Riverdale Country School

Riverdale Country School was founded in 1907 and is the first country day school in the United States, offering grades PreK-12. The school is located in the affluent Bronx area north of New York City, adjacent to the Hudson River. It is the largest school in this region, hence its name, Riverdale Country School. The school is situated halfway up a hill, surrounded by lush greenery, fresh air, and open views, boasting a very beautiful environment.

The school offers multiple honors courses but no AP courses. The average SAT score is 1480, and the average ACT score is 34. It is rated an A+ institution by NICHE (one of the four major US high school ranking platforms), ranking 11th among 4323 private high schools nationwide and 2nd among 251 private high schools in New York State. Riverdale Country School places great emphasis on STEM education, offering advanced independent research projects and topics such as the 'Summer Science Research Program' and 'Summer Astrophysics Program.' Students can conduct independent research in the maker space, including building drones and designing go-karts. The school's outdoor activities are also a 'trump card asset,' featuring 3 sports fields, a 9600-square-foot gymnasium, a fitness center, a fencing room, and a dedicated indoor swimming pool with U.S. Swimming certification. There are also over 70 sports teams, with an athletic activity participation rate as high as 82%.

The school has very few Chinese students because it is a day school only, requiring parents to relocate and accompany their children. The school's college matriculation data is excellent, with four or five students admitted to Harvard and four or five to Yale each year.

The school is located in New York City, with two campuses in the Bronx spanning 27.5 acres, featuring 4 sports fields, 7 tennis courts, and an indoor swimming pool.
1. Excellent Faculty Team: Among high school teachers, 66 hold master's degrees, 20 have doctorates, and 14 hold bachelor's degrees. Four of the bachelor's degree holders graduated from Harvard, UPenn, Princeton, and UC Berkeley, respectively.
2. STEM: Students gain research opportunities in the Summer Science Research Program, Summer Astrophysics Program, independent research, and advanced projects. Students can conduct independent research in a maker space, including building drones, designing go-karts, and constructing geodesic domes.
3. Humanities Courses: Interdisciplinary courses are offered to advanced Spanish students to explore design and engineering solutions in Latin American countries; mini-courses led by teachers allow students to discuss specific topics such as South African apartheid; students can also conduct independent research with teachers or on advanced projects for deeper learning in the subject.
4. Music: The jazz band has traveled to England and Australia and occasionally performs at the Manhattan Jazz Standard.
5. Rich Visual Arts Curriculum: Over 15 elective courses are offered in areas such as drawing, painting, and ceramics, as well as graphic design, video art, visual coding, and contemporary art projects.
6. Strong in Sports: In 2018-2019, the men's tennis team won the Ivy League championship, and the fencing sabre team won the ISFL championship.
7. Outdoor Activities: Basic outdoor skills will be taught starting from 9th grade, such as a mandatory 11th-grade American architecture course day trip to the Hudson Valley, and a summer science research program trip to Alaska for climate change research.