Secondary schools in NYC

@Dexter77 Also, most ivy's don't interview the way Oxbridge does. They work mostly on applications, for example some get interviews at Harvard but not all. You can request one I believe but your application is seen as complete with or without an interview.

I don't, I think you're better off joining local groups on Facebook tbh. I only know one family who moved London- NYC and they found the majority of private schools in NYC they looked around were very very woke. Even the traditional ones called themselves progressive etc. To a level that just wouldn't be acceptable here.
In fact the American school in London ended up getting a scathing Ofsted because of this.
The privates there are also prohibitively expensive so they've got a very very wealthy cohort and the complications that come with that. Nannies, second homes in Nantucket/Islesboro/Cape Cod, mobiles from a young age, shipped off to 7 weeks of camp beg of summer etc etc. They also found a lot were heavy on charity work which is great but the way its done makes the kids weirdly obsessed with the idea that everyone else seems a LOT worse than them? I don't know if that makes sense but I remember going to a tour with her once and we were both a bit like WTF the public school kids are ok like chill you're not that special. It was very much, we must save the poor type type of thing.
Obv not all will be like this but think who can afford 50k a year in day fees.
Anyway my friends kid is in a public school and v happy. They ended up finding their tribe there and found that most middle class families end up in the public system as it's mostly very good, esp in the zones they tend to live in.
I know you want improvement to what you've got now, but I do think going from the state school your child is in now, to a NYC private school, might be a big struggle for your child, and you!

Times have definitely changed 😂😂😂. Honestly, the biggest factor in choosing a school should be the way it makes you feel when you visit. The one thing the private schools are great at is selling their USP around culture. It would be rare for someone to have both Calhoun and NB on the same list, for example. There will be crazy parents wherever you go, they just seem to be rather more concentrated in Manhattan…….

With school zoning you can often judge the demographic of public schools. Look at websites like niche.com for lots of info. There are lots of “smaller” High Schools with less than 1,000 kids (so about 250 in each year). Then you have super schools with in excess of over 4,000 students.

Are you definitely going to be living on the Upper East Side area? Heading further south to the West Village / Chelsea / Greenwich areas you have the Avenues which has mixed reviews but the three children I know there are absolutely smashing it and ridiculously happy.

Tbh in your position I'd try for the selective public schools.

In the same way that parents in the U.K. do - to access a higher level of coaching and achievement (and bragging rights). If your child is a dancer then sure they could have dance lessons at school and, yes, the private schools will offer a plethora. But all the other dancers will also be having lessons outside school too. Ditto the lacrosse players, those on the tennis team and the child who has the lead in the school musical.

There’s things like the Juilliard MAP program for musicians at weekends. Junior programs at the Vanderbilt Tennis Club. Teen sketching classes at the Guggenheim. These resources are there, people like the name and prestige and want their children to access it. They have the money and means. This is the world you are entering into if you go to a place like NB.

Parents start preparing for college admissions way in advance. Their children are having impressive CVs curated for them. Competitive parenting is rife.

Of course, not every parent is like that, but there’s a reason the parents get interviewed as well as the children. There are many, many, lovely down to earth parents who are totally normal. But it’s like London 11+ prep. Everyone does it. They spend a fortune on it. Lots of bright children arguably don’t need it, but parents still do it because 1) everyone else is and 2) they don’t want their child at a disadvantage.

It’s probably a long way off but just Google US Ivy League admissions extra curricular.

All schools, including public high schools, usually have a huge array of extracurriculars. Academic clubs (robotics, coding, MUN etc) are well catered for. There will be drama clubs, choirs and sports teams galore. Your daughter will be spoilt for choice and there is no real need to go elsewhere. Just be aware that at those top private schools people do.

If you’re not used to the American way of life it can come as a huge culture shock.

That’s where the tiger mums come into play. The kids are schlepped all over the city for the “best” dance, drama, music, art and sporting opportunities after school and at weekends. It’s kind of expected both in private and public schools that you have to have a wide extra curricular program both in school and out. Some kids I know have nannies who literally do all the running around.

