Delbarton School

230 Mendham Road

Morristown, NJ 07960

20 Reviews

School District
Grade

7-12
Type

private

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Reviews

Submitted by parent on January 22, 2021

Do your homework before you get in. They don’t accept kids from different faiths and backgrounds.
Submitted by parent on September 26, 2017

Special school that espouses work ethic, kindness, community leadership. Administration & teachers are compassionate. Curriculum has been thoughtfully planned and coordinated. Teachers are knowledgeable about subjects. Standards are high/ rigorous, workload is demanding, each boy expected to do best work following honor code. Arts program is robust. Clubs are numerous. Community service is popular by choice. Sports are not required but a great way to learn skills in teamwork and sportsmanship. The students are responsible, conscientious. There is great community, comraderie, spirit. Parents are warm, welcoming.
Submitted by other on July 31, 2017

Grads got to top colleges including Ivy League schools.
Submitted by student on May 15, 2017

Our son has excelled at this school . The teachers are exceptional ! There is something for everyone ... from sports to academic clubs .Our son came from a public education and Fit in well . It's truley a brotherhood . No ones left out and there's a real community amongst all the kids . The academia a rigorous but the staff does a excellent job teaching the material ! You won't be disappointed in this school. It's five stars all the way !
Submitted by parent on August 08, 2015

As other reviews have stated, the teachers and administrators at this school are mediocre at best. Many are new and have no teaching education while others are coaches. The boys do well because they came in highly intelligent or their families have the means to get help. My son resorted to taking online courses with Coursera and doing a lot of reading on his own as a way to achieve some intellectual stimulation. School culture is extremely hierarchical. This culture is fostered by the school. For example, seniors are allowed to cut the lunch line. If you don't have money or prestige, the school mostly ignores you. The "diversity" at the school is a joke. My family and I heard teachers, students, and families make disparaging comments about public schools and students of color. My son was miserable there and I know he would have done better at a public school than here. Quiet, introverted boys will suffer at Delbarton. Save your money!
Submitted by other on January 10, 2014

Phenomenal school. I graduated in 2013 and without a doubt would love to send my son(s) there one day. It is a great community, and I know I will always have a home there. Nothing like a Delbarton sporting event.
Submitted by parent on January 08, 2014

To say that Delbarton "gets boys" is an understatement. Our son is growing from a boy to a young man, academically, socially and emotionally. The school is challenging and rewarding. The values instilled and expected are in line with ours; work hard, play hard, respect yourself (as well as others), a sense of obligation to each other and the world at large. Truly a school that honors mind, body and spirit.
Submitted by parent on December 17, 2013

We have had two sons at Delbarton, each with different experiences, but each loved the school. There is a wonderful mix of students from various backgrounds with talents that range from the arts, to sports, to dedication to community service. The academic focus encourages the students to stretch from their comfort zone, but provides enough of a spirit of nurturing that enables them to feel comfortable taking risks. There is a lovely feeling of community at the school, the families truly enjoy being together, whether at a music concert, collecting donations for families in need, decorating the school at Christmas or on the sidelines at a sporting event. Our family has truly enjoyed our years at Delbarton!
Submitted by parent on December 03, 2013

Delbarton is the ideal school for a bright, hard-working boy who likes to be challenged. Yes, sports are big, but so are the arts and community service. You get respect for whatever you do at Delbarton, as long as you try your hardest. Three of my sons graduated from Delbarton, and each had a completely different experience, all good. Delbarton is not for everyone, and is not perfect but for the right boy it's a terrific place. The proof is that so many alumni stay connected to the school, and take pride in their Delbarton connection. Highly recommended.
Submitted by parent on December 03, 2013

My School is Delbarton School, We have had three sons, a son-in law and even a grand-son go through Delbarton. Each of these young men is different and Delbarton was able to have programs that strengthened each one in a different way. Couple of our sons have mentioned that the foundation that they had at Delbarton was even better than the most competitive colleges they graduated from. All of them refer to the fact that they could not have been prepared better. The additional programs available to them were outstanding. The ethical way each boy was handled and guided is what to this day remains with them. Our son-in law came from a totally different town and he ,as well, has always felt so grateful that his parents were able to send him to Delbarton. As a parent, we were both involved with the social programs as well as the service programs the boys and us were able to participate in. It meant more to us to join the other students and parents to work and participate with us. It was a joy to see our grandson have similar experiences as his uncles had previously. To this day, we read the magazine from school and are getting ready to hopefully have our next grandson go there.
Submitted by other on December 03, 2013

