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Upper School (9-12)

A few important things to know about the Upper School

We’re built on relationships.

Education is a process, not an outcome—and that process is rooted in relationships. We keep our classes small, we hire teachers who are experts in working with adolescents, and we make time every day to come together in small groups or as a community. Our academic program works because our students are fully engaged with our community, because they’re seen and known by their peers and their teachers.

We start with a seminar and end with a capstone.

Ninth graders take our Upper School Seminar, an opportunity to set new expectations, refine study habits, and build community. Seniors take the Senior Capstone, a self-designed, year-long, research-driven project that applies everything they’ve learned in the Upper School: critical thinking, creative problem-solving, project management, research and analysis. Students identify their field of study at the end of their Junior year, and develop a research project written with the help of their 12th grade English teacher and Capstone mentor. These two important experiences frame the Upper School program and align with our Core Values of critical thinking, agency, and responsible action.

We create new and distinctive opportunities.

Along with leading schools across the country, we’re moving away from Advanced Placement courses—and developing our own advanced courses. Driven by faculty and student interest, our courses are college-level explorations of special topics, culminating not in a rote exam but in a student-developed project. We’re also launching an internship program, partnering with businesses and organizations throughout the region, giving students the chance to gain substantive hands-on experience in a range of fields. Like MPH itself, we’re not bound by limitations—we’re driven to create opportunities.

We prepare students to make the most of their college experience

MPH graduates are prepared for the expectations of the college experience, but we believe that college placement is not the end goal. We are focused on helping our graduates feel confident and equipped to make the most of their college education, helping cultivate the academic and social skills that will help them navigate the expectations and opportunities of the college environment. Our graduates possess an understanding of their unique learning process, the confidence to take academic risks, and a familiarity with the deeper level of study that college courses require. For these reasons, our graduates not only successfully navigate their college experience, they ultimately become one of our 5,000 alumni who hold fulfilling careers, and serve as engaged, contributing members of society.

There’s much more to know about the Upper School. Perusing the Upper School course guide is a good place to start—but the best way to get a sense of who we are and how we work is to Inquire to Admissions to start a conversation or schedule a campus tour!