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I need advice…we live in lower Fairfield County in CT. My husband has been commuting from CT to the financial district in lower Manhattan for 6 years and he’s pretty tired of it by now. His company is moving to Jersey City in late 2012 and he cannot make the commute from CT to Jersey City so we need to (although I don't want to) move closer.
My questions are:
1. My son will be entering high school in Sept 2012 (my daughter will be off to college). Should we move to Manhattan and put him in a private school OR move to a New Jersey suburb with a reputable public school system (Our high school in CT is ranked 11th in the state)?
Some background: My son is athletic and plays football, basketball, and baseball. I believe there is only one private school in Manhattan that has a football program. My concern is moving him from a public school system in the suburbs to a private school system in a large city. I really don't want to move to Manhattan right now; however, my husband and I will probably move to Manhattan once my son graduates high school in 2016.
2. Which suburbs in NJ would you recommend that has a reputable public school system which is about a 30-35 minute commute to Jersey City?
3. Has anyone ever had to make this type of decision and how did it turn out for your family?
This is a very difficult decision for me. Any advice would be welcome!!
Is he good enough at any of the sports that he might get a scholarship? The schools athletic program would be a factor then. Plenty of good choices- Summit, Chatham, Montclair, Millburn.
I would go private and then he'll be starting high school "new" like everyone else.
There are Catholic high schools that have really good sports teams that he might be interested in and they might be interested in him. Not sure what religion you are or if that's an option.
If not, there are regular private schools also.
But I would definitely go private if you have the money for the tuition. I think it will be an easier adjustment for him.
I would go private and then he'll be starting high school "new" like everyone else.
There are Catholic high schools that have really good sports teams that he might be interested in and they might be interested in him. Not sure what religion you are or if that's an option.
If not, there are regular private schools also.
But I would definitely go private if you have the money for the tuition. I think it will be an easier adjustment for him.
Hi, thanks for responding...yes, we are Catholic...so you think private either Catholic or private in NYC? I only found one school in NYC, Dalton, who has football--his first love. I'm just not sure he would "fit" in those private schools. Are you familiar with the private schools in NYC?
Is he good enough at any of the sports that he might get a scholarship? The schools athletic program would be a factor then. Plenty of good choices- Summit, Chatham, Montclair, Millburn.
Thanks for responding...He might in basketball but not sure he wants to play in college. I've been researching the towns you mentioned also based on the New Jersey Monthly 2010 top high schools and I know Millburn is #1 but we do not necessarily need #1--the others are good too and also Glen Ridge. So the towns you mentioned above and Glen Ridge, are they about 30 minutes driving distance (without traffic) to Jersey City? Also is the car insurance and property taxes in NJ as high as everyone says? Ours in CT is pretty high too so not sure we will be completely sticker shocked! Thanks!
Hi, thanks for responding...yes, we are Catholic...so you think private either Catholic or private in NYC? I only found one school in NYC, Dalton, who has football--his first love. I'm just not sure he would "fit" in those private schools. Are you familiar with the private schools in NYC?
I was actually thinking a Catholic high school in NJ might be a good fit for him if you decide to move here. They draw from many, many schools, so he would definitely not be the only "new" kid, everyone would be technically new. They also tend to be cheaper than the secular private schools.
If you are Catholic and have been living in the suburbs, I think he might really like some of the Catholic HSs out here, especially if he is good at sports.
You could look at Don Bosco Prep in Ramsey, or to be closer to the city, maybe Bergen Catholic in Oradell. You can also search on Private School Review to see other schools that might be closer to Jersey City and I'm sure other folks will have suggestions.
Yeah, Catholic, very athletic, and can afford private school screams Don Bosco or Bergen Catholic.
There are better schools in the area (both private or public), but they will take sports much less seriously (both the students and the school).
Edit: I am totally not knocking either of them academically from an objective rather than relative viewpoint; I have never heard a negative word about either.
Yeah, Catholic, very athletic, and can afford private school screams Don Bosco or Bergen Catholic.
There are better schools in the area (both private or public), but they will take sports much less seriously (both the students and the school).
Edit: I am totally not knocking either of them academically from an objective rather than relative viewpoint; I have never heard a negative word about either.
What are the better private schools or public schools in the area (Bergen County)?
If you look at their college acceptance lists, which is really the only data that you can compare, I'd say they are better than most schools in their area. If you look at the sports records, well, then they clearly are way better : )
You haven't mentioned your housing budget, but one school your could consider if you want to stay public is Northern Highlands High School located in Allendale. The reason I suggester Highlands is because it is fed into by 4 towns (Allendale, Ho-Ho-Kus, Upper Saddle River & Saddle River) so lots of kids will be getting to know each other at the start of school. It's also ranked #6 by NJ Monthly magazine. I don't know if it as sports-centric as Don Bosco, but it is a great academic option and judging by the amount of kids in our neighborhood that play sports, does seem to support student athletes.
Good luck with your move.
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