Hi everyone
Our daughter has been accepted to both Horace Mann and Riverdale County (for 9th grade admissions). We visited both schools in the past, and this week attended the family event and our daughter got to attend classes. Our daughter’s first preference (and ours) is Horace Mann.
But given many parents (and students) are making a decision soon regarding private school admissions, I would love your hear your thoughts and opinions on these two wonderful schools.
Thanks 
in advance
Two excellent schools. Since you all prefer Horace Mann, I’d say your decision has been made.
Congrats!
Two things we learnt from our school visits this week, and talking to some parents
Would be valuable to hear from anyone who is considering these points, and is already leaning towards a decision
Not a New Yorker, but I would place very little weight on college placement from 2022. That year was wildly unpredictable coming out of covid. Horace Mann’s 2022-24 matriculation list on their website is very impressive, I can’t imagine how Riverdale could do much better!
Plus, a school’s job is not to help your child get into the “best” school - they should be working with you and your child to place your child at the college that is the best fit for your child. I personally am looking for a school that is going to know and nurture and care for my child for the next four years regardless of what my child chooses to do after high school.
Agreed on college placements. Its data from 2022-2024. For us, reason to explore high school options was to find her a challenging environment (esp. focussing on peer group and faculty). She currently studies at a good private school (but not the same environment as HM or Riverdale). We are not very interested in specific colleges/ or a major).
One reason to give college placements a thought is to evaluate if there were other reasons that influenced college decisions(apart from role of placement offices of the school).
My D25 is at R and started there in 9th. From everything I know, I would say your first point is correct and something to think about. That being said, for kids that are striving to be top of class and academically achievement oriented R can be pretty stressful too. For college placement, I don’t think they’re different in any meaningful way.
A fellow private school parent here, not at HM or R (but from a very comparable school). The general consensus in the NYC private school world is that HM is more academically rigorous than R. I have also heard anecdotally that R has a higher concentration of really wealthy families (which could sway college admissions results), and is “flashier”.
From our multiple school visits, thats our impression as well. Riverdale definitely has more wealthy families continuing into Upper school.
With HM, either through “weeding “ or students/families self selecting out (owing to pressure and academic rigor), the demographic of families in upper school varies from that of Riverdale.