Im applying to schools this fall and wanted to know if therye are any higher accptance rate schools that are still very academically challenging and rigours. Im interested in science, language learning, and political science. I also live in MA.
There are TONS! You could look outside MA. George School, for example, is in PA but very easy to get to on Amtrak. As is Peddie. Cambridge School of Weston (in MA) has a similar academic calendar to George.
At almost every BS, there are very rigorous academics. Some take a wider range of learners, but they know how to challenge everyone.
Check out the Hidden Gems thread. You’ll see names like Westminster, Tabor, Portsmouth Abbey, Pomfret, Hill, Putney, and Mercersberg. Some will probably strike you as a hard no, but others may be pretty exciting. You owe it to yourself to explore fully. It’s an incredible opportunity to choose your high school experience.
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Adding Millbrook to this list.
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If you’re in Greater Boston you should look at Beaver. Unless you’re thinking Boarding.
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Commonwealth had acceptance rate of like 30 - 40% and it looks awesome. Not mega selective but still somewhat. It’s all day students, no boarding offered. I’m applying and have my interview tomorrow. I think it’s worth a shot depending on your grades and EC’s
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Observation 1: a lot of what you get out of school depends on what you put into it. At many of the higher admit schools and those mentioned as Hidden Gems, while they aren’t cut throat, if you want to be challenged, you can choose to bee academically challenged.
Observation 2: when applying to college, it is more important who you are than which prep school you went to. There really isn’t the feeder system that there used to be. Heck, there isn’t even the legacy/faculty factor that there used to be, for better or worse.
I get that you’re ambitious, but “fit” is very important, so think about who you are and what works for you. Size of school, location (if that’s a factor), teaching philosophy, etc.
Oh, and if you need financial aid, a little overmatching doesn’t hurt. 
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Some threads worth reading:
Commonwealth is a great school for a certain type of student (academicky).
I am surprised by the acceptance rate but suspect that speaks to self-selection. If you’re a kid who’s into sports, or want a bigger “campus” type environment, you’re not applying to Commonwealth or like BU Academy, for example. Chances are, the kids who apply have done their research.
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I am surprised poster has an actual acceptance rate and that it is published with any degree of accuracy. (Though it is very self-selecting given size/rigor, agreed). Average SAT is 1480 - so if you are applying your SSAT better be excellent, they do want VERY serious academic students. Their matriculation list is NO JOKE https://resources.finalsite.net/images/v1789054927/commonwealth/i9qogwailwge6b64wb65/Commonwealth-School-Profile.pdf There is probably 1 kid a year that doesn’t go to a very highly selective school.. and recall they have virtually no recruited athletes.
Yes. I don’t know. It’s my top choice. I’ve looked at their acceptance rate and it seems pretty accurate. It is not published by the school, it is estimated by external websites.
I am not sure that % is way-off base, I just don’t think external websites have any way of knowing with any solid degree of accuracy or keep up with trends. Those smaller schools keep numbers VERY secret (having experience with small independent schools - they pretty much may tell board members). There is no advantage in publishing them or giving them out they have plenty of qualified (fully pay) applicants to fill their seats and showing a high admit rate isn’t making them look good. Also, they are much more likely to have substantive swings, which also make them look weird which is bad!
That said, I don’t disagree the rate is higher than the large nationally famous boarding schools…Their limited sports and mean lots of people don’t even look at them. I have heard through through grapevine that the Boston area day schools (the commonwealths/BU Academy in particular,) have become substantially more competitive post-Covid, FYI, though that may just mirror the boarding schools? Not entirely sure!
Commonwealth, and other small schools (fewer than 50-60 kids / grade etc) definitely looks for fit as well as academics, it is so small they need to make sure you will like it there! They do NOT want turnover if they can help it.
Good luck! Almost every single kid ends up somewhere they can thrive:)
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