What Schools are Considered 2T?

[Anonymous]

I am Jean Valjean.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This looks like a very specific DC Urban Moms / NYC private-school parent prestige ranking, not a ranking of current academic quality or where families are applying today.

A few things jump out immediately:

1. Trevor at #35 is wildly out of sync with current reality

That’s the biggest thing.

Whether someone loves Trevor or not, putting it:

* below Dwight
* below Calhoun
* below Lycée
* below UNIS
* below Xavier
* below Fordham Prep
* below Notre Dame

would surprise most people involved in Manhattan admissions today.

This feels like a ranking frozen around the early 2000s, when Trevor had a much weaker reputation.

2. Nightingale is too low

Nightingale at #14 is hard to justify.

Most current observers would place Nightingale closer to:

* Dalton
* Spence
* Chapin
* Sacred Heart

than to schools ranked 15–25.

3. Sacred Heart is too low

Same issue.

Many NYC families would rank Sacred Heart above:

* Marymount
* Grace Church
* Packer
* Poly
* Avenues

without much hesitation.

4. Avenues is probably too low

Avenues is polarizing, but #19 feels low.

Many current families would place it somewhere in the 10–15 range.

5. Grace Church is probably too low

Grace at #16 feels low given current demand and outcomes.

6. The top is mostly old-school prestige

The placement of:

* Trinity
* Collegiate
* Dalton
* Spence
* Brearley
* Horace Mann
* Chapin

is very much a traditional prestige ranking.

You can argue over the exact order, but that’s clearly the logic.

What the ranking is really measuring

If I had to guess, this ranking is measuring:

“If you gathered wealthy NYC private-school alumni aged 50–75 and asked them to rank schools by prestige.”

For that purpose, it actually makes sense.

That’s why:

* Trevor is #35.
* Grace is #16.
* Avenues is #19.
* Nightingale is #14.
* Sacred Heart is #13.

Those schools have improved dramatically relative to where they sat in the old hierarchy.

My biggest disagreement

If we’re talking 2025–2026 perception among active Manhattan parents, I’d probably move:

Up

* Nightingale
* Sacred Heart
* Grace Church
* Avenues
* Trevor

Down

* Loyola (slightly)
* Xavier
* Notre Dame
* Dwight
* UNIS

The Trevor placement is the one that makes me think the list is mostly historical prestige. I could see reasonable people putting Trevor at #10, #15, even #20. But #35 says more about where Trevor was a generation ago than where it is today.

So my overall take is:

As a historical-prestige ranking: 8/10.
As a current-market Manhattan parent ranking: maybe 5/10.

The further down the list you go, the more it seems to undervalue schools whose reputations have risen in the last 10–20 years.

I, too, can type a ranked list of schools into chatGPT and have it evaluate the order with a leading question of whether or not this prestige ranking is still current, and get a biased response based on my leading question.

[Anonymous]

If someone can find a school outside of that top seven (the TTs) with better exmissions and broad appeal, let us know. They are TTs for reasons other than rich grandmothers in their 80s thinking they are prestigious. Schools outside of that seven either lack the selectivity and academic rigor or are very niche (e.g. in Brooklyn). Critics of the tiers here underestimate how much money, time, and leadership is required to make a big shift.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:1 Trinity
2 Brearley
3 HM
4 Collegiate
5 Spence
6 Dalton
7 Chapin
8 Riverdale
9 Regis
10 St Ann's
11 Fieldstone
12 Marymount
13 Sacred Heart
14 Nightingale
15 Friends Seminary
16 GCS
17 Packer
18 Poly
19 Loyola
20 Avenues
21 BFS
22 BC
23 Basis
24 Hewitt
25 Trevor
26 Calhoun
27 Hackley
28 Lycée
29 UNIS
30 Xavier
31 Fordham Prep
32 Notre Dame
33 DA
34 SVF
35 Dwight

Do Regis, Marymount, and CSH actually underperform relative to their reputations when it comes to college placement? Regis in particular surprises me. My assumption would be that if you looked only at students who were admitted in 9th grade for K-12—and excluded K entrants—most of these other schools’ matriculation outcomes would look stronger.

