Best private schools in NYC?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People always seem to think that Spence is somehow less rigorous and more hierarchical than Chapin and Brearley, but I’m unsure how true that is - I only have personal connections with Spence. But that was the reputation when I was at Trinity: Spence is for the silly (actually a worse motto which i won’t leave here).

Along time ago that may have been true, but all three seem to be as competitive as the other. I would say still Spence does appear to have a student body which cares marginally more than about status and maybe a small fraction less about academic perfection, but again, I don’t have experience with the other two outside of reputation. I did spent tons of time with Spence girls in the 2000’s since my cousins were there when I was across town, and they all wound up at ivies, if that matters to anyone. And the Spence students I spent time with were uniformly lovely, sophisticated, intelligent, ambitious young women.

Also, Spence does seem to have an incredibly tightly knit community: their Spence friends are still their best friends, and I can’t really say that about my Trinity classmates. However, I think that may be the case with the girls schools in general.

Really? I've never heard anyone think that - if anything, it's the opposite. Chapin was seen as more of a "finishing" school for WASPS. The old (misogynist) adage goes "Brearley girls become doctors, Spence girls marry doctors, and Chapin girls date doctors."

Right, that adage is from decades and decades ago, when women went off to bryn mawr or smith to meet a nice yale boy to marry. JD Salinger chronicled it pretty well. It’s quite different now. We all graduated either in the 2000s or the 2010s. For us, and obviously we were silly kids, we considered Spence to be the least academically inclined of the girls schools, but the most socially connected. it makes so little difference, though. Still some of the best schools in the world.

All of these schools have evolved with the times while also keeping some degree of their traditions in place. But some very old stereotypes definitely do not hold true anymore.

I speak from firsthand experience as an alum who now sends their kids to one of these TTs.

Interesting. I must be stuck in the past! Spence still does strike me as more "modern." Small example - Brearley and Spence have transitioned to having the girls wear graduation gaps and gowns over their white dresses, Chapin still does white gowns. Not a problem - just an observation. Probably just about keeping their traditions.

Brearley = Gryffindor
Chapin = Hufflepuff
Spence = Slytherin

the I guess

Nightingale-Bamford = Ravenclaw

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People always seem to think that Spence is somehow less rigorous and more hierarchical than Chapin and Brearley, but I’m unsure how true that is - I only have personal connections with Spence. But that was the reputation when I was at Trinity: Spence is for the silly (actually a worse motto which i won’t leave here).

Along time ago that may have been true, but all three seem to be as competitive as the other. I would say still Spence does appear to have a student body which cares marginally more than about status and maybe a small fraction less about academic perfection, but again, I don’t have experience with the other two outside of reputation. I did spent tons of time with Spence girls in the 2000’s since my cousins were there when I was across town, and they all wound up at ivies, if that matters to anyone. And the Spence students I spent time with were uniformly lovely, sophisticated, intelligent, ambitious young women.

Also, Spence does seem to have an incredibly tightly knit community: their Spence friends are still their best friends, and I can’t really say that about my Trinity classmates. However, I think that may be the case with the girls schools in general.

Really? I've never heard anyone think that - if anything, it's the opposite. Chapin was seen as more of a "finishing" school for WASPS. The old (misogynist) adage goes "Brearley girls become doctors, Spence girls marry doctors, and Chapin girls date doctors."

Right, that adage is from decades and decades ago, when women went off to bryn mawr or smith to meet a nice yale boy to marry. JD Salinger chronicled it pretty well. It’s quite different now. We all graduated either in the 2000s or the 2010s. For us, and obviously we were silly kids, we considered Spence to be the least academically inclined of the girls schools, but the most socially connected. it makes so little difference, though. Still some of the best schools in the world.

All of these schools have evolved with the times while also keeping some degree of their traditions in place. But some very old stereotypes definitely do not hold true anymore.

I speak from firsthand experience as an alum who now sends their kids to one of these TTs.

Interesting. I must be stuck in the past! Spence still does strike me as more "modern." Small example - Brearley and Spence have transitioned to having the girls wear graduation gaps and gowns over their white dresses, Chapin still does white gowns. Not a problem - just an observation. Probably just about keeping their traditions.

Brearley = Gryffindor
Chapin = Hufflepuff
Spence = Slytherin

the I guess

Nightingale-Bamford = Ravenclaw

Brearley= Ravenclaw (most academic)
Chapin: Gryffindor (most well-rounded)
Spence: Slytherin ( a touch mean)
Nightengale: Hufflepuff (least academic)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People always seem to think that Spence is somehow less rigorous and more hierarchical than Chapin and Brearley, but I’m unsure how true that is - I only have personal connections with Spence. But that was the reputation when I was at Trinity: Spence is for the silly (actually a worse motto which i won’t leave here).

Along time ago that may have been true, but all three seem to be as competitive as the other. I would say still Spence does appear to have a student body which cares marginally more than about status and maybe a small fraction less about academic perfection, but again, I don’t have experience with the other two outside of reputation. I did spent tons of time with Spence girls in the 2000’s since my cousins were there when I was across town, and they all wound up at ivies, if that matters to anyone. And the Spence students I spent time with were uniformly lovely, sophisticated, intelligent, ambitious young women.

