspects. Under the guidance of excellent teachers, students are encouraged to challenge themselves, overcome difficulties, temper their will, and develop their own capabilities. Furthermore, the school's proximity to Boston allows students to experience Boston's rich cultural background and vibrant urban essence, enabling them to better integrate into American culture and education.

St. Mark's School is one of the few schools that issues language certificate certifications. Students must study Latin and Greek for two full years each to obtain the language certificate. In addition to fostering language proficiency, the school has also established a 'School Year Abroad' program, where participating students will spend a year studying in other countries, learning within the culture and growing through their studies. Besides languages, the school has a very impressive music program, which includes various instrument performances, choir projects, and more. The school is very well-resourced in music, containing a variety of instruments, tuning, and editing equipment.

The founder of the school was Joseph Burnett, a wealthy man from the town of Southborough. From birth to death, from academics to career, Joseph always centered his life around his hometown of Southborough. Part of his initial motivation for founding this school was even for his own children, which is why St. Mark's School places such a strong emphasis on "Family." Here, it's common to find teachers who have worked for 20 years or more. The school pays very high attention to international students. In terms of applications, St. Mark's requires students from mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan to submit Vericant interviews. They have high requirements for the video content of the Vericant interview, not just the score. Academically, the STEM program is strong, the robotics team achieves excellent results, and the Lion Term program offers interdisciplinary and experiential educational opportunities that differ from traditional curricula.

St. Mark's STEM program is strong, and students at the school participate in competitions such as the Worcester Regional Science and Engineering Fair, Massachusetts State STEM Fair, Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair, and Massachusetts State Science and Engineering Fair, among others. St. Mark's students have also achieved excellent results. For example, in 2018, two 12th-grade students, Sophie Haugen and Sada Nichols-Worley, advanced to the International Science Fair at the Massachusetts State Science and Engineering Fair for their outstanding achievements. In 2020, a St. Mark's student was recognized as an outstanding representative at the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair.

St. Mark's School emphasizes global competitiveness and global citizenship. The school's ultimate goal is to provide every St. Mark's student with the opportunity to study a range of global issues in both required and elective courses, including political, economic, health, environmental, cultural, and social issues, as well as issues of perspective. Every St. Mark's student will have the opportunity to personally experience a culture unfamiliar to them, completing "learning by doing" tasks of intercultural understanding and difference.
St. Mark's offers a challenging academic program on the coast of Maine at Chewonki, open to highly motivated and academically capable upperclassmen. As a Chewonki student, students will live on a 400-acre peninsula, exploring rocky intertidal zones, sandy beaches, and freshwater streams. They can snowshoe along moose tracks, kayak to Hunger Island, hike the Appalachian Trail, or climb Mount Katahdin. When they see a bird, a flower, a tree, or a tide pool, they will be immersed in the surrounding ecological environment, broadening their horizons. In this process, students will discover that everything is interconnected. As students connect practical experience with academics, they will gradually come to understand the natural world.

The school has a strong STEM program. Previous graduates have participated in the Massachusetts Science and Engineering Fair and received honors such as the National Science Talent Honour. If you want your child to experience different cultures, St. Mark's also offers opportunities to study abroad for a year in other countries, such as language programs in Germany, and summer programs in Spain and Chile.

The school places great emphasis on the arts, offering courses in ceramics, drama, studio art, music, and sculpture. Artistic performances can be held at the Putnam Family Arts Center, which features a 500-seat acoustically engineered concert hall, ideal for music appreciation. Students interested in art can also participate in the school's annual trip to the Metropolitan Opera in New York to experience another level of music.

In terms of sports activities, the school's basketball and hockey teams have maintained an undefeated championship status for over 20 consecutive years. Out of 50 sports teams, 22 are varsity teams. The school boasts extensive sports facilities, including soccer fields, basketball courts, 3 gymnasiums, an ice rink, and a swimming pool.

The school emphasizes college placement, and college counselors work closely with students to assist them with college applications and plan their coursework for each academic year.

The school provides students with many leadership positions, such as monitors, prefects, and peer counselors, which helps students enhance their management skills and leadership abilities.

St. Mark's School is one of the oldest boarding schools in New England. The school has 375 students and 65 faculty members, covering 250 acres. The campus is only a 5-minute walk from the city center, making it convenient for students to visit nearby shops and restaurants. The school is only 30 minutes away from Boston, allowing students to experience the vibrant city on weekends.

