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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

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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

Meet Commonwealth Students: Felix ’27, Exploring the Maze

When Felix ’27 first set foot in our building, he felt a bit like he was wandering “a maze of rooms.” While he’s (mostly) learned his way around Commonwealth’s serpentine halls, Felix has uncovered labyrinths of a much greater magnitude in rigorous classes and compelling assemblies that have opened his eyes to just how much more exploration awaits him, whether in his remaining years at Commonwealth or in life beyond our walls. Read on to get to know this tenth-grader from Cambridge and discover his favorite quality in Commonwealth teachers, why he doesn’t mind waking up early on a Friday morning, and where those pencils you left lying around went…

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Frances Perkins, Secretary of Labor under Franklin D. Roosevelt, felt a calling, “for Jesus’ sake,” to find a way to better the world, to shield those who could not shield themselves from the “unnecessary hazards to life,” and she spent her life answering it, writes Amanda '26 in her history research paper. Keep reading for a closer look at how Perkins' faith colored her work as a public servant.

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Bridget ’27 has big sister vibes, so you might be surprised to learn that she’s actually a younger sibling. In fact, her older brother introduced her to Commonwealth. But she’s forging her own path, surrounded by friends who keep her in stitches at school, on the volleyball court, and on the soccer field. Keep reading to get to know this sophomore from Southborough, from her weekly indulgence from Blank Street Coffee to the band that makes her homework more bearable.

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"This school has a long, long tradition of creative writing...of taking writing seriously," says Aaron Kerner, Commonwealth English teacher, introducing the 2025 Creative Writing Assembly. By sharing these works with an audience of their good-willed peers, his Creative Writing Workshop students could experience their writingand themselves"as strangers, in a sense. That’s as important as putting words on the page, because stepping away from yourself allows you to see your own mind as the rest of the world might." 

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.