The Bement School

Bement is a great school where kids can have many different opportunities in one place. Daily arts, sports, academics, clubs, and more. Teachers really set the school apart and make the student experience meaningful. Kids join the school in all grades, you get to meet new friends every year. There are small classes and lots of events that mix grades and involve the whole school. Great place to get your education started- really prepared me for private high school, college, and professional life.

Principal Zhan's Comments: Bement offers daily art courses, focusing on cultivating children's creativity. It's a school that prioritizes students' social skills and mental health, with a strong school culture. It is quite suitable for children who have not left home before.
In recent years, there have been more applicants from China, making the competition very fierce. Applying early for 4th and 5th grades will likely yield more available spots, while the chances of admission for 7th and 8th grades are very slim.
In terms of cultural heritage, Bement places great emphasis on culture and tradition. Every May, the school requires children to participate in morning classes and art exhibitions with their grandparents. Such activities allow parents to witness their children's growth and help children gain confidence and honor.
Regarding academic development, the school year is divided into three terms, including a three-week short term. Besides teaching students the basic information they should master in each subject, teachers also guide students in developing projects and conducting research, encouraging them to think comprehensively about academics across subjects like English, Math, Science, and History, bringing the curriculum into life for experiential learning.
In terms of community building, the school is like a warm family, fostering children's social skills and caring for their mental health. In this warm, down-to-earth environment, students can freely bake cakes and play with dorm parents' children and pets.
For emotional support, the school places great importance on children's mental health. In winter, the school takes children to play games together on the playground. During this process, teachers guide children to solve problems and face conflicts themselves.

As a current parent, I'd like to share some practical comments. The teaching staff at Bement School are quite good. However, its academic program is not rigorous. In recent years, the quality of students has been inconsistent. This is particularly true after the school admitted some academically weaker Chinese students in recent years, primarily for tuition fees, which has led to an overall decline in standards. The school's biggest drawback is its complete lack of its own facilities, relying entirely on DA (likely Deerfield Academy). The head of sports often fails to find coaches for many sports teams, leaving children to practice without proper guidance. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the school showed insufficient care for its students; even very young children were simply dismissed without adequate support. Dorm supervisors also showed a lack of care. Middle school children are still young, and truly self-disciplined individuals are a minority. I've observed that many students who attended American middle schools might have been better off staying in China and applying directly to American high schools. Furthermore, the school does not support students applying to other schools for 9th grade, because Bement itself offers up to 9th grade. From a tuition perspective, they implicitly prefer students to complete 9th grade at Bement and then apply for 10th-grade entry to high school, but this is not openly communicated. This often leads to unsatisfactory application outcomes for students who try to apply elsewhere for 9th grade. Consequently, parents of 8th-grade students seeking a 9th-grade transfer are rarely satisfied, often leaving with significant complaints. However, applying for 10th grade (after completing 9th grade at Bement) indeed has a substantial impact on subsequent university applications, and the timeframe is very tight.

Last month, I visited Bement, and Director of Admissions Kimberly Caldwell Loughlin shared the latest application information for Fall 2023:
1. For the 2022/23 application cycle, female enrollment was oversubscribed, and more admitted female students accepted offers than expected. Next year, unless a significant number of female students decline their offers, the number of available spots for female students will be fewer than in previous years. Currently, male applicants for grades G6-8 have a higher chance of success.
2. For the 2023/24 academic year, applications are still test-optional for now. However, strong test scores as an endorsement for the application will still be favored by the school.
3. This year (2022), the matriculation of 9th-grade graduates to American high schools has been excellent, with many students admitted to top Massachusetts high schools such as Andover, Exeter, NMH, Middlesex, Deerfield, Governor’s, etc.
4. Many families are concerned about Bement's lower-grade admissions. Bement's boarding program starts from G4 (but for international students applying for G4-G5, the admissions officer described it as 'very very few successful cases' – extremely difficult to get in, and even if admitted, they are very likely to be local American students). More boarding spots for international students become available starting from G6.