76% of St. Mark's School students are boarders, with a total of 3 dormitory buildings. Students living in the West Campus will pass by the beautiful West Pond on their way to class. The school cafeteria offers many choices for students, and the bakery prepares fresh baked goods for breakfast every morning.

On weekends, students will never be bored, as there are many fun things to do both on and off campus. On campus activities include dodgeball games, lawn games, bonfire parties, and inter-dorm games. Students who want to participate in off-campus activities can go apple picking, visit a golf driving range, a bowling alley, and Six Flags. Occasionally, the school also organizes trips to Boston, where students can visit museums, the Natick Mall, and participate in town festivals.

Stepping into St. Mark's, the first impression is like being transported into Harry Potter's magical world, with a strong sense of British aristocracy. The school was founded in 1865, located in Massachusetts, near Boston, and just across the street from the famous boarding middle school, Fay School. The school is not large but incredibly warm and welcoming. The admissions officer, fearing we might wait too long, proactively invited our students for an early interview. During the tour, parents and students were separated. Our tour guide was a Latin teacher, who was very nice! She showed us the chapel, STEM center, art center, library... The school places great emphasis on literature and writing, with a prominent classical education. We also visited the classroom where this teacher often teaches. The school's STEM program is outstanding, especially robotics, and its arts and sports programs are equally impressive. The facilities and environment are excellent! There are 3 dining halls! Moreover, most of the faculty and staff live on campus, fostering excellent teacher-student relationships, and almost every one of them owns a dog. This school is very suitable for children who have been studying in public schools in China. Five-star recommendation.

St. Mark’s Lion Term project is a 2-3 week experiential program that started in May 2017 and is held at the end of each academic year. The purpose of establishing Lion Term is to enable students, as future citizens and leaders, to take on more meaningful roles. Lion Term provides students and parents with a learning experience different from traditional classrooms and weekly schedules. By discussing each topic through the lens of interdisciplinary and experiential education, students can also use this activity to develop their intellectual and academic potential, pursue and cultivate new interests, and make good use of local and global community resources. Lion Term has different projects for different grade levels, for example, 9th-grade students can participate in My Footprint, 10th-grade in Community Engagement, 11th-grade in Critical Curiosity, and 12th-grade in Intellectual Independence.

St. Mark's is a small but very welcoming school, located very close to Fay School. The school's science programs are relatively outstanding. At the same time, the school also places great emphasis on art education; students who were previously uninterested in drama even fell in love with this performing art after attending the school. In recent years, the admission trends for Asian students have been quite good, and our past St. Mark's students have received numerous acceptances from top 20 universities. Chinese students, including those from Hong Kong and Taiwan, must submit Vericant. The school has relatively high requirements for Vericant.

### Overall Situation:
- The school places great emphasis on cultivating and developing students' global awareness, offering numerous educational travel opportunities and integrating this philosophy into its curriculum and classrooms. For instance, the 9th-grade mandatory 'The Global Seminar' teaches students about the history, progress, current state, and issues of globalization, requiring them to analyze and reflect on these topics in conjunction with current events. Another example is 'The Gray Colloquium' event, which invites professionals from various fields to share their insights and give presentations, providing students with a deep understanding of current affairs and international issues.
- While there are no AP courses, the school's 'Advanced' level courses are comparable in difficulty to AP courses, and many students choose to take AP exams after completing them.

### Academic Strengths/Features:
- **STEM Research Fellowship Program:** Designed for 11th and 12th-grade students. After a highly competitive selection process, chosen students have the opportunity to conduct independent or team research under the guidance of school teachers and external experts. Over a year, they apply their learned knowledge to practical research and can participate in state and even national science competitions, which serves as an excellent avenue for academic development and background enhancement.
- **Lion Term:** A special two-week term offering various engaging learning opportunities for students of different grades. 9th graders focus on their immediate environment, going camping to learn about environmental protection and sustainable development. 10th graders focus on collaboration, visiting local institutions to explore fields and topics of interest. 11th graders focus on interests and learning, visiting different institutions in the New England area and then undertaking their own hands-on projects. 12th graders are supported in exploring their interests; they submit proposals outlining what they wish to learn and then execute their ideas, for example, some students have built boats. This four-year, progressively deepening process allows students to broaden their horizons, acquire necessary knowledge and skills, and ultimately complete their own projects.

### Shangxue Mingde Student Feedback:
- Both humanities and sciences are very strong, but sciences are slightly more prominent.
- English teachers are generally quite strict with grading, and writing assignments are relatively heavy.
- The school highly respects students' course selection preferences. Therefore, to enroll in desired courses, students must not only meet the school's elective prerequisites but also communicate extensively with the school.

