Anonymous
Post 02/10/2026 10:35     Subject: Dexter/BB&N/Fessenden/Milton
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Dexter is traditional, sporty, and mostly affluent families and lacks diversity. High school isn’t that good from what I hear

Milton - probably the hardest to get into. Smaller class in K and mostly filled with siblings. Out of the schools you listed, it’s the most prestigious and has the best matriculation rates to college. Getting there is a pain, surrounded by dangerous neighborhoods, and Milton town itself doesn’t have anything to offer except a few coffee shops.

Bb&N - another ongoing school like Milton, smaller, better location, but I would put it a step down from Milton in terms of ranking.

Fessy - centrally located but ends in 8th. You would have to elbow your classmates for placements and many boys place out midway and don’t go onto 8th. Lots of Asian boys who board esp from China and Korea.


OP here. Thanks. Exactly what I was looking for. Is Dexter solid academically through 8th?


Agree with pretty much everything except the characterization of the area around Milton Academy. Very odd to say that the neighborhoods around it are dangerous, the average home price in Milton is over $1M. Some of the neighborhoods of Boston that border the town of Milton are not great (particularly Mattapan) but Dorchester is nothing compared to DC's "dangerous" neighborhoods.


Yes - I was referring to Mattapan. You would have to go through that area to get to Milton unless you are driving down from the highway.
Anonymous
Post 02/07/2026 22:06     Subject: Dexter/BB&N/Fessenden/Milton
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Dexter is traditional, sporty, and mostly affluent families and lacks diversity. High school isn’t that good from what I hear

Milton - probably the hardest to get into. Smaller class in K and mostly filled with siblings. Out of the schools you listed, it’s the most prestigious and has the best matriculation rates to college. Getting there is a pain, surrounded by dangerous neighborhoods, and Milton town itself doesn’t have anything to offer except a few coffee shops.

Bb&N - another ongoing school like Milton, smaller, better location, but I would put it a step down from Milton in terms of ranking.

Fessy - centrally located but ends in 8th. You would have to elbow your classmates for placements and many boys place out midway and don’t go onto 8th. Lots of Asian boys who board esp from China and Korea.


OP here. Thanks. Exactly what I was looking for. Is Dexter solid academically through 8th?


Agree with pretty much everything except the characterization of the area around Milton Academy. Very odd to say that the neighborhoods around it are dangerous, the average home price in Milton is over $1M. Some of the neighborhoods of Boston that border the town of Milton are not great (particularly Mattapan) but Dorchester is nothing compared to DC's "dangerous" neighborhoods.
Anonymous
Post 02/06/2026 22:35     Subject: Dexter/BB&N/Fessenden/Milton
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:depending on what town you're in, the public schools are incredibly excellent… In some ways superior to the local privates.


Stop repeatedly pushing publics on posters who ask about privates.


Huh? I have never posted on this forum before or about this topic. I am just speaking the truth.


No one cares. No public is as good as Milton or BB&N or Fessy for K-8. Go back to Brookline or Newton.


"Fessy?"


Yup. What about it?
Anonymous
Post 02/06/2026 19:51     Subject: Dexter/BB&N/Fessenden/Milton
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:depending on what town you're in, the public schools are incredibly excellent… In some ways superior to the local privates.


Stop repeatedly pushing publics on posters who ask about privates.


Huh? I have never posted on this forum before or about this topic. I am just speaking the truth.


No one cares. No public is as good as Milton or BB&N or Fessy for K-8. Go back to Brookline or Newton.


"Fessy?"
Anonymous
Post 02/06/2026 10:44     Subject: Dexter/BB&N/Fessenden/Milton
I heard Dexter is solid academically until 8th but more in a traditional way. The problem with Dexter is that you'll get absolutely no support when placing out. They need your tuition money to stay and it's even harder to get into Milton/BB&N in high school unless you are the top 1% of grades, test scores, and ECs.
Anonymous
Post 02/05/2026 18:19     Subject: Dexter/BB&N/Fessenden/Milton
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:depending on what town you're in, the public schools are incredibly excellent… In some ways superior to the local privates.


