Choosing The Right School For Your Family
Choosing the right school for your child can be needlessly stressful and confusing. Parents may be intimidated by the cost and perceived exclusivity of elite NYC private schools. Parents new to Brooklyn, may ask: “How do I find private schools near me that reflect my values?”
MUSE Academy has a highly diverse community of students, families, and educators who relfect the richness of Brooklyn as a melting pot and magnet for talented and creative people from around the world. We view music and performance as the birthright of all people, an essential way that human beings connect with others and explore their creativity. Our scholarhip and financial aid policies are designed to promote the accessibility of an exceptional education.
A warm and diverse community, deep thematic integration of academics and arts, and a joyful learning experience these some of the things that set MUSE apart among Brooklyn private schools. We encourage your family to explore if MUSE is the right fit for your child.
At Speyer Our Accelerated And Enriched Academics Are Grounded In Leading Research And Best Practices In Gifted Education
Our curriculum is steeped in the study of humanities and is built on a foundation of rigorous instruction in core academic subjects that is further enhanced by innovative subjects such as debate, creative and computational thinking, and music theory and composition. All of this is delivered by specially trained faculty who teach without preconceptions about what children of a given age can accomplish .
A Day In The Life At Muse
At MUSE Academy, every day is an adventure in learning in which rigorous core academic instruction is richly intertwined with music, performance, and visual arts.
Each morning, the Head of School warmly greets MUSE students as they enter the building and transition from family life to the new environment of structured learning, social development, and creative expression at MUSE Academy. Classrooms start with 15 minutes of community building and character development, typically with interactive games, song, and dance. Each classroom is governed by behavioral norms they have helped to shape as active citizens.
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High School Guide: Catholic Choices In Nyc
Many parents see New York Citys private schools as the finest institutions for a quality education. And this assumption is for good reason: Many graduates of these schools go on to achieve prestigious and lucrative careers, after gaining admission to some of the top universities in the nation. Private schools also promise state-of-the-art facilities, Ivy League-educated teachers, small class sizes, individualized attention and any extracurricular activity a students heart desires.
From my experience working with students over the past few years, Ive become familiar with the workings of these schools and the experiences they give to their students. What has become abundantly clear is that these schools certainly do provide a wealth of opportunities and support for those who attend.
At the end of the day, you cant go wrong sending your child to any of the schools listed here, but be aware that this doesnt mean that each student will have the same experience as their peers. High school is what students make of it whether they challenge themselves academically, excel in their courses or take advantage of the resources available.
Many elite private schools boast close relationships with admissions offices at prestigious colleges, but some schools emphasize the holistic development of each student and matching them with best-fit schools.
Here is a ranking of the top 10 NYC private schools, based on admissions data.
At Speyer We Are Deeply Committed To Building And Promoting An Inclusive School Community
We are connected by a shared philosophy of the value of an educational model focused on gifted learners and work together to create vibrant and joyful environment that cherishes a sense of humor, wit, and playfulness.
We are also connected by a pledge that Speyer is a community built on understanding and respect. It is a school where Inclusion means Belonging, and it is a place where everyone within it feels they belong .
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How To Do Research On A School
Once you’ve found out your zoned school, do a search for it on the DOE site. You’ll get a lot of information, including the school quality guide, which is based on results from the NYC School Survey and more information on student achievement, and the quality review report, which is the result of a two-day visit by an experienced educator. Be aware that some of this information may be from prior years because of the pandemic. There were no state tests in 2020 and in 2021, families nearly 80 percent of students in third through eighth grades did not sit for the tests.
Another good place to do your research is InsideSchools’s “staff picks, which can be found by refining a search on the site.
Other categories that can be selected include “gifted & talented, “charter, and “dual language.” The site has reviews on all schools and provides real specifics, including rodent problems and the like.
Private High Schools Across America
Private day schools are popular options for families seeking a high-quality education. Students receive a world-class education while maintaining their residence with their families. A great private day schoolthat is, a private high school without boarding facilitieswill challenge students to achieve not only academic success, but personal success as well.
The rankings below have been compiled on the basis of a number of factors. In terms of academic excellence, the schools on the following list maintain a superior level of instruction, quality relationships with top-tier colleges, and additional academic awards and honors. The majority of students who attend these day schools attend Ivy League universities or the colleges just underneath the Ivies in college ranking materials.
Because diversity of the student body is integral to preparing students for living and working in a connected, global society, we factor this into our criteria for the rankings. The diversity of a student population, as well as opportunities to connect to the world, are telling factors of a school’s commitment to preparing its students for the world outside of the school environment.
Note about boarding schools: Schools that receive day students along with boarding students will be included in a follow-up article on boarding schools. This article focuses on private high schools that do not provide boarding facilities.
