"I believe my education at MPA prepared me, both intellectually and mentally, to delve into any field of study," writes Michael Herman, MPA 2005.  "Because of this, I will leave college with both a breadth and depth of knowledge surpassing most students."

Michael wrote to me this week because he heard that we were considering adding more APs to our Upper School curriculum and he wanted to challenge us on the point.  In fact, while we are considering adding an honors component to Upper School English and history, we are not considering new AP courses.  No matter.  Michael's letter stands on its own as a compelling case for the MPA way and for the incredible quality of the teaching here.

Any parent who makes the considerable investment in an MPA education and wonders where it is all leading should read what Michael has to say.  I share these extensive excerpts from an even longer letter with his permission:

"I'd like to offer my perspective as a student pursuing a B.S. in economics, a relatively math-intensive degree, and political science at The George Washington University in Washington, D.C.  I know people who came into college with AP credits from Calc I, Calc II, Statistics and Economics.  They essentially completed the basic criteria for a degree before taking a single class.  Admittedly, when I began my studies, I was jealous of their instant progress.  The only AP course I took at MPA was Calculus and I did not score high enough to opt-out of the course in college.

"But college math courses and MPA's math courses are very different.  It has been my experience that college mathematics takes a far more rote educational approach than we had in Theresa Reardon-Offerman's class.  Students get by simply by memorizing the correct equations and applying them accordingly come test time. Many of my professors speak little English and lack both the ability and the willingness to explain where the equations come from and why they work.  Those that teach the logic behind the practice do so poorly.  Their teaching abilities pale in comparison to Ms. Reardon-Offerman's and, in consequence, only the most mathematically prone students understand the material with a proper depth.

"My experience in 12th grade Calculus was very different.  True, it was a slower approach.  There were topics in my Freshman Calc I course that we never covered in MPA's AP Calc.  But I felt I understood the underlying logic of Calculus better than most.  More importantly, I was able to apply it outside of problems in the book.  This, more than anything else, has helped me study economics.  The mathematics of economics consists of analyzing and understanding graphs, rates of change, the meaning of curves at certain points, and so forth.  I found that my deeper understanding of Calculus not only helped me learn the equations but understand what real-world phenomena the mathematical logic represented.  In short, I knew how to apply calculus in all situations, not just to solve certain equations.  I owe this deeper understanding to my education at MPA.  While I may not have entered college with copious AP credits, my understanding and confidence with subjects exceeded most students.  I fear no course in mathematics no matter how rigorous.  I feel adequately prepared to learn and understand the material.

"Regarding writing and reading abilities, everyone I know who graduated from MPA agrees that we out-write and out-read most students by leaps and bounds.  This became apparent to me during my first semester Freshman year.  I took an Introductory History of Philosophy course, at the end of which I was required to write a research paper on an issue of my choice.  When I met with my professor to pick up the graded paper, he said he was astounded with its quality, that it was essentially graduate work and showed ability beyond most students.  He then offered to write me a recommendation, which later helped me attain a paid internship with the Department of Defense.

"I can contribute every academic success in that class to my MPA education.  Though reading countless arcane philosophical texts seems daunting to most, having been through Richard Meacock's 10th grade English course, I didn't find it difficult. Researching and writing a 20-page paper - also a new task for a Freshman - was likewise easy after Erica Utgaard's (Brewinski) Western Civ course and Maureen Conway's infamous History Project.

"I believe my education at MPA prepared me, both intellectually and mentally, to delve into any field of study.  Because of this, I will leave college with both a breadth and depth of knowledge surpassing most students.  And it has been my experience both inside and outside of academia that this will better prepare me for graduate school and make me more competitive in the work force.

"It is because of MPA that I'm willing to take classes I'm not familiar with.  In fact, I enjoy learning the most when I'm immersed in new and different material.  Mounds Park's motto is that 'We don't teach students what to think. We teach them how.' Like all mottos, this becomes a tired phrase and the truth behind it obscured by constant use.  However, I cannot stress enough that not only is this true, it is fundamental to MPA's astounding quality of education.

"At Mounds Park, I was forced to undertake difficult tasks and learn challenging material that I otherwise would have avoided.  Because of the outstanding quality of teaching MPA has to offer, I not only learned the material, I enjoyed learning it.  When I arrived at college, I found I could think about Economics and not only understand the mathematical logic behind it but what that logic represents.  I could think about political events and relate them to my vast understanding of 20th century US History.  I had learned how to analyze arguments, how to present them for crowds, how to write them down effectively and powerfully. MPA taught me that I can 'learn how to think' about a variety of subjects.  And while most students fear alien concepts and difficult coursework, MPA made me fearless.

"Education is supposed to prepare you for the world.  It may be true that AP courses will help students gain acceptance to a 'better' college, receive a 'better' higher education, and thus better accomplish this purpose.  But in my experience, the quality of education one receives in college is predicated upon one's willingness to learn and to challenge oneself.  I don't attend a 'top-tier' school and my GPA will not rank me among 'top-tier' students.  Still, I've talked to, worked with, even taken classes with 'top-tier' students from GW and Georgetown, and I feel my knowledge and capabilities equal and sometimes surpass theirs.

"My experiences outside of academia echo this.  GW has offered me unique opportunities to interact with professionals in many fields.  For over a year now, I've worked for the Department of Defense in a small office that focuses on military family policies.  I've written policy briefs and info papers for my superiors.  I even helped edit a small financial regulations piece that protects Service members from predatory sub-prime lending practices.

"A year and a half from now, I will graduate with a decent GPA and what I'm told is a marketable degree.  My measuring stick for success is different from most people's, my ambitions comparatively humbler than my classmates.  Unlike most, I have not approached education with the intent to attain the highest position at the most competitive job.  But even by conventional measures of success, my education will put me in a position to 'succeed' after graduation.  I attribute this success to MPA's ability to prepare me. 

"Francis Bacon spoke of education as the rearing of children in society.  Mounds Park offers exceptional education because its alumni are successful but also because it produces individuals of exceptional caliber."

Thank you, Michael!