It’s honestly a very different world.

(Also to add… we liked the sound of Dwight, but not too keen on IB given what we’ve heard about the workload.)

Hello, we are in exactly the same position! Son currently in Year 6, moving to NYC for September 2025 (so Grade 7, I think). So far we have 8 schools on our list, because I think a lot will depend on if places are available — given it’s a non-traditional entry point. We are looking at Collegiate (may be long shot!), Columbia, Browning, Trevor, BIS-NY and a couple more I can’t remember! The BASIS school in Brooklyn is also supposed to be very good. We’re not keen on hothousing (having experienced that in some schools already) and would prefer a smaller more nurturing environment. We have a few top ones on there just to see where he lands.

There are hyper-competitive state ("public") high schools like Hunter, Bronx Science, and Brooklyn Tech, but you're looking for 7th grade. There are also some good middle schools, but hard to get a spot. The issue is that the top public schools in NYC have always had a reputation as a place where a fantastic education is available, but it's up to your child to go out and get it. So, amazing for some, but other children will slip through the cracks. May have changed now, but they are very big, so can feel very anonymous. The private schools are much smaller, tiny class sizes, and generally supportive, or at least good monitoring- that's what you're paying for!

There are selective state high schools eg Millennium in lower Manhattan. They will take kids from a wide areas as far as I know (eg friend lives in Upper West Side and her son went there).

To be fair, the schools I know a little about are in Long Island, Staten Island and Westchester as opposed to Manhattan. For example, The Wheatley in Old Westbury. Very affluent area (high property taxes!!!) All have parents who commute into the city.

I also know Staten Island Technical High School as a friend used to teach there. One of the top ranking high schools in the USA. Has a large Asian contingent (just over half the school) - think tiger mum territory.

Obviously worlds apart from the private offerings but the results aren’t to be sniffed at!! NY private schools tend to be very much in a bubble. Quite elite socially. Many kids also head to top end summer camps and mix with similar profiles there too.

You might benefit from hiring an "educational consultant" like this (note, not specifically recommending this one! I have no experience of them!)
https://abacusguide.com/

The two children I know at Calhoun are now in the High School section. They are both confident but not in an OTT way. The learning style suits them but they’re not really pushed. Aiming for good schools but not Ivy’s e.g. USC and U Mich though. Very liberal, lots to get involved in, extremely inclusive, rumours of a “furrie” who identified as a cat but not sure how true that actually was!! Both children and parents very happy. I think it’s relatively easy to get into if you can pay the fees.

NB is a lot more traditional but still feels quite progressive. Feels a bit more “old money”. Single sex education is quite rare in the USA. Obviously has a uniform whereas Calhoun doesn’t.

Don’t discount some of the public high schools though. Many many people send their children to them because they are so good. Obviously come with the disadvantage of being enormous schools, but with that comes huge advantages in terms of opportunities and extra curriculars.

Indeed, "secondary school" does not exist. These private schools, where they are "all-through" (kindergarten to 12th grade), will have lower, middle, and upper school. The latter = "high school".

Yes, easily 10-15 schools if you're applying to the most competitive ones. I think she'll need to do ERB standardised tests, which you should research. Her score would then probably give an indication of where she stands a good chance.

As a GC feminist (me, too), you will need to probe schools carefully and may not like what you find at ANY NYC schools, except maybe Catholic ones - maybe Sacred Heart?

See some blogs below - not my usual news sources, but chimes with what I've heard:
https://www.yahoo.com/news/trans-students-test-identity-u-girls-schools-164505048.html

https://www2.cbn.com/news/us/trans-toddlers-gay-grandads-teen-abortions-stunning-reading-list-top-ny-private-schools

https://www.firstthings.com/web-exclusives/2022/12/the-sad-fate-of-girls-schools

Keep in mind, though, that they are assessing parents as well as the child, so tread carefully.