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Uncommon Community

Uncommon Curiosity

Uncommon Opportunity

Commonwealth is a co-ed independent day school welcoming curious, highly motivated students in grades 9–12. Our close-knit community thrives on making meaningful intellectual and personal connections, while tapping into the opportunities surrounding our home in Boston’s Back Bay.

Meet Faculty and Students

Hanna-Gialil-2

I've never seen a school like it before, from the building to the close-knit community. I look forward to going to school everyday, as I never know what will happen next.   

Hanna '25

It is humbling and exhilarating to come to work every day to a place where people are working for a common goal with such a mix of competence and humanity.

César Pérez, History and Languages Teacher

aritra-ghosh-thumb

I was first interested in Commonwealth by the small class sizes and the very rigorous environment. Visiting and having a virtual class was what drew me in. I'm very happy about making the choice to come here. The classes are intriguing, to say the least. There is difficulty but nothing I can’t handle. And the opportunities, such as Project Week, are unique, and they allow us to develop our own interests.

Aritra ’25

Melissa Glenn Haber teaching

Really exciting classrooms are where the student is part of the circuit and the electricity is jumping between them and the sources and the teacher. At the beginning of the Enlightenment unit, instead of saying, 'This is what the Enlightenment is.' We say, 'Here's Newton's laws of natural philosophy. Here's a poem about sinful bees. Here’s a little Montesquieu with a little Benjamin Franklin and a little Smith.' And then we try to figure out what they have in common.

Melissa Glenn Haber ’87, History Teacher

Chloe-Li-home-thumb

I was kind of shocked at how everyone talks with each other at Commonwealth. In my old school, people just stuck with their own friend groups. I thought it would be like that here—but it turned out to be exactly the opposite. I didn't expect to be able to communicate with seniors and juniors and sophomores at all. I feel really good in small communities. You feel seen.  

Chloe ’27

I get a real burst of energy when I’m able to help students navigate the complexities of the research process. I feel so lucky to have such an incredible patron base of high-level readers and thinkers in our students. 

Jake MacDonnell, Librarian and Registrar

You know, I was hearing about all these other schools, and they definitely had a lot to offer, but Commonwealth spoke more to me because I know they take academics seriously here, but they also care about you as a person and finding yourself. 

Sumaya ’26

By the Numbers

157

students in grades 9–12

62%

self-identified students of color

$1.5 million

financial aid granted for 2023–2024

86%

teachers holding advanced degree

5:1

student-to-faculty ratio

2

all-school getaways each year

1450

average SAT composite score (Class of 2025)

Happening Now

The Secret Language of Teenagers: Unpacking Slang with Commonwealth Students

This article was supposed to be pure fluff: a handful of modern slang terms—“rizz,” “brain rot,” the somehow ubiquitous “skibidi”—defined by current Commonwealth students with their usual panache for us older and out-of-touch folks. 

But students, riled by the very mention of “slang,” exploded into explanations (and giggles) when asked about their use of these terms. Where did these words come from? What do they mean, exactly? Who can use them, and why? Their responses revealed the charms and contradictions inherent in slang, terms that are simultaneously unifying and exclusionary, used seriously and in jest, fascinating in their evolutions and wildly context dependent. In Commonwealth fashion, it quickly became clear that a shallow exploration of slang would not do (and shame on me for thinking so). So now it’s only part fluff.

Choosing a New Path: Natalie Mills '13, from Art Historian to Social Media Manager

“‘It’s always about noticing,’” Natalie Mills ’13 recalls Commonwealth art history teacher Judith Siporin telling her students. “‘What do you notice? What do you see?’”

Natalie fell in love with noticing at a young age, entranced by trips to art museums with her parents. After taking two impactful art history classes at Commonwealth, her passion for the subject and determination to pursue it further solidified. But the journey wasn’t quite how she pictured it...

Choosing a New Path: Joe Reid '75, from Lawyer to Pianist

These days, Joe Reid ’75 begins his mornings practicing Chopin or Mozart, warming up for the day before heading to a gig, helping students perfect their technique, or some of both. But forty years ago, Joe couldn’t imagine his love of music paying the bills.

At Commonwealth, we’re looking for inquisitive, driven, and creative students from a wide range of backgrounds. We encourage you to visit us, talk with teachers and students, and see if Commonwealth is right for you.