St. Thomas Choir School

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St. Thomas Choir School Photo #1 - The core of our program is music. Boys arrive with potential and interest and leave on a level equal to students entering university. Being an important part of a renowned ensemble changes a boy's self-concept. It is one thing to tell a boy he can be world-class someday. It is quite another to teach him he already is.
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St. Thomas Choir School Photo #1 - The core of our program is music. Boys arrive with potential and interest and leave on a level equal to students entering university. Being an important part of a renowned ensemble changes a boy's self-concept. It is one thing to tell a boy he can be world-class someday. It is quite another to teach him he already is.
St. Thomas Choir School Photo #2 - Located in the heart of New York City, we are an all-boys, boarding school for grades 3-8. We are committed to nurturing the intellectual, musical, and emotional lives of boys. Small classes, individual attention, challenging academics, highly-regarded performances, and world-class music training for boys in grades 3-8 inspire true confidence and success. Generous financial aid is available.
St. Thomas Choir School Photo #3 - Living in a familial environment enables boys to connect to a wide range of people and develop important skills. As one alumni has said, boarding school doesn't add to the experience, it is the experience. STCS fosters communication, collaboration, self-reliance, and problem solving, all of which promote life-long success in whatever field our alumni enter.
St. Thomas Choir School Photo #4 - Be messy. Be curious. Be creative. We're ok with that.
St. Thomas Choir School Photo #5 - Our focus on music informs all other aspects of life at STCS, and our academics are equally challenging. Experiences as musical artists brings deeper connection to the literature they read and art they make. Being part of an ancient tradition brings history to life. Understanding musical notation provides a conceptual basis for mathematics.
St. Thomas Choir School Photo #6 - Our student-faculty ratio of 3:1 ensures individual academic attention. But more so, it ensures that faculty are mentors who are both deeply familiar with each student and invested in their entire well-being. From playing games to crafting a canoe to helping resolve squabbles to joking around, our faculty go above and beyond every day to create a warm, nurturing community.
St. Thomas Choir School Photo #7 - See yourself here. STCS is a transformative experience because it is not just a great school. It is an extraordinary life. There are vanishingly rare opportunities for young people to do something truly meaningful in the larger world. At STCS, our students do this on a daily basis. Whether it is leading services or performing to sold out crowds, our students know their work is important to a large community, and they strive to do their best in everything they do. That's an invaluable sense of self to obtain at a young age.
Saint Thomas Choir School educates the boy choristers oftheSaint Thomas Choir of Men and Boys.
Boys in grades three through eight board seven days aweekduring the academic year with the third grade participating inafive-day boarding plan.
Boys are admitted from third grade through Christmas oftheirfifth grade year.

Quick Stats (2024)

Top Rankings

St. Thomas Choir School ranks among the top 20% of private schools in New York for:

Category
Attribute
School History

School Overview

Student Body

Total Students
13 students
Student Body Type
% Students of Color
64%
State avg.: 41%
Students by Grade
St. Thomas Choir School Student By Grade

Academics and Faculty

Total Classroom Teachers
14 teachers
Student : Teacher Ratio
1:1
National avg.: 13:1
List of Courses Offered
Matriculation DataMatric. Data

Tuition and Acceptance Rate

Admission Deadline
None / Rolling
Yearly Tuition Cost
Tuition Notes
Full tuition is approx $15,000/year. Generous financial aid is available to qualifying families
% on Financial Aid
90%
Admissions Director
Loraine Enlow
Admissions Associate
sscott@choirschool.org

Sports

Total Sports Offered
6 sports

School Notes

  • St. Thomas Choir School inspires boys to invest the same zealintheir studies that they devote to their sacred music. Theunaffectedpursuit of excellence animates both endeavors,harmonizing in novelways as ideas and disciplines converse betweenthe two. A course ofstudy including English, Mathematics, Science,History, Languages(French and Latin), Music Theory, Visual Arts,Computers andTheology guides the development of faith and reasonin the pursuitof truth. A commitment to the essentials ofcommunication,computation, and rigorous thinking guards againstthe distractionsof fickle educational fashion. A dedicated facultyleads the boys indiscovery while encouraging practical habits ofthe mind for alifetime of growth. A young man graduates from St.Thomas with anexperience as rich as it is unique.
Source: Verified school update

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does St. Thomas Choir School cost?
St. Thomas Choir School's tuition is approximately $15,000 for private students.
Does St. Thomas Choir School offer a summer program?
Yes, St. Thomas Choir School offers a summer program. Visit their summer school page for more information.
What sports does St. Thomas Choir School offer?
St. Thomas Choir School offers 6 interscholastic sports: Basketball, Cross Country, Soccer, Swimming, Track and Field and Volleyball.
What is St. Thomas Choir School's ranking?
St. Thomas Choir School ranks among the top 20% of private schools in New York for: Oldest founding date.
When is the application deadline for St. Thomas Choir School?
The application deadline for St. Thomas Choir School is rolling (applications are reviewed as they are received year-round).

