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Private School Directory
Abundant Life Academy
390 Washington Ave.Nutley, NJ 07110-0711
(973)667-9700
At A Glance:
- 218 Students
- Student/Teacher Ratio: 15:1
- Co-ed
- Christian
The Abundant Life Academy is founded on a strong community environment. In fact, only students who graduate from the school’s 8th grade can continue on to the high school – the school does not recruit students for grades 9-12
Inside Abundant Life Academy:
Abundant Life Academy is a private, inter-denominational, Christian school housed on the Abundant Life Worship Center campus in Nutley, NJ. As a ministry of NALWC, ALA's mission is to achieve academic excellence while sharing God's love with children and their families.
The Bottom Line:
Monthly tuition: $4,250, which covers 24/7 professional supervision, Christian leadership training, academic instruction, vocational instruction, housing, meals, transportation, tutoring, and recreational activities.
Immaculate Conception High School
33 Cottage PlaceMontclair, NJ 07042
(973) 744-7445
At A Glance:
• 278 Students
• Student/Teacher Ratio: 12:1
• All girls
• Roman Catholic
Random Reason:
Graduates of Immaculate Conception have earned approximately 6 million dollars in scholarships and financial aid over the last three years.
Inside Immaculate Conception:
Over 95 percent of Immaculate Conception’s seniors go on to pursue higher education. This academic success is facilitated by a staff of four Sisters of Charity and twenty-nine professionally certified lay teachers on staff.
Administered by the Sisters of Charity and governed by its own Board of Trustees, Immaculate offers a multicultural experience, a family atmosphere and a community environment where students can discuss and live out the values upon which their education is based. The education is personal, helping Immaculate’s students excel academically, athletically, and socially.
Extracurricular activities are plentiful at Immaculate Conception. Of note are the widely recognized and acclaimed United People of Color Performance Troupe and the Gospel choir.
The school’s academic program is a college preparatory program. Honors by choice courses are offered throughout the curriculum.
The Bottom Line:
Tuition: $7,200
Lacordaire Academy
155 Lorraine Ave.Upper Montclair, NJ 07043
(973) 744-1156
lacordaire.net
At A Glance:
- 240 Students
- Student/Teacher Ratio: 8:1
- Grades Pre-K-8 Coed, 9-12 all girls
- Roman Catholic
Lacordaire Academy is an independent college preparatory school rooted in the Catholic Dominican tradition serving a diverse student body; coed Pre-K-8 and young women in grades 9-12. A challenging curriculum combines academics, athletics, appreciation of the arts and community service to empower students to develop their own gifts and talents.
Inside Lacordaire:
Among Lacordaire’s required courses for graduation are three years in world languages, one year of Project Justice (a unique community service initiative), and one year of SAT preparation, which sets the curriculum apart from other schools. The school offers 11 AP and college credit courses.
Lacordaire also offers students the opportunity to participate in Project Acceleration, in which they can take college credit courses in conjunction with Seton Hall University during their junior and senior years. A selection of online courses are also made available to students.
The Bottom Line:
Tuition:
Elementary School $7,750
Secondary School: $11,450
Marylawn of the Oranges Academy
445 Scotland Rd.South Orange, NJ 07079
(973)762-9222
At A Glance:
- 190 Students
- Student/Teacher Ratio: 15:1
- All girls
- Roman Catholic
Marylawn of the Oranges boasts an impressive 100% college placement rate.
Inside Marylawn of the Oranges:
Marylawn has touted a proud tradition of academic excellence since its founding in 1935. The school prides itself on a 100% graduation rate. Advanced Placement courses in English, Physics and Spanish are offered. Additionally, every single teacher in the schools is a degreed professional.
Seven varsity sports programs are offered, including basketball, cheerleading, volleyball, softball, dance, track, tennis, and drill. There are also a variety of clubs and activities such as concert choir, “Lawnlight’s” newspaper, and campus ministry.
The Bottom Line:
Tuition: $6,750
Books/Activities: $350
Registration: $125
Technology Fee: $150
Parents’ Association Fee: $100
Fund Raising Obligation: $350
The Montclair Kimberley Academy
201 Valley Road
Montclair, NJ 07042-0704
(973)509-7930
mka.org
At A Glance:
- 1,000 students Pre-K-12 with 400 students in grades 9-12
- Student/Teacher Ratio: 8:1
- Co-ed
- Non-sectarian
Known for its unique Signature Programs in Ethics and Character Education, Writing and the Core Works (great pieces of Western and non-Western literature, art and music) MKA was voted Best New Jersey Private School in BusinessWeek by parents in 2009.
