Best private schools in NYC?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Didn’t go to St. B’s, my cousin has all three of her boys in there now. Weirdly, maybe, but our grandpa went there, too, and they all love it. Much more traditional from what she tells me even compared to trinity, where she and I went, and dalton, where mine go now. However, her husband has expressed a desire to send the kids off to boarding school, and I think St. B’s is exceptionally well-placed to do that, similar to country schools in greenwich and new canaan, etc.

Same poster as above: Should also mention that even she acknowledges a certain degree of tension between older families and newer ones, and she’s generally the type of person do be dismissive of those sorts of observations. So, something to bear in mind.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We’re in the fortunate position of having admits to both St. Bernard’s and Hunter for our son, but we’re struggling with the decision and would love insights from this community.

We are an upper-middle-class family—private school tuition is something we can afford, but it’s still a meaningful financial commitment. We love St. Bernard’s, but we have some concerns:
1. High School Placement – It seems that while some students go on to TT day schools, many do not. We want to understand how much of that is by choice vs. limited acceptances.
2. Diversity – The classes at St. B’s appear to be predominantly white, and we are not. We’re wondering how this might impact our son’s experience.

On the other hand, we don’t know much about Hunter yet since we haven’t had our tour (scheduled in the next couple of days). Our main concern is socio-emotional development—we’ve heard mixed things about how well Hunter supports this aspect of growth.

Would love to hear from families who have experience with either (or both!) schools. What factors ultimately guided your decision? Anything you wish you had known earlier?

Thanks in advance!

Congratulations! Our kids go to Hunter and love it. It's not for everyone and there is attrition. But compared to the private schools, they are doing things a year ahead in both reading and math. It also incorporates chess, math and debate competitions, and talent show into the culture seamlessly. Not to mention it has all the specials that a private school has and more. And let's not forget it's strength in sports and amazing high school that you automatically get to attend. And there is diversity at Hunter in every sense- from the admin to the students, which makes it a much healthier environment. Hunter's HS also ramps up compared to the elementary school, similar to its K-12 private counterparts. But the kids at Hunter will already be prepared for the rigor and juggling homework, competitions, and their extracurriculars. They also have a social emotional element to the curriculum and their kids have a greater balance of IQ and EQ than other gifted schools. Also the school is very open about letting parents be involved at the school, which we didnt realize was uncommon at the T1 private schools. Our third kid goes to a tippytop T1 ultra competitive private school so we are very aware of the differences. But of course their day is like being at a country club and they love their school too. But that is what the tuition buys you - a super tailored experience where the kids learn a lot and do so with all the amenities. Hunter doesnt have the same space or amenities as some of the bigger private schools but they have a lot more space than some T1 private schools that are charging tuition as if it was a campus school. Either way, we keep all the kids busy and on the same track so they are even. I say go to Hunter and see if your kid likes it. You can always apply to private the next year if it's not working out - you can make sure to keep a relationship with Browning. Let them know it was a very difficult decision and that you hope you can connect should anything change down the road. But you can't do that if you decide to go private first since Hunter only accepts applications for K and 7th grade. There is only 1 Hunter and it is now more competitive than ever since it is open to all boroughs and NYC GnT no longer tests so more than ever families are flocking to apply to Hunter, one of the last in nyc to request testing to apply.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We’re in the fortunate position of having admits to both St. Bernard’s and Hunter for our son, but we’re struggling with the decision and would love insights from this community.

We are an upper-middle-class family—private school tuition is something we can afford, but it’s still a meaningful financial commitment. We love St. Bernard’s, but we have some concerns:
1. High School Placement – It seems that while some students go on to TT day schools, many do not. We want to understand how much of that is by choice vs. limited acceptances.
2. Diversity – The classes at St. B’s appear to be predominantly white, and we are not. We’re wondering how this might impact our son’s experience.

On the other hand, we don’t know much about Hunter yet since we haven’t had our tour (scheduled in the next couple of days). Our main concern is socio-emotional development—we’ve heard mixed things about how well Hunter supports this aspect of growth.

Would love to hear from families who have experience with either (or both!) schools. What factors ultimately guided your decision? Anything you wish you had known earlier?

Thanks in advance!

