Prep School Perks at Public School Prices

Andover

Among the first area schools to incorporate the Japanese Lesson Study—an approach to curriculum development that has teachers continually evaluate one another’s lesson plans, using student performance as their yardsticks—Andover High is one of three honored by the state Department of Education for exemplary achievement. Students so inclined can squeeze a full extra year’s worth of math and science into their four years in its classrooms or sign up to help publish the school’s Merrimack Literary Review, which showcases poetry and prose by local students and residents.

Boston Latin

At 371 years old, Boston Latin out-preps a lot of prep schools, subjecting applicants to exacting admissions standards and rewarding those gifted enough to gain entry with a bounty of AP courses (there were an impressive 25 available at last count), intensive college counseling, and a state-of-the-art library. So irresistible are the advantages of a Latin education, the school has had to crack down on suburban scofflaws who use false city addresses to try to skirt its Boston-residents-only restriction.

Brookline

Every kid fantasizes about what he or she would do if allowed to call the shots at school. Brookline High’s unique School Within a School (or SWS) program effectively lets 115 of its sophomores, juniors, and seniors do just that, empowering them to help set policies, refine their curriculum, and have a say in hiring and evaluating SWS staff. Classes are still led by actual grownups, but the syllabuses stand out from the norm: the writing seminars, for example, include kids from across three grade levels.

Cambridge Rindge and Latin

Last year Rindge and Latin launched a block schedule system that divides school days into four college-like 84-minute periods. It’s the school’s commitment to the arts, though, that is really prep caliber. There are four levels of study in both acting and modern dance, as well as electives in playwriting, public speaking, computer graphics, and fashion illustration. Students also get to practice music on school-owned instruments, and work with Cambridge Community Television to film music videos for songs they write.

Lincoln-Sudbury

At Lincoln-Sudbury the science geeks get to savor something most science geeks never experience: the thrill of kicking butt. In May a team from the school won the National Ocean Sciences Bowl. Two weeks earlier, L-S’s entry placed fifth at the National Science Bowl finals. No wonder the school’s students had all the right answers: Its science department goes well beyond the basics to teach everything from engineering to geology to (wouldn’t you know?) aquatic biology.

Wellesley

It’s easy to imagine Wellesley as a place where high school students post big numbers on standardized tests. More surprising is how many of those kids take part in the school’s vibrant athletic department. Wellesley High fields squads in 34 sports—the boys’ lacrosse and girls’ field hockey sides are perennial powers—and more than 70 percent of the student body participates. The school’s weight room is so nice, it feels as though it belongs in a posh health club, and there are also yoga classes, a speed and conditioning clinic, and a high-ropes course.

Weston

Weston High has an unfair edge over other public schools: Weston parents. Their Weston Education Enrichment Fund solicits donations with an efficiency rivaling that of Washington’s most seasoned fundraisers, collecting money to pay for things the regular budget doesn’t cover, such as materials for the school’s 20,000-volume library, computer equipment, and special training for a faculty that has helped its charges post some of the highest SAT scores in the state.