Dive In Commonwealth
Dive In Commonwealth is a free summer and school-year program for middle-school students who love to learn, want to stretch themselves, and are eager to pursue their academic dreams. Dive In is specifically for students from low-income families living in and around Boston. Starting the summer after sixth or seventh grade and lasting until they head off to high school, admitted students begin a journey that prepares them for rigorous private schools like Commonwealth and the path to college. If this is your dream, Dive In can help you achieve it.
Dive In's 2024 summer program in Boston will run from July 8 to August 16. The application deadline is March 15.
Learn More at Virtual Info Session
You can meet current Dive In students, alumni/ae, and teachers and learn more about our free summer program at a Virtual Information Session:
- Saturday, January 20, 2024, 2:00–3:00 p.m.
What Is Dive In Commonwealth?
A completely free program for low-income families, Dive In Commonwealth offers academic and extracurricular opportunities for curious, driven middle-school students in a warm, caring community. Our mission is to prepare students for rigorous high school programs and make sure they are well supported when considering their options.
Core classes in English and math help students strengthen fundamental skills, while exciting “electives” in subjects such as theater, biology, and computer science broaden their academic horizons. Athletics, field trips, and social outings mean students can connect, unwind, and have fun.
In our close-knit community, teachers offer personal attention and know each student’s unique abilities, skills, and passions, while students build friendships with others who also want to grow inside the classroom and out.
Attending the Dive In program gave my daughter a head start on some eighth-grade math concepts. On the second day of school, her math teacher asked if anyone was familiar with a topic that had been introduced at Dive In this summer and she was so excited that she knew it! In the past, my daughter has started the school year with trepidation, but the experience of attending Dive In this summer helped her approach the new school year calmly and with more confidence. Barbara Blake, Dive In Parent, Class of 2024
Students who enjoy Dive In are:
- Excited about school work and summer classes, interested in challenging themselves, and motivated to do well
- Eager to learn about lots of different things
- Interested in going to college
Many Dive In students:
- Identify with historically underrepresented groups
- Qualify for free or reduced lunch at school
- Speak languages other than English at home
- Would be first person in their families to go to college
The Dive In curriculum includes:
- Exciting, engaging math and English classes that strengthen core skills
- Introductions to academic subjects like computer science, biology, theater, and more
- A consistent but manageable amount of homework each week
Dive In takes place:
- During 6 weeks of classes in the summer (July and August), plus select Saturdays during the school year
- In Boston's Back Bay at Commonwealth School, in our cozy, beautiful brownstone building (Take a virtual tour!)
- Within easy walking distance of both the Copley and Back Bay MBTA stations
Schedule
Students are expected to attend all sessions, just like they would regular school days. Each summer program day is roughly as long as a typical school day, running from 9:00 a.m.–3:30 p.m. Saturday sessions are held two or three times each month throughout the school year.
Students and families apply in the spring of sixth or seventh grade.
Sofía, Dive In Graduate 2022, Commonwealth School Class of 2026
“At first I was like, 'I have to go to summer school?!' But then I started to build connections with the people, and I loved it. Actually, it was so fun. I miss it now—not just the students but also the teachers. They taught me way more than I expected, and they prepared me for what was going to come in my academics.”
Preview the Private School Experience
Students learn about independent/private schools during Dive In, and they “graduate” prepared for Boston’s best high schools and far beyond. Families interested in private schools also receive ample admissions guidance, including step-by-step instructions for applying for financial aid, whether they apply to Commonwealth or any other school. Dive In students grow familiar with standardized test taking because of our consistent prep for the SSAT, often required by private schools.
Apply Now
Spread the Word with Our Media Kit
Dive In students hear about our little program through a wide variety of channels: their sixth-grade math teacher, a flier in their local library, their Girl Scouts troop leader, and many others for which we are grateful. If you'd like to share Dive In with the students and families in your community, you can download fliers in multiple languages, request a poster, schedule a meeting, and more on our media kit page.
Languages available include—but are not limited to:
- Arabic
- English
- Haitian Creole
- Mandarin
- Portuguese
- Somali
- Spanish
- Vietnamese
Meet the Team
Alan Letarte
Degrees:
B.A., Dartmouth College
M.A., University of Wisconsin–Madison
Ph.D., University of Wisconsin–Madison
M.A., University of Wisconsin–Madison
Ph.D., University of Wisconsin–Madison
Lisa Palmero
Degrees:
B.A., Ithaca College
M.A., Western New England University
M.A., Columbia University
M.A., Western New England University
M.A., Columbia University
