Your math student will love the new Academic Center at SG…state of the art new facility for the Math/Science/STEM curriculum. looks out over Second Beach and a truly inspiring venue. My XC runner reports that the SG course is regarded as one of the more challenging in the ISL (very hilly) but also among the most beautiful (hello ocean view). Recently home from Parents Weekend and I may have grown to love physics had I been exposed to that facility! The tide is definitely rising at SG and my two are having incredible opportunities and experiences. We also considered many of the others you have mentioned, and found things we liked at each.
All the schools you are considering will give your son a great education. We also have two kids at SG. They live in the same dorms as Zookeeper’s two! Our children are happy, challenged and enjoying school.
The real difference is warmth. We have not been in a school community that has been as welcoming to EVERYONE. Our kids have friends from all over the world - they were born in South Africa and lived in London (twice). It is friendly and it does not seem to be dominated by the NYC-crowd although both kids have friends from there (and we also now live there).
We are members of the Parent’s Committee and help the school fundraise. I am personally committed to a number of institutions: parish, prep school, my college, several non profits that I am on the board of, but I could not be happier to support SG and solicit fellow parents to do the same.
I just returned from a visit to the Stanford d.school. SG’s headmaster has engaged the program to work with the school to help rethink the curriculum. He introduced me to the team and they hosted me with welcoming arms. A partnership with Harvard’s Ed School conducts research in tandem with SG faculty.
Finally, our son did junior boarding school in rural CT. Advantages of going to school adjacent to an urban area: cell service!!!, easy to get to (40 mins from PVD and Amtrak), great town to visit as parents, and easy (and safe) town for our kids to learn to navigate.
SG is a special place and I hope you take a serious look.
If you are looking at Christchurch in Virginia, you might also want to look at Woodberry Forest in Virginia. It is not on the water and is all-boys, but it is a stunningly beautiful place in the rolling hills with room for a wide range of boys. I think WFS has a good cross-country program, but your son can check it out the team’s blog on the News section of the school website to see how his times compare.