Comparison of MO High Schools in NY/NJ

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amother

Wed, Oct 09 2019, 11:01 pm

We are looking for a high school for our oldest son. Since we grew up in a community vastly different than the one we're in now, we are finding it difficult to navigate this high school process. Any help and information would be greatly appreciated.

We aren't making this decision based on the religious level of the school, nor are we concerned about the cost. Rather, we are looking for a school that would focus on a child's individual capabilities, emotional intelligence and character building at least as much as it would focus on academics.

These are the options we see, but please feel free to suggest any school you think may fit the requirements.

Frisch
TABC
SAR
Kushner
Ramaz

Which of these schools would be best suited for catering to a child's individual needs, and which ones are known to be less individualized? We will be attending all the open houses, but it's always helpful to hear from parents as well.

Thank you very much for your help.

nanny24/7

Thu, Oct 10 2019, 12:39 am

I have no idea from your post if this is applicable to you, but if you switched communities then Project Makom may be very helpful to you.
https://projectmakom.org/

amother

Thu, Oct 10 2019, 12:43 am

nanny24/7 wrote:

I have no idea from your post if this is applicable to you, but if you switched communities then Project Makom may be very helpful to you.
https://projectmakom.org/

They would not be helpful in this case. We’re already settled in our community, just not as familiar with the high schools as we’d like to be.

Thank you for the suggestion.

Rappel

Thu, Oct 10 2019, 1:57 am

I was trying to find the name of RJJ (Edison, NJ), and I stumbled onto this list:

https://www.thoughtco.com/jewi.....74149

Anyone whom I know whom attended RJJ was very happy with their school. Same for SAR. But I don't know many details.

amother

Plum

Thu, Oct 10 2019, 2:35 am

Frisch & kushner AFAIK seem like top of the top in the programs they offer from what I know/ have heard . ( No first hand experience, more like those kids won everything, already knew that, had a class in school like that). But none on your list have a too shabby reputation.

teachkids

Thu, Oct 10 2019, 5:17 am

These have a rather large geographic span. Not sure where in the area you live, but find out how far it is to each school and if there's transportation/enough kids going. You don't want your son traveling over an hour and having no local friends.

Find out from his elementary school where guys are going.

amother

Cerise

Thu, Oct 10 2019, 8:16 am

My kids are in Kushner & so far bh it's been amazing. It's on a much higher level than their previous school in some areas, but they do have different levels & tracks & a lot of support for the students.
Just be very open & honest about what support your child needs.
Not sure if it matters to you, but it is co-ed.

amother

Lemon

Thu, Oct 10 2019, 8:29 am

Very happy Frisch alum parent here.
Based on your post, I think you will find, in general, what you are for at any of the schools. My daughter has friends from all of the schools listed. They should all fill the niche you appear to be looking to fill. However, they all do have a slightly different flavor, a different bend. You will find the best fit for you family by going to the open houses, fine tuning exactly what you are looking for and asking more pointed questions.
I am happy to help in any way that I can. If you want to ask me more specific questions, I am happy to answer them to the best of my ability.

TBH, Frisch and Ma'ayanot (I send there as well, and we love the school), are the only two I looked at, for my own reasons, and the information I have on the other schools is all second hand- friend and the rumor mill.

shegold96

Thu, Oct 10 2019, 8:37 am

Frisch alum here. It has changed since I left but it is always know for academics. Highly recommend the school because they have lots of tracks.

cnc

Thu, Oct 10 2019, 9:01 am

amother [ OP ] wrote:

I have relatives at Frisch and SAR and know a bunch of people at Kushner. They all seem to have what you’re looking for .

It might make sense to start narrowing the choices down to location. I’ve never heard of anyone from Livingston traveling to SAR etc.... -

amother

Taupe

Thu, Oct 10 2019, 1:05 pm

My son is at TABC and he is super happy. We also considered Frisch and MTA. We know lots of kids in all three places and all are happy. They are all good schools. Happy to answer any questions.

ETA: The Bergen county area schools can be tough to get into. If you want Frisch/SAR/TABC you should absolutely have a backup plan if you don't get into your first choice. Last year Frisch alone received like 600 applications for 200ish spots. Kids with siblings already there, or with parents who were alumni did not get in.

amother

Powderblue

Thu, Oct 10 2019, 2:30 pm

We looked at a few of these schools when looking for high schools for DS. We really wanted a non-coed school, though, so that automatically limited the list.

Many of these schools are extremely focused on academics. I believe in particular, SAR and Frisch have a major focus on getting into top-tier colleges. While they do have tracks and lots of guidance, focus on healthy social relationships and bringing out the best in each kid, as a priority, their bottom line as an institution has to do with college admissions. If this is not your son's ability level,or your family's hashakfa, it might be work taking a hard look at that.

amother

Thu, Oct 10 2019, 9:50 pm

Thank you for all the replies. I am reading and considering them. I guess it does make sense to wait until after visiting all the schools and narrowing it down then.