Webb Schools review by University of California - Berkeley student.
Webb's academics are definitely it's main strength. Teachers at Webb are very bright and very personable, constantly available during office hours and even at their home. For the first two years, classes are separated by gender which I consider to be a really awesome thing- everyone was much more comfortable to be themselves in class. For the first two years, the classes you take are mostly laid out for you, it opens up with more choices and electives as you get older. There is no department that stands out as being particularly amazing, but we are the ONLY high school in the country with an accredited paleontology museum and a paleontology program to go along with that. So I guess that's a main strength. The part that has most prepared me was the combination of heavy work load and stimulating environment– in college and at Webb there's always something to be doing and something to distract you, and yet you have classes that you need to do well in also. You get really good at time management. My largest class at webb was I think 18 students. More common is 10-12. Teachers have scheduled office hours, and 90% of them live on campus, so if you really need help they're always there. I would say that the availability is very good, and one of the best parts of boarding school. Junior year I was working about 2-3 hours a night, but I would say that was less than typical. Also, your freshman year your workload is small, building over the next two years and peaking first semester of senior year. Extra help is available to anyone who needs it, obviously being a selective school most people who would need help with academic challenges probably wouldn't get in. If it's a disability situation, I can speak from personal experience that everyone makes every effort to help out in any way. High performers have three levels of classes to take (e.g. Bio, Honors Bio, AP Bio).
Our college counselor is great– in our history, we've had 100% of graduates get into.... Get the real inside story on college counseling at Webb Schools as experienced by former pupil and University of California - Berkeley 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...
It's very much like a college admission process! First, you tour the school and.... Get in-depth insights and personal advice on admissions to Webb Schools by former pupil and University of California - Berkeley student — Login or Sign Up to access full review
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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...
Student life is awesome... if you're into it. Students who want to party every weekend and drink and smoke tend to not be students very long. There are strict rules and strict enforcement. However, rules ease as you get older and honestly the only rule that actually impacts student's well-being is restrictions on when and with whom you can leave campus with. There is a curfew. I actually ended up quite liking this policy because it kept everyone in one place, and I think that's the main reason that people form such intense bonds here..... Get the real inside story on quality of school life and extracurricular offerings at Webb Schools as experienced by former pupil and University of California - Berkeley student — Login or Sign Up to access full review