My son was accepted at both the Commonwealth School and at BU Academy. He is hesitating. Any advice?
Firstly, congratulations! We visited both - we didn’t apply to either due to limited athletics, but otherwise thought both were great schools. Some random thoughts below…
Both obviously attract some very bright kids, and both seemed like places where you could be yourself and follow your passions.
At BUA, taking classes at BU is very distinctive. Seems like this could be a great fit for some kids, but not for others. It probably most benefits those who are advanced in math / science? I wondered if it would lessen the sense of community if everyone is dispersed around the campus in junior / senior year. I liked the fact that everyone has to take Calculus, but I didn’t like the fact that you couldn’t take a modern foreign language in 9th. Robotics seems popular - I think some of the BU students act as advisors.
At Commonwealth, we had more opportunities to talk to faculty at the open house. We were very impressed - they were all very passionate about their subjects and many have taught at the college level. I particularly liked their approach to history - big focus on original sources and writing research papers. The ability to take 4 years of Computer Science is unusual, even at much larger schools. Loved the art studio on the top floor.
I imagine both schools have a good curriculum across the board, but my impression was that BUA is stronger in math / science, and Commonwealth is stronger in humanities. Obviously, someone attending either school would have a more informed perspective!
Best of luck with the decision!
Just a short response now. Both are great schools if you want a smaller academic school in Boston. I know strong math students at Commonwealth and strong humanities students at BUA. Yes, you need some advanced level of math at BUA since everyone needs to finish Calculus.
BUA started a pilot modern language program for this years 9th & 10th graders. The new head of school at BUA has made some good changes.