The Brearley School vs. The Spence School

Brearley, an independent school for girls, was founded in 1884 to provide its students with a college-preparatory education equal in rigor to that of boys, and, in the words of our mission statement today, to prepare them for active responsible citizenship in a democratic society.

Within a highly articulated 13-year curriculum, and with a 7:1 student-faculty ratio, teaching methods are varied, flexible and pragmatic, taking into account individual patterns of development and ways of learning.

Our program is designed to challenge our eager, able students intellectually, and to give each one the opportunity to gain competence, self-reliance and self-knowledge through academic achievement as well as experience in the visual and performing arts, sports, community service and a wide variety of extracurricular activities.

Founded by Clara B. Spence in 1892, The Spence School is a K-12,independent, college-preparatory day school with a national reputation as a preeminent school for girls.

Located in Manhattan, the School's 790 students come from the five boroughs of New York City as well as New Jersey and Connecticut. Spence's curricular framework instills the skills necessary to engage ascitizens who know how to analyze, problem-solve, create, and learnfrom multiple perspectives.