Hopkins School review by Yale University student.
My school is generally excellent in every department. It does, however, sometimes hire new, young teachers who seem eminently qualified but turn out to be bad teachers. The student body is EXTREMELY competitive, and although this sometimes fosters animosity, it also pushes students to excel. Humanities (English, history, and languages) are focused on group discussions while maths and science classes are lecture based (although they try to incorporate as many labs and group activities as possible). Most classes have between 9 and 18 kids, although they provide opportunities to work study with individually with teachers in independent studies. Talent students have essentially unlimited opportunities. One student finished multivariable calculus, chaos theory, and linear algebra after tenth grade and was able to continue taking math courses at the high school as a senior. I worked independently with my Italian teacher in a class that is more advanced than any offered by Yale's undergraduate department. Exams and papers are pretty heavily emphasized.
We begin college counseling in eleventh grade. We had no restrictions, but they provides.... Get the real inside story on college counseling at Hopkins School as experienced by former pupil and Yale 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...
Applicants to Hopkins School submit grades and scores. I forget what test I had.... Get in-depth insights and personal advice on admissions to Hopkins School by former pupil and Yale 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...
Hopkins is a day school, cafeteria is nice, great social area, nice library (now, we built a new one while i attended). labs are kind of forced, but i think that is more of a reflection of my learning habits. Most kids are rich and either white or Asian. Very competitive culture, but peers are active in the community. Rigid approach, I liked it but others didn't. ... Get the real inside story on quality of school life and extracurricular offerings at Hopkins School as experienced by former pupil and Yale University student — Login or Sign Up to access full review