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Public Elementary School Options
About half of NYC children who attend public elementary schools go to the school that they are geographically zoned for , the rest head to charter schools, magnet schools, and gifted and talented programs.
The percentage attending zoned schools has dropped in recent years.
“Many more families exercise school choice than most people realized,” says Clara Hemphill, founder of InsideSchools, a website with independent reviews of schools and guides to the NYC school system.
One helpful tip: By answering a few questions, InsideSchools will generate a list of schools that your child is eligible to attend. The site also has forums for parents to chat about their experiences with schools called InsideSchools+, and parents can set up a free membership and take online courses to learn about the school admissions process.
In general, the process works like this: To keep your options open, you apply to several different schools . Even if you choose to go with your zoned school, you must still apply in advance for a seat.
Applications for general education kindergarten are due in mid-January. Placements have been occurring as late as April during the pandemic, instead of March. NYCs MySchools is the portal where you create your application and get guidance on the admissions process.
Have questions about a specific school? Every public school has a parent coordinator who is available to answer questions about the process. Contact info is typically listed on the school’s website.
St Andrew’s Episcopal School
St. Andrew’s Episcopal School, which is located just north of Jackson, Mississippi , is an independent, co-ed, college prep school for students in grades pre-K through 12.
St. Andrew’s consistently leads the state in the percentage of National Merit Semi-finalists. In addition to a fine academic tradition, St. Andrew’s students grow as individuals in a variety of ways, one of which is that they complete an astounding 100 hours of community service projects before graduation. The school has established a focus on global studies through the St. Andrew’s International Society, the Global Speakers program, and by providing exchange programs with schools in Japan, China, Mexico, Ghana, Scotland, Spain, France, and India.
Awards, Ranking, Alumni, Tuition:
- The Class of 2011 included 12 National Merit Finalists, three National Achievement Finalists, and five Commended Students
- The Class of 2010 included 18 National Merit Finalists , three National Achievement Finalists, and two Commendations
- St. Andrew’s has produced four Presidential Scholars in the last four years
- Thirty-five of 39 of Mississippi’s AP State Scholars have been St. Andrew’s students
- Tuition: $14,605
Delbarton is a Catholic, all-men’s school located just west of Newark, New Jersey.
In addition to its commitment to academic excellence, Delbarton promotes the values of cooperative living in a global society.
Awards, Ranking, Alumni, Tuition:
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Sleeper Schools And Other Expert Recommendations
Aronow suggests considering new schools. Many parents are hesitant to try them out, she says, but these schools often have newer facilities than more established schools, plus dynamic, engaged staff.
She says schools in Hells Kitchen are promising and increasingly popular, and Brooklyns District 17 has momentum and an engaged community.
How Do You Get Into Nyc Pre
One of former Mayor Bill de Blasio’s major initiatives was free pre-K for all, and all four-year-olds in the city are now guaranteed a spot. The city also added 3-K programs, offering free, full-day early childhood education, and expanded the program city wide last year, however placement is not guaranteed.
Not all public schools offer pre-K programs, so your child may have to travel out of your area to attend. Many also have limited space. There are also pre-K Centers run by Department of Education staff, like K280 School of Journeys in Windsor Terrace, considered to be the model for the program. Pre-Ks are zoned by district, so you can apply to go to any pre-K in your district, but keep in mind that kids aren’t eligible for bussing until they’re five years old or older. You can also apply to a pre-K outside your district, but residents in that district will be given priority.
Worth noting: Even underperforming schools tend to have pretty good pre-K programs, according to education consultant Robin Aronow, founder of School Search NYC, who helps guide NYC parents through the school application process. Her focus is on Manhattan schools.
An important caveat: Just because your child attends a pre-K program at a school does not mean they are automatically enrolled in that school’s kindergarten. Kindergarten is a separate application process. Once a child is enrolled in a kindergarten in a school, for example, that goes through fifth grade they do not need to apply again.
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Manhattan Brooklyn Riverdale Westchester
During the more than twenty years in which we have practiced, families frequently come to us for our rankings of the New York City and Westchester private schools. Families want to know: What do we get for our yearly tuition? How does each Manhattan, Brooklyn, Riverdale and Westchester private school rank in terms of education and college admission?
Heres the story:
- Unlike the public schools, private schools dont participate in and publish yearly testing results. So there is no apples-to-apples NYC private school student performance ranking publicly available.
- From time to time, magazines and newspapers publish NYC private school rankings based upon various criteria that usually center upon admission to top colleges. At Abacus Guide, we collect this college rankings data for private schools. However, we find this ranking data problematic and misleading for very specific reasons.
