When we were considering Lesley Ellis for preschool, we asked around on the playground, and just…read moreabout every parent we talked to told us, "It's excellent! The only negative is the cost." That matched our experience perfectly. The tuition is steep - though financial aid is available! - but everything else was fantastic, and we were consistently impressed with the teachers, curriculum, field trips, awareness of kids as individuals, interaction with administration, and more. My mom worked for decades in early childhood education, and (as an interested and involved grandparent) was also very impressed. They welcomed/encouraged heavy parent involvement, from "come into the classroom to talk about something you're knowledgeable/passionate about" to occasional parent-meetups-over-coffee in the morning and more. But I was never, ever made to feel guilty about not being able to participate heavily, which was the norm once we had our second kid. (Who also went to LES for preschool, once old enough.) We can't speak to their K-8 experience, but for preschool/pre-K/TK they were fantastic.

Lesley Ellis is an independent school from pre-school to grade 6, but expanding soon to 8th. Our…read moredaughter is in her third year there and we have been delighted with the program. The teachers are an outstanding group and attuned to the needs of each individual student. The administration is truly exceptional as they create an environment where parents, children and the school come together to form a nurturing and vibrant community.

If I could put negative stars for this school, I would…read more I attended Arlington Catholic a few years ago. My honest analysis of this establishment is that it is a complete and utter waste of money. This is a college prep. school, yet all this school prepared a multitude of its students for is the anxiety that you are never going to be good enough unless you get into Harvard University immediately after high school. Not Georgetown, not Yale, not Boston University nor Boston College. Harvard. Only. This school will teach you that novelty trumps practicality, in any and all aspects of life. They do not inform you that over paying for undergraduate school results in unnecessary student debt. They do not teach you anything about preparing for college at all. They care about title, reputation, appearance, and nothing more. They have 3 tiers of courses a student can choose to take: regular, honors, and advanced. The latter option is not always available for every subject, however. So for all intents and purposes, I will say that regular and honors are the two main class types. If a student opts for regular, they will be considered to be inadequate. The teachers will disengage the students, will painfully, clearly hate coming to work every morning, explain the material poorly, and assign copious amounts of useless homework. Students will therefore almost always perform at a subpar level, furthering the inclination that regular students are "not smart." They should just call them "remedial" courses. I have heard teachers say to honors students that they should not ever choose to be in the "stupid" class. Did I mention this is a college prep school? So all the courses should be college prep courses, right? Wrong. Honors students get an extra percentage added on to their GPA, and their grades will be rounded up, always, at the end of the quarter. Teachers treat these students well, engage them, and work with them more closely. That is of course, a good thing, but this should also apply to regular courses. I used to take all standard courses. My senior year, I took honors classes and was astounded by how simple they were compared to the regular courses. My GPA sky rocketed as my grades soared. I had to fight to get into Honors Spanish even though I had a solid A in the regular course. The head of the language department said that students like me can only hope to get a C at best in an honors course. She let me in, only, and I mean, ONLY, because she wanted to smirk when I "inevitably" fail the course. She did not like that someone like me would dare to try to get into an honors course. I've seen students in the hallways bawling, because they were told they were too inept to even attempt an honors course. Well, just for the record, I am fluent in Spanish. I earned one of the highest grades in the entire class. Solid A. This is the environment Arlington Catholic encourages: telling students they can't. Well, they are wrong, once again. If you are still intent on sending your child to this high school, I implore you to have him or her take ALL honors courses, from Freshman year and onwards. The elitism and competition will still be a factor, but at least they will be treated respectfully by the faculty. If not, have them play football. The jocks are treated like gold, even if they take regular courses. I iterate: this school cares only about its reputation. They will bolster and inflate the grades of the "top" honors students to keep the school looking good and competitive. They do not care about your child's wellbeing or future. I also, as an aside, I would suggest not having your child attend an extremely expensive college right out of high school, unless you can pay out of pocket or your child gets multiple scholarships, or a free ride. I am currently debt free because of the college I attended. I was actually accepted into Lesley University because of my essay on Arlington Catholic, and how the school treats their students. But I still opted for the inexpensive alternative for my bachelor's. I am now on my way to attending an elite college for my masters degree without any loans to pay back. This suggestion will run counter to what Arlington Catholic will most likely tell your child. I hope you take to heart what I wrote, as I had the perspective of a student who could see the establishment for what it really is, and I also got to see the greener side of the fence.

Alright school, the building is pretty run down and tired. Most students participate in sports or…read moresome type of club.

We switched our eldest to Fayerweather at the start of 3rd grade seeking a school where the…read morelearning would be significantly challenging, values-rooted, and joyful. We wanted a place where our inquisitive kid could really stretch her edges and feel comfortable taking academic risks (and sometimes making mistakes). Now 12, she has a deep sense of who she is and what matters to her - and this strong sense of self has allowed her to take risks (academically and socially) and push herself as a learner and community member. She understands that justice and community are the essential foundations for learning and social impact. Our younger child (now 7) started at FSS in kindergarten and we have found that, while quite different from his older sibling, he is just as seen, valued, and supported. He has gotten incredible guidance navigating his intensity and high energy, and he is academically challenged in just the right ways - he works on meaningful problems and his sense of accomplishment is significant. Fayerweather has helped him have a voice and language for his feelings, his challenges, and his successes. The loving support and developmentally appropriate and thoughtful curriculum have allowed him to discover his best self and build the skills and agency to choose his actions wisely. FSS is all we hoped, for both kids.

