Commonwealth School

151 Commonwealth Avenue

Boston, MA 02116

22 Reviews

School District
Grade

9-12
Type

private

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Reviews

Submitted by parent on June 16, 2024

We are grateful to have our teen be part of this caring and intellectually stimulating community. The students are passionate, love deep learning and they are kind and supportive of each other. The teachers are experts in their subjects, providing engaging small classes with high expectations. Our teen *loves* going to school–they come home excited about the book they’re reading, the challenging computer science problem before them and the era of history they’re studying. We have been pleased by how accessible and supportive teachers have been to our teen outside of class when they have needed additional help and our teen’s advisor has provided incredible support around academics, activities and navigating the teen years–meeting one-on-one on a weekly basis. The students hangout on the weekends, easily getting around on the T (and sometimes getting a ride from parents :)) to go to each other’s houses or meet in Boston near school to walk around and just hangout and talk.
Submitted by parent on June 11, 2024

I am a parent of a rising junior and have observed 2 years of joyful learning and a group of teachers that is close knit, supportive and helps kids explore their love of learning. There is a close community and high individual responsibility at a student level (they are encouraged to be fully responsible for getting themselves to and from school and taking advantage of the city around them). I recommend this school whole heartedly to anyone who has kids who are curious and willing to learn in a small, supportive, creative environment.
Submitted by parent on June 04, 2024

As a parent of a rising senior, I could not be more happy with Commonwealth. The quality of education, the commitment from the faculty and staff is amazing. It is a small school and athletics are somewhat limited so that is good to know in advance. Overall it is an amazing school!
Submitted by student on November 12, 2019

Commonwealth is a school that has a lot to offer, and it is up to each student to choose what they will make of their time here. It has played an important and supportive role in my development both as a student and as a person. Here, I have always felt supported in my quest for knowledge, understanding, and a challenge. I love going to class with others who share my love of learning and genuine interest in the material, and with teachers who put their hearts into their lessons and who come to know their students as individuals. While being a student at Commonwealth can be demanding at times, the understanding we gain in our classes is very motivating, as well as the excitement of learning new things, and being able to do so in an encouraging and helpful environment. Be it mathematics or photography or Spanish, Commonwealth has provided me with all kinds of opportunities to delve deeply into many subjects, regardless of whether or not I have experience with them. I have had the chance to try new things like joining the Tech Crew for the school plays, as well as broaden my horizons through amazing trips and exchanges– in my two years at Commonwealth I have participated in the French and Spanish exchanges, and this year (I am currently a junior) I will be going to China as part of the Mandarin program. The trips were incredible experiences, and they were opportunities that I hadn’t thought could be part of a school curriculum. It is a really special place, and I am grateful to be a part of it.
Submitted by student on November 08, 2019

I am a current senior at Commonwealth School, and I really love my time here. In particular, I feel supported. I am surrounded by peers and teachers who WANT to see me succeed. I don't feel that I am in competition with other students, but rather that I am competing against myself. I can't wait to use the skills Commonwealth has taught me in my future endeavors!
Submitted by student on October 29, 2019

I'm a current senior, and my time at Commonwealth has been wonderful for me as a student and as a person. My writing has improved massively through one on one work with my English teachers, I've overcome my fear of math, and I'm confident I'm prepared for college. I've also found leadership opportunities and a strong community that encouraged me to grow and explore the person I'm going to be.
Submitted by parent on October 12, 2019

The Commonwealth School has done an excellent job of preparing our daughter for college, graduate school and life. The academics are excellent and the faculty commitment and availability is remarkable. Our daughter has been challenged and stretched has grown independent and confident at this gem of a school in Boston's Back Bay. I feel they have delivered everything they promised.
Submitted by parent on September 29, 2019

Our family has been thrilled with our child's experience at Commonwealth. The school is academically rigorous, fosters creative thinking, and has a wonderful arts program. It is not super sporty, which suits us fine, as our child prefers intellectual pursuits to athletic ones. Commonwealth has a sense of humor and warmth about it that we cherish. It is a special place.
Submitted by parent on September 15, 2019

Obviously an incredibly negative experience - pretty much any public school in the greater Boston area would be a better experience. The school is disorganized, inconsistent and seemingly out of touch with standard academic/organizational guidelines to create the top notch educational experience you would expect from the price of admission.
Submitted by parent on March 22, 2019

Commonwealth is an excellent school with a rigorous and stimulating environment. The teachers are top notch and the classes are engaging and interesting. Our son works hard at Commonwealth, but he enjoys the classes so much that he finds the work fun. It is a small school, so when there are challenges (as there are at any school), they are felt throughout the school, but the administration has done an excellent job of addressing these challenges. Our son has made close friends with students who come from different backgrounds, has learned to navigate his way around the city independently and his word has opened up dramatically through his experiences at Commonwealth. Cannot recommend the school highly enough.
Submitted by parent on March 19, 2019

