Best private schools in NYC?

[Anonymous]

Of the top NYC schools, how would folks compare them in terms of overall workload in high school? Are some schools known for being much harder or easier than the others?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Of the top NYC schools, how would folks compare them in terms of overall workload in high school? Are some schools known for being much harder or easier than the others?

Trinity grad w/ kid in dalton here. Mom went to spence. No one can give you a true comparison since most people only have a true experience with one school or the other. They’ll rely on secondhand info and caricature and say things like dalton is artsy and less challenging than trinity, etc. The truth is they’re all hard, they’re all pressure cookers, and they’re all probably more similar than they are different. The trinity workload in high school was pretty absurd in my experience. But my friends who went to dalton and spence and collegiate and brearley all had similar stress. It’s really simple: if you want to go to a good school after graduation, you’re going to have to put in the hours. For most people, that’s going to be 3-5 hours a night of homework. The good news: handling college work was significantly easier for us than others. The bad news: the high school experience isn’t nearly as fun as some other kids’.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can only enroll in one school. If you get into your first choice school, why do you need multiple offers?

You don't, but I don't know why people are obsessing about this first choice process when it seems like other people who don't bother first-choicing are getting into multiple TT schools.

We had one of the least impressive girls (also without legacy/family weight) in our class receive a TT acceptance to everyones shock. And the most impressive girl (also from a family that was equivalently so) get waitlisted at eight schools. This is where the preschool director came in, they worked to get her a spot for next year, though it was not TT.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We just went through exmissions at a TT preschool with our daughter. She was accepted across the board to the TT girls schools and two of the co-eds. We had our heart set on co-ed Catholic but were unfortunately declined at Saint Ignatius. We thought it would be best for her in terms of discipline, structure, etc. We also had heard that in the earlier years the education tends to be more rigorous. Our school has no feedback Saint Ignatius and we have no idea where we went wrong in the process. The only feedback we received was that applications were up across the board this year as more families either return to, or, are choosing to stay in the city. Regardless, we are choosing from great options but always heart breaking not to get the "one" and have no idea why.

She got into Brearley, Chapin, Spence, and two TT co-eds (Dalton/HM/Riverdale/Trinity)? Or Brearley, Chapin, Spence and two non-TT co-eds?

Sorry about St Ignatius— did you end up choosing SS or co-ed?

We went SS. In retrospect, I wish we would have applied to Sacred Heart and Marymount as they would've aligned better with our values. We are very fortunate for how the process went for us though.

Has anyone heard about St Ignatius in terms of their process and if they were working with any of the preschool directors? I'd still like to give it a try for our next to apply.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We just went through exmissions at a TT preschool with our daughter. She was accepted across the board to the TT girls schools and two of the co-eds. We had our heart set on co-ed Catholic but were unfortunately declined at Saint Ignatius. We thought it would be best for her in terms of discipline, structure, etc. We also had heard that in the earlier years the education tends to be more rigorous. Our school has no feedback Saint Ignatius and we have no idea where we went wrong in the process. The only feedback we received was that applications were up across the board this year as more families either return to, or, are choosing to stay in the city. Regardless, we are choosing from great options but always heart breaking not to get the "one" and have no idea why.

Lol

I'm not sure I understand...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We just went through exmissions at a TT preschool with our daughter. She was accepted across the board to the TT girls schools and two of the co-eds. We had our heart set on co-ed Catholic but were unfortunately declined at Saint Ignatius. We thought it would be best for her in terms of discipline, structure, etc. We also had heard that in the earlier years the education tends to be more rigorous. Our school has no feedback Saint Ignatius and we have no idea where we went wrong in the process. The only feedback we received was that applications were up across the board this year as more families either return to, or, are choosing to stay in the city. Regardless, we are choosing from great options but always heart breaking not to get the "one" and have no idea why.

Lol

Same. Quite funny.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can only enroll in one school. If you get into your first choice school, why do you need multiple offers?

You don't, but I don't know why people are obsessing about this first choice process when it seems like other people who don't bother first-choicing are getting into multiple TT schools.

We had one of the least impressive girls (also without legacy/family weight) in our class receive a TT acceptance to everyones shock. And the most impressive girl (also from a family that was equivalently so) get waitlisted at eight schools. This is where the preschool director came in, they worked to get her a spot for next year, though it was not TT.

At the Kindergarten level as long as your child is not a huge distraction admission directors are really considering the parents more than the child so my guess is the parents of the less impressive child, impressed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can only enroll in one school. If you get into your first choice school, why do you need multiple offers?

You don't, but I don't know why people are obsessing about this first choice process when it seems like other people who don't bother first-choicing are getting into multiple TT schools.

We had one of the least impressive girls (also without legacy/family weight) in our class receive a TT acceptance to everyones shock. And the most impressive girl (also from a family that was equivalently so) get waitlisted at eight schools. This is where the preschool director came in, they worked to get her a spot for next year, though it was not TT.

Impressive and not impressive in what ways? Can’t imagine how impressiveness is determined at 4 years old…

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can only enroll in one school. If you get into your first choice school, why do you need multiple offers?

You don't, but I don't know why people are obsessing about this first choice process when it seems like other people who don't bother first-choicing are getting into multiple TT schools.

We had one of the least impressive girls (also without legacy/family weight) in our class receive a TT acceptance to everyones shock. And the most impressive girl (also from a family that was equivalently so) get waitlisted at eight schools. This is where the preschool director came in, they worked to get her a spot for next year, though it was not TT.

