Mercersburg Academy

Mercersburg

Pennsylvania

United States

Overview

Why Mercersburg? Because Mercersburg Academy is a student-centered school that allows young people to define themselves through the establishment of meaningful relationships and exposure to a range of academic, extracurricular, and co-curricular opportunities. Mercersburg students actively and confidently experience the world both on campus and abroad. Mercersburg Academy believes in the value of honoring our past, engaging the present, and preparing for the future. Founded in 1893, Mercersburg Academy is committed to providing students with the opportunity to live and learn in a richly diverse community of 445 boarding and day students from 27 states, the District of Columbia, and 39 countries. Our beautiful 300-acre campus, which is home to state-of-the-art facilities, is 90 minutes from Washington, D.C., and Baltimore and within easy driving distance of Philadelphia and New York City.

Academics

Summary: Mercersburg Academy's education is second to none. You will work hard and be challenged here, but you won't be stuck in run-of-the-mill courses, and you will be surrounded by a uniquely supportive community of faculty, staff, and students. Mercersburg's rigorous curriculum is expansive, with more than 170 courses. You can shape your own academic path to pursue your passions and discover new ones. At Mercersburg Academy—whether in the classroom, in the dorm, on the stage, or on the field—the focus is not on teaching to a test. Challenge-based learning is central to our curriculum. In contrast to traditional pedagogy, we are preparing students for life in a diverse and rapidly changing world with 21st-century skills like critical thinking and problem solving, effective communication, collaboration, and information literacy.

Department Director

Student/Teacher Ratio: 4:1

Average Class Size: 11

Summer Programs: Offered

Full Time Teachers: 74

Number of AP Courses Offered: 30

Teachers Holding Advanced Degrees: 73%

Number of IB Courses Offered: 0

Learning Support

Evening Study Assistance
Subject Tutoring
Technology Center
Writing Center

English

Classics
Creative Writing
Honors
Literature
Playwriting
Poetry

History

Classical History
European History
Honors
Medieval History
United States History
World History

Foreign Languages

Chinese-Mandarin
French
Latin
Spanish

Religion / Philosophy

Ethics
Philosophy
The Bible
World Religions

Humanities / Social Sciences

Economics

Sciences

Anatomy
Astronomy
Biology
Botany
Chemistry
Environmental Science
Genetics
Health
Physical Science
Physics
Physiology

Math

Algebra
Calculus
Geometry
Honors Math
Statistics
Trigonometry

Computer Studies

Multimedia
Computer Science

Music

Band
Choral Music
Individual Instructions
Music History
Music Theory
Songwriting

Performing / Visual Arts

Acting
Art History
Ballet
Ceramics
Choreography
Dance
Drama
Drawing
Journalism
Lighting Design
Painting
Photography
Pottery
Production
Publications
Public Speaking
Sculpture
Studio Art
Theater Arts
Theater Design
Woodworking
Modern Dance

Special Programs

Study Abroad
Community Service
Exchange Programs
Independent Study
Leadership
Outdoor Education

Campus Life

Dorm Life

Number of Dorms: 7

Average Students Per Dorm: 0

Number of Girls Dorms: 4

Number of Boys Dorms: 3

Dorm Amenities

Game Room
Laundry Facilities
Lounge
Vending Machines
Wireless Internet

Other Dorm Amenities

Facilities

All-Weather Track
Baseball Field
Basketball Court
Fitness Center
Football Field
Indoor Basketball Court
Indoor Climbing Wall
Indoor Pool
Sand Volleyball Court
Technology Center
Volleyball Court

Other Facilities

Field House; Indoor Track; Squash Courts; Tennis Center; Turf Field

Clubs & Organizations

Amnesty International
Asian Club
Chess Club
Community Service
Computer Club
Debate Club
Diversity Club
Dorm Proctors
Drama Club
Environmental Club
Foreign Language Clubs
Gardening Club
Honor Council
International Club
Jewish Student Organization
Literary Magazine
Math Club
Model UN
Newspaper
Peer Counseling
Peer Tutoring
Photography Club
Snowboarding Club
Student Activities
Student Government
Student Publications
Theater Club
Yearbook
Yoga Club

Arts & Athletics

Arts Department Director: Kelly Dowling

Athletics Department Director:

Notable Achievements: 2 Academy Award winners; 54 Olympians (including 12 gold medalists)

Arts

Acting
Art History
Ballet
Ceramics
Choreography
Dance
Drama
Drawing
Journalism
Lighting Design
Painting
Photography
Pottery
Production
Publications
Public Speaking
Sculpture
Studio Art
Theater Arts
Theater Design
Woodworking
Modern Dance

Interscholastic Sports

Baseball
Basketball
Cross Country Running
Diving
Field Hockey
Football
Golf
Lacrosse
Soccer
Softball
Squash
Swimming
Tennis
Track and Field
Volleyball
Wrestling

Recreational Sports

Alpine Skiing
Alpine Ski Racing
Bowling
Camping
Canoeing
Dance
Hiking
Ice Climbing
Kayaking
Martial Arts
Mountain Biking
Outdoor Education
Rafting
Rock Climbing
Snowboarding
Table Tennis
Ultimate Frisbee
Weight Lifting

Graduates

College Information

Precentage of graduates who attend college: 100%

Middle Percentile of SAT Scores	Reading	Math	Writing
25th percentile	600	610	610
75th percentile	720	730	730

College attended in the past 5 years by our graduates:

University of Pennsylvania: 27

Princeton University: 31

New York University: 35

Tufts University: 16

Yale University: 17

Columbia University: 18

Brown University: 20

Georgetown University: 21

Cornell University: 22

University of Chicago: 24

Notable Alumni

Jimmy Stewart

Class of 1928

Academy Award-winning actor

Walter Farley

Class of 1938

Author of The Black Stallion

Walter Pae

Class of 1967

Inventor of the transplant heart pump

James Perdue

Class of 1969

Chairman of Perdue Farms

Jim Irsay

Class of 1978

Owner of the Indianapolis Colts

Josh Edgin

Class of 2006

Pitcher for the New York Mets

Vincent Rey

Class of 2006

Linebacker for the Cincinnati Bengals

Benicio Del Toro

Class of 1985

Academy Award-winning actor

Betsy Mitchell

Class of 1983

Olympic Gold Medalist

Merit

Merit Scholarships: Offered

Students Receiving Merit Scholarships: 14%

Average Merit Scholarship: 12,347

Current Endowment Amount: $397,000,000

Interested in Mercersburg Academy?

Vital Information

Student Body Type: Coed

Total Boarding: 372

Total Day: 70

Total Enrollment: 442

Boys: 217

Girls: 225

Boarding Grades Offered: 9-12

Day Grades Offered: 9-12

School Type: High School

Dress Code: Other

Applications Accepted: SAO

Application Deadline: January 31st

Tuition & Financial Aid

7-Day Boarding: $64,150

5-Day Boarding: N/A

Day Tuition Fee: $38,025

Need-Based Aid: Offered

Payment Plans: Offered

Students Receiving Aid: 50%

Average Awarded: $36,573

School Finances