Inside Montclair Kimberley:
The Montclair Kimberley Academy is one of the largest and oldest independent day schools in New Jersey with traditions dating back to 1887. The school is known for its academically rigorous curriculum with emphasis on original research, including a junior year history thesis. A leader in the field of professional development, MKA integrates technology into the curriculum from Pre-K on up, and in 2010, will issue laptops to all Middle and Upper School students. An extensive community service program involves students at every grade level, and students enjoy local, national and international trip opportunities. MKA fields competitive teams in over 25 sports and regularly meets with success on the state level. Fine and performing arts opportunities include chorale, string and jazz band ensembles, a 7th grade Shakespeare production, an Upper School movie, and studios housed in a three million dollar arts wing. In the class of 2009, two of every three students were admitted to their first choice college, and 87% of the class was admitted to colleges deemed “Most Highly Competitive” and “Highly Competitive” by Barrons Guide to Colleges, 2009. MKA has 145 faculty members; 70% hold advanced degrees.
The Bottom Line:
Tuition: $21,800-$28,800
Financial aid awards in 2009 total $1.9 million
Mount Saint Dominic Academy
3 Ryerson Ave.Caldwell, NJ 07006
(973) 226-0660
At A Glance:
- 334 students
- Student/Teacher Ratio: 10:1
- Roman Catholic
- All girls
Strong athletics are a part of the Mount Saint Dominic experience. The school’s Mountain Lions compete in the Northern Hills Conference, an athletic conference of nineteen private and public high schools located in Essex, Morris, and Passaic County Counties in Northern New Jersey.
Inside Mount Saint Dominic:
The school was founded in 1892 by the Dominican Sisters of Caldwell, and is affiliated with the nearby Caldwell College. With 55 teachers and an average class size of 18 students, the educational experience is both personal and diverse.
The Bottom Line:
Tuition and Fees: $12,050
Newark Academy
91 South Orange Ave.Livingston, NJ 07039
(973) 992-7000
newarka.edu
At A Glance:
- 559 Students
- Grades 6 to 12
- Average Class Size: 13
- Coed
- Nonsectarian
The class of 2009 alone boasted 98 students, 5 National Merit Semifinalists, 24 National Merit Commended Students, and 7 National Achievement Scholars.
Inside Newark Academy:
Founded in 1774 by an advisor to George Washington, Newark Academy is one of the nation’s oldest and most highly regarded independent secondary schools. The faculty has an average of 19 years teaching experience and more than 85 percent of the 92 teachers and administrators have advanced degrees; 7 have earned doctorate degrees.
Newark Academy is the only private day school in New Jersey offering the International Baccalaureate degree. It also offers coursework leading to 21 AP exams in all five academic disciplines. Each year approximately 450 AP exams are taken by the school’s modestly-sized student body.
Newark Academy is a truly diverse and multi-cultural learning environment, with 6 percent of students possessing dual citizenship, 15 percent having lived in other countries, 16 percent fluent in a foreign language, and 19 percent speaking a foreign language at home.
85% of Newark Academy Graduates attend colleges deemed "most highly competitive" and "highly competitive" as ranked by Barron Guide and approximately 5% of each class apply to colleges in Europe.
The Bottom Line:
Tuition: $27,600
Lunch Fee: $1,000
Technology Fee: $220
Books: $600-800
Saint Vincent Academy
228 West Market St.Newark, NJ 07103
(973) 622-1613
At A Glance:
- 323 Students
- Student/Teacher Ratio: 14:1
- All girls
- Roman Catholic
Participation in the school’s four-year Students-in-Community program is required for graduation. The program affords students the opportunity to volunteer their time and skills at a wide range of Newark-area nonprofit organizations and schools. The program emphasizes responsibility to others, and helps students clarify their own educational and career goals.
Inside Saint Vincent’s Academy:
The school was founded in 1869, and is the educational home for young women of richly diverse and often politically, socially, and economically underrepresented cultures. The school has a long history of empowering urban women to take their place in society by providing them with a rigorous academic program, rooted in Gospel values, characterized by consistently high expectations and supported by a nurturing, disciplined community. Saint Vincent’s fosters in its students a secure sense of themselves as women, a belief in God's love, appreciation for the power of community, a commitment to Christian service, a capacity for compassionate leadership and a desire to contribute to the betterment of society.
On average, approximately 95% of Saint Vincent’s graduates continue on to higher education. School attendance is routinely in the 98% range.
Co-curricular activities such as the Book Club, Cheerleading, Culture Club, Dance, Drama Club, Drill Team, Glee Club, Hand Bell Choir, Literary Magazine, National Honor Society, Spiritual Life Committee, Student Forum, Twirling, Web Page Design, Women Helping Others (WHO), Yearbook, and a peer leadership program are available to students. Athletic programs are offered in basketball, softball, track, and cross-country.
The Bottom Line:
Tuition: $4,200
Seton Hall Preparatory School
120 Northfield AvenueWest Orange, NJ 07052
(973) 325-7737
At A Glance:
- 950 Students
- Student/Teacher Ratio: 13:1
- All boys
- Roman Catholic
In May of 2004, 112 students took 223 Advanced Placement Tests in 16 different areas with an average score of 3.28 on a scale of 5.
