Best private schools in NYC?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Old Etonian living in NYC, I’ve got two daughters (1 and 3 yrs old so just dipping into the cut throat NYC private school maelstrom, pre-school edition)! I mention my school as I felt it offered each student the best possible outlet and support for whatever interested him. There was a boy who joined my house in our third year who had previously gone to St Bernard’s, he was clever and fit in pretty quickly (no small feat considering we’d all been together for a few years at that stage and teenage boys are not necessarily known for their accepting ways). Anyhow, he spoke very highly of it and I didn’t really pay attention at the time but now I am in New York with kids that sentiment carries more weight. I also came across another boy at Uni who’d gone there and he left a good impression on me. Are there any girls’ schools in NYC that are similar? Is any school considered a “sister school” to it perhaps? Thank you in advance.

It’s hard to compare the K-8 boys’ with the K-12 girls’. And whilst in my experience (or in the experience of friends with kids in these schools) all the below are excellent I would pair them like this:

Brearley - Collegiate
Spence - Buckley
Nightingale - Allen Stevenson
Chapin - St. Bernard’s
Sacred Heart - St. David’s

Subtle differences, but I’ve seen or heard wonderful things about each and every one of these schools. I also want to add Marymount and Browning, but don’t see them as a pair with each other. Any child would be lucky to be educated at any of them and based on what you describe you’ll find what you’re looking for for your daughter at all of them.

You absolutely nailed it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Old Etonian living in NYC, I’ve got two daughters (1 and 3 yrs old so just dipping into the cut throat NYC private school maelstrom, pre-school edition)! I mention my school as I felt it offered each student the best possible outlet and support for whatever interested him. There was a boy who joined my house in our third year who had previously gone to St Bernard’s, he was clever and fit in pretty quickly (no small feat considering we’d all been together for a few years at that stage and teenage boys are not necessarily known for their accepting ways). Anyhow, he spoke very highly of it and I didn’t really pay attention at the time but now I am in New York with kids that sentiment carries more weight. I also came across another boy at Uni who’d gone there and he left a good impression on me. Are there any girls’ schools in NYC that are similar? Is any school considered a “sister school” to it perhaps? Thank you in advance.

It’s hard to compare the K-8 boys’ with the K-12 girls’. And whilst in my experience (or in the experience of friends with kids in these schools) all the below are excellent I would pair them like this:

Brearley - Collegiate
Spence - Buckley
Nightingale - Allen Stevenson
Chapin - St. Bernard’s
Sacred Heart - St. David’s

Subtle differences, but I’ve seen or heard wonderful things about each and every one of these schools. I also want to add Marymount and Browning, but don’t see them as a pair with each other. Any child would be lucky to be educated at any of them and based on what you describe you’ll find what you’re looking for for your daughter at all of them.

You absolutely nailed it.

Can you explain how Chapin and St. Bernard's are similar? And Spence and Buckley?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:St. Ann’s sends about 20% to Ivies, honestly all the top tier schools send about 20 percent to Ivies: Dalton, St. Ann’s, Brearley, Chapin, Riverdale, Horace Mann.

All have about the same with Brearley, Horace Mann, Dalton some years sending about 25%. Not sure about Spence and Collegiate as I couldn’t find their matriculation online when our family was researching schools. Avenues this year sent about 12%.

Last year Brearley sent ~40% to ivies (~25 kids), and this year it will be closer to 50% (~ 30 kids). It's always well above 25%. Even the 5-year matriculation rate is over 40% ivy.

https://www.brearley.org/college-advising/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Old Etonian living in NYC, I’ve got two daughters (1 and 3 yrs old so just dipping into the cut throat NYC private school maelstrom, pre-school edition)! I mention my school as I felt it offered each student the best possible outlet and support for whatever interested him. There was a boy who joined my house in our third year who had previously gone to St Bernard’s, he was clever and fit in pretty quickly (no small feat considering we’d all been together for a few years at that stage and teenage boys are not necessarily known for their accepting ways). Anyhow, he spoke very highly of it and I didn’t really pay attention at the time but now I am in New York with kids that sentiment carries more weight. I also came across another boy at Uni who’d gone there and he left a good impression on me. Are there any girls’ schools in NYC that are similar? Is any school considered a “sister school” to it perhaps? Thank you in advance.

It’s hard to compare the K-8 boys’ with the K-12 girls’. And whilst in my experience (or in the experience of friends with kids in these schools) all the below are excellent I would pair them like this:

Brearley - Collegiate
Spence - Buckley
Nightingale - Allen Stevenson
Chapin - St. Bernard’s
Sacred Heart - St. David’s

Subtle differences, but I’ve seen or heard wonderful things about each and every one of these schools. I also want to add Marymount and Browning, but don’t see them as a pair with each other. Any child would be lucky to be educated at any of them and based on what you describe you’ll find what you’re looking for for your daughter at all of them.

You absolutely nailed it.

