My daughter is strongly considering Miss Hall’s School in western MA. It seems like a lovely school, with a warm community, and we really like what we have learned so far about Miss Hall’s, but we don’t find many references to it, or reviews on this forum. I would really appreciate if any of you has has more insight (positive or negative)? Thank you!
Our daughter graduated from MHS in '95 and then on to a 5-year degree in architecture at Syracuse. She’s doing amazingly well in her career, partly because of her early exposure to and experience with architecture via the MHS “Horizons” program (she was in its first year). The Horizons program is hands-on internship experience for the young ladies in “real world” work exposure and challenges.
For almost 30 years, wife and I have continued to support MHS for all it did for us and our daughter. MHS is all that you described, and more.
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Thank you so much for this feedback! I really appreciate it. Congrats on your daughter’s success! I am wondering if she felt at the time that MHS became too small for her after she had been there for a while? It is one of the smaller schools that we are considering. The size can be an advantage and a disadvantage. Thanks!
I’m interested in this as well. Could you describe the culture at MHS? Preppy? Hippy? Progressive? Conservative? Artsy? Sporty? Any description you could give of the student body and culture would be very appreciated!
Hopefully we will hear from others with more insight. My impression is that it is pretty progressive! The students seem kind and supportive of one another. Arts seem well supported. Not super sporty-competitive but my daughter is sporty and liked the emphasis on collaborating and enjoying the sport.
News broke this week that a longtime teacher at Miss Hall’s has been accused of grooming and assaulting a former student. I have heard that current students are being told they can’t talk about it on campus.
So sorry to hear this. Unfortunately this has been the case at so many schools. The head’s letter suggests she is seeking open communication. I hope so.
Our daughter graduated from MHS in 2016. It was a wonderful, wonderful experience. It’s a lovely, welcoming campus and community.
For reference, before choosing MHS, we visited Emma Willard, Ethel Walker, Miss Porter’s and Westover. Westover would have been our second choice. It had a vibe very similar to MHS.
Your daughter will find her tribe among the students, whatever her interests. Our daughter tried different groups before finally settling on the peeps who are still an important part of her adult life.
Our daughter was (and remains) an athlete; she played varsity in the fall, winter and spring, and later in college. Sport at other boarding schools (particularly the larger co-ed schools like Taft, Deerfield, etc. ) is a much higher priority so if she’s super keen on playing for a school where sports has the same visibility or higher than a large public school, then I’d look past Miss Hall’s.
But if your priority is the total package; academic, community, emotional support, development of self (self-esteem, confidence, self-awareness, etc.) extracurriculars, the arts, friendships with both adults and peers, the Thursday HORIZONS program to experience the real-world businesses and organizations, I can’t recommend MHS enough.
Our daughter lives in Europe now and sees MHS grads several times a year when they’re passing through. She’s also remained personal friends with many MHS teachers, with whom she’s dropped the Mr. or Mrs. prefix. Their relationships are now on a first-name basis.
Like Don Foster mentioned, my wife and I continue to support MHS because it provided such an important foundation for her to accelerate into adulthood, first in her undergrad path, then during two COVID-marred masters degrees and now as someone who asks much of the world and herself.
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