The School Where Students Do Farmwork and Chores—and Pay $40,000 a Semester
High-schoolers attending the Mountain School seek a reprieve from tech and a college-application boost from washing dishes, herding sheep and harvesting corn.
VERSHIRE, Vt.—Families pay $40,000 per semester to send their teens to Mountain School, which combines chores on a rural Vermont farm with rigorous academics. Three times daily, high-school juniors clean kitchens, prep vegetables, and maintain irrigation systems. They also harvest corn, herd sheep, care for cows, and chop wood. Students, including Max Sherman, find the chores enjoyable, while alums see it as a route to prestigious universities.
Director Alex Myers reports that many teens with little prior farm experience struggle initially, but staff ensure they learn proper techniques. With an 80% acceptance rate to top colleges, alums often pursue corporate jobs. Technology is banned; students surrender phones and limit laptop use. Each semester ends with a solo hike in the wilderness.
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