Randolph-Macon Academy

Summary: Practicing "Thriller" in the dining hall at night, hanging out watching a movie, bumming snacks from your roommate, flying giant styrofoam gliders, doing homework during a mandatory study hall, engaging in avid discussions with college freshmen who have returned to campus, laughing with your friends--residential life at R-MA is an extension of both the home and the classroom.

All dorms have two students to a room—after all, one of the best parts of boarding school is rooming with your best friend! The Middle School dorm has four hallways—three halls for boys, one for girls. Like the Upper School boys’ dorm, the bathrooms are community-style. In the Upper School girls’ dorm, the set-up is suite-style; two rooms (four people total) share a bathroom.

Weekly residential hall meetings address a variety of topics. These may include cyber-bullying, career choices, or college life. These meetings may be run by the adult dorm supervisor, a guest speaker, or students, depending on the topic of the evening.

Weekend trips include a variety of activities, such as: attending professional sporting events in DC; visiting area museums; local air shows; paintball; movie trips; mall trips; and theater trips. There are also trips to Busch Gardens, HersheyPark, and Kings Dominion.

Part of student life includes developing leadership skills and strong moral basis. To help students rise to become leaders of integrity, leadership challenge weekends are held twice per semester, with an average of 40 students participating in each one. The honor code—I shall not lie, cheat, or steal, nor tolerate those who do—is strictly adhered to, holding each student to high standards, building a culture of integrity.

Summary: R-MA’s college counseling office seeks to help each student find the “right fit” for him or her: a college where he or she will be successful yet challenged. The college application process is a team effort between the student, the college counseling office, the student’s mentor, and the student’s parents. The primary responsibility is on the student—for many of them, this is the first major life decision they are faced with, and it is important that they are immersed in the process, completing the work and making the hard decisions. At the same time, there is a safety net to ensure they make it through the college application season successfully; through Naviance Family Connection, students track colleges they are interested in, and also keep track of their application status for each college. The college counselor, mentor, and parents all have access to the system and can also view the student’s progress.

Students are encouraged to focus on the “right” college, rather than the one with the “best reputation.” It is easy to get caught up in the world of college rankings, but as a college admission officer at UNC Chapel Hill once said, “Those rankings are created to sell ads.” At R-MA, students are encouraged to consider what colleges offer the academic programs they desire, an environment where they feel comfortable, and opportunities that will allow them to experience new challenges and grow as individuals and team members. In short, they should seek a college that will help them continue to rise in Knowledge, Leadership, and Character.

The results of R-MA’s college prep program and college counseling efforts speak for themselves: graduating classes average about 70-80 students each year, and each class typically garners approximately 250 college acceptances to nearly 150 different colleges and universities, with over $6 million in college scholarship offers.

Summary: R-MA Summer Programs include an Academic Enrichment Camp for students entering grades 6-8 in the fall. Summer School is offered for students entering grades 9-12, providing an opportunity to earn credit in new courses or repeat courses. A flight camp and ESL are also available.

Summary: The Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFJROTC) at R-MA strongly upholds the core values of the Air Force by putting integrity first, service before self, and excellence in all we do. The JROTC program’s objective is to teach cadets about citizenship, responsibility, self-discipline, and character. Cadets are also instructed on the fundamentals of air and space in all their aerospace classes. The curriculum of the JROTC classes consists of the development of air power, human requirements of flight, the heritage of flight, and other aerospace teachings, as well as robotics. As a JROTC cadet, students will learn proper flag etiquette, basic drill and ceremonies, and military customs and courtesies. Students also effectively learn life skills such as time management, communication skills, human relations skills and management styles and skills.

R-MA's Air Force JROTC Unit has been recognized as a Distinguished Unit with Merit multiple times. A "High Flight" program has been added to R-MA for students who are particularly interested in becoming an officer in the U.S. military, either through attending a U.S. service academy or attending college an ROTC scholarship.