Some American parents are willing to spend thousands of dollars to enroll their children in farm schools, where a phone‑free semester of mucking out pigs, harvesting crops and chopping wood is marketed as a potential advantage in the competitive college‑admissions landscape.
At Vermont’s Mountain School of Milton Academy, 10th‑, 11th‑ and 12th‑grade students live on a 418‑acre campus for a semester. Tuition is nearly $40,000 and covers room, board, activities, field trips and community programming. Students keep up with academic classes, including AP Calculus, while spending about eight hours a week on farm work and chores such as harvesting, livestock care, washing dishes and cleaning classrooms. About 50 students attend each semester, and roughly 30 percent receive financial aid, the school’s director told the Wall Street Journal.
Students describe the experience as enjoyable and enlightening. Max Sherman said, “It’s fun,” about washing dishes, while Cassie Scott shared that the wilderness trip was the closest she’s been to nature in a while. Estela Whitney, who feeds piglets, recalled learning to be punctual after arriving late and finding hungry animals. Several students welcomed the tech‑free environment, seeing the chores and outdoor time as worthwhile rather than burdensome.
Other schools, such as Olney Friends School in Ohio, use their 350‑acre organic farm to integrate biology, chemistry, math and environmental science into classroom projects, producing food for school meals. Stephen Turban, co‑founder of Lumiere Education, argues that agriculture‑focused summer programs strengthen college applications by demonstrating research, data‑collection and problem‑solving skills. However, admissions consultant Adam Nguyen warns that expensive, random experiences may not be rewarded by admissions officers. Farm schools also provide a rare break from screens, encouraging students to reflect on their identity without digital distraction.
