The Power of STEM and the Liberal Arts

“Montrose prepared me very well to major in Biomedical Engineering at Cornell. The flexibility of the math pathway allowed me to challenge myself at the right level, and gave me a solid math background when I got to Cornell. The academic rigor at Montrose also helped me to prepare for the workload at Cornell.”
— Leslie Baker ‘24 in her sophomore year at Cornell University

The Power of STEM and the Liberal Arts

11/10/2025

STEM education is a vital part of a liberal education at Montrose. By growing in knowledge and developing the habits of an excellent scientist, students hone their curiosity and creativity.

Montrose provides a large number of math class options in order to ensure maximum attunement to individual readiness. Students have the opportunity to make leaps when their demonstrated mastery indicates readiness for more of a challenge.

At Montrose, girls use a collaborative model of learning math, which is a proven method to inspire real-world problem-solving in teams, characteristic of STEM professions, and which is uniquely attuned to the collaborative style girls prefer in a learning environment. The math classroom becomes a place where girls discover agency and where innovation is rewarded. 

“I’ve seen girls reluctant to speak up in class shift to volunteering eagerly after engaging with peers,” said Montrose STEM Director Monica Baker. “This approach empowers natural leaders and helps others come out of their shells. The girls get excited to build off each others’ ideas. You hear -- ‘Oh wait, what about this?’ and ‘Oh right -- and then you can…’” 

In the sciences, Montrose emphasizes the importance of encouraging curiosity and hands-on learning. In 7th grade, girls design their own labs as they explore the flora and fauna of Montrose’s campus wetlands. Like real lab teams, girls research, plan and pitch their own proposals, and the class votes on which study to pursue. In 8th grade Chemistry, students have a lab in every single class, and they learn how to develop a professional lab notebook.

“At Montrose, girls are studying science by becoming scientists,” said Allison Daubert, Montrose Physics teacher. “They are not memorizing science or simply preparing for tests, they are experimenting and constructing their scientific knowledge the same way that scientists do. In the all-girls environment, they can work with science experimentally without needing to navigate a competition with boys as they do hands-on work with scientific lab equipment.”

The results? Here's another insight from one Montrose alumna:

 

“Throughout my time at MIT, Montrose’s focus on practical wisdom has helped me navigate both academic and personal challenges.

Amid fast-paced classes, career development expectations, and a world full of science too wide to understand completely, it’s very easy to lose yourself in an attempt to do everything. I’ve seen peers strung out over problem sets and internships, pulling all-nighters just to stay afloat. Thankfully, I’ve not yet suffered an academic all-nighter — my nights usually end around 10:30, and somehow my problem sets still get done.

I credit this skill of balance to Montrose; through humanities classes and interactions with faculty, I learned how to prioritize what matters to me, accepting the fact that no one is capable of doing it all and figuring out what to dedicate myself to in a way that supports my well-being, both academically and personally.

The science and math I learned at Montrose are what allowed me to enter MIT initially, but, perhaps more importantly, the humanities and life skills I developed there are what allow me to flourish here.”

— Hana Shinzawa ‘24 in her sophomore year at MIT