- We exclusively compile Manhattan, Brooklyn, Riverdale, and Westchester private schools rankings based upon our confidential analysis of how difficult the schools are to get into.
We share all of this confidential information only with our private clients. If youre interested in becoming one, inquire here.
For a list of New York City private schools, including more than 65 well-known NYC private schools, serving students in the Kindergarten 12th grade years, please see below. We hope it makes your research easier. Also keep bookmarked: Best New York City Private Schools Blog
BRONX | Riverdale
What Are Zoned Schools
Some schools have a catchment area, referred to as a zone, and if you live in a schools zone, your child has priority to attend that school.
Schools are part of districts there are 32 school districts in the five boroughs, and hundreds of school zones.
School zone boundaries dont often make a lot of sense. You may live down the street from a school and one side of the street will be in the zone and the other side is not. In addition, sometimes schools rezone or redraw their boundaries.
When a rezoning happens, families with children already attending a school that find themselves outside the zone will continue to attend the school, but newcomers will go to a different school.
You can check out which school your current apartment is zoned for on the DOE website, or by calling 311, or the school’s parent coordinator. Additionally, you can use InsideSchools’s search to find the zoned school for an address, as well as other schools in that district.
Zingmond says if youre considering a move to a place that appears to be on the border of a school zone, dont take a brokers word for it that it falls within a certain zone. Some apartment listings include school zones, but the information can be outdated or erroneous.
The safest betand a must-do piece of due diligence to make before signing a lease or contractis to call the school you think you’re zoned for, as they’ll have a database of all the addresses that fall in their catchment.
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Brooklyn Private Schools In The Top 100 Best Private Schools In The Us
Niches annual ranking of the best private Kindergarten to 12th Grade Schools is out which is based on key statistics and millions of reviews from students and parents. Saint Anns, BASIS Independent Brooklyn, Poly Prep and Packer made it into the top 100. Note that independent schools offering Kindergarten to 8th Grade are not included in this ranking. The list below is not a complete overview of best ranked private schools in NYC but rather an extraction of the schools our readers attend.
#28: Lycee Francais de New York
#29: Avenues The World School in Chelsea
#45: Saint Anns School in Brooklyn Heights
#52: BASIS Independent Brooklyn
#70: Poly Prep in Brooklyn
#82: Packer in Brooklyn Heights
#92: United Nations International School in Manhattan
#109: Berkeley Carroll School Brooklyn
#186: Leman Manhattan Preparatory School
#303: Brooklyn Friends School in Downtown Brooklyn
The 2023 Best Private K-12 Schools ranking is based on rigorous analysis of key statistics and millions of reviews from students and parents. Ranking factors include SAT/ACT scores, the quality of colleges that students consider, student-teacher ratio, private school ratings, and more. Data sourced from the U.S. Department of Education, Niche users, and the schools directly.
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Attend our free virtual middle school fair with independent middle schools in Brooklyn and Manhattan!
What About Nyc Gifted And Talented Programs
Before the pandemic, there were question marks next to the citys gifted and talented program. And while there were major changes to the admissions process with the elimination of screening, it appears the program will remain during Mayor Eric Adams and School Chancellor Banks tenure, Aronow says.
However, it is not yet clear if what was used during the pandemici.e. parent or teacher identifies a child who could benefit from a G& T program, parents are interviewed by a DOE staff member and then all nominated applicants go into a lotterywill continue or if they will bring back a screening measure and what it will look like, she says.
InsideSchools has more on how the gifted and talented admission process works now.
The program was also broadly expanded, Aronow points out. G& T will now be in every district starting with kindergarten, one can apply in kindergarten through third grade and there is a new special third grade entry point as well.
Parents experiences with the new admission procedure has varied widely, with some parents feeling like their child was shut out of the process. In addition, while eligibility for the program was expandednow several thousands more make the cut, Adams says, only 100 seats have been added.
Demand is so out of proportion with supply, lower enrollment hasnt made a difference, Adams says.
Now theres no distinction. Everyone is in the same potits just a random lottery,” Adams says.
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At Speyer We Aim To Develop Within Our Students Ethical Responsibility And Civic Mindednessin Our School Community & Beyond
In each Speyer classroom, you will find purposeful character building stemming from the social and emotional strengths of gifted learners: a strong sense of justice, sensitivity, and empathy. We reinforce our students growth through modeled respect for excellence, not perfection and effort, not reward. As we foster self-reliance, grit, integrity, confidence, and optimism, our goal is nurture non-academic skills correlated with future success.
Speyer students graduate with not only an unparalleled academic foundation but also an unwavering moral compass. They are accepted to and attend the top private and public high schools in New York City and the most competitive boarding schools in the country .