I was surprised to so I just did some digging and put it on the instagram thread. they have very big numbers to schools like ND and Georgetown and I wouldn't be surprised if some boys are picking ND over other acceptances they may have from say Cornell or JHU.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:1 Trinity
2 Brearley
3 HM
4 Collegiate
5 Spence
6 Dalton
7 Chapin
8 Riverdale
9 Regis
10 St Ann's
11 Fieldstone
12 Marymount
13 Sacred Heart
14 Nightingale
15 Friends Seminary
16 GCS
17 Packer
18 Poly
19 Loyola
20 Avenues
21 BFS
22 BC
23 Basis
24 Hewitt
25 Trevor
26 Calhoun
27 Hackley
28 Lycée
29 UNIS
30 Xavier
31 Fordham Prep
32 Notre Dame
33 DA
34 SVF
35 Dwight

Do Regis, Marymount, and CSH actually underperform relative to their reputations when it comes to college placement? Regis in particular surprises me. My assumption would be that if you looked only at students who were admitted in 9th grade for K-12—and excluded K entrants—most of these other schools’ matriculation outcomes would look stronger.

I was surprised to so I just did some digging and put it on the instagram thread. they have very big numbers to schools like ND and Georgetown and I wouldn't be surprised if some boys are picking ND over other acceptances they may have from say Cornell or JHU.

Going from Catholic HS to Catholic college defeats the purpose of college. Broaden your horizons and get out of the echo chamber.

If I were Catholic and my son got into Regis I would send him in a heartbeat. But then he would not go to Catholic college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:1 Trinity
2 Brearley
3 HM
4 Collegiate
5 Spence
6 Dalton
7 Chapin
8 Riverdale
9 Regis
10 St Ann's
11 Fieldstone
12 Marymount
13 Sacred Heart
14 Nightingale
15 Friends Seminary
16 GCS
17 Packer
18 Poly
19 Loyola
20 Avenues
21 BFS
22 BC
23 Basis
24 Hewitt
25 Trevor
26 Calhoun
27 Hackley
28 Lycée
29 UNIS
30 Xavier
31 Fordham Prep
32 Notre Dame
33 DA
34 SVF
35 Dwight

Do Regis, Marymount, and CSH actually underperform relative to their reputations when it comes to college placement? Regis in particular surprises me. My assumption would be that if you looked only at students who were admitted in 9th grade for K-12—and excluded K entrants—most of these other schools’ matriculation outcomes would look stronger.

I was surprised to so I just did some digging and put it on the instagram thread. they have very big numbers to schools like ND and Georgetown and I wouldn't be surprised if some boys are picking ND over other acceptances they may have from say Cornell or JHU.

In Catholic schools, when kids are from Catholic families, they are absolutely picking Georgetown and ND and BC over what people on this board would consider "better" colleges, even HYP. My all-girls high school had co-valedictorians, so exactly the same GPA, and actually very similar ECs, and one went to Dartmouth and one went to Georgetown (and I know for a fact she got into Princeton). Her dad had gone to Georgetown, and she grew up idolizing it. The same will happen for ND, Holy Cross, BC, etc. In my family it's Fordham. I'm literally the only one of a dozen cousins who didn't go there, even though they all got into "better" schools. More kids, of a higher caliber, with and without legacies, from Regis and Xavier, will be competing for spots at Villanova than probably Williams, Amherst and Middlebury combined. It's cultural and if you don't grow up in it, you will not understand it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:1 Trinity
2 Brearley
3 HM
4 Collegiate
5 Spence
6 Dalton
7 Chapin
8 Riverdale
9 Regis
10 St Ann's
11 Fieldstone
12 Marymount
13 Sacred Heart
14 Nightingale
15 Friends Seminary
16 GCS
17 Packer
18 Poly
19 Loyola
20 Avenues
21 BFS
22 BC
23 Basis
24 Hewitt
25 Trevor
26 Calhoun
27 Hackley
28 Lycée
29 UNIS
30 Xavier
31 Fordham Prep
32 Notre Dame
33 DA
34 SVF
35 Dwight

Do Regis, Marymount, and CSH actually underperform relative to their reputations when it comes to college placement? Regis in particular surprises me. My assumption would be that if you looked only at students who were admitted in 9th grade for K-12—and excluded K entrants—most of these other schools’ matriculation outcomes would look stronger.

