I have a freshman son, who attends Thomas Jefferson School for Science and Tech in Virginia. It is a terrific school, with an incredible machine shop, advanced classes, etc. It has a remarkable reputation.
But we are moving. I’m interested in finding a boarding school that is really good in these areas. I’m particularly interested in any place that might have machine shops, etc. I see that Putney has blacksmithing and a nice arts program (which is great, as my son is a good violinist, too). But he will be looking for not only advanced courses that can prepare you for a good STEM college, but a high school that has the opportunity to really study machining, electronics, etc.
Illinois Math and Science Academy, but they only admit sophomores and may cost a bit unless you are moving to IL (and I think it’s too late to apply for next school year).
Here are Newsweek’s rankings for the top STEM high schools:
I do not fully believe in rankings since they can be a bit skewed. Also, I would not eliminate a school simply because it is not high on this list. However, this is a good place to start with your research. I noticed that Cate is ranked #17 and SPS is ranked #18. I attended SPS and especially enjoyed the astronomy program there.
While researching schools, we were very impressed by the STEM program at Mercersburg. They have a cool Maker’s Lab and their Robotics club is supposed to be excellent.
Peddie has a cool maker space. George is very strong in STEM and is also known for its arts. Not sure if you are staying in VA, but these would be closer than the NE schools (if that’s a goal.)
I’ll add that I don’t think there’s a “best”. There are a lot of things to consider in choosing a BS. So you are really looking for a place that is the right fit, not just in academics, but in other areas such as ECs and social, etc.
What you are looking for is a maker space. Some BS have them, some don’t. Also, there are kids who go to local maker spaces for various reasons.
I think you will find that many BS are great in STEM. Ask them about their programs. We saw everything from maker spaces to internship programs, to labs where kids could go and leave their experiment for a few days to one on one specialty tutoring for math with professors ( seminar style) to bee keeping to gardening, environmental projects and so much more. Ask questions about what kids who are interested in STEM have done and how has the school made it work?