School Profile 2017- 2018 CEEB School Code: 220222
William D. Wharton, Headmaster bwharton@commschool.org, 617.266.7525 x231 Sophia S. Meas, Director of College Counseling smeas@commschool.org, 617.266.7525 x242 Commonwealth School, an independent school for 150 students in grades 9-12, is widely recognized for its academically rigorous and adventurous intellectual exploration. Most Honors (H) and all Advanced Placement (AP) courses are college level. Advanced Placement equivalent or higher (APE) courses surpass AP requirements. Median combined SAT scores typically fall in the 1450-1500 range, and the average grade for academic classes is B+. 100% of the Class of 2017 entered four-year colleges and universities. Ranking Commonwealth School does not rank its students. Straight A's are very rare at Commonwealth. The information below, including the Grade Distribution chart, will put a candidate’s transcript in perspective. Course Offerings Humanities, language, and computer science courses follow in numerical sequence. Commonwealth offers a range of advanced science and math courses, which progress in difficulty as shown below. Courses marked with an asterisk (*) are at AP/APE level or higher. Biology
Chemistry
Physics
Biology 1 Biology 2*
Chemistry 1 Chemistry 1 Advanced Chemistry 2 (AP)*
Physics 1 Physics 1 Accelerated* Physics 1 Advanced* Physics 2*
Half-Credit Electives: Gene Expression and Regulation*, Theory of Relativity* Algebra & Geometry
Statistics
Calculus
Intermediate Algebra Geometry Geometry Advanced Algebra 2/Precalculus Algebra 2/Precalculus Advanced
Statistics Statistics (AP) (.5-credit)*
Calculus 1 Calculus 1 Advanced (AP)* Calculus 2 (AP)* Multivariable Calculus* Theoretical Calculus*
Half-Credit Electives: Linear Algebra*, Abstract Algebra*, Medieval Islamic Mathematics* Faculty 37 teachers; 14 hold PhDs, 14 Master’s degrees. Academic Honors Commonwealth does not confer academic honors. There is no Cum Laude Society, nor are there book awards or prizes for each subject in any year. Arts Students are required to take one art course per year; 40% of students take two or more even though they do not receive academic credit for these courses. Each class meets 2-3 periods per week all year. Research and Writing Using primary sources, students write three long research papers, one each in Ancient History, Medieval World History, and U.S. History.
Class of 2018 Academic Profile There are a total of 31 students in the Class of 2018. Eight members of the class are National Merit Semifinalists. SAT scores (as of June 2017) EBRW MATH
Middle 50% 720-770 680-780
Mean 750 735
AP Examination Scores By the end of June 2017, 31 students had taken a combined total of 155 AP Exams. 82% of scores were 4 or 5. 94% of scores were 3 or above. When AP exams are available for APE classes, most students receive a score of 4 or 5. Grade Distribution Chart for 11th Grade Courses This chart shows core curriculum courses with 2 or more 11th grade students taken during the 2016-2017 year. Course Title A A- B+ B B- C+ C C- D+ D DE Algebra 2/Precalc (H)
2
Biology 2 (APE)
1
1
Calculus 1 (AP)
2
4
2
1
Calculus 2 (AP)
1
2
1
1
Calculus 1 Adv. (AP)
2
5
1
1
2
3
1
Computer Sci. 1 (H)
1
1
Computer Sci. 2 (AP)
2
3
Computer Sci. 3 (APE)
2
1
English 11 (AP)
6
8
8
8
French 4 (APE)
3
Chemistry 2 (AP)
French 3 (AP)
Physics 1 Accel. (APE)
3 1 1
1
1 2
8
2
5
3
1
Physics 1 Adv. (APE)
2
Spanish 4 (APE)
3
1
1
Spanish 5 (APE)
2
2
4
1
Statistics (AP)
1
2
US History (APE)
3
11
10
3
The World Since 1945 (APE)
4
Spanish 3 (AP)
1
2
Latin 3 (H)
Mandarin 3 (H)
4
2
2
Grading Scale: A (100-93); A- (92-90); B+ (89-87); B (86-83); B- (82-80); C+ (79-77); C (76-73); C- (72-70); D+ (69-67); D (66-63); D- (62-60); E (below 60).
College and University Matriculation 2013-2017 University of Chicago, University of Massachusetts - Amherst 7 Brown University, Cornell University, Harvard College 6 Brandeis University, Haverford College, Smith College, Swarthmore College, University of Toronto 5 Boston College, 4 Boston University, 4 Carleton College, 4 Columbia University, 4 Mass. Institute of Technology, 4 Tufts University, 4 Wesleyan University, 4 University of St. Andrews, 4 University of Southern California, 4 Bryn Mawr College, 3 Carnegie Mellon University, 3 Middlebury College, 3 New York University, 3 Northeastern University, 3 Univ. of Massachusetts, Boston, 3 Washington University, St. Louis, 3 Yale University, 3 Case Western Reserve University, 2 Georgetown University, 2 King’s College London, 2 Mount Holyoke College, 2
Northwestern University, 2 Oberlin College, 2 Princeton University, 2 Skidmore College, 2 Stanford University, 2 University of Rochester, 2 Worcester Polytechnic Institute, 2 American University, 1 Bates College, 1 Bowdoin College, 1 California Inst. of Technology, 1 Clark University, 1 Colby College, 1 Cooper Union, 1 Dartmouth College, 1 Emerson College, 1 Hamilton College, 1 Hunter College, CUNY, 1 Johns Hopkins University, 1 Maryland Institute College of Art, 1 Marymount Manhattan College, 1
McGill University, 1 New College of Florida, 1 The New School, 1 Pitzer College, 1 Pomona College, 1 Purchase College, SUNY, 1 Reed College, 1 Rhode Island School of Design, 1 Rollins College, 1 Royal Academy of Music, 1 St. John’s College, 1 St. Michael’s College, 1 Sarah Lawrence College, 1 University of Connecticut, 1 University of Edinburgh, 1 University of Oxford, 1 Vanderbilt University, 1 Vassar College, 1 Wellesley College, 1 Wheelock College, 1 Williams College, 1
Disciplinary Reporting Policy Commonwealth chooses to treat some first-offense disciplinary sanctions as private matters between the students, their families, and the school. When we have expunged offenses from students’ permanent records, we instruct the students to answer “no” on their college applications if asked whether they have been found responsible for a disciplinary violation. In no case will we expunge an offense involving harassment or cruelty toward or bullying of others. Notable Facts about Commonwealth School Community Service Students must complete 30 hours of community service. Many exceed the requirement. Projects Every year, students in grades 9-11 design and complete a one-week project or participate in a two-week overseas exchange. During senior year, students create and complete a three-week project. Jobs Nearly all students serve once every two weeks on a crew that cleans up the kitchen and lunchroom. Each year, twenty students are chosen as head waiters and supervise the clean-up crews. Leadership Student government is voluntary; there are no class officers. Club leadership is shared or fluid. Twice a year, the entire school travels to rural Maine on a student-run, adult-chaperoned trip. Some students serve as Day Heads, overseeing work and activities for the day. Other students are Head Cooks, who plan meals for 200 people and direct crews of some dozen sous-chefs and waiters. Students also supervise and serve on clean-up crews. Sports/Fitness Students participate in a sport or fitness program for 2-3 seasons. (Spring season is optional.) The minimum requirement is three afternoons per week.