I'm an alumnus who didn't realize just how good Delbarton was until I went to college and found my high school classes more challenging and better taught than those as a top ten university. Some concerns have been raised about the emphasis on sports, but this is an all-male school. Having the students put their energy into the playing field is a net positive. As for money, it is a private school for top tier students. Many of them are going to be wealthy. However, the Catholic underpinnings of the school go a long way to making the school more realistic than other private schools.
Submitted by parent on May 22, 2013

Kids coming from here get into good colleges because of selection bias, not because of the quality of the teachers or administration. They were already outstanding students and athletes before they ever got to Delbarton. They would have succeeded had they gone to any local public school. Many teachers are mediocre (particularly the coaches who happen to also teach ... "sorry, no class today or tomorrow ... my boys have a hockey tournament..." Also if your son struggles academically, getting him the help he needs is up to you.
Submitted by parent on May 14, 2013

Would give the school a higher rating if everyone, from the administrative leadership to the teachers, parent leaders, parents and students followed the Honor Code instead of paying it lip service. Teachers range from exceptional (too few of these for the money) to coaches that teach to the very mediocre. Donation money is main factor which will determine which colleges your son will be encouraged to apply to. Know of three cases where boys were told that they didn't have a chance of getting into their first choice or weren't Ivy League material and two of those boys were accepted (one at an Ivy league college) in early decision. The other was accepted to a school that was far beyond what he was encouraged to apply to. Listen to what the college couselors have to say and then you do what you think is best for your son. Jocks are allowed to behave as they wish. More bullying goes on than the school will admit to. Had I to do it over again, would have either sent son to any of the many other top private schools he was accepted to or put that tuition money into his college fund. Most of the towns that Delbarton draws from have public schools that are above-average. Save your money!
Submitted by parent on March 04, 2013

5 stars for academics, 1 star for social culture. Academics are 2nd to none, but your son needs to be strong minded and comfortable in his own skin to succeed at this school. Your son will enjoy his experience if he was born with a silver spoon in his mouth or if he is an elite athlete. If neither applies to your son, he can get lost at this school. It is the type of place where administration, faculty, and wealthy parents of alumni organize events to give each other contrived awards and pat each other on the back for being masters of their universe. If your son can keep his eye on the prize, study hard and ignore the elitist social culture, he can get into a top flight college and build a foundation for a lucrative career. How do I know this? I graduated from Delbarton almost 20 years ago and will NOT be sending my two sons there. Save your money for college!
Submitted by other on January 25, 2013

The academic program is amazing, and even if sport is not your thing you can still join the many well organized extra-curricular activities. The freedom given to students is just the right balance between not letting them feel trapped, and not letting them stray away from the path of academic achivement
Submitted by parent on August 29, 2011

e x c e l l e n t !!! EVERY ASPECT DESERVES SPECIAL COMMENDATION!
Submitted by parent on October 12, 2010

Excellent school. Kids are great and learning is cool! Sports are big but not overwhelming. Work is demanding and competitive. Most teachers are above average. There is a spirit of pride about being part of the community. If there is any doubt about the quality of the education - check out the colleges the boys go to!
Submitted by student on April 30, 2010

Delbarton, with its all-male student body, is not perfect. There is the same bullying and teen-male-misbehavior that is found anywhere. There is also obvious favoritism towards wealthier students and star athletes. However, these complaints are insignificant compared to the fact that 95% of kids who graduate from there are given the tools to accomplish anything. I wasn't very popular in high school, but still had an amazing time. Had I had money or Jack Kerouac's soul trapped in my body, I can only imagine my time there would've been even better. Don't compare high schools against an ideal of perfectionism--compare them against other high schools. When you look at it this way, Delbarton is a truly great place to send your kids.
Submitted by parent on July 10, 2009

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Submitted by student on January 31, 2007

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