Can you explain how Chapin and St. Bernard's are similar? And Spence and Buckley?

I am not the prior poster, and my kids go to a co-ed schoool so take this with a grain of salt, but reputation-wise (when we were applying at least) Spence and Buckley seem to be known for attracting a flashier/fancier crowd that other peer SS schools. I do not see a natural connection between Chapin and StB though to be honest. I know many more families with kids at Collegiate and Chapin (vs St B and Chapin), or StB and Sacred Heart / Brearley / Nightingale. That being said, I don't think it is easy to compare/match a K-12 school with a K-8 school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Old Etonian living in NYC, I’ve got two daughters (1 and 3 yrs old so just dipping into the cut throat NYC private school maelstrom, pre-school edition)! I mention my school as I felt it offered each student the best possible outlet and support for whatever interested him. There was a boy who joined my house in our third year who had previously gone to St Bernard’s, he was clever and fit in pretty quickly (no small feat considering we’d all been together for a few years at that stage and teenage boys are not necessarily known for their accepting ways). Anyhow, he spoke very highly of it and I didn’t really pay attention at the time but now I am in New York with kids that sentiment carries more weight. I also came across another boy at Uni who’d gone there and he left a good impression on me. Are there any girls’ schools in NYC that are similar? Is any school considered a “sister school” to it perhaps? Thank you in advance.

It’s hard to compare the K-8 boys’ with the K-12 girls’. And whilst in my experience (or in the experience of friends with kids in these schools) all the below are excellent I would pair them like this:

Brearley - Collegiate
Spence - Buckley
Nightingale - Allen Stevenson
Chapin - St. Bernard’s
Sacred Heart - St. David’s

Subtle differences, but I’ve seen or heard wonderful things about each and every one of these schools. I also want to add Marymount and Browning, but don’t see them as a pair with each other. Any child would be lucky to be educated at any of them and based on what you describe you’ll find what you’re looking for for your daughter at all of them.

You absolutely nailed it.

Can you explain how Chapin and St. Bernard's are similar? And Spence and Buckley?

I am not the prior poster, and my kids go to a co-ed schoool so take this with a grain of salt, but reputation-wise (when we were applying at least) Spence and Buckley seem to be known for attracting a flashier/fancier crowd that other peer SS schools. I do not see a natural connection between Chapin and StB though to be honest. I know many more families with kids at Collegiate and Chapin (vs St B and Chapin), or StB and Sacred Heart / Brearley / Nightingale. That being said, I don't think it is easy to compare/match a K-12 school with a K-8 school.

Exactly it for Spence and Buckley. Chapin and St. Bernard's are seen as the WASP schools.

[Anonymous]

I’m not sure Chapin is very wasn’t anymore although that was the rep in the 80s and 90s

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m not sure Chapin is very wasn’t anymore although that was the rep in the 80s and 90s

It's not as WASPY as it was but it's by far the WASPYest of the girls schools.

[Anonymous]

Back in my day (the 1980s), every Chapin girl had a brother at St. B’s and every St. B’s boy had a sister at Chapin- as they were the WASPiest schools.
Spence and Buckley were also WASPy, but flashier money.
Brearley was half WASP half artsy Jewish girls from the UWS.
Allen-Stevenson - a mixture, skewed more Jewish.
st. David’s - Catholic
I went to NBS which had old and new money. Skewed more Waspy than Jewish
But on the whole, Jewish kids went to the coed schools. I’m an UES WASP who grew up 5 blocks from Dalton and didn’t know a single kid who went there.

But, times have changed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Back in my day (the 1980s), every Chapin girl had a brother at St. B’s and every St. B’s boy had a sister at Chapin- as they were the WASPiest schools.
Spence and Buckley were also WASPy, but flashier money.
Brearley was half WASP half artsy Jewish girls from the UWS.
Allen-Stevenson - a mixture, skewed more Jewish.
st. David’s - Catholic
I went to NBS which had old and new money. Skewed more Waspy than Jewish
But on the whole, Jewish kids went to the coed schools. I’m an UES WASP who grew up 5 blocks from Dalton and didn’t know a single kid who went there.

But, times have changed.

Why do you think that's the case... pure conjecture but very interesting to me as a jewish person

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Back in my day (the 1980s), every Chapin girl had a brother at St. B’s and every St. B’s boy had a sister at Chapin- as they were the WASPiest schools.
Spence and Buckley were also WASPy, but flashier money.
Brearley was half WASP half artsy Jewish girls from the UWS.
Allen-Stevenson - a mixture, skewed more Jewish.
st. David’s - Catholic
I went to NBS which had old and new money. Skewed more Waspy than Jewish
But on the whole, Jewish kids went to the coed schools. I’m an UES WASP who grew up 5 blocks from Dalton and didn’t know a single kid who went there.

But, times have changed.

