Commonwealth School

The Commonwealth School, often referred to simply as Commonwealth, is a private, co-educational high school of about 150 students and 35 faculty members located in the downtown Back Bay neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges.

As of 2024, Niche ranked Commonwealth #2 of all private high schools in Massachusetts and #8 of all private high schools in the United States.

History


Charles E. Merrill, Jr., son of the founder of Merrill Lynch, and brother of the prominent American poet James Merrill, founded the school in 1957, locating it in Boston's Back Bay to "restore good secondary schooling to the city." The school's name is derived directly from the official Commonwealth of Massachusetts and its namesake Commonwealth Avenue that stretches across downtown Boston, which the school resides on. Merrill encouraged Commonwealth students to be "decent, socially responsible, generous people," actively engaged in public affairs. For some decades after his retirement, Merrill returned to the school once a year to give a speech on a topic of his choice, and his books are on display in the school library alongside those of Commonwealth alumni.

Merrill insisted that the school has only one rule: "No rollerskating in the halls,"—an exhortation that students should not "act like a damn fool, but think about your actions and how they affect others." While the school keeps a student handbook, this has prevailed as the school's only official rule since its foundation and embodies the school's core value of student engagement and responsibility.

Merrill retired in 1981, and his memoir of the first 23 years of the school's history and his experience as headmaster, The Walled Garden, was published the following year.

Heads of school
There have been six heads of school:
 * 1957–1981: Charles E. Merrill, Jr.
 * 1981–1983: Joseph "Jay" Featherstone
 * 1983–1990: Charles Chatfield
 * 1990–2000: Judith Keenan
 * 2000–2021: William Wharton
 * 2021–present: Jennifer Borman

Academics


Commonwealth is commonly compared to a liberal arts college or university in its curriculum. It places a strong emphasis on academics, both in the STEM and humanities fields, as well as creative expression and arts. It does not emphasize athletics and sports as much, though doing a sport or other form of physical exercise is required for the fall and winter semesters. Due to the small physical size of the school building, it is unable to host any recreational athletic facilities, instead using the "Cafegymnatorium" in the lower level, next to the kitchen, for all-school gatherings and meetings.

All non-art classes at Commonwealth are either Honors-level or Advanced Placement-level (or an equivalent). Students are required to take the following courses at minimum:


 * Four years in an English and Arts class
 * Three years in a history class, including a year of AP United States History
 * Three years in a foreign language class
 * Three years in a mathematics class, including a year of Calculus or Statistics
 * Three years in a science class, studying Biology, Chemistry, and then Physics

Ninth-graders are required to take a ninth-grade seminar and a City of Boston class during their foundational first year, eventually receiving all final grades at the end of the year as Pass/Fail. Students typically are placed into appropriate levels for mathematics and language courses and follow linear tracks for art, history, and science courses.

Students can choose to take additional elective courses beginning in their sophomore year, with the available electives varying each year. Electives offered traditionally include courses discussing European History, economics, psychology, neuroscience, Bible history, art history, computer science, materials science, and advanced mathematics. Available language classes include French, Spanish, Latin, and Mandarin, and available arts courses include photography, ceramics, drawing and painting, life drawing, chorus/chorale, jazz band, orchestra, and acting. Students traditionally supplement courses that aren't offered officially through student-run clubs.

Student life
Commonwealth describes itself as having a diverse student body. 56% of the student body identifies as a person of color, and the school supports a strong LGBTQ+ population. Students come from all across Massachusetts, representing over 40 different cities and towns. Because of the school's location in downtown Boston, it is very accessible by public transit, so for students who do not drive or live in the vicinity, many bike or take the T. With a short walking distance, Commonwealth is directly serviced by light rail through the Green Line at Copley station (between Arlington and Hynes) or by the Commuter Rail and Orange Line at Back Bay station. Commonwealth does not have a traditional official school campus. Instead, students treat nearby Back Bay as its campus and often visit many local attractions during free periods without classes, lunch, or after school. It is next to many restaurants and shops along Newbury Street and Boylston Street, and is a quick walk away from the Public Garden.

