@CMKDad. Regis is more than being a smart boy, it’s about becoming a good man. The mission of ‘men for others’ is more than a slogan. Beyond academics, the school instills values, kindness, integrity, compassion… Educating boys who will be good citizens.
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To SatchelSF-many thanks for your pm! Unfortunately, it appears I cannot reply. I have read Teach Them To Be Generous, and am interested in learning more about what the school is like today vs decades ago. My understanding is that with original benefactress gone, and increasing wealth among the Catholic population, there is a broader range of financial resources among the families, which is helpful as donations are needed. Not sure if that has affected classroom atmosphere at all
Donations among the alumni at Regis are extraordinarily high. Don’t quote me, but I believe that the endowment is in excess of $100MM (worth asking about this as you decide). This puts Regis into rarefied company, and as its PPE really only consists of a single building - albeit in one of the highest priced zip codes in the US - its capital needs are relatively modest.
Adding to the list from @wisteria100, I think one of the most relevant exhortations for a thoughtful, contemplative sort of kid is to be “in the world, but not of it.” (Not limited of course to the Ignatian tradition, but most prominently espoused there). I think you get that sense at Regis.
Also, unlike many of the private day schools in NYC, Regis actually “walks the talk” through its REACH program, quietly doing the unglamorous work to identify talent in the early grades and work with them throughout middle school; I think usually 12-15 boys a year are from the REACH program (roughly 10% of the class). Also, because no one pays tuition, there is no perceived stigma once these boys arrive at the school. Nothing impoverishes one’s spirit more than the perception of dependency.
As I said, it’s a special place, and the yield (usually 135/145) says it all. Also, the admissions process is more selective than the websites say. Besides limiting who can even sit for the entrance test to basically the top 10% of students, last I heard more than 2000 kids typically take it, from which 230 are selected as semifinalists for interviews, and 145 admitted. Congrats again!
All three of my boys were near the top of their middle school class. All three gave 100% effort to the Regis exam and application. Only one made it to the interview round (my quiet one - lol) and ultimately all three were rejected.
It’s a real prize for Catholics in the region.
Best of luck!
BTW, all three were accepted to Chaminade on Long Island (another special, but different place) but chose other options. I only point this out to highlight the difficulty of acceptance to Regis.
Regis. They are all great schools, but your son will be worn down by the harsh commutes to the other schools.
@dogmatix. Interestingly, most Regis boys commute from far off regions…Brooklyn, Queens, Nassau, Westchester, Rockland, and even New Jersey. It’s a testament to the value of the place.
It’s always been that way regarding commuting. Here is the breakdown currently, showing almost half the student body commutes from outside the 5 boroughs: https://www.regis.org/section/?id=103. From that page: “All students commute to Regis; the average trip between home and school is one hour (each way)”.
The finances look good for a tuition-free school. Endowment is about $93 million, and recent withdrawals have been on the order of 3% per year. As Catholic families in the NYC area have become wealthier, no doubt many current families contribute, and of course alumni have always been very generous. Here are some figures: https://www.regis.org/section/?ID=228
As a point of comparison, although HM is more than 3 times as large (including all divisions), and it pays its head of school $1MM per year to fund raise, I believe annual donations are only 2/3rds as much as to Regis. It is doing something right to inspire that level of loyalty.
these are impressive stats!
I’ve heard that the people at Trinity are more “socially elite” than the other NYC private schools
There’s more emphasis on wealth and such
No thoughts on St. Ann’s? (We are considering it seriously.)
Some of the most interesting people I knew in college (back when dinosaurs roamed the Earth), were St Ann’s and Putney grads.
Thank you for the response, CaliMex. We think our youngest DC is a great fit for SA. When I came to collect our DC after a day at SA, the person who returned DC to me looked like she wanted to keep my child, LOL. But DC is afraid St. Ann’s is too unconventional…sigh. Oh well. Fingers crossed, smh.
If you applied for kindergarten, Saint Ann’s should have posted decisions yesterday. For the rest of the schools’ high school decisions, we have to wait until Friday. Good luck!
Hi MariFeigh, I hope your DC got in! What did you decide?
I’m in a very good position, but I don’t want to jinx anything. I should be able to announce it by Thursday of Friday. 
@uesparent, my youngest DC received her acceptance letter from her 1st choice: Spence!!!
We had a connection at St. Ann’s and I didn’t want to make any waves…however, my DC really, really, really prefered Spence…so Spence it is! So thankful this is over. Have you made a decision for your DC?
Congratulations on Spence! It’s great when they get into their first choices!
Congrats!!!
Congrats to her! Love Spence!