Impressive and not impressive in what ways? Can’t imagine how impressiveness is determined at 4 years old…

Lagging in social and verbal skills. Highly doubtful that the parents were the deciding factor unless they were looking for something extremely particular to round out the class.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We just went through exmissions at a TT preschool with our daughter. She was accepted across the board to the TT girls schools and two of the co-eds. We had our heart set on co-ed Catholic but were unfortunately declined at Saint Ignatius. We thought it would be best for her in terms of discipline, structure, etc. We also had heard that in the earlier years the education tends to be more rigorous. Our school has no feedback Saint Ignatius and we have no idea where we went wrong in the process. The only feedback we received was that applications were up across the board this year as more families either return to, or, are choosing to stay in the city. Regardless, we are choosing from great options but always heart breaking not to get the "one" and have no idea why.

Lol

I'm not sure I understand...

Really??

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can only enroll in one school. If you get into your first choice school, why do you need multiple offers?

You don't, but I don't know why people are obsessing about this first choice process when it seems like other people who don't bother first-choicing are getting into multiple TT schools.

We had one of the least impressive girls (also without legacy/family weight) in our class receive a TT acceptance to everyones shock. And the most impressive girl (also from a family that was equivalently so) get waitlisted at eight schools. This is where the preschool director came in, they worked to get her a spot for next year, though it was not TT.

Impressive and not impressive in what ways? Can’t imagine how impressiveness is determined at 4 years old…

Lagging in social and verbal skills. Highly doubtful that the parents were the deciding factor unless they were looking for something extremely particular to round out the class.

This cracks me up. My son was an early summer boy at a fairly competitive pre-school. He was "lagging" socially and very average verbally, particularly compared to a class full of boys 8-9 months older, which is a lot at that age. The school subtly recommended that he repeat pre-k. We ignored them and sent him to our very good neighborhood public where he was in the older half of the grade. It took him a little while to get his footing but he did and 10+ years later is at the top of his class at a very competitive HS and a very well-adjusted, happy teenager with plenty of friends and better social skills than most of the superstars from his pre-k class. Some kids just take longer to get going and need to be removed from the obnoxious NYC private ecosystem for a while.

The fact that life-influencing decisions are being based on brief interactions with 4-5 year olds, and more importantly, that parents put so much of their self-worth in how their child performs on these evaluations, is really amazing and sad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can only enroll in one school. If you get into your first choice school, why do you need multiple offers?

You don't, but I don't know why people are obsessing about this first choice process when it seems like other people who don't bother first-choicing are getting into multiple TT schools.

We had one of the least impressive girls (also without legacy/family weight) in our class receive a TT acceptance to everyones shock. And the most impressive girl (also from a family that was equivalently so) get waitlisted at eight schools. This is where the preschool director came in, they worked to get her a spot for next year, though it was not TT.

Impressive and not impressive in what ways? Can’t imagine how impressiveness is determined at 4 years old…

Lagging in social and verbal skills. Highly doubtful that the parents were the deciding factor unless they were looking for something extremely particular to round out the class.

Parents are definitely the deciding factor at the kindergarten entry point.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can only enroll in one school. If you get into your first choice school, why do you need multiple offers?

You don't, but I don't know why people are obsessing about this first choice process when it seems like other people who don't bother first-choicing are getting into multiple TT schools.

We had one of the least impressive girls (also without legacy/family weight) in our class receive a TT acceptance to everyones shock. And the most impressive girl (also from a family that was equivalently so) get waitlisted at eight schools. This is where the preschool director came in, they worked to get her a spot for next year, though it was not TT.

Impressive and not impressive in what ways? Can’t imagine how impressiveness is determined at 4 years old…

Lagging in social and verbal skills. Highly doubtful that the parents were the deciding factor unless they were looking for something extremely particular to round out the class.

Parents are definitely the deciding factor at the kindergarten entry point.

I think even at the 9th grade entry point parents can be pretty important. They probably won’t make a successful application, but they can surely break it…

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can only enroll in one school. If you get into your first choice school, why do you need multiple offers?

You don't, but I don't know why people are obsessing about this first choice process when it seems like other people who don't bother first-choicing are getting into multiple TT schools.

We had one of the least impressive girls (also without legacy/family weight) in our class receive a TT acceptance to everyones shock. And the most impressive girl (also from a family that was equivalently so) get waitlisted at eight schools. This is where the preschool director came in, they worked to get her a spot for next year, though it was not TT.

Impressive and not impressive in what ways? Can’t imagine how impressiveness is determined at 4 years old…

Lagging in social and verbal skills. Highly doubtful that the parents were the deciding factor unless they were looking for something extremely particular to round out the class.

How would you know? It could be the grandparents.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can only enroll in one school. If you get into your first choice school, why do you need multiple offers?

You don't, but I don't know why people are obsessing about this first choice process when it seems like other people who don't bother first-choicing are getting into multiple TT schools.

We had one of the least impressive girls (also without legacy/family weight) in our class receive a TT acceptance to everyones shock. And the most impressive girl (also from a family that was equivalently so) get waitlisted at eight schools. This is where the preschool director came in, they worked to get her a spot for next year, though it was not TT.

Impressive and not impressive in what ways? Can’t imagine how impressiveness is determined at 4 years old…

Lagging in social and verbal skills. Highly doubtful that the parents were the deciding factor unless they were looking for something extremely particular to round out the class.

How would you know? It could be the grandparents.

Far from it. Both sets of grandparents are blue collar types from Queens and the likes. The parents are extremely awkward, almost as if they are a combination of starstruck and lost. One is a mid-level finance type and the other a generalist doctor type. They do value education greatly and the girl checks a diversity box on one side, though all of the classmates parents think the child won't be a fit at the school she is now going to. None of this is meant be judgmental. Just giving facts, you never know what moves the needle and what the schools are looking for in filling out their classes. Many are quick to shoot the PSD but you do have unexpected outcomes.