Frequently Asked Questions

Each year students apply and enroll at all four grade levels. However, the primary entry point is 9th grade.

While Mercersburg has its spiritual roots in the Reformed or United Church of Christ tradition, the Academy has no formal relationship with any faith. Our school minister leads a voluntary ecumenical chapel service in the Protestant tradition every Sunday morning. All students are welcome, but attendance is not required.

Yes, most of our faculty members live in the dorms or in campus housing, while the rest of the faculty live nearby.

The school is closed during Thanksgiving vacation, winter vacation (late December through early January), and spring vacation (usually around the beginning of March). In addition, there is one long weekend per term when classes aren’t held but campus remains open.

Mercersburg is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools and approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Education. In addition, the Academy is a member of the National Association of Independent Schools, the Association of Boarding Schools, the Association of Independent Schools of Greater Washington, the Council for Spiritual and Ethical Education, the Association of Delaware Valley Independent Schools, the Pennsylvania Association of Independent Schools, and the Secondary School Admission Test Board.

No. All students who apply for admission will automatically be considered for merit scholarships, and students whose families complete the financial aid application will also be considered for need-based scholarships.

Yes. Every family must complete a financial aid application for each year of enrollment to determine eligibility. Changes in income, expenses, and assets may affect your Estimated Family Contribution.

Mercersburg’s first commitment is to returning students, but eligibility is determined annually. Changes in income, expenses, and assets will impact your Estimated Family Contribution.

Mercersburg imputes a salary for each non-working parent, excepting all non-working parents with children too young to enter school and/or non-working parents unable to work as a result of a disability or retirement. The impact of each parent’s employment status is considered on an individual basis.

When considering available resources that can be used to fund a student’s education, Mercersburg may consider a student’s savings, investments, trust funds, 529 funds, or any other assets in the student’s name, held for a student for any reason or restricted in any way. The general rule is that a student’s assets are equally distributed over their time at Mercersburg, plus four years of college.

The school considers all tuition expenses that a family has, including the student(s) applying for financial aid.

For parents who are divorced, separated, or have never been married, we require each parent or family member to complete a separate financial aid application. Mercersburg expects all parents, guardians, domestic partners, and/or stepparents to play an appropriate role in financing and supporting their student’s education.

Mercersburg offers college preparatory, honors, and AS (Advanced Studies) courses. We also provide independent and directed study for students who wish to take classes beyond the existing curriculum.

The college counseling program begins as early as 9th grade with optional programming, then steadily expands in 10th, 11th, and 12th grades with interests inventories, seminars, standardized test prep, case studies programs, class meetings, individual meetings, and more. Programming is also available for parents of all grade levels in the form of webinars and on-campus events.

No. We hold classes Monday through Friday, typically from 8:50 a.m. to 3:20 p.m.

The learning services program lends a hand to students who are struggling academically to develop study skills, seek assistance directly from their teachers, and balance academic work with other obligations on campus. We also offer a Writing Center, Language Center, and Math and Science Center staffed by faculty members and students.

Our dining hall provides a variety of choices through a rotating menu of hot and cold entrees and side dishes, along with a salad bar, sandwich bar, and soup bar. There are also options for those who are vegetarian or vegan and those who have gluten, dairy, or other dietary restrictions. Breakfasts and most dinners are served buffet style, while weekday lunches and Monday evening dinners are served family style.

No, although 75 percent of our students compete in at least one varsity or JV sport each year. All students are required to participate in a performance group activity (PGA) each academic term. PGA options include sports, theatre, dance, outdoor education, on-campus internships, and community engagement.

Students may be involved with meetings or activities for one of our dozens of clubs and organizations, or they may be competing for one of our varsity sports teams. Other on-campus events include movies, dances, and student performances. Off-campus events include shopping trips and outdoor activities such as skiing, biking, and hiking.

Maintaining high standards of safety is a priority at Mercersburg. Our Office of Campus Safety patrols campus 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

No, but we do have a reasonable dress code during the school day.

A boarding student lives on campus in one of Mercersburg’s seven dormitories, while a day student lives off campus, typically within easy driving distance of Mercersburg.

Boarding students live with a roommate. All dorm rooms are air conditioned, equipped with wireless and ethernet Internet connections, and furnished with beds, dressers, desks, and desk chairs. Many common rooms in the dormitories are equipped with kitchenettes, televisions, and computers. Faculty members and their families also live in each dorm.

In addition to scheduled vacations—Thanksgiving vacation, winter vacation, and spring vacation—and to one scheduled Long Weekend per term, boarding students may stay off campus for 10 regular weekends during the school year. Seniors may be off campus for 12 weekends each year. Students must fill out a weekend form and submit it to the Office of Student Life prior to leaving.

New students are assigned to rooms and roommates by the school, though preferences expressed on roommate questionnaires are taken into consideration. Returning students can pick their roommates, and their housing assignment is decided by lottery.

Yes. There is no requirement that day students live within a specific radius of campus.

If a day student is interested in becoming a boarder, they have the option of applying for a boarding spot. Decisions will be made on a case-by-case basis depending on family situation, dorm availability, and financial aid.

Day students are assigned a locker in the dormitory with which they are affiliated.

Recurring commitments can be challenging for a day student to maintain. Please discuss the situation with your admission counselor.

Pennsylvania law allows public school transportation for private school students; contact your local school district for information. We provide parking for students who drive to and from campus.