“Many high schoolers spend their Friday nights at ragers or strip malls. I prefer the shooting stars over my head, the crackling warmth of a campfire, and the satisfying crunch of a freshly fried potato,” writes Amelie, a rising Midland junior.
Parents of middle schoolers know how different adolescence feels today. Phones and social media dominate attention. Pressure mounts. Families want reassurance that their children will not only be ready for selective colleges but also confident, balanced, and resilient.
Midland School in Los Olivos was founded on the belief that teenagers thrive when they are known, needed, and challenged. Nearly a century later, that philosophy remains at the heart of its fully accredited, 100 percent boarding, college-preparatory program.
Academics That Open Doors
Midland’s classrooms are small and discussion-driven, with a five-to-one student-to-teacher ratio. Faculty teach, mentor, and advise, guiding students through both traditional and experiential academics like writing workshops, original Statistics projects, and science fieldwork. Students track water through the Alamo Pintado creek after storms, analyze California’s indigenous history on the land itself, and build mountain biking trails they later ride.
Midland 101, a UC-accredited blended science and history course where they learn field research, land stewardship, and collaborative problem-solving—skills that anchor their academic and personal growth. (Midland School Photo)
The outcomes are clear: not only do graduates go on to find success in institutions such as Stanford, Harvard, UC Berkeley, Middlebury, Whitman, and UC Santa Barbara; they find that Midland was the defining experience that set them apart. Because of four years building skills like craftsmanship and problem solving, they are equipped not just to ace tests, but to adapt their learning to novel contexts and problems.
“We face a future shaped by climate change, economic shifts, political polarization, and emerging technologies like AI. To prepare the next generation, education must prioritize transferrable skills—self-awareness, collaboration, critical thinking, communication—over outdated measures of success. Midland’s skills-driven, community-centered, experiential program is a model for this shift.” — Ellie Moore, Associate Head of School
Teens Who Are Known and Needed
What makes Midland distinctive is how learning is woven into daily life. Students live in cabins with faculty homes close by. They put away their phones and build face-to-face community. Each contributes: building fires to heat winter classrooms, singing alongside peers as they clean up dishes from a meal, tending the ten-acre farm and garden that provide more than half the school’s food, or caring for horses in the twenty-horse herd that lives on campus.
“Midland isn’t just a school. It’s real life, and it’s helping me become someone I’m proud of,” says Pyp, a rising Midland junior.
Who Thrives at Midland
The students who choose Midland are curious thinkers and active learners. They don’t just want to learn to navigate the world around them, they want to hone the skills to change it for the better. They are willing to live inside big questions, to build belonging as well as find it. As one current Midlander put it, “Midland challenges you in the best way.”
Affordability Meets Excellence
Midland is committed to ensuring this education is possible for a wide range of families. Robust financial assistance makes the Midland experience accessible to mission-fit students from diverse backgrounds.
Raising Resilient Teens — A Virtual Event Series
The questions Midland families are asking are the same ones many parents in the community are wrestling with: how to raise thriving teenagers in a challenging world, how to help them find belonging and purpose, and how to prepare them for life beyond high school.
This fall, Midland is hosting a free online series of conversations for parents exploring mental well-being, belonging, and preparation for life after high school. The second session, “Raising Resilient Teens: The Power of Connection,” will be led by Head of School Hannah Nelson and Dean of Residential Life Taylor Replane on October 21st at 5pm PST.
Parents are invited to join, learn, and connect. Details and registration are available HERE. Email Cierra Rickman, crickman@midland-school.org for more information or to schedule a campus visit.