This may be an unconventional inquiry on College Confidential, but I figured there are a lot of parents and current students from high schools who may be able to provide me some more insight on the private schools in Cambridge and the Boston area.
I have been looking at private schools for my 3-year-old daughter. Now I know that it is unlikely that there are 3-year-olds or even parents of 3-year-olds at these schools, but I would like to know a bit about these schools regardless of where in school you are currently. So far we have explored Shady Hill School, Milton Academy, BB&N, and Brimmer and May. It is a bit difficult to tell what these schools are really like just by spending two hours there for an open house. Can anyone who goes or has children who attends these schools provide me with some insight? Specifically, I would like to know a bit more about its community and its commitment to diversity, the amount of freedom/choice that students have within their learning process, and anything else that comes up when you hear about each of these schools. Thanks!
Everyone I know who has looked for schools has spoken to parents of students at the school. Do you have any friends or co workers who might personally know kids at these schools?
Even with that…as an educator, I think the most important thing you can look for in a program for a three year old is lots of opportunity for play, social interactions, and the like.
On that last note, absolutely agree. But I overthought about early childhood philosophies, instead of relying on feeling based on community (for parents and the child) and environment.
If I knew there were a pre-college issue page, I wouldn’t have posted here! Thanks for letting me know thumper1.
Hey Thumper, no I’m not a crazy helicopter parent thinking about high school for my 3-year-old already (I think that’s what you mean). I titled it high schools so that people on this forum would know what I am talking about. But those same schools actual have preschool programs, and so I am looking at preschools. I may do a rewrite when posting on the pre-college issue thread. Thanks again!
And I should thank you for being so forthright with me. I’m so sorry if you do see such “dedicated” parents on this forum.
Ha you are really planning ahead. A friend’s child went to BB&N and loved it. (FYI-She has another child at a charter school and they were equally happy with that. Please give them some consideration, plus they’re free!) I know Milton is about 40% students of color, so I would think it is geared toward free speech, understanding different viewpoints, etc. But that is just a guess.
If you are looking for Boston/Cambridge, I know some other reputable schools are Thayer in Braintree, and Noble & Greenough in Dedham. I know they are in the “prep school circle” but don’t know much about them, or if they are too far out of your geography.
I assume you’re looking into the lower schools, correct? We’re doing the same for our 3-year-olds, who will be starting in September when they turn 4. It really depends on where you live or work, and how far you’re willing to commute. The commute will be a daily part of your life and could really take an otherwise great school off the table of its draining for you or your child. So maybe adding some location info may yield more useful answers.
You may also want to look into Meadowbrook (in Weston) and British International School of Boston. We don’t have kids there, but have been impressed with them so far.
You might do better at the prep school forum. My cousins went to Milton but only for high school and that was a good thirty years ago. http://talk.qa.collegeconfidential.com/prep-school-admissions/ Honestly though, I think you can get a pretty good idea of what a school is like by spending a couple of hours observing. For pre-school I think your first decision is what kind of approach you think is best for your child. For example Waldorf Schools and Montessori schools are world’s apart. My kids attended a cooperative very play oriented pre-school without a lot of worksheets. They got into very selective colleges.
Tell me about it mathmom! I had to go to at least one Waldorf School just to be fair, but unfortunately, I do not think it was progressive enough for me. Like you said, world’ apart. I can understand if it is suitable for other families, but it’s not for us. Something about the flexibility and the freedom Reggio Emilia-inspired schools give to children appeals to me. For these, I have visited Shady Hill School and BB&N, and I am also looking forward to visiting Cambridge-Ellis School. I will check out Lexington Montessori during their open house, as well as give Kingsley Montessori a shot.
My daughter is very energetic and lively, but she likes taking the lead and loves her freedom. I wouldn’t have it any other way! I know everyone is different, but let me know if you have any more insight based off of a very, very vague description of my child. I know there’s so many great schools and it shouldn’t be that hard, but it is when it’s your child!
Yes - we are looking at lower schools. We are in southern NH currently, but we can relocate at any time. I am just afraid the current community we are in may not be ideal for the family or our daughter. It is my belief that many great towns and cities in Mass are a better fit! My wife currently works in Burlington, MA so moving to Mass makes sense, and I am currently going to school in Cambridge.
What have you been impressed with at Meadowbrook and British IS, and why do you think it is a good fit for your child?
Good luck with your search! So many open houses has kept us busy!
Overall, Quaker schools tend to excel at letting kids be themselves AND teaching them how to be good community members. I admit that I am out of touch with CFS of late…
Take a look at Nashoba Brooks School in Concord, MA. It’s a private independent school for grades pre-K to 8. It’s coed for pre-K to 4 and all-girls for 4th-8th grades. Most of the boys go to the Fenn School for 4th-9th grade. Fenn is an all-boys private, independent school that’s in Concord too. Both of my daughters attended Nashoba Brooks and had good experiences although it’s been a while since they attended.
The thing is, although some may know about these schools, things change. So having a parent with 10 or 15 year old knowledge wouldn’t really suit you. I would say this, listen and BELIEVE what the schools tell you about their educational philosophy. If you strongly believe in an educational pedagogical philosophy realize that you might have road bumps. I use that word intentionally. The parents we knew who were educators and had really strong feelings about education for kids under 6 often had bumpy experiences. The ones who went with the flow fared much better. And so did their kids many years later.
In my years of sending my kids to a mix of school, the thing I learned quick-if you get a good feeling, it’s likely a good place. If you get the feeling people are a little “off” they usually are. We also learned to talk to parents and see if they were normal as we perceived normal. And see how people treated their kids. Some places are filled with warm and loving people who care about their kids and everyone else’s —some are not.
If a Waldorf school isn’t progressive enough for you, then I would definitely NOT be looking at BB&N! Shady Hill is a much better fit in that instance – way more left-leaning that BB&N. Brimmer would be closer to the Shady Hill end of the spectrum, as would Nashoba Brooks. Cambridge Friends is certainly plenty progressive, though I have friends who didn’t have a great experience there (but that was a number of years ago now). If you want something near Cambridge, you could also look at Atrium and Fayerweather.
Soxmom - I didn’t get the feeling that BB&N was that traditional, although we probably have to be clearer about what we are talking about when we are saying “progressive” or “traditional”.
Thanks for the replies everyone. Here’s an update: Our 3-year-old got waitlisted BB&N and denied at Shady Hill School. We got offered a place at Brimmer and May, Cambridge Friends, and Cambridge-Ellis School. We are leaning towards Cambridge-Ellis School, and will keep looking at other schools next year.
Can you tell me a little about your observations of each school, which one was your top choice, and what draws you to Cambridge Ellis of all the schools you were accepted to?
Cambridge-Ellis seems to have a warm environment, one that is filled was a lot of deeply creative learning. It felt like the ideal school for our family. The only reason we had to think about it was because this is only a preschool. Our regret is not moving to Cambridge and sending our child here earlier!
Brimmer and May seemed “nice,” and it is highly ranked on niche. But there were some things that seemed off. For example, there were a large percentage international students, and while it may not be true, we felt like it was possible that they simply wanted to increase their revenue through higher tuition.
Cambridge Friends seemed quite creative too, with lots of arts. They place heavy emphasis on social justice, since they are a Quaker school, and we are just okay about that. However, we felt that the community was not the best fit for us.
Are you looking into schools too? Please let me know your thoughts on any of the schools we were accepted to, or any schools you have visited.
I would go MeadowBrook. It is a feeder to Nobles which is a feeder to Harvard and isn’t this what this question is all about. BTW – If you have your child take RSM they have a greater likelihood of going to Harvard than Nobles.