Also, Spence does seem to have an incredibly tightly knit community: their Spence friends are still their best friends, and I can’t really say that about my Trinity classmates. However, I think that may be the case with the girls schools in general.

Really? I've never heard anyone think that - if anything, it's the opposite. Chapin was seen as more of a "finishing" school for WASPS. The old (misogynist) adage goes "Brearley girls become doctors, Spence girls marry doctors, and Chapin girls date doctors."

Right, that adage is from decades and decades ago, when women went off to bryn mawr or smith to meet a nice yale boy to marry. JD Salinger chronicled it pretty well. It’s quite different now. We all graduated either in the 2000s or the 2010s. For us, and obviously we were silly kids, we considered Spence to be the least academically inclined of the girls schools, but the most socially connected. it makes so little difference, though. Still some of the best schools in the world.

All of these schools have evolved with the times while also keeping some degree of their traditions in place. But some very old stereotypes definitely do not hold true anymore.

I speak from firsthand experience as an alum who now sends their kids to one of these TTs.

Interesting. I must be stuck in the past! Spence still does strike me as more "modern." Small example - Brearley and Spence have transitioned to having the girls wear graduation gaps and gowns over their white dresses, Chapin still does white gowns. Not a problem - just an observation. Probably just about keeping their traditions.

Brearley = Gryffindor
Chapin = Hufflepuff
Spence = Slytherin

the I guess

Nightingale-Bamford = Ravenclaw

Brearley= Ravenclaw (most academic)
Chapin: Gryffindor (most well-rounded)
Spence: Slytherin ( a touch mean)
Nightingale: Hufflepuff (least academic)

[Anonymous]

Typo, sorry about that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When we visited I felt the Chapin girls were much more relaxed and the teachers were really warm and supportive. The Brearley teachers we saw were younger and very intellectual, the kind you can tell quickly that are very smart if you known what I mean…The girls looked very focused and driven.

Curious did you ultimately pick one over the other?

Are all of you getting into this schools for middle and HS from publics?

My daughter started at one of these TT all girls schools and only 10 or so girls admitted at middle school entry poiint and 60% come from other private schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People always seem to think that Spence is somehow less rigorous and more hierarchical than Chapin and Brearley, but I’m unsure how true that is - I only have personal connections with Spence. But that was the reputation when I was at Trinity: Spence is for the silly (actually a worse motto which i won’t leave here).

Along time ago that may have been true, but all three seem to be as competitive as the other. I would say still Spence does appear to have a student body which cares marginally more than about status and maybe a small fraction less about academic perfection, but again, I don’t have experience with the other two outside of reputation. I did spent tons of time with Spence girls in the 2000’s since my cousins were there when I was across town, and they all wound up at ivies, if that matters to anyone. And the Spence students I spent time with were uniformly lovely, sophisticated, intelligent, ambitious young women.

Also, Spence does seem to have an incredibly tightly knit community: their Spence friends are still their best friends, and I can’t really say that about my Trinity classmates. However, I think that may be the case with the girls schools in general.

Really? I've never heard anyone think that - if anything, it's the opposite. Chapin was seen as more of a "finishing" school for WASPS. The old (misogynist) adage goes "Brearley girls become doctors, Spence girls marry doctors, and Chapin girls date doctors."

Right, that adage is from decades and decades ago, when women went off to bryn mawr or smith to meet a nice yale boy to marry. JD Salinger chronicled it pretty well. It’s quite different now. We all graduated either in the 2000s or the 2010s. For us, and obviously we were silly kids, we considered Spence to be the least academically inclined of the girls schools, but the most socially connected. it makes so little difference, though. Still some of the best schools in the world.

All of these schools have evolved with the times while also keeping some degree of their traditions in place. But some very old stereotypes definitely do not hold true anymore.

I speak from firsthand experience as an alum who now sends their kids to one of these TTs.

Interesting. I must be stuck in the past! Spence still does strike me as more "modern." Small example - Brearley and Spence have transitioned to having the girls wear graduation gaps and gowns over their white dresses, Chapin still does white gowns. Not a problem - just an observation. Probably just about keeping their traditions.

Brearley = Gryffindor
Chapin = Hufflepuff
Spence = Slytherin

the I guess

Nightingale-Bamford = Ravenclaw

Brearley= Ravenclaw (most academic)
Chapin: Gryffindor (most well-rounded)
Spence: Slytherin ( a touch mean)
Nightingale: Hufflepuff (least academic)

Agreed, Chapin seems like the only one that would suit both Hermione and Harry - Ron could have gotten in on the sibling policy.

Luna would be a little wacky at Brearley but I could see it in that old UWS academic way. Cedric, if he were a girl, would be more Nightingale as he seems well-adjusted and less stressed (can't think of any other lead characters in Hufflepuff)

So... based on the characters...