As a current student at St. Mark's, I believe St. Mark's is a school well worth experiencing. The school's community is very small, with just over 300 people. This fosters very close relationships between students, teachers, and other classmates. Your teacher might also be your coach or dorm parent. Classmates you don't encounter in the classroom might be your teammates on a sports team. This small community at St. Mark's is its most outstanding feature.

St. Mark's has very strong academic capabilities, especially in STEM. Our robotics team frequently places among the top teams in competitions. Our humanities courses are also very rich and diverse, allowing students to choose courses they love based on their interests.

St. Mark's School is one of New England's oldest private boarding schools, with a history spanning over 150 years, and is also a member of the Independent School League for competitive sports. I once took students to interview at the school; its geographical location is excellent, and its science, technology, engineering, and robotics programs are outstanding.

Strong in sciences, the school's STEM Research Scholarships provide students with opportunities to deeply explore areas of their own interest while developing skills required for advanced scientific research.

In the spring of 2014, St. Mark's STEM Fellows first presented their research findings at MIT's Massachusetts Annual Science & Engineering Fair. Over 400 projects were selected, and 20% of them received various special honors.

The school offers courses that teach students how to read Greek and Latin literature in their original texts.

The school has global programs to cultivate students' global perspective, and teachers also lead students on trips abroad.

The school focuses on developing students' leadership skills, and students have opportunities to take on leadership roles within the school.

A strong sports school, ice hockey and lacrosse are among the school's strengths.

The arts program is also excellent, with the school holding multiple drama performances each semester.

➢Small and exquisite campus environment, with harmonious student-teacher relationships, a school that highly values students' living and learning experiences.
➢Very popular among Chinese families, and the school is also very attentive to Chinese international students.
➢Hopes students will challenge their limits more, and in the process of challenging, discover their own shortcomings.
➢Among the top boarding high schools in Massachusetts, it is one of the few science-oriented schools, particularly fond of students excellent in STEM fields.
➢STEM, Robotics, and Literature are the school's academic strengths.
➢Extremely high English proficiency requirements, including daily communication and essay writing.
➢No AP courses.
➢Emphasizes applying art to daily life, with interdisciplinary projects combining art and science, such as mathematical music.
➢Encourages students to participate in a variety of art activities and to delve deeply into each activity they join, rather than just simply experiencing them.
➢The school has multiple drama performances each semester.
➢Compared to athletic achievements, the school hopes students can develop strong physiques and resilient spirits by participating in sports activities.
➢Ice hockey and lacrosse are the school's strong sports.

I feel that the school pays a high level of attention to new international students, with an email almost every one or two days. They are also very responsive, answering all questions from parents and children promptly. The school arranged various online activities for students and families to get a comprehensive understanding of the school. Overall, it feels very thoughtful and well-executed! As a new student family, we feel very warm and valued!

Following the COVID-19 outbreak in the U.S., courses were moved online, students were assisted in finding host families, and international students were advised to return home, but the overall response process was slow.

SMS is a traditional Catholic boarding high school located 20 miles west of Boston in the New England region. It has 364 students, with 75% boarding and an international student ratio of 19%. 90% of the teachers live on campus, providing students with more opportunities for interaction with faculty. The school currently employs its self-developed advanced curriculum, which is highly challenging. For the 2019-2020 admissions, the average TOEFL score for accepted Chinese students was 111, and their average SSAT score was 85%. The school seeks students who have outstanding academic performance, are honest and confident, possess strong learning abilities, critical thinking, versatility, strong problem-solving skills, excellent communication abilities, and are good listeners.

St. Mark's School boasts an excellent location near Boston, allowing students to experience Boston's rich cultural heritage and vibrant urban life, enabling them to better integrate into American culture and education. The school offers private art tutoring services. The student-teacher relationships are close and harmonious, much like a big family. Every day, students attend classes in the main building, dine and socialize in the refectory, and participate in community-building activities such as weekend events and bi-weekly all-school meetings. Just a few steps across the quad is Belmont Chapel, where students can reflect on fundamental questions. Nearby, there is an arts center where student concerts and theatrical productions can be watched, as well as the Michelle Athletic Center and numerous sports fields, hosting many exciting sports competitions. Students and staff frequently interact, fostering a sense of comfort and creating the feeling that the school community is indeed a family. The school places a strong emphasis on academics, tailoring teaching to individual student needs. Science courses are taught using diverse methods, including investigations, lab design, presentations, collaborative research, problem-based learning, case studies, simulations, and scientific writing.