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I have never lived in any of these towns, but have relatives and friends that do....with that being said, I would say New Canaan would be the least enjoyable place to attend high school of the three. I think Weston and Wilton are generally more laid back and there is a little bit less of keeping up with the Jones'. I know lots of people who have moved to Wilton from lower Westchester, because housing was far less expensive.
Yeah, I'm gathering that Wilton is probably the best fit for us. And we are avoiding lower Westchester for the same reason. That, and we just want a more quiet, rural feel. We've already done traditional suburbs, packed in alongside neighbors, and it's not for us (even though we love the city--go figure!).
Yeah, I'm gathering that Wilton is probably the best fit for us. And we are avoiding lower Westchester for the same reason. That, and we just want a more quiet, rural feel. We've already done traditional suburbs, packed in alongside neighbors, and it's not for us (even though we love the city--go figure!).
Don't listen to the stereotypes of folks who know folks.
I'm a first-hander, not from old money either, raised blue collar, and can tell you hands down NC is a wonderful community.
Good news! I just found a website called niche.com that rates the schools on lots of things, including some cultural elements. Also has lots of free-form reviews written by current and former students, which are proving really helpful in getting a sense of the atmosphere at these schools. So if anyone ever asks a similarly impossible, convoluted question...send them to niche, I guess? haha
I loved sports and student government and all the other extracurricular opportunities, and I had a group of great friends (kind, well-behaved, fun) that I hung out with.
I wonder if you appreciate how rare that experience is.
The sigh is just that this is a hard choice and I'm grasping at straws for things that will help us decide! lol We're nearby in the city (Upper West Side), so we plan to come up and spend several weekends hanging out in different towns. Even when we do pull the trigger, I think we'll rent for a little while, just to make sure. We'd just like to nail down the town before we rent, so our daughter doesn't have to change schools after the first year.
The whole truth is that we actually homeschool all four of our kids (even before Covid). But we're considering sending them to high school just because my husband and I both had really great high school experiences. I loved sports and student government and all the other extracurricular opportunities, and I had a group of great friends (kind, well-behaved, fun) that I hung out with. The homeschool community in the city is quite active, even for middle and high schoolers (because the public middle and high school situation is so ridiculous), so there are lots of classes, activities, and other social opportunities. But in most places the homeschool population really starts to decline after elementary school. So we want to give our kids the opportunity to give public school a try. If it ends up being awful, well, they'll always have the option to homeschool.
OMG, we are thinking of homeschooling our 4 yr old next year, and at the sametime are also looking in CT. Could I DM you with some questions about homeschooling in NYC?
I wonder if you appreciate how rare that experience is.
Really? That's very sad. It breaks my heart to think of all the kids who hate school (for social or academic or other reasons) and have to keep going there day after day with no real control over their own lives. I feel like a lot of my friends' kids really love high school and have great relationships and experiences there. But I can tell you right now, I would never send my kids into a situation where they're miserable every day. That's for damn sure.
OMG, we are thinking of homeschooling our 4 yr old next year, and at the sametime are also looking in CT. Could I DM you with some questions about homeschooling in NYC?
Good news! I just found a website called niche.com that rates the schools on lots of things, including some cultural elements. Also has lots of free-form reviews written by current and former students, which are proving really helpful in getting a sense of the atmosphere at these schools. So if anyone ever asks a similarly impossible, convoluted question...send them to niche, I guess? haha
I haven't looked at that site but i'd take things with a grain of salt, a lot of people go to those sites to complain, people dont generally go to write raving reviews about places so the comments on them may skew toward criticism.
I think you'll be disappointed going somewhere expecting the experience will be a particular way if it ends up being not. I dont know anyone personally that's been home schooled so forgive me if i'm wrong but at some point there is an inherent risk in life whether it be highschool, college or the real world where they'll have to interact with people that might not be nice and they'll have to deal with the situation.
Good news! I just found a website called niche.com that rates the schools on lots of things, including some cultural elements. Also has lots of free-form reviews written by current and former students, which are proving really helpful in getting a sense of the atmosphere at these schools. So if anyone ever asks a similarly impossible, convoluted question...send them to niche, I guess? haha
Unfortunately as others here can attest, these websites like Niche, are not always accurate. We have seen some pretty ridiculous rankings of schools on them including schools that we all know are excellent getting poor ratings and schools that are questionable at best getting high scores. It has to do with what weight they put on different criteria. It’s not necessarily what most people consider when looking at schools.
I wish I could remember the specific example that we found wrong years ago. I know it involved a questionable urban high school having a higher ranking than a high school in one of the most desirable towns in the state. I want to say the later may have been West Hartford which is known for its excellent diverse schools but I just can’t remember the specifics. Maybe someone else here does.
We have had extensive discussions of this on this forum. I’m sure other regulars here will agree. Jay
Unfortunately as others here can attest, these websites like Niche, are not always accurate. We have seen some pretty ridiculous rankings of schools on them including schools that we all know are excellent getting poor ratings and schools that are questionable at best getting high scores. It has to do with what weight they put on different criteria. It’s not necessarily what most people consider when looking at schools.
I wish I could remember the specific example that we found wrong years ago. I know it involved a questionable urban high school having a higher ranking than a high school in one of the most desirable towns in the state. I want to say the later may have been West Hartford which is known for its excellent diverse schools but I just can’t remember the specifics. Maybe someone else here does.
We have had extensive discussions of this on this forum. I’m sure other regulars here will agree. Jay
Yeah, the rankings on that site are less what I'm there for than the comments from the students. Most of them are actually glowing, for all the schools. But some of them do have trends where several students mention something that might not be mentioned much at other schools.
Ultimately, they do all three sound pretty much identical. We'll have to base our town decision on other factors.
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It breaks my heart to think of all the kids who hate school (for social or academic or other reasons) and have to keep going there day after day with no real control over their own lives. I feel like a lot of my friends' kids really love high school and have great relationships and experiences there. But I can tell you right now, I would never send my kids into a situation where they're miserable every day. That's for damn sure.