Chapin = Gryffindor (Hermione)
Spence = Slytherin (Bellatrix)
Brearley = Ravenclaw (Luna)
Nightingale = Hufflepuff (Cedric)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People always seem to think that Spence is somehow less rigorous and more hierarchical than Chapin and Brearley, but I’m unsure how true that is - I only have personal connections with Spence. But that was the reputation when I was at Trinity: Spence is for the silly (actually a worse motto which i won’t leave here).

Along time ago that may have been true, but all three seem to be as competitive as the other. I would say still Spence does appear to have a student body which cares marginally more than about status and maybe a small fraction less about academic perfection, but again, I don’t have experience with the other two outside of reputation. I did spent tons of time with Spence girls in the 2000’s since my cousins were there when I was across town, and they all wound up at ivies, if that matters to anyone. And the Spence students I spent time with were uniformly lovely, sophisticated, intelligent, ambitious young women.

Also, Spence does seem to have an incredibly tightly knit community: their Spence friends are still their best friends, and I can’t really say that about my Trinity classmates. However, I think that may be the case with the girls schools in general.

Really? I've never heard anyone think that - if anything, it's the opposite. Chapin was seen as more of a "finishing" school for WASPS. The old (misogynist) adage goes "Brearley girls become doctors, Spence girls marry doctors, and Chapin girls date doctors."

Right, that adage is from decades and decades ago, when women went off to bryn mawr or smith to meet a nice yale boy to marry. JD Salinger chronicled it pretty well. It’s quite different now. We all graduated either in the 2000s or the 2010s. For us, and obviously we were silly kids, we considered Spence to be the least academically inclined of the girls schools, but the most socially connected. it makes so little difference, though. Still some of the best schools in the world.

All of these schools have evolved with the times while also keeping some degree of their traditions in place. But some very old stereotypes definitely do not hold true anymore.

I speak from firsthand experience as an alum who now sends their kids to one of these TTs.

Interesting. I must be stuck in the past! Spence still does strike me as more "modern." Small example - Brearley and Spence have transitioned to having the girls wear graduation gaps and gowns over their white dresses, Chapin still does white gowns. Not a problem - just an observation. Probably just about keeping their traditions.

Brearley = Gryffindor
Chapin = Hufflepuff
Spence = Slytherin

the I guess

Nightingale-Bamford = Ravenclaw

Brearley= Ravenclaw (most academic)
Chapin: Gryffindor (most well-rounded)
Spence: Slytherin ( a touch mean)
Nightingale: Hufflepuff (least academic)

Agreed, Chapin seems like the only one that would suit both Hermione and Harry - Ron could have gotten in on the sibling policy.

Luna would be a little wacky at Brearley but I could see it in that old UWS academic way. Cedric, if he were a girl, would be more Nightingale as he seems well-adjusted and less stressed (can't think of any other lead characters in Hufflepuff)

So... based on the characters...

Chapin = Gryffindor (Hermione)
Spence = Slytherin (Bellatrix)
Brearley = Ravenclaw (Luna)
Nightingale = Hufflepuff (Cedric)

So true. Brearley has always had a funny mix of UES society girls and nerdy daughters of UWS Columbia professors and psychiatrists.

[Anonymous]

What are thoughts on Spence vs Marymount? Does anyone have any experience with the Brearley wait pool?

[Anonymous]

Also wondering if anyone has heard anything on this wait pool?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Also wondering if anyone has heard anything on this wait pool?

For which entry?

[Anonymous]

Any would be helpful

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Any would be helpful

They might reach out a few days before deadline if you are top of waitlist.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Any would be helpful

They might reach out a few days before deadline if you are top of waitlist.

Thank you

[Anonymous]

In our case G9. She got into Spence, NG, Hewitt and Marymount but wait listed for Brearley.

[Anonymous]

I just found this thread and find it fascinating. Lots of interesting, generally very helpful perspectives. A few thoughts on common topics from the parent of an NYC HS boy:

- We applied to Hunter for him for K, so my info is a bit dated. He got a remarkably low score. Then a few weeks later got a very high score on the G&T. And has been incredible successful academically ever since (grades, ISEE, SHSAT). Before he even took the Hunter test I questioned their selection methods. He took the test for 7th with minimal prep and did not get in. Someone wrote that 7th grade entrants are much brighter than K entrants and I have heard the same thing. I was underwhelmed by Hunter's elementary curriculum. We were zoned for an excellent public elementary so it was not an issue. For those without good public options and money for private, Hunter can be excellent.

- We looked at public and private for HS. DS scored well enough to get into any SHS except Stuy (we didn't want Stuy - seems like a pressure cooker nightmare). We were very selective in choosing privates to apply to. We applied to one TT and were incredibly turned off by the process, and they seemed to feel the same way about us. He got into two similar schools that we really liked and chose one over his SHS option. We can pay full freight but are not wealthy. We are very happy with our choice. There is plenty of wealth but it is not showy, and the small classes, learning environment and resources are worth the money to us.

- I think for many NYC privates, even TT, the exmissions often are actually weaker than the alma maters of the parents. There are plenty of kids with double Ivy parents who don't make it.

- The Parents League is a great resource for getting your feet wet on private schools. They have good info sessions and though some are better than others, the advisors can be very helpful. And the cost is nominal compared to other advisors.