<p>Can parents or students of Boston area private schools recommend an academically rigorous school for a boy who is very strong in math and science, but a mediocre athlete? Entry point would be 7th grade. </p>
<p>Considering Belmont Hill - do they have a sufficient egghead contingent? </p>
<p>What about the curriculum at RL - is creative thinking appreciated and does it allow for acceleration?</p>
<p>Thanks in advance!</p>
<p>If you can hold off until 9th grade, aim at BUA.
Belmont Hill and RL both put a lot of value on sports. But,then, so do a lot of the preps. Nevertheless, you will want to look closely at athletics. Some schools really focus on ‘play to win’ and some also have very time-consuming athletic requirements.
RL is not really a creative thinking sort of place in some ways. Some acceleration does take place, but it is also small and has limited abilities. That said, they start at a high level so you may find acceleration is not necessary.
Entering at 7th is tricky in general - kids often change a lot in the middle school years and find that a school that fits when your child is in 6th, isn’t a fit by high school.</p>
<p>Belmont Hill is a Harvard feeder.</p>
<p>RL is extremely hard to get into. I mean, this school is almost impossible to get into. It’s easier to get into Phillips Andover than to get into RL. I have known straight A students who have been denied admission at RL. And as for the curriculum at RL, it’s extremely advanced so don’t worry about acceleration. BUA sounds like a good place for a kid who’s a mediocre athlete and good at math and science. I know a kid who goes there and that’s what he’s like.
If you live in the city of Boston then go for BLS. That’s Boston Latin School, in case you didn’t know. It’s a really good school, and if you’re kid’s RL or Belmont Hill material, he can definitely get into BLS.</p>
<p>If the student is still relatively young, it may be that the right sport is still waiting to be discovered. I’ve seen lots of boys struggle with the early-starting sports in our area (soccer, baseball, basketball) and then develop into strong HS athletes in the later-starting sports (cross-country, water polo, lacrosse, squash, sailing, rowing).</p>
<p>RL is hard to get into partly because they want a certain kind of boy. They do turn down very smart boys who won’t fit the style.
Some BUA kids are quite good at sports - but often at sports they do somewhat outside of the school. We’ve had some very strong fencers (who fenced on school teams and on their own) for example.
All the Boston area schools are fairly hard to get into. Start your search early, and visit as many schools as you can.
siliconvalleymom has a good point. Schools that offer a wide variety of sports can be a good idea too.</p>
<p>Do you wish to send your son to an all-boys school, or would a coed school suffice? Some of the best known preps in the Boston area begin in 7th grade. </p>
<p>Belmont Hill and Roxbury Latin begin in 7th grade. Noble & Greenough begins in 7th grade as well, but Nobles (as it’s known) is coed. The Groton School begins in 8th grade, and is also coed.</p>
<p>Some schools begin in earlier grades, then add students in later grades. Buckingham Browne and Nichols (coed) begins in “beginner” (before 1st grade), and continues through 12th grade. They do add students in other grades.</p>
<p>Milton Academy is coed, and k-12. Brimmer & May is coed, also k-12, I believe. All of the schools which begin in earlier grades add students along the way, either at planned entry points, or to fill spots which open up. If your son is a strong student, his chances will be higher, particularly in the later grades. Sometimes, schools are looking to fill spots with students who are similar to those who left. It’s not a reflection on your son, just a question of balancing their classes.</p>
<p>Are you looking for a school which is also a high school? You could also try some of the local pre-preps, which end in 8th or 9th grade. For boys, there’s the Fenn School, and Fessenden. Fay School, in Southborough, is coed. Both Fessenden and Fay are day/boarding schools. The Pike School (coed) is in Andover. The Sage School (coed) is in Foxboro. It is a school for the gifted, and (if I recall correctly) places students into levels by ability/achievement, rather than age.</p>
<p>It depends in great measure upon where you plan to live. If you live close to Boston, you must keep rush hour in mind. In general, it is easier to head west (i.e., away from Boston) in the morning and east in the evening than the other way around. </p>
<p>I second nemom’s advice to visit many schools. The schools I’ve listed are top-knotch, but difficult to get into. (apologies to any school I’ve overlooked.) They all have different cultures, and your son is most likely to win admission at a school which fits him. The Association of Independent Schools in New England’s website has a search function: [Association</a> of Independent Schools in New England](<a href=“http://www.aisne.org/]Association”>http://www.aisne.org/).</p>