Stop repeatedly pushing publics on posters who ask about privates.


Huh? I have never posted on this forum before or about this topic. I am just speaking the truth.


No one cares. No public is as good as Milton or BB&N or Fessy for K-8. Go back to Brookline or Newton.
Anonymous
Post 02/05/2026 17:05     Subject: Dexter/BB&N/Fessenden/Milton
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:depending on what town you're in, the public schools are incredibly excellent… In some ways superior to the local privates.


Stop repeatedly pushing publics on posters who ask about privates.


Huh? I have never posted on this forum before or about this topic. I am just speaking the truth.
Anonymous
Post 02/03/2026 16:06     Subject: Dexter/BB&N/Fessenden/Milton
Not OP. Is it easier to get in for PK or K? Is it worth leaving your current PS early to apply for the PK spots rather than wait for K?
Anonymous
Post 02/03/2026 15:14     Subject: Dexter/BB&N/Fessenden/Milton
Anonymous wrote:depending on what town you're in, the public schools are incredibly excellent… In some ways superior to the local privates.


Stop repeatedly pushing publics on posters who ask about privates.
Anonymous
Post 02/03/2026 15:13     Subject: Dexter/BB&N/Fessenden/Milton
Anonymous wrote:Dexter is traditional, sporty, and mostly affluent families and lacks diversity. High school isn’t that good from what I hear

Milton - probably the hardest to get into. Smaller class in K and mostly filled with siblings. Out of the schools you listed, it’s the most prestigious and has the best matriculation rates to college. Getting there is a pain, surrounded by dangerous neighborhoods, and Milton town itself doesn’t have anything to offer except a few coffee shops.

Bb&N - another ongoing school like Milton, smaller, better location, but I would put it a step down from Milton in terms of ranking.

Fessy - centrally located but ends in 8th. You would have to elbow your classmates for placements and many boys place out midway and don’t go onto 8th. Lots of Asian boys who board esp from China and Korea.


OP here. Thanks. Exactly what I was looking for. Is Dexter solid academically through 8th?
Anonymous
Post 02/01/2026 15:50     Subject: Dexter/BB&N/Fessenden/Milton
depending on what town you're in, the public schools are incredibly excellent… In some ways superior to the local privates.
Anonymous
Post 02/01/2026 13:41     Subject: Dexter/BB&N/Fessenden/Milton
Dexter is traditional, sporty, and mostly affluent families and lacks diversity. High school isn’t that good from what I hear

Milton - probably the hardest to get into. Smaller class in K and mostly filled with siblings. Out of the schools you listed, it’s the most prestigious and has the best matriculation rates to college. Getting there is a pain, surrounded by dangerous neighborhoods, and Milton town itself doesn’t have anything to offer except a few coffee shops.

Bb&N - another ongoing school like Milton, smaller, better location, but I would put it a step down from Milton in terms of ranking.

Fessy - centrally located but ends in 8th. You would have to elbow your classmates for placements and many boys place out midway and don’t go onto 8th. Lots of Asian boys who board esp from China and Korea.
Anonymous
Post 01/30/2026 10:50     Subject: Dexter/BB&N/Fessenden/Milton
Anonymous wrote:I’ve never heard of Dexter. It will depend on where you live because all of those are very traffic heavy.

You should also check the public school near where you’ll live. It might have more to offer.


We are applying from out of state and have flexibility in terms of where we’d live. All of them aren’t too far from Boston proper.

We are not considering public schools.
Anonymous
Post 01/30/2026 02:27     Subject: Dexter/BB&N/Fessenden/Milton
I’ve never heard of Dexter. It will depend on where you live because all of those are very traffic heavy.

You should also check the public school near where you’ll live. It might have more to offer.
Anonymous
Post 01/26/2026 10:12     Subject: Dexter/BB&N/Fessenden/Milton
Does anyone have experience applying to these schools for PK and/or K? Any advice? Which is the easiest to get into and which is the hardest? Would be applying for out of state. Haven’t lived in MA in over a decade.