With my elder kid, the real struggle in the public HS was that the school did not offer STEM competitions like a science fair or basic Math competitions. So I am looking for a school that will at least participate in such math and science competitions. And will allow the kids to take advanced courses if they are eligible.
We can certainly enroll in enrichment courses that do not need recommendations from the school.
You’re welcome!
Let me know if you have trouble PM-ing me. Someone recently told me my account was set to private, but that wasn’t my intention and I can’t see how to make it “non-private”.
If anyone can help with that, I’d appreciate it!
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I PM’ed you. Thanks for checking!
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Lots of kids in our town go to AMSA. It’s a lottery so you can not count on getting in. You can follow the class of xx on Insta to get a sense of where kids get accepted. While the schools are okay, I wouldn’t say they are exceptional. No more ivies than our public school.
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I thought the original poster meant Mass Academy at WPI. But you are correct AMSA is a lottery.
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AMSA is the Advanced Math and Science Academy. Charter school in Marlborough MA. Acceptance is based on a lottery
Massachusetts Academy of Math and Science is a magnet school for 11th and 12th grades on the campus of WPI. Acceptance based on test scores and application.
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New England Innovation Academy starts in 6th grade, I think, and it’s very STEM focused. It’s got both day and boarding. I think it’s west of Boston.
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Yes, the one in Marlborough, thanks for clarifying. I got a bit confused, too, with the names. 
Lottery could be a hit or miss, I agree. We typically have a lottery system for all the magnet schools here.
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Thank you!
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I live in the area and still get confused with the names! Massachusetts has a great public school system as well as many great private schools. My advice is look for a school whether public or private that has a middle/high school and allows your middle school student to take hs level classes. We did not do this with our 2023 graduate and wish we had.
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NEIA is very “applied” science. I don’t think they have the competitions that OP is looking for. If you look on their website, they probably have a link to a recent news segment about them.
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That’s one of the points that we are looking for, the flexibility to take HS-level classes. Does AMSA in Marlborough MA allow HS-level classes if eligible? May I ask where the kids from AMSA go to for HS? It seems there is not much of a feeder system.
Middlesex County Academy for Science, Mathematics and Engineering Technologies is an awesome stem school, probably one of the best in jersey. it’s in a really nice area too, not too expensive but very safe. also, food in edison is absolutely awesome (especially south asian)!
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AMSA gives preference to residents of Marlboro, Clinton, Maynard, and Hudson. No particular feeder system. I don’t know if AMSA students can take HS level classes but the high school would depend on which town they lived in. Is your preference public hs or prep school? Some schools in the Central Massachusetts area for public would be Tahanto Regional Jr/Sr HS, (Berlin/Boylston), The Bromfield School (Jr/Sr HS town of Harvard, MA), not Jr/Sr High Schools but high ranked public high schools, Westboro HS (Westboro, MA), Algonquin Regional HS (Northboro/Southboro, MA), Shrewsbury HS (Shrewsbury, MA). Prep school that offers 6-12 (many day students) Worcester Academy. Pretty much any affluent community outside of Boston will have a good public school system. These central mass communities are affluent as well put not as expensive as right outside of Boston. UMASS medical school and colleges and universities in Worcester offer many opportunities for local students.
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“Feeder middle schools” in MA really aren’t as much a thing as you are assuming. You will struggle if that’s how you frame your search - I’m not sure how I’d even figure it out and I’ve lived here forever.
Decide on classes your kid will realistically take, activities they’d realistically like to participate in, interests they really have, look for middle schools that have those things. If your kid pursues interesting stem activities that genuinely excite them then said kid will get into a great highschool.
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P.S.
New Jersey is not anywhere near Boston. I did that drive for soccer all the time and it’s the WORST drive I can think of. If you actually want to be “close to Boston” New Jersey should be off the list.
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For Bergen Academies I would suggest the Tenafly system or Elisabeth Morrow as “feeders”, although you will be expected to be more well rounded than just STEM
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Thank you! I would prefer a similar public (boarding or not) that sends kids to top schools. If not, I may look into prep schools as well for HS.
Perfect, thank you!
Yes, I agree on the feeder schools part. The challenge is that not all middle schools provide such opportunities. Ours did not. Some team competitions like speech and debate or science olympiad have to have school participation which requires a huge time commitment on the teacher’s part too. So it’s not always based on kids being genuinely interested in it. The opportunities have to be provided by the school as well. We have been there, so trying to avoid such middle schools by seeking help from the experienced parents here. Also, some high school requires that the child be a resident of a certain area, while some are based on a lottery. Trying to understand which MS and HS parents prefer for STEM-inclined kids in these areas. I definitely do not want to move again for HS because we are not in the zoned area for a good school.