I was surprised to so I just did some digging and put it on the instagram thread. they have very big numbers to schools like ND and Georgetown and I wouldn't be surprised if some boys are picking ND over other acceptances they may have from say Cornell or JHU.

Going from Catholic HS to Catholic college defeats the purpose of college. Broaden your horizons and get out of the echo chamber.

If I were Catholic and my son got into Regis I would send him in a heartbeat. But then he would not go to Catholic college.

OTOH, we tell our kids to pick based on "fit". Then we say, "go to where you'll be uncomfortable sometimes". I'm get it when a NY kid says they dont want to go to Alabama. I get it when an Alabama kid says they have no interest in a SLAC. I don't judge others how they make these choices.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:1 Trinity
2 Brearley
3 HM
4 Collegiate
5 Spence
6 Dalton
7 Chapin
8 Riverdale
9 Regis
10 St Ann's
11 Fieldstone
12 Marymount
13 Sacred Heart
14 Nightingale
15 Friends Seminary
16 GCS
17 Packer
18 Poly
19 Loyola
20 Avenues
21 BFS
22 BC
23 Basis
24 Hewitt
25 Trevor
26 Calhoun
27 Hackley
28 Lycée
29 UNIS
30 Xavier
31 Fordham Prep
32 Notre Dame
33 DA
34 SVF
35 Dwight

Do Regis, Marymount, and CSH actually underperform relative to their reputations when it comes to college placement? Regis in particular surprises me. My assumption would be that if you looked only at students who were admitted in 9th grade for K-12—and excluded K entrants—most of these other schools’ matriculation outcomes would look stronger.

I was surprised to so I just did some digging and put it on the instagram thread. they have very big numbers to schools like ND and Georgetown and I wouldn't be surprised if some boys are picking ND over other acceptances they may have from say Cornell or JHU.

Going from Catholic HS to Catholic college defeats the purpose of college. Broaden your horizons and get out of the echo chamber.

If I were Catholic and my son got into Regis I would send him in a heartbeat. But then he would not go to Catholic college.

That's like saying, "I sent my kid to Trinity so I won't send them to Harvard because they overlap and serve the same community."

[Anonymous]

can you give us your thoughts on this? thanks
Anonymous wrote:


I am an about to be retired private admissions advisor. I have worked with most of these schools for decades, although to be fair about five of them I’ve never had a client apply to. People can quibble over any given school plus or minus five spots. But ten point jumps aren’t sustainable arguments.


thoughts on attending the following schools for 9th grade? Trevor, Unis, cgps, basis. kid is semi smart - specialized high schools are out, will not thrive there. Financially we can afford it due to savings, employer, family. ADHD.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:1 Trinity
2 Brearley
3 HM
4 Collegiate
5 Spence
6 Dalton
7 Chapin
8 Riverdale
9 Regis
10 St Ann's
11 Fieldstone
12 Marymount
13 Sacred Heart
14 Nightingale
15 Friends Seminary
16 GCS
17 Packer
18 Poly
19 Loyola
20 Avenues
21 BFS
22 BC
23 Basis
24 Hewitt
25 Trevor
26 Calhoun
27 Hackley
28 Lycée
29 UNIS
30 Xavier
31 Fordham Prep
32 Notre Dame
33 DA
34 SVF
35 Dwight

Do Regis, Marymount, and CSH actually underperform relative to their reputations when it comes to college placement? Regis in particular surprises me. My assumption would be that if you looked only at students who were admitted in 9th grade for K-12—and excluded K entrants—most of these other schools’ matriculation outcomes would look stronger.

