Contributed
Midland School in Los Olivos has been ranked the second-best private high school in Santa Barbara County, following only Cate School at No. 1, by Niche, a ranking and review site for colleges, K-12 schools, workplaces and neighborhoods.
According to Niche, “The 2020 Best Private High Schools ranking is based on rigorous analysis of key statistics and millions of reviews from students and parents. Ranking factors include SAT/ACT scores, the quality of colleges that students consider, student-teacher ratio, private school ratings, and more. Data (is) sourced from the U.S. Department of Education, Niche users, and the schools directly.”
In the ranking, Midland stands out for its 4 to 1 student-faculty ratio, student body diversity, and its experiential and place-based college preparatory curriculum, a Midland spokesman noted.
One anonymous parent review on Midland’s Niche profile reads: “We chose Midland over very high-quality choices in Silicon Valley because of its strong ethos of grit, self-reliance, community, connectedness and most of all experiential learning in a breath-taking natural setting. In this day and age, even the most progressive high schools have become pressure cookers for teens. Add to this, a mix of unguided use of technology in the hands of young teens. They have few outlets and depth of connection.
“We found Midland’s strong focus on experiential learning, a jobs program and intentional use of technology as optimally geared to support adolescents through these years of transition towards adulthood. Within and beyond academics. They do this by providing students with the right amount of independence, community and responsibility, such that it develops grit and intrinsic drive not only towards academics but towards their daily community goals- small or large. Achievement is an outcome of these strong values.”
For more information, go to midland-school.org.