Excellent experience. Diverse, small classes, superb and supportive teachers, focus on liberal arts, community outreach.
Submitted by other on March 06, 2019

It seems there is some confusion about whether Commonwealth is a toxic environment. It is indeed a good place for the students who can keep up with the demands of the faculty. But for those who are judged as being disinterested in an adult workload given to minors, the school tries to work them out. For me, this was the focus instead of helping me with my personal difficulties. Other students knew about my attendance problems and criticized me openly. Students and faculty would ask why I wasn't coming to school and I would answer meekly that I was depressed. No additional medical follow-ups were made, and I know my classmates didn't see it as a valid reason. My peers' feelings were that kids who were so far behind ruined their perfect learning environment, and of course they were under extraordinary pressure to keep up with Commonwealth's expectations. It is telling that one of the positive parent reviews says: "The kids praise each other's talents," as performance not empathy is the social currency at Commonwealth. The other positive parent seems not to know what learning disabilities are or how serious they can be. I do not understand why Commonwealth cannot support all the students it admits through matriculation, but the result is a hyper charged meritocratic environment that mirrors the worst problems of the modern elite academic set. However, University and College ratings value high matriculation rates while Commonwealth wants to graduate a class of the kids who made it through its esoteric, adult, learning program that attracts highschool teachers who wanted to be professors.
Submitted by parent on February 22, 2019

Excellent!! This school has been a wonderful fit for our child. A small community like this is not for everyone. Not everyone is up to the academic challenge. Commonwealth offers something that many other schools simply cannot. This school has been the panacea to years of frustrating school experiences. Our child has absolutely blossomed there.
Submitted by parent on February 21, 2019

I rate our experience (as parents) as excellent. Commonwealth was a great fit for our son, and challenges him to think in ways that he wasn't used to at his former school. We believe that the development of critical thinking in a supportive environment is key to success beyond high school.
Submitted by parent on February 17, 2019

The school is effective at inculcating a malignant academic culture that chooses winners and losers. They are also effective at removing negative reviews from websites to hide their flaws instead of using the reviews to become a better school. This school is one of the worst emotional, academic and financial investments for most students and parents. Public school is definitely a good option over Commonwealth.
Submitted by student on January 22, 2019

What a terrible school. While there were a few highlights like the visual arts program which was taught by some amazing artists, and the friends I have made, they are overshadowed by the worst, most disorganized group of faculty I have ever seen.
Submitted by other on October 24, 2018

Mayhem, disconnection, isolation sounds like my experience at Commonwealth School. While I was being undertreated for a major illness, and in a living situation where I was responsible for my own income and food at age 16, Commonwealth was preoccupied with my failure to keep up with their academic standards. They pushed me back into relationships with my abusers, and transferred me to a new school out of state. I received no income, housing, or medical support from the school for my "personal problems" (their words.) This school is more focused on academics than its students.
Submitted by parent on March 08, 2018

Excellent with competent teachers and pressure for excellence with space for individually. Uses the city as a classroom for some subjects.
Submitted by other on March 26, 2015

Strangest school visit ever! DC was "dropped off" at her first class by her "host for the day", then told at the end of the class by the teacher to go wait in the hall, that her host "would find her" Things went downhill from there. She sat alone in the lunch room and ate while the CS kids talked amongst themselves, oblivious to their visitor. Mayhem, disconnection, and isolated were used to describe her day. Wow. As for me, after arranging our interview time, in advance, with the AOO, who agreed she would have us done in time for me to get to work I would (I work second shift), I arrived in the afternoon 10 min. before our scheduled time, and then waited over an hour. The AOO sauntered down the stairs at the time we had pre-planned we would be done. She said nothing of her delay. Wooow. It was all for the best. To see the school for what it is in such a short window saved us time and energy in the long run. Weaknesses in communication school-wide, common courtesy school-wide, care, authenticity, warmth from faculty and student body, happiness in students, etc. - this package, not for us.
Submitted by student on January 31, 2014

I've been at Commonwealth School for two years now. While I love some things about it, I've also had a really hard time there. The academics are super challenging, which I like, but the amount of work leaves it so I have literally very very little free time. The school gives students a good amount of independence, which I also like. However, I've had trouble fitting in with the school culture. There's a heavy intellectual-nerdy, wealthy, privileged population that dominants school culture. If you don't come from that background or are a bit "mainstream," it can be hard to fit in. The athletics are really bad, too. Everyone makes the "varsity" sports and the level of skill on those teams is really low. If you want a good in-school athletic experience, don't go to Commonwealth (unless you're a fencer).