I was surprised to so I just did some digging and put it on the instagram thread. they have very big numbers to schools like ND and Georgetown and I wouldn't be surprised if some boys are picking ND over other acceptances they may have from say Cornell or JHU.

Going from Catholic HS to Catholic college defeats the purpose of college. Broaden your horizons and get out of the echo chamber.

If I were Catholic and my son got into Regis I would send him in a heartbeat. But then he would not go to Catholic college.

Many parents care about community. Attending a schools that represents their values. Raw academic prowess at the expense of character (humility, empathetic, thoughtful, etc..) isn’t as desirable. NYC is especially known to have children grow up too fast and get exposed to drugs (party scene).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I actually think this is a fair ranking. Feel free to correct it

1 Trinity
2 Collegiate
3 Dalton
4 Spence
5 Brearley
6 HM
7 Chapin
8 St Ann's
9 Regis
10 Riverdale
11 Fieldstone
12 Marymount
13 Sacred Heart
14 Nightingale
15 Loyola
16 GCS
17 Packer
18 Poly
19 Avenues
20 Friends Seminary
21 BFS
22 BC
23 Basis
24 Hewitt
25Dwight
26 Calhoun
27 Hackley
28 Lycée
29 UNIS
30 Xavier
31 Fordham Prep
32 Notre Dame
33 DA
34 SVF
35 Trevor

GCS, Packer, Friends, all bunched together, including college matriculations. Do downtown Tribeca families send many kids to Brooklyn Heights? Or is most of those schools students split by borough.

[Anonymous]

Downtown families def send their kids to Brooklyn Heights for Packer/st Ann's.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Downtown families def send their kids to Brooklyn Heights for Packer/st Ann's.

Which is funny because lots of Brooklyn Heights families send their kids downtown for public school. (Spruce Street e.g.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:1 Trinity
2 Brearley
3 HM
4 Collegiate
5 Spence
6 Dalton
7 Chapin
8 Riverdale
9 Regis
10 St Ann's
11 Fieldstone
12 Marymount
13 Sacred Heart
14 Nightingale
15 Friends Seminary
16 GCS
17 Packer
18 Poly
19 Loyola
20 Avenues
21 BFS
22 BC
23 Basis
24 Hewitt
25 Trevor
26 Calhoun
27 Hackley
28 Lycée
29 UNIS
30 Xavier
31 Fordham Prep
32 Notre Dame
33 DA
34 SVF
35 Dwight

Do Regis, Marymount, and CSH actually underperform relative to their reputations when it comes to college placement? Regis in particular surprises me. My assumption would be that if you looked only at students who were admitted in 9th grade for K-12—and excluded K entrants—most of these other schools’ matriculation outcomes would look stronger.

I was surprised to so I just did some digging and put it on the instagram thread. they have very big numbers to schools like ND and Georgetown and I wouldn't be surprised if some boys are picking ND over other acceptances they may have from say Cornell or JHU.

Going from Catholic HS to Catholic college defeats the purpose of college. Broaden your horizons and get out of the echo chamber.

If I were Catholic and my son got into Regis I would send him in a heartbeat. But then he would not go to Catholic college.

Many parents care about community. Attending a schools that represents their values. Raw academic prowess at the expense of character (humility, empathetic, thoughtful, etc..) isn’t as desirable. NYC is especially known to have children grow up too fast and get exposed to drugs (party scene).

I feel like this piece is missing from the conversations on this forum. People seem to only be concerned with college matriculation and not with values or the kind of school that will turn out kids with integrity. This was top of mind for us when looking at high schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Downtown families def send their kids to Brooklyn Heights for Packer/st Ann's.

Which is funny because lots of Brooklyn Heights families send their kids downtown for public school. (Spruce Street e.g.)

As a Brooklyn heights family, I don't know a single person who did that over PS8. You may be thinking of dumbo families who freaked out when they were re-zoned out of PS8