[quote=Imperfectionist]
Well, I'm planning on having regular outings, so a few basic details would be nice... As a corollary, how much time would an older student be forced to spend in the Academy? Is there a point where research becomes self-directed, or does every student have a grueling, regimented schedule up until graduation?
[/quote]

Alright, I'll add a bit about the city, but no specifics.
Once a student hits seventeen (age of maturity) then they are free to leave the school or continue on to higher levels. Kind of like college. At this point, there schedules is mostly made by themselves.