Hello all~
I started coming here to read up on BS for my daughter for next year applications, but now we are faced with a possibly move so I’m hoping y’all can help me with schools there too. She would be an incoming 8th grade and ideally it would be a school where she could continue through 12th, if she decided against bs and it’s a good fit. Help! I have searched Boston private middle schools, private 8th grade, etc and it’s all ads!
I can try to help you with this. Are you applying now for September 2017 for 8th grade? If so, applications are usually due mid-January. Has she taken SSAT/ISEE yet? If you are looking for September and not ready to apply NOW then you might be looking at schools that still have spots later this spring. That could be possible - depends on the schools and her interests/needs. Some of this is geographic too - you don’t want to live on the north shore and find a school on the south shore (unless you really like time in your car :)). I’ll PM you and ask some more questions. There are lots of private schools in the Greater Boston area - many are K-8, some K-12, and some start in 6th or 7th and go through 12th.
Dana Hall School gives you both options (day and boarding). Have a look.
Milton should be added too since they have a big day school population. If you end up south of Boston as travel there from the north of the city would be no fun.
Buckingham Browne and Nichols (BBN - Cambridge which is a feeder school for Harvard), Nobles & Greenough, Winsor School (girls),also a feeder for Harvard. Rivers in Weston is not a feeder for Harvard, but grads typically go to good schools including top LACS.
Milton (50% boarding for HS) and BB&N are K-12. Winsor starts in 5th, Rivers (co-ed) & Dana Hall (girls, HS boarding) start in 6th, Nobles in 7th (very small 5 day boarding in HS). Beaver is 6-12, Brimmer & May is K-12, British School in K-12, Southfield is K-12 all girls with Dexter as the boys school on same campus. These last 3 are in Brookline/Boston. Thayer Academy is 6-12 in Braintree - south of Boston, also south in Hingham is Notre Dame Academy (Catholic, girls) 7-12 . Newton Country Day (Catholic, girls) is 5-12.
All good suggestions above. Here’s a longer list of schools that run from 8th - 12th:
Beaver Country Day (west)
Brimmer & May (west)
BB&N (Cambridge, bus from suburbs)
Dana Hall (west, all-girls)
Dexter Southfield (west)
Groton (north-west, starts in 8th)
Milton (south)
Nobles (west, 5-day boarding option)
Rivers (west)
Thayer (south)
Waring (north)
Winsor (Boston, bus from suburbs, all-girls)
Woodward (south, all-girls)
Of these, BB&N, Groton, Milton, Nobles and Winsor are the most competitive.
Ursuline (south, girls 7-12th)
Beaver Country Day (Chestnut Hill)
Brimmer & May (Chestnut Hill)
BB&N (Cambridge, bus from suburbs)
British School of Boston (Boston)
Dana Hall (west, all-girls)
Dexter Southfield (Boston, bus from suburbs)
Groton (north-west, starts in 8th)
Milton (south)
Nobles (west, 5-day boarding option)
Rivers (west)
Thayer (south)
Waring (north)
Winsor (Boston, bus from suburbs, all-girls)
Woodward (south, all-girls)
Catholic Schools
Newton Country Day (west, girls)
Notre Dame Academy (south, girls)
Ursuline (south, girls)