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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
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
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
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
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
Sometimes, you just need someone to talk to. And that’s what students find in Lilit DerKevorkian. As our Student Life Intern, Ms. DerKevorkian supports our Student Life team in providing students, families, faculty, and staff with a host of resources, from academic counseling to life-skills coaching. She even opted to return to Commonwealth for a second clinical year because she loves our “kind and interesting” community. Well, the feeling is mutual!
Iris ’27 prefers to view the world through a camera lens, capturing lives one instant at a time. “There are so many stories you can write out,” she says. “But if you take a photo, it’s preserving that moment forever.” Since coming to Commonwealth last year, Iris has leaned into the small moments in her own life, finding ways to grow embedded in conversations with peers and teachers, academic challenges, new sports, and, certainly, her love of photography. Read on to get to know this tenth-grader from Roslindale and discover how she’s turned apprehensions into passions.
"What is real? What is the nature of representation? What does it mean to be human? Can the world be remade?" Asks Julia Curl '16. An avant-garde storyteller since her Commonwealth days, she now challenges her audiences (and herself) to unpack such questions through film, a passion spurred, in part, by her Commonwealth capstone project.
Founded by students in 2007 and now an annual tradition, Diversity Day is a school-wide experience focused on conversation and community. This year’s event celebrated traditions and tapped into the past while encouraging our community to think about our interconnected future with an array of student- and faculty-led workshops, presentations by local educational groups, and a powerful keynote address from alumnus Eugene Flood '73.
Music has been a throughline in Linus’s life from his earliest days, from playing the piano as a small child to singing in choirs for the New England Conservatory (NEC) and with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Keep reading to learn about his musical influences, his appreciation for poignant late-night comedy and po’ boy sandwiches, and more.