From the bus ride to the sense of community, there’s nothing better than heading back to school in the suburbs.
While there are, no doubt, some conveniences that come with sending your kids to school in the city—you can choose from, literally, thousands of unique schools, programs and curriculums all within a quick subway ride, for starters—the reality is the ‘burbs were born for back to school season. Your first fall in suburbia will no doubt remind you why it’s better here, especially when it’s time to hit the books. For starters…
Why Back to School is Better in NYC
#1. There’s no painful application and waiting process
In the city, even if you want your kid to go to the school located on your block, there’s a good chance you’ll have to complete some sort of application or attendance request—then you’ll have to hold your breath until preK, kindergarten, middle school or high school assignments are announced.
“My kindergartener got placed in a program in Jamaica, Queens,” said lawyer and mom of two, Nicole. “I live in Forest Hills. My oldest goes to middle school in Long Island City. Tell me how this morning drop off is going to go?”
Beyond that, many families choose a neighborhood based on schools, only to find out so many families did the same—and now there’s a lottery for admission. It’s not uncommon for a sought-after public school to have 100 to 200 kids on a preK or kindergarten waitlist—kids who are zoned for the school and, otherwise, should be a shoo-in.
Not so in suburbia. Move to the neighborhood, swing by the local school office or registrar, bring your deed and some other identifying documents and your kids are IN. Move mid-year? No problem—it’s the same process. School getting a little crowded? They’ll sooner tap more teachers or expand the building before there’s any sort of city-style lottery.
#2. There’s a true sense of COMMUNITY—and that counts
Because kids are all hyper-local, there’s a real sense of community that permeates local schools. Those kids down the block? The family you met at the park? The girls playing soccer across the street? They’ll likely be lining the same hallways come fall—and, maybe, being part of your bus or walk-to-school crew come September.
Given the local-ness of it all, you and your kids will make friends fast, expanding your tribe and helping you get more and more immersed in both community and school activities. Bonus!
#3. You’ll always get the inside scoop…
In the city, kids go to tons of different schools—you may not know anyone who’s sent kids to your children’s school, at least not at first. While we’re all for adventure and charting your own course, there’s something comforting about having a band of friends and neighbors who went before you—moms and dads who can give you the real scoop on the teachers, administrators, the sports teams and the aftercare scene, for starters. Curious about a teacher? Ask at the bus stop. Want to know what “half-day” means—and can’t find it anywhere? Text your neighbor. Not sure what parents really wear to 5th grade graduation? Ask that family on the cul-de-sac—their kids are in middle school, but they no doubt remember the grad scene.
#4. One word: BUS.
Speaking of the bus stop, in the suburbs you’ll likely be a quick walk or bike ride to school or you’ll get the pleasure of the big yellow school bus rolling up to your corner every single day.
There’s, truly, nothing better. The kids love it and you won’t have to suffer through the chaos of morning drop off—or of trying to navigate the subway, the crosstown bus or the latest Uber surge with backpacks, lunch boxes, science projects and violin cases in-hand. Just scoot to the corner, wave goodbye and go back to your day, without thinking twice about traffic, crammed commuter cars or walking 20 blocks in a total downpour.
Christine, a mom of four in Sea Cliff, gets it. “I don’t even get dressed,” she admits. “I grab my kids, grab my coffee and we wait for the bus—two buses, actually, since I have two going to middle school and two going to elementary school. In the city, we’d be running through the subway station every morning, without fail! We forgot this, we left that on the train, the little ones couldn’t carry everything…it was chaos, to say the least.”
#5. No need to Uber to back to school night
‘Tis the season for back to school night, early-on parent/teacher conferences, kick-off PTO and seemingly endless evening activities surrounding your kids’ education.
“We lived in Brooklyn until last year,” art teacher and Rye Neck mom of three Madeline says. “And my kids went to three different schools—in three different parts of Brooklyn. Getting to back to school night was almost impossible. Two were on the same night, and my husband and I had to divide and conquer. Only one was a quick ride to and from our apartment—the others meant evening Ubers and paying the sitter.”
Now, though, everyone is in-sync—and in the same school. “The school is ½-mile from our house,” she says. “Everyone goes to the same place, we have one back to school night and we can be back in, literally, one minute. It’s so much easier and less stressful.”
Most Competitive Communities for Schools in NYC
We hear it all the time: city families ditch urban living for the ‘burbs because, among other reasons, NYC is the ultimate pressure cooker. We get it, we live—and lived—it. The hustle, the bustle, the all-hours lifestyle, competitive school landscape and get-it-done approach to everything can be exhausting. And the craziest part? It’s not just Moms and Dads feeling the crunch.
