Phoenix Country Day School

PCDS is a great school. The teachers are very involved. The students are very friendly. Everyone is happy and ready to learn. They make learning fu n and easy but yet you are learning so much. The work is very advanced. It is wonderful.

PCDS Upper School is a wonderful place for any teen who is serious about their academics. The sport, drama & art programs are a nice bonus. Most of the instructors are genuinely working to bring out the best in your child. The newly appointed US Head is brilliant. He is intelligent and relates well with the student body and parents. My only complaint is that my kids did not fair well with the MS Head hired a few years ago, and I understand from parents who have pulled their kids from MS that it has not gotten any better.
--Submitted by a parent

As a proud parent of two PCDS students, and having been so for 12 years (Pre-K to 10th grade), I can say without a doubt that Phoenix Country Day School has provided both my boys with a truly fine education. I believe they would attend on Saturday if given the opportunity. The classes are small, the faculty is highly qualified and sincerely interested in each student's success, and the balance between academics, the arts, music and sports provides a wide variety of enriching opportunities for any student. I can say with all honesty that my boys will always take the lessons they've learned at PCDS and apply them to a lifetime of learning and growing as scholars and as people. PCDS maintains a healthy and diverse student body from a socio-economic and ethnic standpoint. I may sound like a shill for PCDS, but I am just a proud parent and satisfied customer of a school that takes its mission seriously and has become very good at delivering what they promise. Anyone in Arizona who desires the absolute best education for their children need look no further.
--Submitted by a parent

PCDS is, quite simply, the best college prep school in the Phoenix metro area. It's true that the standards are high and the grading is tough, which can be somewhat discouraging. But if you want your kids to be prepared for the rigors of college, there is no place better. The grades I earned at PCDS (good, but not top of the class) translated into high achievement in college and graduate admissions to Harvard and Yale, among others. My former classmates and I have PCDS to thank for our accomplishments. At PCDS, I learned how to write, think, and communicate effectively. Those skills are invaluable no matter what path students take after graduation. PCDS has its drawbacks; no school is perfect. It's true, I think, that there is a sense of entitlement among some students, and of course no school is the "right" choice for everyone. But in general, the faculty and student body is welcoming, the academics are top notch, and the school has really made an effort to emphasize diversity and public service in recent years. I've had my fair share of complaints over the years. But at the end of the day, finances permitting, I would send my own children there in a heartbeat.

If your child is a brainiac who you are confident will be one of the top 5 students in the class of 60, then send your kid here. If not, you're wasting your money. The teachers/college counseling dept. concentrate on these top 5 students to get them into their colleges of choice. The others are left to fend for themselves. The school likes to push "out of state colleges," and they frown upon students going to in-state schools--so sad. So many of my classmates have returned to in-state schools after their 1st year at a tiny, never-heard-of out-of-state liberal arts college, to come to an in-state AZ university. Nevertheless, the academic are top-notch and your child will emerge prepared for any academic challenge. Oh, there is also a TERRIBLE communication barrier between the faculty and parents (even though they claim they want the students to be "independent," but remember--you're the one shelling out $20k per year, so don't you deserve to have access to talk to the teachers!?). I've seen public schools who love the parents and return their calls (whereas this school just hits the "delete" button once they hear "Hi, I'm so and so's father/mother")

Phoenix Country Day School provides a diverse and challenging curriculum, which fosters academic discipline and good character. Programs at this school are designed to prepare students for admission to the most highly selective colleges and universities. I would consider Phoenix Country Day School to be the most outstanding school in Arizona, and one of the best in the southwest.
--Submitted by a teacher

Excellent education, great teachers, great friends that is what both of our recent PCDS graduates say about what they had at PCDS. They were well prepared for college and graduate school with time management and problem-solving skills, and at PCDS were able to participate in challenging academic courses while also participating in varsity sports and musical endeavors. PCDS provides great opportunities for students, and a strong network of caring, dedicated, and nurturing adults to create an ideal learning environment. As the only Pre-K through 12 independent school in the state, PCDS provides an age appropriate learning environment in which students thrive.
--Submitted by a parent

As a sibling of someone who has committed suicide, and a proud parent of two PCDS graduates, I am offended by the attitude of some of the anonymous posts on this website regarding both the academic and social environment at PCDS and the almost flippant use of phrases in some of the recent reviews. Both eating disorders and suicide are medical conditions requiring a physician s treatment. Mood disorders are complicated to treat, have genetic components, are serious, and can be difficult to overcome, let alone eradicate. Placing blame for such conditions on a school environment is uneducated and irresponsible, and hurtful to those involved and left behind after a tragic ending to an often difficult situation. PCDS has produced thousands of successful, happy, and healthy graduates in its fifty years, and should be very proud of its program, faculty, and students.
--Submitted by a parent

Our family has been attending PCDS since Pre-K. We are now 11th year and can honestly say we've seen the school at its best and its worst. Every school, public or private, has chinks in the armour, and if you choose to focus on such things in a dis-proportionate manner, you reap a false conclusion. This school is simply far and away the best college prepatory school in Arizona. It is comparable to East Coast private schools academically and in the arts. Many, many conversations with parents from back East have convinced me this is true. Even more telling is when you have a conversation with an Upper School student and witness for yourself the poise, confidence, humility and ease with which this young person communicates with an adult. They possess the ability to communicate a well-thought-out opinion that allows for constructive discourse. This is the rule, not the exception!
--Submitted by a parent

I'm an alumnus and I feel very lucky to have gone to PCDS for high school. With the small class sizes, the excellent teachers, and the chance to be among my intellectual equals as a student, PCDS prepared me ridiculously well for college and also made me into a smarter person in addition to just teaching me new things. For a school with only 250 students in the Upper School (grades 9-12) it offers a very diverse curriculum, including a plethora of Advanced Placement courses in a variety of fields. If you are lucky enough to have the money to send your children to PCDS, then it's definitely worth the tuition. Even if you can't afford it, PCDS offers fairly generous financial aid, as well as the Project Excellence program.
--Submitted by a student