<p>There are also the public schools. As you are relocating, you could rent in Boston and try to gain admission for your son to Boston Latin, a famous exam school. Admission is granted by exam. <a href=“https://www.bls.org/podium/default.aspx?t=113760[/url]”>https://www.bls.org/podium/default.aspx?t=113760</a> The Lexington public schools and Newton public schools also have fine reputations. Lexington is particularly strong in math.</p>
<p>@Periwinkle,
I live in a town fairly close to Lexington. And believe me, DO NOT SEND YOUR KID TO THE LEXINGTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS!!! They are good academically but extremely druggy. My parents almost bought a house in Lexington, but they didn’t because of the reputation of the school. True, that was twenty years ago, but I do know a kid whose parents are making him go to LCA (Lexington Christian Academy) because of the situation at the Lexington public schools. I would recommend Concord over Lexington, it has better public schools. (Btw I don’t live in Concord)</p>
<p>ifax, When you say the problems in Lexington public schools, are you talking about high school or all schools including the middle schools? Is this a problem at all schools public or private, or only at Lexington public schools?</p>
<p>Periwinkle, Can you please rank Fay, Fenn, Fessenden, and Pike schools 1 to 4 for academic rigor, great facilities, and excellent sports as metrics?</p>
<p>I am in a similar dilemma. I am a great student but I’m not too interested in pursuing sports. The Commonwealth School and BUA, located in Boston, strike me as great schools that don’t put too much of an emphasis on sports. Both BUA and the Commonwealth School require you do partake in some physical activity, but there are recreational, noncompetitive options available.</p>
<p>I realize you are interested in a school for seventh grade, but consider waiting to apply to these two schools.</p>
<p>@pulsar,
I’m just talking about the high school. Elementary middle schools are fine. Sorry if that wasn’t clear.</p>
<p>Pulsar, I’m sorry, I can’t rank the schools. It’s not really appropriate to do this for pre-secondary schools. It’s a little like trying to rank broccoli and cabbage. I like both. My kids prefer broccoli. My husband prefers cabbage. Neither vegetable wins. </p>
<p>I realize this is no help to someone who might move to the area. You must visit the schools to make an informed decision.</p>
<p>@pulsar,
Also I do know a bit about the Pike School. I actually wish that I went to the Pike School. In my opinion it’s the best school of the ones that you listed. I also know that Fenn puts a lot of emphasis on sports.</p>
<p>One day visit while informative won’t give you the full picture as opposed to the experiences of students/parents who attended the schools. Any Fay, Fenn, Fessenden, Pike School students/alums/parents out there who can share your experiences with these schools? I am seeking information on Academic rigor, school facilities, athletics, thank you.</p>
<p>Ranking schools is fairly absurd. A school is a complex organization and what suits one student will not suit another. Certainly some schools are much more rigorous - but that is fairly easily determined by looking at easily obtained data - what are the SAT scores, how many APs/IB/college courses are available, where do student matriculate, etc. Athletics is a complex question - do you want a school that makes sure all kids actually play a sport, or one that focuses on winning teams, or one that has all sorts of opportunities for physical activity (like dance and rock climbing)?
Visiting schools and reading their view books will actually tell you a lot.</p>
<p>From what I’ve heard, Fenn and Fessenden are very athletic. Fay is less so, my old school would always beat them in sports and we’re okay in that area.</p>
<p>Have you considered a more artsy school, like Shady Hill?
More suggestions are The Park School (in Brookline) and Meadowbrook (in Weston).</p>
<p>I had three sisters go to Pike. One graduated, and the other two transferred to Andover public schools.</p>
<p>All three then went to Phillips Academy. No nostalgia for Pike whatever. (This was a long time ago, so things might have improved since then.)</p>
<p>I didn’t read the whole thread so idk if it was mentioned but maybe deerfield?</p>
<p>If he wants all-boys, I’d recommend the following:
-Roxbury Latin
-Belmont Hill
-BC High (good education and refreshing tuition; also has scholarships)
-Xaverian Brothers HS (good education, a slight step lower than BC High; better scholarships and low tuition)</p>
<p>Co-ed:
-Milton (only real boarding school on the whole list, while Nobles and Belmont Hill have 5-day boarding options)
-Nobles
-Beaver Country Day
-BB&N
-Thayer
-Brimmer and May
-Chesnut Hill</p>
<p>Small schools (really small):
-Boston University Academy
-Commonwealth</p>
<p>In my opinion, Xaverian is better than BCH, buts that’s my opinion. Your list is really good @AlexMac.</p>