Finding YOUR A+ School
The reality? While there’s no right or wrong approach when it comes to child-rearing, it is important to understand that this heightened demand—this “pressure cooker” culture—exists everywhere, including the NYC suburbs. If you’re looking for a hyper-competitive town where your kids can dig in alongside the best, the brightest and the most well-prepared, then that’s likely music to your ears. But, on the flip side, if you’re looking for a more laid-back educational environment, you’ll want to be aware of these communities so you can determine if it’s out-of-line with your expectations.
That said, many families love these towns and felt their kids got the ultimate educational experience—an experience that’s invaluable as they head off to everything that comes next. For others, though, it’s too much—too much stress, too much pressure and too much competition. Again, it’s all about you, your brood and what’s in-step with your goals and expectations. Based on the feedback we received, though, here’s which towns topped the list of “pressure cooker” communities:
#1. SCARSDALE, NEW YORK (Westchester)
Average SAT Score: 1360
Average ACT Score: 31
AP enrollment: N/A
Most Popular Colleges:
NYU
Cornell University
Boston University
Columbia University
Vanderbilt University
Tulane University
University of Michigan
Syracuse University
Lehigh University
University of Texas, Austin
#2. CHAPPAQUA, NEW YORK (Westchester)
Average SAT Score: 1330
Average ACT Score: 31
AP enrollment: 41%
Most Popular Colleges:
Cornell University
NYU
SUNY Binghamton
University of Michigan
Tulane University
Columbia University
Brown University
Boston University
University of Pennsylvania
Vanderbilt University
#3. SHORT HILLS, NEW JERSEY
Average SAT Score: 1360
Average ACT Score: 31
AP enrollment: 30%
Most Popular Colleges:
NYU
Penn State
Rutgers University
Cornell University
Tulane University
University of Michigan
University of Pennsylvania
Boston University
Vanderbilt University
University of Texas, Austin
#4. ROSLYN, NEW YORK (Long Island)
Average SAT Score: 1340
Average ACT Score: 31
AP enrollment: 40%
Most Popular Colleges:
NYU
SUNY Binghamton
Cornell University
University of Pennsylvania
Boston University
Syracuse University
Tulane University
University of Michigan
Columbia University
SUNY Stony Brook
#5. ARMONK, NEW YORK (Westchester)
Average SAT Score: 1330
Average ACT Score: 31
AP enrollment: 39%
Most Popular Colleges:
Cornell University
NYU
Boston University
University of Wisconsin
University of Michigan
Vanderbilt University
Northeastern University
Syracuse University
Georgetown University
University of Pennsylvania
Teachings from the Trenches
During our Q&As we did unearth some interesting intel from suburban parents which, in our opinion, color the school exploration more than test scores and rankings. Those takeaways?
Big versus small
Many parents start out searching for a BIG school and BIG school district complete with tons of opportunities for sports, clubs, arts, extracurriculars and AP classes. While these environments work for some students, others hate landing in the middle. In a super-competitive school, those “middle” kids are often equally smart, equally high-performing and equally committed, but even their 4.0 GPAs keeps them from the top of the class. Standing out, then, takes a lot, something a student graduating with 100 peers likely won’t experience.
College advisors are a MUST
Twenty years ago our high school guidance counselors helped us rank colleges—or maybe we flew solo with a little help from Mom and Dad. Today, the college admissions game is a completely different universe and, now, college advisors are a MUST.
The good news? Most public schools in the NYC suburbs have their own in-house experts—but, even so, many parents opt to shell out thousands or even hundreds of thousands of dollars for private admissions counselors and coaches. In many communities it’s a closely-guarded secret but, now more than ever, we’re seeing these professionals become the most prized services in the teen years.
And then there are the tutors…
While tutors are nothing new, the cost for a sought-after teacher or former teacher can be through-the-roof. Whether it’s test prep—SATs, ACTs and APs, for starters—or subject support, expect to pay $135 to more than $800 per hour. Multiple kids who need help with multiple subjects can really add up. And, in many competitive schools and communities, these services aren’t just reserved for kids lagging behind. In many, you’ll see the A-student who scored a 30 or 31 on the ACT—the top 4% to 6% of all test-takers—tap a tutor to help them squeeze out an extra point or two. Get ready.
There are hundreds of towns to choose from. How do you figure it all out? You simply don’t, without getting a Suburban Jungle Strategist to help you through it all. Schedule here for your strategy session with our innovative suburbs strategy team. All services are completely free.