Congratulations! Our kids go to Hunter and love it. It's not for everyone and there is attrition. But compared to the private schools, they are doing things a year ahead in both reading and math. It also incorporates chess, math and debate competitions, and talent show into the culture seamlessly. Not to mention it has all the specials that a private school has and more. And let's not forget it's strength in sports and amazing high school that you automatically get to attend. And there is diversity at Hunter in every sense- from the admin to the students, which makes it a much healthier environment. Hunter's HS also ramps up compared to the elementary school, similar to its K-12 private counterparts. But the kids at Hunter will already be prepared for the rigor and juggling homework, competitions, and their extracurriculars. They also have a social emotional element to the curriculum and their kids have a greater balance of IQ and EQ than other gifted schools. Also the school is very open about letting parents be involved at the school, which we didnt realize was uncommon at the T1 private schools. Our third kid goes to a tippytop T1 ultra competitive private school so we are very aware of the differences. But of course their day is like being at a country club and they love their school too. But that is what the tuition buys you - a super tailored experience where the kids learn a lot and do so with all the amenities. Hunter doesnt have the same space or amenities as some of the bigger private schools but they have a lot more space than some T1 private schools that are charging tuition as if it was a campus school. Either way, we keep all the kids busy and on the same track so they are even. I say go to Hunter and see if your kid likes it. You can always apply to private the next year if it's not working out - you can make sure to keep a relationship with Browning. Let them know it was a very difficult decision and that you hope you can connect should anything change down the road. But you can't do that if you decide to go private first since Hunter only accepts applications for K and 7th grade. There is only 1 Hunter and it is now more competitive than ever since it is open to all boroughs and NYC GnT no longer tests so more than ever families are flocking to apply to Hunter, one of the last in nyc to request testing to apply.

Meant to say St. B's not Browning.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We’re in the fortunate position of having admits to both St. Bernard’s and Hunter for our son, but we’re struggling with the decision and would love insights from this community.

We are an upper-middle-class family—private school tuition is something we can afford, but it’s still a meaningful financial commitment. We love St. Bernard’s, but we have some concerns:
1. High School Placement – It seems that while some students go on to TT day schools, many do not. We want to understand how much of that is by choice vs. limited acceptances.
2. Diversity – The classes at St. B’s appear to be predominantly white, and we are not. We’re wondering how this might impact our son’s experience.

On the other hand, we don’t know much about Hunter yet since we haven’t had our tour (scheduled in the next couple of days). Our main concern is socio-emotional development—we’ve heard mixed things about how well Hunter supports this aspect of growth.

Would love to hear from families who have experience with either (or both!) schools. What factors ultimately guided your decision? Anything you wish you had known earlier?

Thanks in advance!

What is your HHI? There are incomes enough to afford StB but fitting in there is very different. It’s a IYKYK type of school.

Different poster but curious. Full pay family with HHI of 900-1 mill (medicine), with 0 connections and generational money . Definitely not in any scene. Would we have trouble fitting in?

It's a lovely school, I've heard great things, and I'm not knocking it at all. But it is one of the few UES schools that still lets out early on Friday to allow families to beat the Hamptons traffic. Make of that what you will.

[Anonymous]

Could anyone provide some information about Browning? I cannot find much information through friends or online. How is Browning compared to other boys school like St B’s or Collegiate (it is a top school so like education-wise)? Is Browning considered one of the top/good private lower school in NY? I’ve also read some bad reviews about bullying. Does anyone have info?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Could anyone provide some information about Browning? I cannot find much information through friends or online. How is Browning compared to other boys school like St B’s or Collegiate (it is a top school so like education-wise)? Is Browning considered one of the top/good private lower school in NY? I’ve also read some bad reviews about bullying. Does anyone have info?

Browning is generally considered a lower tier school. Definitely below Collegiate and St. Bs. However, it's one of only two K-12 boys schools in the city so it fills a niche. They've poured a *ton* of money into it but it's just never built up the reputation they want.

[Anonymous]

Any information on Leman Preparatory School? It’s in Fidi area unlike other private schools. Looks like IB. Tuition is as expensive as top schools but people don’t know much about this school

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Could anyone provide some information about Browning? I cannot find much information through friends or online. How is Browning compared to other boys school like St B’s or Collegiate (it is a top school so like education-wise)? Is Browning considered one of the top/good private lower school in NY? I’ve also read some bad reviews about bullying. Does anyone have info?

Browning is generally considered a lower tier school. Definitely below Collegiate and St. Bs. However, it's one of only two K-12 boys schools in the city so it fills a niche. They've poured a *ton* of money into it but it's just never built up the reputation they want.

This is the reputation I heard as well. In my dc’s preschool, Browning is usually not the first choice among boys.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Could anyone provide some information about Browning? I cannot find much information through friends or online. How is Browning compared to other boys school like St B’s or Collegiate (it is a top school so like education-wise)? Is Browning considered one of the top/good private lower school in NY? I’ve also read some bad reviews about bullying. Does anyone have info?

Definitely lower tier. doesn’t get into the TT, 2T or even 3T discussions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Could anyone provide some information about Browning? I cannot find much information through friends or online. How is Browning compared to other boys school like St B’s or Collegiate (it is a top school so like education-wise)? Is Browning considered one of the top/good private lower school in NY? I’ve also read some bad reviews about bullying. Does anyone have info?

Definitely lower tier. doesn’t get into the TT, 2T or even 3T discussions.

