<p>Granted, my kid is at a co-ed school, but based on his experiences, I’d be very cautious about sending my son to an all-boys school. The boy code is definitely geared toward boys who are big, strong, athletic. As my kid points out, the other boys–the ones who love computer games and building stuff–will rule the world as adults, but for now, things are definitely more slanted toward the athletic boys. In a co-ed school I think that works out okay, but I’d be hesitant to send my kid to a school where the boy code isn’t balanced out somehow (and I have an athletic kid). </p>
<p>That said, a school with a strong math/science focus or a popular outdoors (rather than traditional athletic) program might be a great experience. I’d just suss it out pretty carefully, knowing that boys are pretty good at hiding that nasty competitive macho stuff from adults. I’ve worked with teenagers for most of my adult life, and I’ve learned that sometimes the most charming, disarming, outgoing boys are the ones who are ruthlessly picking on the boys they perceive as weak–and they know how to hide. Girls, however, are great at sniffing that kind of bullying out, and most won’t hesitate to rat out the charismatic bully. They also tend to be good friends to those “weaker” boys. Hence the balance that co-ed schools provide.</p>