Northfield Mount Hermon Reviews

151 reviews

Great teachers. A lot of racial/ethnic diversity–not a lot of economic diversity. There's a big social gap between day students and boarding students. The school has struggled with racism and drug use. Many question the priorities of the administration.

Don't let the ludicrous complaints of a handful of students deter you from applying. Now, NMH was nowhere near perfect, but it will forever impact you whether you know it now or recognize it by the time you're 40. As a graduate I can wholeheartedly tell you NMH provided me with so many opportunities I'll forever be grateful for. Sure, the location is not exactly prime (the campus is GORGEOUS), and the administration could improve, and they keep you incredibly busy so you're always tired...but it's all worth it. It's important to get involved though as it is what you make of it. I've loved the people I've met (as long as you fall into the right crowd) because of their ambition which has only furthered my own. As a lower income student, NMH provided me with a full scholarship tuition and prepared me for college - I will forever be thankful for that. While I don't want to go back to high school, NMH has been my new beginning towards something more.

As an international student, non-negotiables like dorm life(homey-ness), culture/community and even food was what I was looking for when looking at schools which I found at NMH. I genuinely think that NMH has great support system when it comes to being so far away from home. NMH offers affinity groups, international student orientations and check ins, as well as celebrating international holidays like Lunar New Year, which made me feel connected to home. Also, the international student population is more diverse here which is evident through the different cultures, holidays, languages and communities within communities represented at NMH. The classes at NMH are similar to the ones back home in terms of rigor but the classes can often be very engaging and thought provoking because of the unique topics offered here.

Review Northfield Mount Hermon

NMH was the best choice for me. The caring faculty want their students to succeed at NMH and beyond. I have found my time at NMH to be very valuable. I am now very prepared for college and super grateful to NMH for that.

My daughter only applied to one boarding school - NMH. As I studied at NMH, I had confidence in the values of the school and that she would be in an enabling environment. Always a head of the curve, in late 80s the school was already speaking about climate change, mainstreaming in the studies the impact of humans on the environment. The work I do today (public sector lending in Latin America with a climate action focus) is directly related to the types of course I was able to take at NMH, such as environmental studies, Latin America history, economics etc. My daughter will graduate this year and I am confidence that she will be prepared as a person, with grounded values, in addition to the academic level to excel in the university.

Our son completed his first semester and looks forward to returning from break shortly. NMH has provided a great combination of high academic and progressive courses coupled with a strong support network to athletes allowing them the chance to develop toward their potential. Our son returned for break noticeably more confident, mature, engaged and responsible, and he’s found an interest and focus for college. While our son led the search and application process, we are very pleased with the investment in him.

My son is so so happy here and considers it home. Can’t wish more than this as a parent. Hand heart head philosophy is great for todays children….

NMH has been an incredible experience for our child. He has really grown and blossomed. He’s found new interests and made some great friends. He has had some wonderful teachers and support from his advisors and dorm staff as well. We’ve been thrilled with our experience.

come here! it's great! we only have 7 hours of homework each day! we are forced to do 30 minutes of sports every day so we don't die of being anorexic.

If you are looking for a down to earth school where the teachers care and the community is supportive, academic, and athletic, then NMH should be on your list. I am disappointed to see negative reviews of my school on this site. Coming to NMH has been nothing but a positive step in my life. The attentive teachers and administration work very hard to make NMH a comfortable and happy place. They very frequently will have events on campus to raise spirit and ease everyone. That, however, does not take away from the rigorous academics which are intense and manageable thanks to the college model academic system. I would recommend NMH to anyone who is willing to work hard and contribute to an eager community.

