Columbia Secondary School

My daughter transferred in 11th grade. School is great! From the first day we walked in, leadership is very supportive. They are welcoming, attentive, always friendly, always find time to help.Education is strong and challenging. Many students are well prepared and therefore teachers are able to challenge them with harder material. We feel that our kid will be adequately prepared for college. There are many clubs to choose from, journaling, gardening, tutoring, college preparatory, etc. There are also few sport's teams. School is very safe. Kids are well behaved. Teachers are supportive. Kids love to go to this school.

My child just finished his first year at CSS. We come from San Diego and the school district in SD determined that my son was gifted. When we moved to NYC, the school he attended did not have the right set of skills to teach children like my son. His fourth grade year was a terrible experience. His teacher was horrible, she found every reason to keep h from excelling. Luckily, his 5th grade teacher saw that he was indeed gifted and took a different approach with him. Because of her, he excelled and did great! It is true that CSS takes top performers of three school districts. My child has been able to excel in every class because the curriculum at CSS keeps him engaged. He has gained so much confidence (that was sadly lost because of his 4th grade teacher) due to the rigorous courses that offer many complex lessons. He enjoys his time and has made friends with very similar interests. The teachers are great as well! They are not afraid to contact you if their is an issue and vice versa. Overall, this is a great school!

This school is good for children who thrive in highly competitive, challenging situations. The teachers are dedicated, and the students are ambitious, so you know that your child is in good company here. It is not a good match for children who struggle with time management or need a certain amount of freedom to pursue their own interests. Even if your child tests well, the workload is demanding, particularly the homework, so make sure it is a good match to your child's temperament.

This school offers lots of programs in just about everything. The normal curriculum is advanced with special courses like Philosophy and Engineering. Teachers are very knowledgeable. There are many clubs and electives ranging from architecture 101 to 3d printing and modeling to neuroscience to guitar and music composition to theater. Also lots of sports - rugby, basketball, volleyball, and lots of events - musical every year, cultural celebrations...very awesome school. However, no school orchestra, band, chorus, or even music program at all, although there are such opportunities after school and outside of curriculum.

teachers go above and beyond. After a rocky start - the new principal Miriam and her team have split their focus very effectively enriching the offerings for both middle and upper schools. 100% graduation rate for their first 12th grade and 100% going to college. Off to a great start!!!