Why do you think that's the case... pure conjecture but very interesting to me as a jewish person

I think it’s because, historically, the single sex schools were bastions of old school wasps. The boys schools, except Collegiate and Browning, all end at 8th/9th grade because the boys were presumed to go on to boarding school. The girls schools were basically finishing schools. And, no doubt, there was blatant discrimination in the admissions offices. My mother grew up in NYC in the 1950s, she was half Jewish and very smart, but was not accepted at Chapin, Brearley, NBS or Spence.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Back in my day (the 1980s), every Chapin girl had a brother at St. B’s and every St. B’s boy had a sister at Chapin- as they were the WASPiest schools.
Spence and Buckley were also WASPy, but flashier money.
Brearley was half WASP half artsy Jewish girls from the UWS.
Allen-Stevenson - a mixture, skewed more Jewish.
st. David’s - Catholic
I went to NBS which had old and new money. Skewed more Waspy than Jewish
But on the whole, Jewish kids went to the coed schools. I’m an UES WASP who grew up 5 blocks from Dalton and didn’t know a single kid who went there.

But, times have changed.

Why do you think that's the case... pure conjecture but very interesting to me as a jewish person

I think it’s because, historically, the single sex schools were bastions of old school wasps. The boys schools, except Collegiate and Browning, all end at 8th/9th grade because the boys were presumed to go on to boarding school. The girls schools were basically finishing schools. And, no doubt, there was blatant discrimination in the admissions offices. My mother grew up in NYC in the 1950s, she was half Jewish and very smart, but was not accepted at Chapin, Brearley, NBS or Spence.

Where do the preps in nyc go now for HS if not boarding school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I’m also wondering—does Hunter’s curriculum truly cater to gifted children, or is their strong college placement more about selecting top students early on? I’ve heard that the most successful students at Hunter High tend to be those who test in at 7th grade rather than those who stay from K through 12. Is that true?

Totally true and I even had a Hunter teacher say almost those exact words to me last year. That's no one fault- it's just that you cant identify elite talent as well at K vs 7th.

It's no one's fault, but it does make you question the purpose of the elementary school. I personally think the elementary school should only admit low income students from low SES zip codes. There's a case for a free school that can potentially "catch" gifted kids before they slip through the cracks of a poor educational system. I don't see the purpose of offering a free education to parents who can afford Dalton, or live in the PS 6 zone. Sorry.

It is not my experience, actually. Hunter Elementary kids tended to be more well rounded with impressive extracurriculars in addition to grades/scores (especially artsy/music oriented, but not exclusively). Overall had better Ivy acceptance rates than 7th grade admits (though also more true misses); but even kids who didn’t end up at ivies thrived at their colleges and bounced up for grad school. Anecdotally, my Yale Law School class had five Hunter grads (which is kind of insane, statistically speaking) and three were lifers.

[Anonymous]

The Hunter test is kind of an oddity in that

[Anonymous]

The Hunter test for 7th is kind of an oddity in that it’s accepting such a tiny number of kids - 180 out of 3000, versus the SHSAT where it’s more like 4000 out of 20,000 - that it’s hard to believe that it’s accurately finding the “best” in that group, versus kids who happened to have a lucky or unlucky day on a couple of questions or a particularly good story for an essay response. So it makes sense that the more subjective elementary process has a higher success rate.

(That being said, I don’t know what you replace it with that wouldn’t bring even more problems - maybe assign some slots through a couple of alternate pathways, e.g. lock kids in a room all day with no parents/tutors and no AI and have them write a one-act play and the best 5 plays get in)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I’m also wondering—does Hunter’s curriculum truly cater to gifted children, or is their strong college placement more about selecting top students early on? I’ve heard that the most successful students at Hunter High tend to be those who test in at 7th grade rather than those who stay from K through 12. Is that true?

Totally true and I even had a Hunter teacher say almost those exact words to me last year. That's no one fault- it's just that you cant identify elite talent as well at K vs 7th.

It's no one's fault, but it does make you question the purpose of the elementary school. I personally think the elementary school should only admit low income students from low SES zip codes. There's a case for a free school that can potentially "catch" gifted kids before they slip through the cracks of a poor educational system. I don't see the purpose of offering a free education to parents who can afford Dalton, or live in the PS 6 zone. Sorry.

It is not my experience, actually. Hunter Elementary kids tended to be more well rounded with impressive extracurriculars in addition to grades/scores (especially artsy/music oriented, but not exclusively). Overall had better Ivy acceptance rates than 7th grade admits (though also more true misses); but even kids who didn’t end up at ivies thrived at their colleges and bounced up for grad school. Anecdotally, my Yale Law School class had five Hunter grads (which is kind of insane, statistically speaking) and three were lifers.

Hunter elementary school kids are more well rounded because they're wealthier. Think private music lessons, Broadway shows, acting class....

I have a kid who just graduated Hunter HS and I can say definitively that the lifers did not have better Ivy acceptance rates than the 7th grade entrants, and that's even taking into account some wealthy double legacies.