Poly Prep Country Day School

The quality of the teachers in the middle school is poor. It is not worse your money. The middle school principle keeps the grade principals and teachers in fear. Our child completed 3 years at Poly that we totally regret now. Safe your money for college tuition instead.
—Submitted by a parent

My son recently completed 6th grade at Poly Prep. This was his second year at Poly. I have found most of the teachers to be of extremely high quality, with a number of them having taught at Poly for many years. Their dedication to Poly comes through during parent / teacher conferences and school events. There is also a healthy batch of teachers newer to the school, providing a nice balance. Whenever my spouse or I had a question, the teachers were quick to respond to our emails. In general, the communication from the school is excellent, with the head of the middle school sending frequent, useful updates to parents and the head of school sending important school-wide updates. I feel connected to the school. There are numerous opportunities for parents to get involved (parent grade reps, admissions office, open house, auction, etc.) so all can be as active in the school as they want. Poly offers an appealing blend of academics, arts and sports. Kids are encouraged to challenge themselves in all three areas. Poly runs an extensive bus service, enabling kids to attend from all 5 boroughs. This results in strong diversity among the student (and parent) body.
—Submitted by a parent

The school has many nice things but too much trash is going there. A lot of the 8th grade boys are bullies. There is nothing nice about them. The administration seems to put them on display. But the nice young men get no credit. What message is Poly sending?
—Submitted by a parent

Good intentions from the administration, but uneven execution. The classroom experience can be unengaging. Homework was piled on for 2 of the trimesters only to have the third trimester be a complete waste of time. I was disappointed to learn that my child did not have finals and the last report card contained no individualized comment from the teachers. My child has found cheating to be all too common. The attention to sports dominates and if your child is not an athlete (or a superfan) they'll be a 2nd class citizen. The students tend to be overly concerned with status and possessions. A very competitive social scene as well.
—Submitted by a parent

My daughter found herself at Poly, in academics, in athletics and on the stage. She learned to write and carry out research, to interact with diverse classmates and to be confident. Poly prepared her to thrive in the world. She is now working in a humanitarian field, has significant ability using computers and in mathematics, but also a drive to be successful. She also has a conscience and wants to do something that will help the world. She also made friends that I think will be with her all her life.
—Submitted by a parent

This school is amazing.They provide many different academic programs and activities.My daughter is now attending Harvard on a full scholarship and it is all because of poly.
—Submitted by Scarlet, a parent

An exceptional school for the development of great minds in this dynamic society.Effort is rewarded to the same extent as achievement. The school has a very comfortable 'family' atmosphere;varied extracurricular activities for each child to become involved. The school bus system is the best.
—Submitted by a parent

We are disappointed with the level of education our son is getting at Poly. The staff are not responsive to parents requests and suggestions.
—Submitted by a parent

Great school. Great parent involvement
—Submitted by a former student