The average class contains 12 students, with each grade typically containing upwards of 30 students. Each student is paired with an advisor at the school and meets weekly, and the school offers additional social and emotional support through in-house professional counseling. Students are the primary organizers of clubs and all-school events, and are expected to dedicate considerable time to community service and studying under the advisory of a professional mentor each year. In addition to various affinity groups, some student-run clubs include Chess, Go, Model UN, Debate Team, Dungeons & Dragons, Engineering, Environmental Club, Math Team, and Quiz Bowl. There are no requirements for a student to start their own club.

Performance
Academically, the school is one of the nation's elite. Boston magazine ranked Commonwealth as the best private high school in eastern Massachusetts in a 2009 issue, and Niche has ranked Commonwealth as the second-best private high school in the state in 2024, as well as the eighth-best private high school in the entire country. A significant portion of the senior class is recognized each year by the National Merit Scholarship Program. From 2012 to 2016, 16% of students were recognized as Finalists, 20% as Semifinalists, and 43% as Commended Students. In that same period 28 students were named as AP National Scholars, 111 as Scholars with Distinction, 42 as Scholars with Honor, and 53 as Scholars by the College Board. As of 2024, the average SAT composite score was 1520.

Commonwealth had a semifinalist in the Intel Science Talent Search in 2011, 2012, and 2013, the only Massachusetts school to do so. Commonwealth is additionally the only Massachusetts school to receive a grant from the Malone Scholars program of the Malone Family Foundation, which independently identifies top-level schools to receive an endowment. "Once endowed, the schools are empowered to perpetually fund scholarships to motivated top students based on merit and financial need."

While Commonwealth is not officially a "feeder school," many of its students enroll in prestigious colleges and/or universities after graduating. Popular college choices among graduates from the past ten years include Brown, Bryn Mawr, the University of Chicago, Columbia, Cornell, Harvard, Haverford, Johns Hopkins, New York University, Northeastern, Northwestern, Princeton, Smith, Tufts, UMass Amherst, Wesleyan, and Yale.

Assemblies
Commonwealth holds an assembly every Thursday. Speakers have included Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Ted Sorensen, literature critic James Wood, author Claire Messud, Michael Kelly of the Atlantic, Harvard Law professors Charles Fried and Lani Guinier, author Samantha Power, Harvard stem cell biologist Douglas Melton, philosopher and bioethicist Frances Kamm, poet Louise Glück, former ambassadors Peter W. Galbraith and Charles Stith, Mary Beth Cahill, acclaimed American feminist and civil rights activist Peggy McIntosh, free software pioneer Richard Stallman, Congressman Barney Frank, Senator Elizabeth Warren, Boston mayor Michelle Wu, former Surgeon General C. Everett Koop, Boston city councilor Tito Jackson and various musical groups. Students petition the head of school to invite speakers they would like to hear.

Special assemblies are held for Thanksgiving and on the day before winter vacation. It is tradition to sing "Bringing in the Sheaves" (by Shaw and Minor) every Thanksgiving assembly, and for students and teachers to recite poems at the Winter Holiday assembly. Other assemblies highlight students' work on independent projects, fiction writing, music, and theater.

Sports and recreation
While the Cafegymnatorium has a singular basketball hoop and its annex has ping-pong tables, it is not large enough for students to exercise or play sports, and instead, the school uses local facilities in downtown Boston, such as the East Boston YMCA or Tennis & Racquet Club for student sports.

Each year students participate in a competitive sport or organized exercise activity in at least two out of three seasons. Competitive sports include soccer, basketball, fencing, cross-country running, and ultimate frisbee. Exercise programs include running, fitness, sailing, squash, dance, ballroom dance, and yoga. Most recently in 2022, the Commonwealth Boys Varsity soccer team won the MBIL Division D Championship.