We just started school at Fayerweather this fall, and my 1st grader and 6th grader cannot get over…read morehow friendly the school community is. My son came home from school after his second week of being a new kid (a middle schooler, no less -- in the 6th grade) and said "mom I give it 5 stars!!! Everyone is SO nice, teachers and kids, and I love it!!!." Now that we are four months in, happily his review remains. He also says that his homeroom and math teacher is "literally THE best math teacher" he's ever had. I'm continually impressed with how in touch with my son's learning style the teachers are, and he's growing leaps and bounds. My 6 year old daughter, who is usually shy, is coming out of her shell socially and is really starting to take to reading (which she has avoided prior to Fayerweather). Her teachers are incredible and so in tune with her and helping her to grow where she is ready to, and there is such insight into the social emotional ecosystem of the classroom. Fayerweather has the academics *and* the community we'd hoped for -- the school has a joyful, healthy, connected vibe and is inclusive and diverse to boot. We couldn't be happier.

a wonderful school...though not for students who want to coast along. It's very rigorousread more

There is systemic injustice at Harvard Extension School. Their policies as stated on their website…read moreare not upheld. I had a professor who graded anything beneath a 90% as a 0%. So, in other words, if you don't get an A you fail your assignments. I withdrew, brought this to the attention of the Dean, and asked for financial credit so I could take another course instead. She did not respond but simply forwarded my concern to a registrar who refused to do anything about it. The registrar said, wrongly, that the professor was acting in accord with HES policy. The grading system on the website does not in point of fact map onto the grading system of all the professors. So be forewarned that you may end up with a professor who will give you an F if you get less than an A. Don't waste your money at HES and don't expect the administration to act justly. I've matriculated a different program. HES just lost the 30K they would have made if they would have simply rendered a just decision.

I am extremely saddened to say that HES does not help International Students solve their financial…read moreissues at all. There are no Financial Aid options coming from the university itself, and 2 out of 3 student loan companies that their office recommends actually don't really accept Extension School students. The third one needs a lot of extra paperwork that the school isn't willing to help with. In order to enroll you need to pay in full and you don't get a letter of enrollment until after the drop out period, when it's too late. You can't get a loan without paying and you can't get enrolled without a loan. So it's a chicken and egg situation that has no end. They say the university helps cover for you until the loan is approved, but in reality, you have to pay in full first and they will reimburse you after the loan is paid. Which defies the entire point of asking for financial assistance. There is a very short window in which to apply for the loan after registration before being dropped out for non-payment. Paperwork takes more than a month, which is not nearly enough to get everything done. I've spent hours and hours with both the lending officers and the financial aid officers, and in the end, nothing got solved. Nothing. I am unable to join the courses. I am unable to get a loan. I feel like my potential is wasting away... Harvard has failed me.

Minuteman has been such an amazing place for my son's high school education. He loves the hands-on…read morelearning, the opportunities for co-op, the football coaches, everything. He especially likes the alternating weeks of academics and shop class. It gives him a break from being academically focused all the time. Highly recommend their learning environment, and he receives extra support as needed.

I graduated from Minuteman many years ago and it gave me a great foundation, I was in the…read moreHealthcare shop. My first job out of high school was a well-paying healthcare job. It prepared me for what I would become and now I work for a major global healthcare company. When I was there, there was a Mcdonald's in the school. The Academics were stronger. And we had a really good soccer and basketball team. Seems like it has had quite the downfall since then. The school was huge and clean, I don't know what happened. I came from outside the district and they gave me a chance. If they hadn't my life would be very different now, I can't say I would be this successful. Minuteman please open up your school choice program again, save the kids from the inner city and give them a chance!!!

We moved to our neighborhood for this school, and it's been a wonderful experience for our kids…read more The PTO is wonderful and so energized.

The waitlist to get into BASP is long (it took us two years), but it's worth it. Onsite for kids…read moreat Brackett. Divided into groups by grade: K/1 are together, then the 2nd graders have their own room, then 3rd-5th. The teachers are wonderful. Kind, energetic, enthusiastic. It's incredibly organized. The woman who runs it is always available. With 3 different classrooms and 2 different outdoor play areas, everyone always knows where everyone is. I've never seen or heard of any incidents of bullying or trouble -- all the kids seem to have a great time. Things I've seen my kids doing when I come to pick them up: 1. making apple crisp or other baking projects 2. making their own board games (with other kids and teachers) 3. playing board games they invented themselves 4. blocks, construction games 5. drawing, art activities 6. reading 7. doing homework (!) -- voluntarily 8. outdoor play, structured (kick ball, basketball) and unstructured. 9. talking and joking with other kids. If you have kids entering Brackett kindergarten, sign up right away!

I worked here for a year! Amazing staff and they are always trying to make sure the children are…read morehaving fun while learning and growing. We enjoyed doing many projects and adventures with the children! Very safe environment as the children are watched closely and the staff is very good at treating each child individually. Awesome place to work, I would even go back if I could!