Athenian School review by Pitzer College student.
The academic program at Athenian is one of this school's strongest features. Classes are very small, some of mine only had six students. In these classes, students are actively encouraged to participate in discussion and bring up challenges to the material being taught. After transferring to Athenian from a public high school, I found the classes way more difficult and the homework much more time-consuming, but I learned way more than I did before. Athenian is a great school for a student who genuinely loves to learn, because teachers genuinely love to teach. It is the kind of place where teachers will email students to check up on how their papers are coming, or to congratulate them on a job well done. Students are expected to complete college-level papers and I felt very prepared for college when I graduated. Athenian's academic program helped me build strong habits that have helped me succeed since then. Overall, Athenian tends to offer more advanced social science classes than other classes, although they do have an incredible science program as well. Athenian's teaching method tends to emphasize critical thinking and experiential learning, combined with disciplined academics. A lot is expected of students, but we received way more in return.
The college counselors at Athenian are amazing. They work full time on campus, and.... Get the real inside story on college counseling at Athenian School as experienced by former pupil and Pitzer College student — Login or Sign Up to access full review
Sample insights on college counseling
They have contacts at most of the major universities and feel perfectly comfortable picking up the phone and advocating for a student to get accepted somewhere they feel is a good fit for that student. However, these counselors are certainly not magic bullets. They cannot guarantee that a student will get into an Ivy League university...
For those wishing to move on to Oxford or Cambridge, the provision is second-to-none. In the months running up to application and interview, every subject faculty offers classes (often run by former Oxbridge tutors) exploring further areas of their subject as well as offering advice on personal statements, interview technique and more...
Athenian looks for students with strong academic backgrounds, but accept a broad range of students..... Get in-depth insights and personal advice on admissions to Athenian School by former pupil and Pitzer College student — Login or Sign Up to access full review
Sample insights on admissions
For the interview, dress conservatively. Try to be very clean and put together. Also, I was a tour guide for two years and at the end of every tour, we were asked to evaluate the candidate so if you think the tour is not apart of the process, you are very wrong. Ask questions and be interested. Also, tip for the parents: the kids speak on the tour. Do not ask their questions for them...
Most younger siblings have an easy time in the admissions process. I can only think of one case of a younger sibling not being admitted. About half of the students who entered with me had come from public schools. The remainder came from private K-6 schools, or had transferred from other New York private schools The Elizabeth Morrow School and St. Bernard were two of the larger feeder schools...
The student body at Athenian is very collaborative and energetic. The students that choose to attend Athenian are motivated, well-educated, and empowered by their community. This makes for a dynamic student body that can accomplish amazing things. Graduation requirements include a month-long backpacking trip to either Death Valley or the high Sierras with your classmates during the junior year, so bonds between students are strong. A mix of boarding students and day students makes the on-campus experience both diverse and grounded to the school. By that, I mean that since a good number of the.... Get the real inside story on quality of school life and extracurricular offerings at Athenian School as experienced by former pupil and Pitzer College student — Login or Sign Up to access full review