I disagree. Browning is a solid 2T school, and on its way up. It has a rich history and is expanding into a larger building, which from what I can see from other schools always has a positive effect. We did not end up sending DS there for K (chose a TT co-ed school due to future sister) but were very impressed by how up to date they were in their research about education and their awareness of the dangers of social media (they have a strict no-phone policy, which was refreshing after I saw too many highschool kids on their phones at other TT schools). The K-12 thing is why I would have chosen it along with Collegiate for a son over the other boys' schools, but I would say it offers just as strong an education as Buckley, Allen S, St. David's... Its small size was charming and could work very well for a boy who would benefit from personalized attention.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Could anyone provide some information about Browning? I cannot find much information through friends or online. How is Browning compared to other boys school like St B’s or Collegiate (it is a top school so like education-wise)? Is Browning considered one of the top/good private lower school in NY? I’ve also read some bad reviews about bullying. Does anyone have info?

Definitely lower tier. doesn’t get into the TT, 2T or even 3T discussions.

I disagree. Browning is a solid 2T school, and on its way up. It has a rich history and is expanding into a larger building, which from what I can see from other schools always has a positive effect. We did not end up sending DS there for K (chose a TT co-ed school due to future sister) but were very impressed by how up to date they were in their research about education and their awareness of the dangers of social media (they have a strict no-phone policy, which was refreshing after I saw too many highschool kids on their phones at other TT schools). The K-12 thing is why I would have chosen it along with Collegiate for a son over the other boys' schools, but I would say it offers just as strong an education as Buckley, Allen S, St. David's... Its small size was charming and could work very well for a boy who would benefit from personalized attention.

Agree - Browning very solid and doing great things. I know a number of happy families and agree that calling it T3 is misguided.

Did you get into Collegiate by the way for DS and picked a co-ed option still? Or just co-ed over Browning? Just curious

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone have opinions on Allen-Stevenson vs. Browning?

Wondering this too

Also wondering

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Could anyone provide some information about Browning? I cannot find much information through friends or online. How is Browning compared to other boys school like St B’s or Collegiate (it is a top school so like education-wise)? Is Browning considered one of the top/good private lower school in NY? I’ve also read some bad reviews about bullying. Does anyone have info?

Definitely lower tier. doesn’t get into the TT, 2T or even 3T discussions.

I disagree. Browning is a solid 2T school, and on its way up. It has a rich history and is expanding into a larger building, which from what I can see from other schools always has a positive effect. We did not end up sending DS there for K (chose a TT co-ed school due to future sister) but were very impressed by how up to date they were in their research about education and their awareness of the dangers of social media (they have a strict no-phone policy, which was refreshing after I saw too many highschool kids on their phones at other TT schools). The K-12 thing is why I would have chosen it along with Collegiate for a son over the other boys' schools, but I would say it offers just as strong an education as Buckley, Allen S, St. David's... Its small size was charming and could work very well for a boy who would benefit from personalized attention.

Agree - Browning very solid and doing great things. I know a number of happy families and agree that calling it T3 is misguided.

Did you get into Collegiate by the way for DS and picked a co-ed option still? Or just co-ed over Browning? Just curious

In the end, Browning was the only single sex school we applied to, although we toured them all, for the reasons I wrote and to give ourselves more varied options - not just TT everything. With work, we didn't have the time to apply to 7 or 8 schools and do all the events, interviews etc. So we tried to stay a little focused on what resonated with us the most. Browning resonated, as did the TT we ended up at (which I rather not say).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone have opinions on Allen-Stevenson vs. Browning?

Wondering this too

Also wondering

Trust your gut feelings during the tours. You should know which one fits your ds better.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We’re in the fortunate position of having admits to both St. Bernard’s and Hunter for our son, but we’re struggling with the decision and would love insights from this community.

We are an upper-middle-class family—private school tuition is something we can afford, but it’s still a meaningful financial commitment. We love St. Bernard’s, but we have some concerns:
1. High School Placement – It seems that while some students go on to TT day schools, many do not. We want to understand how much of that is by choice vs. limited acceptances.
2. Diversity – The classes at St. B’s appear to be predominantly white, and we are not. We’re wondering how this might impact our son’s experience.

On the other hand, we don’t know much about Hunter yet since we haven’t had our tour (scheduled in the next couple of days). Our main concern is socio-emotional development—we’ve heard mixed things about how well Hunter supports this aspect of growth.

Would love to hear from families who have experience with either (or both!) schools. What factors ultimately guided your decision? Anything you wish you had known earlier?

Thanks in advance!

Are you on the Facebook mom groups? You should message Alina Adams. She is a consultant who knows a lot about Hunter. Additionally, her boys, who are POC, attended St Bernard’s, so she would probably really be able to give you the inside scoop.

Is she the best consultant? Or is there someone else who is more value added? We are going through the process next year