School Reviews

  5.00 out of 5  (3 reviews)
5  
My son started in 3rd Grade, now he is in 5th Grade. When my husband and I decided to send my son to Saint Thomas Choir School (STCS), many people around us worried about it, and told us to rethink. Everybody said he was too young to live apart from us. However, contrary to many people's expectations, my son liked the school and mostly didn`t have any problem. The two house mothers were very thoughtful in taking care of my son, and other boys at the school also helped him - the youngest - to adjust to the school. As a boys' choir school, the boys take a variety of music classes in the school, and their choir is very professional and sing very hard pieces/works. In addition to singing as a choir in the weekly evening song and Sunday Eucharist, their Messiah in Christmas season and special concerts in Tribulation Week are very famous. Additionally, the school is academically excellent and students are educated well by good teachers. Students start learning French from third grade and Latin from sixth grade. Their daily schedules are very tight, but the school makes the boys exercise a lot. Especially, my son loves going to Central Park. Chef Heidi's food is as good as a full five star, fancy, restaurant. Heidi also makes the birthdays very special. Instead of just the regular schedule, pinewood derby racing and design competition, ski trip, and Incarnation summer camp just once a year are precious things that the boys love so much. The variety of experiences that cannot be experienced in ordinary schools not only develops children's manners and self-esteem but also makes a very special life time. Even during this long period of pandemic that no one expected, STCS is constantly making various attempts for students to come in person with special plans. We are very grateful to God for leading my son to Saint Thomas Choir School.
- Posted by
5  
My son started in 5th grade and is now in 8th. I can't say how much we love Saint Thomas Choir School. The music education is simply the best in the nation. Boys grow from novice singers to professional-level musicians through the intense, varied music program. Music theory, music composition, private vocal lessons, private instrument lessons, frequent recitals, 5 concerts, over 100 weekly services, and over 500 unique pieces of music sung per year — it's a deeply rich musical education. The music is matched with equally amazing academics, sports, and fine arts. Faculty and staff truly care, and my son has grown into a remarkably poised, confident and kind young man. Alumni attend top high schools afterwards, and the school does much to prepare students for SSAT exams and shepherds' high school applications. We also just love the friends we've made here and the moral compass of our son and his friends. The boys graduate, having lived the complete arc of what it takes to become excellent at something and take that knowledge with them throughout life. This was the best parenting decision I ever made. I can't imagine our lives without Saint Thomas.
- Posted by
5  
The Saint Thomas Choir School (STCS) is an extremely unique place, with its only true "sister" school being the Westminster Abbey Choir School in London. I graduated from the school in 1981 and also had the pleasure of being a parent of a student at the school as well. My son graduated in 2013 and recently graduated from high school. This Fall he is entering the Westminster Choir College in Princeton, NJ. The STCS is very different today than it was when I graduated thirty-six years ago. It has adapted with the times and become a much more welcoming environment for families of students. The school, under the leadership of its headmaster, Rev. Charles Wallace, continues to thrive, even in the face of significant challenges in recent years. The choir director, Daniel Hyde, is settling in quite well, having taken the reins after the sudden and unexpected death of the former director, John Scott. The continuity of the school, which celebrates its 100th year in 2019, is a testament to the strength of the leadership and the enduring value that the school offers its students.As a board member of the school`s Alumni Association, I continue to be strongly impressed by this wonderful school even now, forty years after starting as a young chorister and student. I welcome any interested parent of a prospective student to contact me directly regarding STCS. As both an active alumnus and parent of a recent graduate, I can personally attest to the value of this school. Feel free to contact me directly at newsomechad@yahoo.com. We have a saying about the Choir School, one which transcends any particular period in which you, or your child, attend the school. More important than any one person, it is simply stated that the school offers an The Opportunity of a Lifetime. Just as my wife and I did for our son, I would encourage you to look into this special place for your son.Chad Newsome, Class of 1981Parent of 2013 graduate
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The average private school tuition in New York, NY is $42,877 for elementary schools and $48,288 for high schools (read more about average private school tuition across the country).
The average acceptance rate in New York, NY is 61% (read more about average acceptance rates across the country).

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