School-wide "Hancock" Trip
Twice a year—once in September and once in May—all students and faculty take a three-day long trip to "Hancock." Originally held at founder Charles Merrill's estate in its namesake Hancock, New Hampshire, Hancock is now held at a retreat location, currently in lakeside campgrounds located in New Hampshire or Rhode Island.

Students and faculty alike use Hancock as an opportunity to bond with one another and meet new people, especially during fall semester Hancock trips in September to allow the incoming freshman class to interact with other students. Each day, students and faculty host varied activities, such as hiking, board games, boating, and sports, and common traditions hosted during Hancock include a campfire, talent show, school-wide dance, and movie night.

With the school's commitment to student engagement, students primarily take responsibility and volunteer to create meals with crews each day, load the buses to and from Hancock, clean the campground, and host activities and traditions. In recent years, a "Klondike Bar Challenge" tradition has been introduced to challenge students and faculty to absurdist tasks for a reward, asking "What would you do for a Klondike bar?"

Traditions
Each day includes "Recess," when all students and faculty gather in the school's multi-purpose "Cafegymnatorium" for a snack and to hear announcements. Anyone—student or teacher—is invited to make an announcement. Students typically announce clubs or important announcements pertaining to the student body during this time so everyone can attend a club meeting during lunchtime. Tuesday recess is longer, with its first portion dedicated to "Class Meetings," where students are divided by grade levels to have meetings with their class and get important updates pertaining to their specific grade.

Another tradition is "passing the clay," where all students take part in passing boxes of clay from the first to the fifth floor. This event happens twice a year.

Publications
There are several student-run publications at Commonwealth. They include:


 * Yearbook: Each year, the senior class (and a few juniors in training) produces its own yearbook.
 * Helicon: The literary magazine club, with the school's funding, publishes a literary magazine, which accepts many types of literature and art, including poems, short stories, photographs, drawings, and paintings.
 * The Commonwealth Chronicle: The school's newspaper, which includes a satirical publication called The Leek.

The school produces CM, a twice-yearly magazine for alumni/ae and parents.

Notable alumni

 * David Altshuler, geneticist and co-founder of MIT's Broad Institute
 * Patrick Amory, Matador Records general manager
 * Mikaela Beardsley, film producer
 * Emily Botein, public radio producer
 * Loren Bouchard, animator and television director (dropped out before graduating)
 * Jonatha Brooke, singer/songwriter
 * Evan Dando and Ben Deily of the Lemonheads
 * Mark Denbeaux, attorney and civil rights activist
 * John Davis of The Folk Implosion
 * Liza Featherstone, journalist
 * Peter W. Galbraith, diplomat
 * Melissa Glenn Haber, author and teacher
 * Kaitlyn Greenidge, author of We Love You Charlie Freeman and New York Times contributing opinion writer
 * Mark Greif, co-founder, co-editor and contributor to n+1
 * Karen Guillemin, microbiologist
 * Susanna Kaysen, author of Girl, Interrupted, among other works, and has included references to Commonwealth in her books
 * Anthony Kuhn, NPR correspondent
 * Kasi Lemmons, director
 * Hamish Linklater, actor
 * Mia Matsumiya, violinist of experimental rock group Kayo Dot
 * Sophia Michahelles, pageant puppet designer and co-artistic director, Processional Arts Workshop
 * Ottessa Moshfegh, author of New York Times bestseller My Year of Rest and Relaxation
 * Jesse Peretz, film director and former Lemonheads bassist
 * Nina Pillard, judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
 * Daniel Pipes, historian, foreign policy analyst, Middle East & Islam specialist
 * Jonathan Rotenberg, founder of the Boston Computer Society, while still a student at Commonwealth
 * Cameron Russell, model

Trademark dispute
In June 2016, the Boston Globe reported that Commonwealth School sued Commonwealth Academy, a high school in Springfield, Massachusetts, over the use of the name "Commonwealth". It had trademarked "Commonwealth School" in 2012. The Springfield school is now known as Springfield Commonwealth Academy.