Hill School review by Columbia University student.
I'm a science-oriented person and The Hill School has prepared a good foundation for me in math and science although it does not have diverse choices in advanced courses. Humanities and arts are indeed practical for me as an international student since they provide overall ideas of how liberal education would influence in daily life. This issue is very useful in college as I have to take some core courses which are humanities and arts. The school's teaching philosophy is much like Columbia's curriculum which emphasizes on liberal education as it requires courses in various fields. Some are absolutely different from my perspective major. Both lectures and discussions are focused in different scenarios but with effective application. For example, literature classes are almost absolutely based on discussions, pretty much like in the college. The class size is pretty small, especially in discussion classes. It gets larger in lecture ones but it does not matter in learning. The immediate after-class-questioning is hardly possible due to the very short time in class transition but I can use school e-mail to ask questions or arrange private appointment to faculty members. The work load is pretty high but it is not a problem for a daily regular basis. The small and intimate community allows students to communicate with each other and faculty members easily so it helps a lot with academic difficulties. Talented students are supported by fair number of advanced courses although I don't think it is very diverse.
Since I have spent only a year in high school in the US, the first.... Get the real inside story on college counseling at Hill School as experienced by former pupil and Columbia University 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...
My acceptance to the school is special so it might not be comparable to general.... Get in-depth insights and personal advice on admissions to Hill School by former pupil and Columbia University 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 dorm life at Hill is memorable. Although the room is quite small but the intimate atmosphere at the dorm allows me to communicate with my friends in both academic and non-academic issues. For the school cafeteria, most people always criticize about the food and the formal lunch/dinner but I personally think that the food is pretty good and the formal lunch/dinner emphasizes the sense of the school's community. Neighborhood area is not really safe as I often heard about crime but the campus area is quite isolated and secured by tons of security officers. The library is pretty small.... Get the real inside story on quality of school life and extracurricular offerings at Hill School as experienced by former pupil and Columbia University student — Login or Sign Up to access full review