<p>Hello, I noticed a great series of postings from last September about whether a Westchester parent should send her child to private school in Westchester or New York City - specifically the three Bronx schools Horace Mann, Riverdale and Fieldston, or the Westchester schools like Hackley, Masters or Rye Country Day. That web link is:</p>
<p>My question is, among those three Bronx schools, people say that Fieldston is for the more "artistic" or "creative" and less "academic" student than the other two schools. But I can't help wondering if this is only a small difference of degree - that the teachers, parents and students at Fieldston will still be much more driven and competitive "City" types than my daughter and I have found at the private school she attends in Westchester (Hackley).</p>
<p>The reason I am asking is that I have a 7th grade son who fits the Fieldston profile, except that he would definitely not be happy with a lot of hard charging (and sometimes not so nice) City kids. I don't have much hope of his getting into Fieldston because of the crush of City applicants, so this may all be (pardon the pun) academic. But I would like to know about the culture at Fieldston for information purposes. </p>
<p>My cousins went to Fieldston but it was years ago. Please go visit the school and let your son spend the day - and don't paint the city kids of Manhattan and Riverdale with that one brush dipped in "more driven" "hard charging (and sometimes not so nice) City kids"! It just isn't so - there are plenty of those kids in Westchester at the private and public schools. I think your daughter's quite fortunate that she hasn't run into any at Hackley! ;)</p>
<p>P.S. And never assume that your son won't get in. The best thing to do is after he's visited these different schools is to apply to the ones he really would like to go to and you might be very surprised at how things go.</p>
<p>I'm sorry that I can't help you with up-to-date feedback on the culture at this school, and I didn't mean to "jump" on you but just hate to see someone assume that city kids are the more driven and not so nice sometimes types of kids. :)</p>
<p>I'm a Masters alum from the 70's....what's its reputation these days? Kids in my class went to all the top schools, but that was a long time ago and it was all girls.</p>
<p>Like Blumini, I would have thought the kids at Hackley could be quite driven and competitive in their own right. But I guess it's your daughter who goes there and not your son. Where is he going now? If your daughter has been happy at Hackley, is there some reason not to consider it for your son too? When you say that he fits the profile for Fieldston, do you mean he's creative? If so, you might well want to look at dke's alma mater, the Masters School, which has an excellent reputation.</p>
<p>Your son should definitely spend a day at any school you're considering. On the one hand, I don't necessarily believe that Fieldston is full of unpleasant "City types"; on the other hand, if you and your son are more comfortable with Hackey or the Masters School, I can't imagine that a student couldn't get virtually anywhere he wants to go from either one.</p>
<p>Thanks to all responding. I didn't mean to speak ill of kids who go to the three Riverdale schools. They are the creme de la creme. But in my limited anecdotal experience I have seen Horace Mann kids who are much more competitive and quicker with the verbal putdowns than is comfortable for me. The atmosphere at Hackley is certainly not laid back, but I have found it to be supportive and nurturing (by parents, teachers and students) for my daughter who lost her Dad a few years ago.</p>
<p>My son will certainly look at Hackley which has been a wonderful school for my daughter. He is, however, less academic and more creative than she is. That is why I asked about Fieldston.</p>
<p>Thanks for mentioning Masters. Others have said it is a good "fit" for my son and I will definitely take him there for a visit.</p>
<p>Wow, your question certainly comes close to home. I am a Fieldston alum, my brother went to Riverdale, and my kids spent several years at Horace Mann before I moved them to other (private) schools. Through my work I also have some insight into the NYC private school culture. I'd be happy to chat with you privately. I think all three schools have stereotypes, partly deserved and partly not. Just as we do with colleges, you need to visit all three schools and "tease them out." My overall take is that Hackley is probably slightly less academically rigorous but nevertheless filled with the kinds of high-achieving families that concern you about the Riverdale schools.
All the independent schools in NYC and Westchester, as well as the top Westchester public schools, have ratcheted up their demands on students in the last ten years. My 9th grader attends a "less selective" Manhattan school and is up past midnight doing homework. At Fieldston in the 60s we barely had homework. There is tremendous pressure on these kids at all the schools, but my experience is that Horace Mann is the biggest pressure cooker at all. Most of the students I know there get private tutoring. Riverdale used to be thought of as sweet, middle of the road, but doesn't like to be thought of as the poor relation so they have also "ratcheted up." Fieldston has always had the reputation of being more artsy and also more politically/socially responsible, but over the past thirty years, through Reaganism and the Bonfire of the Vanities and whatever else has befallen us, they have become more mainstream and even, dare I say it, preppy! One nice thing: Fieldston just abolished AP courses as being test prep mills rather than rich learning opportunities. Bottom line: I know wonderful families at all three schools, and your kid will get a superb education at any of them. You are already accustomed to the private school culture, and, frankly, I don't think it differs much once you cross the Westchester County line.</p>
<p>One question: where do you live? Can you logistically consider a Manhattan school? If so, you might consider Calhoun. If you ask me, it has some of the best qualities of Ethical Culture/Fieldston in a "kinder, gentler" environment.</p>
<p>omg this is so exciting I know all these schools. I can give you a student's perspective...
I know a bunch of people at Fieldston and they're surprisingly down to earth for New York City private school kids (notoriously pompous). The full name of the school is the Ethical Culture Fieldston School, if that gives any insight into its character, and I had a lax game there once and its really pretty. Its wayyyy hard to get into though, I think last I check less than 10% of applicants get in, although its seen as the less academic Horace Mann. From what I hear Horace Mann and Fieldston are night and day, mainly because f the AP difference, which fosters a quite compteitive atmosphere at Ho mann.
Hackley and some other Westchester schools (like Rye Country Day) are completely different, however. Although you'll have your share of diversity everywhere, its just a fact that you'll find many more gucci bags and seventh graders in sevens at Hackley than at Fieldston. Basically think of Fieldston as the artsy fartsy hippy liberal school, and as some of the Westchester schools as... not. Not really a bad thing though.
I played at Hackley once and it is gorgeous and huuuge (I think they have a few boarders as well), but I'm not sure how prestigious it is outside of the sports world.
I think Fieldston wins on prestige, Horace Mann in rigorous curriculum, and Hackley on sports and facilities, so either way you'll win. Check out the admissions stats on the school websites, I'm pretty sure all of them are feeder schools.
Good luck!</p>