Columbia Grammar & Preparatory School

[Anonymous]

This seems to be one of the few co-ed schools in Manhattan that still offer AP.

Does anyone know why the other schools don't offer AP? Trinity, Dalton?

Also, they don't seem to focus on diversity (62.5% white students) which I don't mind... But is this linked somehow?

https://ibb.co/6rJkbV2

[Anonymous]

Not surprised about being over 60% white.
Trump's son went there.

[Anonymous]

Opinions vary, but many top privates across the US offer to let their students sit AP exams, but do not label any class as AP.

[Anonymous]

It's a solid tier 2-3 private school in NYC. It's filled with the wealthy families of somewhat-bright or average kids.

The real smart, rich kids are at Trinity, Dalton, Horace Mann, Collegiate, Brearley, Spence, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This seems to be one of the few co-ed schools in Manhattan that still offer AP.

Does anyone know why the other schools don't offer AP? Trinity, Dalton?

Also, they don't seem to focus on diversity (62.5% white students) which I don't mind... But is this linked somehow?

https://ibb.co/6rJkbV2

Columbia Grammar isn't really an academic powerhouse. It actually does surprisingly well in college matriculations though.

https://www.instagram.com/cprepseniors2021/

[Anonymous]

Lots of Tufts and Emory.

[Anonymous]

The more academic privates did away with APs because they want more control over their curricula. CGPS is not considered as academically rigorous as the the "top tier" NYC private schools like Trinity, Dalton, etc.

[Anonymous]

Sorry, you are not quite correct. The APs generally provide very controlled curricula. Schools that don’t offer APs in NYC, often offer multiple tracks for some subjects e.g., high honors, honors, regular, etc., which often fosters extra pressures about which track a kid is in. Alternatively, not offering APs will put more pressure on your kid when taking SATs, ACT, and perhaps increase the importance of what their school chooses to say in their college recommendation!
Not sure exactly what is wrong with Tufts or Emory—check out their 2024 RD admit rates before putting them down— but plenty of CGPS kids get into schools like Columbia, Penn, Cornell, UChicago, USC, etc.
To be accurate, the majority of kids at all these NYC private schools generally come from the same sort of background.
If anything, CGPS has become even more rigorous in the last few years, so your kid will enjoy the same nightly privilege of working just as hard as at Dalton et al.

[Anonymous]

Friends Seminary. My daughter loved it. Has AP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sorry, you are not quite correct. The APs generally provide very controlled curricula. Schools that don’t offer APs in NYC, often offer multiple tracks for some subjects e.g., high honors, honors, regular, etc., which often fosters extra pressures about which track a kid is in. Alternatively, not offering APs will put more pressure on your kid when taking SATs, ACT, and perhaps increase the importance of what their school chooses to say in their college recommendation!
Not sure exactly what is wrong with Tufts or Emory—check out their 2024 RD admit rates before putting them down— but plenty of CGPS kids get into schools like Columbia, Penn, Cornell, UChicago, USC, etc.
To be accurate, the majority of kids at all these NYC private schools generally come from the same sort of background.
If anything, CGPS has become even more rigorous in the last few years, so your kid will enjoy the same nightly privilege of working just as hard as at Dalton et al.

Agree. Getting rid of AP has hurt top students that do not have hooks. Having same curriculum and AP exam is the best way to differentiate students.

[Anonymous]

The lack of diversity is not connected to AP classes, and I'd offer that's it's more about what the school has prioritized in its admissions decisions. In the early 2000s, CPGS decided to court the many affluent parents whose children were not offered spots at the more coveted private schools. This turned out to be a very wise financial decision. The school became very popular with a subset of wealthy (and mostly white) families, and the influx of money helped CPGS expand and improve on what could best be described as a rabbit warren carved out of adjoining brownstones (and with a pool, somehow). Its academic reputation did not improve much, and it stands out more for its wealthy parent body than it does for its academic offerings.

[Anonymous]

CPGS is largely perceived as for very rich kids that aren't super-sharp. You can't really buy your way into the elite NYC schools (Trinity, Dalton, Collegiate, Brearley, Spence, Horace Mann, etc.) because there are way too many rich NYC parents and they can pick the smartest of the lot.

Nonetheless, CPGS has great college outcomes. Students there still end up in the same colleges as the more elite prep schools, and they are less stressed in high school. I'd argue this is an advantage, because they keep their GPA higher and have more time to pursue extracurriculars and activities. The resume-building is what gets one into a top college nowadays, not GPA/scors.

[Anonymous]

It’s always been like this- CGPS, Dwight, Trevor Day is where you go if you’re rich but not quite as competitive as the top of the admissions pool. The 2nd and 3rd tier schools need something to distinguish themselves. I think Trevor Day attracts people who don’t want to deal with APs but can’t get into top schools, Dwight tries to have it all by doing APs and IBs (and a international spin-offs and online school) and CGPS does APs.

The most mediocre girl in my dorm freshman year at my Ivy went to CGPS and her mom came every weekend to do her laundry and clean their suite. She was not smart at all but really socially savvy and fell in with a rich kid crowd that funds those pop-up immersion museum experience things. I think of that kind of person when I think of CGPS grads.

[Anonymous]

If she was really socially savvy than she has a high emotional IQ which will be a better predictor of success than a miserable person who is calling fellow cohort as not very smart.