Class Acts

Top-notch academics? That’s pretty much a given at Philly’s private high schools. It’s special programs — inside and outside the classroom — that make a certain place stand out as the perfect choice for your child. From advanced science and technology offerings to international exchange and in-depth community service, here’s an honor roll of schools that excel in eight major areas

Community Service

Academy of the New Church
Co-ed day and boarding, grades 9-12; day tuition $11,348, boarding tuition $16,256. 2815 Huntingdon Pike, Bryn Athyn, 267-502-4200, ancss.org

An attitude of charity and service is encouraged but not required at this Swedenborgian school, yet students have made Delta Mu, a club dedicated to community service, the most popular on campus. With opportunities ranging from volunteering at Interim House (a residential rehab for women and children) to a Thanksgiving collection for Hope Prison Ministries to spending a work weekend at a Salvation Army camp in the Poconos, there’s virtually no limit to the ways students can begin to make service a part of their daily lives. — Jordan Hickey

La Salle College High School. La Salle students take part in the nationally recognized Community TechServe Program, which helps bridge the digital divide by bringing together families, schools and organizations in need of help with technologically savvy volunteers. Boys-only day, grades 9-12; tuition $14,600. 8605 Cheltenham Avenue, Wyndmoor, 215-233-2911, lschs.org.

Malvern Preparatory School. Through Malvern’s mandatory Christian Service Program, seniors can spend two weeks in the American South — or South Africa — working on community service projects. Boys-only day, grades 6-12; tuition $23,550. 418 South Warren Avenue, Malvern, 484-595-1100, malvernprep.org.

Moorestown Friends School. Moorestown students engage in service learning projects in locales from Mexico to Tanzania, providing immediate help while also studying root causes and potential solutions. Co-ed day, preK-12; tuition $20,250. 110 East Main Street, Moorestown, 856-235-2900, mfriends.org.

Nazareth Academy High School.
Students at Nazareth log a staggering 15,000-plus hours of community service annually, and homerooms compete in a yearly four-week Bread Basketball food drive that nets more than eight tons of staples for the needy. Girls-only day, grades 9-12; tuition $9,000. 4001 Grant Avenue, 215-637-7676, nazarethacademyhs.org.