Inside Seton Hall Prep:
Students at Seton Hall Prep are educated with a strong core of traditional subjects and are also privy to a wide selection of elective courses. The school prides itself on the strong personal relationships forged between students and teachers—the educational experience goes well beyond the walls and time frame of the class.
Seton Hall Prep is a school that is evolving with the times, constantly implementing new educational goals. For example, as part of the school’s accreditation and grown initiative, it is focusing on improving writing skills across the curriculum. The faculty has expanded and coordinated the writing assignments for all freshmen and sophomores in English, History, and Theology. Class size has been capped at 18 in these areas to enable the faculty involved to grade all the written work, provide individual feedback to the students, and continue to maintain all other aspects of these curricula. There is an emphasis on the new writing component of the SAT.
Faculty-led road trips to West Virginia, Costa Rica, and Italy are part of Seton Hall Prep’s recent past.
The Bottom Line:
Tuition: $10,600
Activities: $400
Book Fee: $375
Solomon Schecther Day School
1418 Pleasant Valley WayWest Orange, NJ 07052
(973) 669-8000
At A Glance:
- 225 Students
- Student/Teacher Ration: 8:1
- Co-ed
- Jewish
AP courses offered include English, Calculus AB, Spanish Language, and US History, and all students have the benefits of a faculty that includes 61 instructors – 3 hold Doctoral degrees, 30 hold Masters degrees, and 8 hold Rabbinical degrees.
Inside Solomon Schechter:
The Solomon Schechter high school experience is one of strong academic challenges rooted in the traditions of Jewish life. Students broaden their academic knowledge, their spiritual awareness, and their understanding of life. For example, one learns logical thinking in Talmud class, and those principles can be applied to solving proofs in geometry. Similarly, electives help our students to see the world around them from a different perspective and to encourage them to apply creative ideas and concepts to all aspects of the curriculum.
At Solomon Schechter, the academic goal is to fine-tune the students' analytical skills and thinking processes so that they can approach a Bible text, a social studies primary document or a physics problem independently. Students know when they graduate that they are members of the Jewish community, that they are people of the book, and that they are life-long learners.
Jewish life at SSDS fosters a love of Torah; teaches Jewish values through the three major elements of daily prayer, tzedaka, and g'milut chesed (deeds of loving kindness/social action); and develops a strong sense of commitment to Israel and the Jewish community.
The Bottom Line:
Tuition: $22,000
St. James Preparatory School
80-108 Shipman StreetNewark, NJ 07102-0710
(973) 643-4749
At A Glance:
- Average Class Size: 13
- Co-ed
- Christian
The Class of 2006 alone boasted 107 students, 2 National Merit Semifinalists, 19 National Merit Commended Students, and 4 National Achievement Scholars
Inside St. James:
Located in Newark’s “higher education corridor,” which includes Rutgers University, New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), Essex County College, and the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ), the school is housed in a newly built, state-of-the-art, high-tech facility that was designed with the challenges of providing a 21st Century education in mind.
Founded in 1999 as an academy of distinction for grades 6 through 12, the St. James Preparatory School (SJP) strives to prepare students for leadership in the 21st Century by emphasizing academic excellence, scholarship, achievement, diversity, and community outreach. SJP offers a strong interdisciplinary curriculum that makes use of current technology and embraces the multicultural perspectives of Newark, the larger community, and the world. With an educational model that offers structured small classes, moral development, individual support, and positive reinforcement, SJP is committed to developing and equipping students for future academic and professional pursuits.
Emphasizing academic excellence, character development, faith formation and community service in an environment that is Christ-centered is the nature of the St. James Preparatory education.
The Bottom Line:
Tuition: $6,000
St. Benedict Preparatory School
520 Martin Luther King BlvdNewark, NJ 07102
(973) 792-5744
At A Glance:
- 584 Students
- Student/Teacher Ratio: 13:1
- All boys
- Roman Catholic
Of the Class of 2005, 94% have gone directly to college, with 68% accepted to their first choice. Sixty-five percent were accepted to schools rated "most difficult" to "moderately difficult" by Peterson's Guide to Four Year Colleges and Universities.
Inside St. Benedict:
St. Benedict's Preparatory School is inspired by the 1,500-year-old Benedictine tradition of Christian education that combines rigorous study with an emphasis on building a community whose members are responsible to one another for developing virtue, character, and talent. Building on a 130-year tradition of educating the sons of hardworking immigrants within Newark and neighboring communities, St. Benedict's continues to be demanding but supportive, tough but caring, and counts many of New Jersey's finest scholars, athletes, and business, professional, civic, and religious leaders among its alumni.
Twenty-seven of the sixty-seven faculty members are alumni of St. Benedict's and seven are monks of Newark Abbey. Twenty-five faculty members hold master's degrees and seven have earned their Ph.D.
The Bottom Line:
Tuition: $7,000