Northfield was a place where I learned more about myself. I learned what kind of person I would become when I stopped walking with Christ. I became more hostile, lazy, and irritable. I didn't recognize it until a few weeks ago. Since then, I have been trying to reconnect with Him and bring Him back to campus.
One thing I like about NMH is that the teachers are always willing to help you with any question that you may have. You can go to them, and they will either help you then or schedule a time that works better for both of you. I have worked with teachers before, and it has helped me understand the material better than I would otherwise.
One thing that I wish would change at NMH is the perception of Christians. Whenever someone says that they're Muslim, or Buddhist, or that they follow their tribe's religion, everyone rushes to question them about it. But whenever Christianity is brought up, they act like they have all of us figured out because of one person. We are not the same.

i'm a faculty kid, so take what I say with a grain of salt, as any boarder might experience things differently. However, having that "inside look" leaves the name Northfield Mount Hermon with a bitter taste in my mouth. Don't get me wrong, there are very good people here. I have developed close relationships with deans and made some of my closest friends here. However, those relationships were made in spite of how the school is set up. Most students are spoiled and will complain about anything. At times, they do have criticism worth listening to but that is overpowered by the school's sheer unwillingness to make change. I think you will run into these issues at any boarding school but if you plan to attend, just be prepared to search for a good experience.

Truly was scarred for life at this school. I attended in the early aughts. Academics were rigorous and engaging. Lots of different kinds of kids from all over the world. School was huge and students had negligible adult supervision which created big problems. Lots of drugs. Lots of sex. Definitely lots of non consensual sex. Inappropriate relationships between faculty and students. Hopefully things have changed but if you are a prospective family looking to send your child to any boarding school I would advise you to investigate the school’s history with sexual assault and see how they handled it and how those incidents inform how they approach sexual misconduct today. As a parent now, I would never send my children to boarding school.

This school has given me opportunities I used to only wish for. I am so grateful for how much closer I am to achieving my dreams thanks to the education and connections I have gathered here. While the school doesn't have as much funding or prestige as its counterparts, everyone here is dedicated to making the world a better place and helping each other reach their goals. It really is one of a kind.

I LOVE ITT!! it is an interesting school with different types of people, but everyone is supportive of each other

Met a lot of good teachers at this school, although many left by the time I graduated in 2021. Looking back, the CMAP program was definitely helpful in adjusting to college schedules! My favorite building was the arts building.

While I mostly enjoyed my time there, the administration are truly the down fall of this school. In the past year, an increase of very racist and transphobic events have happened on campus, and some were committed by administrators. The teachers have their students best interests at heart, but are shot down by the administration for standing up for education. Will this school teach you academics, sure, are there good sports teams, totally, but do not come to this school expecting for the social justice they preach to be a reality.

Review Northfield Mount Hermon

As an NMH graduate of 2022, I can tell you that NMH does not care about their students, their mission statements, and racist events that occur on campus. While the administration promotes themselves as anti-racist, their actions do not align. After being here for 4 years, and as a student of color, I can confidently say that NMH is significantly different from the way that they portray themselves to be; to say the least, NMH does not in fact engage their students with intellect, compassion, and talents, empowering them to act with humanity and purpose.

This school has been awesome. I absolutely love my teachers. It's like the least preppy prep school. One downside, though, is that there's a HUGE cancel culture thing going on here. To preface this, I'm progressive and come from a very progressive city, family, and school, but my god is it bad when it happens, and I've only been here for one year. Besides that and maybe like a couple other things, though, I love this place. It's extremely diverse (I find myself sitting at a table being the only white kid from the US who's first language is English often). Facilities are astounding, I've never been on a more beautiful campus, the social life is fun though many complain that it can be very dry and boring (though fun events start springing up more and more towards the end of the year), and I've got so many good friends when in the past I've always been a major loner.
Oh yeah one more thing, the deans are kind of jerks. They are very victim blame-y if kids come to them with a problem.

My son comes from a very rural community on the Navajo reservation and although he struggled with culture shock in his first year, he had various forms of support on campus that we would never have had any where else. He is in his second year and has found his niche as well as strategies for when he hits roadblocks in the future. The school has been accommodating for when we have had travel concerns and I know there is always someone who cares about my son. He comments on how even the dining hall staff will call him by name and ask how he is doing. I truly believe that my son is coming into the person he is meant to be because of his comfort level at NMH. My daughter will also be attending NMH in the fall and we look forward to continuing to being a part of the family.

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