Unique aspects of the school include a diverse student body of approximately 220 students, democratic decision-making at the school and classroom levels, curricular focus on five democratic "Habits of Mind," school-wide thematic units, strong emphasis on the arts, and graduation from the school upon creating and defending robust portfolios of student work for a panel of evaluators.[5][6] Graduates of the school have been found to achieve academic success in high school and college at high rates.[3][7] Students are admitted to the school based on a lottery, within the choice system of the Boston Public Schools (with consideration given to whether families live within the "walk zone" and whether a sibling already attends the school, among other factors).[8] The Mission Hill School is a member of the Coalition of Essential Schools.[9][10] Ayla Gavins is the current principal of the school.[11]