Squaw Valley Academy

I have a unique perspective of SVA. I attended SVA from 1999-2001 for middle school. In that time, I noticed some real problems with education, but I also earned high school credit in Lab Sciences and Foreign Languages (Mandarin & French), which allowed me to graduate a year early. In 2005, I answered an employment ad for a receptionist at SVA, and I've been here, in various job positions, ever since. Over the last 5 years, SVA has structured their program around academics, hiring staff and faculty with previous boarding-school experience and a desire to teach, supervise, and assist students in pursuing their academic goals. SVA also became a certified SAT testing center, and all of our graduates earn 100% College Acceptance, often to their first or second choice schools. The dormitories were sub-par, at best. The boy's dormitory was falling apart & an icebox in the winter. A recent remodel of the boy's dorm now offers consistent accommodations across our three dormitories. The student body is primarily international, and students from 22 different countries, including the US, made up the 2010 student body. I find the transformation to be well worth a campus visit for anyone.

Squaw Valley Academy is a total disgrace to private education. I was a teacher here during regular semesters and I am ashamed to have been a part of this school. I pride myself in no longer teaching for Squaw Valley Academy. They only care about the number of students and tuition, the focus is not on education. There are no teaching supplies, no computers, no projectors, and outdated (if any) textbooks. Some classrooms are separated by partitions so noise is always an issue. The photographs on the website are outdated, the student computer room does not exist, and some classrooms are created out of storage rooms. Admissions places non-English speaking foreign students into classes that are English speaking only, which leaves all students unable to learn. Although there is wireless internet on campus, it rarely works, and students and teachers are unable to use WIFI in classrooms or dorms.
--Submitted by a teacher

Disappointing experience! I work as International Education Agent for foreign students in American schools. I worked with SVA and experienced troubling times for students placed there. Acceptance to college is not happening for the UC system. The students I placed have 4.0GPA's, excellent SAT, and TOEFL scores. Students are above requirements for UC acceptance but denied all UC schools they apply. I get mixed information from admissions and teachers to why this is. Students say SVA transcripts not accepted by UC because they do not meet with UC standards. Others say the school does not complete papers on time or has a bad name with the UC schools. The English learner program is very poor. The school does not provide any translation service. There are too many international students so students speak native language rather than learn English. Students complain ESL classes do not prepare for TOEFL teachers not ESL certified.

Wow. Just read the oldest reviews and has there ever been a change since then. Field trips are well organized, drug testing is done and consequences administered, I've personally witnessed admin stopping and screening students while they were off campus ... yep, still staff turnover, but it's slowing down now that the weeds are being pulled. Where else are you going to be able to get an education and world class snow activities? Many of the kids are there because nobody else WOULD take them, so yeah, it's a last resort for some, but SVA does a really good job at turning them around. Highly recommend.
--Submitted by a parent

I read two negative reviews. I LOVED SVA for the following reasons: - teaching is good, I went on to graduate at a good college, gpa 3.4. - my biology teacher taught me how to ski the black diamonds. - my AP history teacher traveled abroad with us (best time of my life). - primary sports include skiing/snowboarding and soccer - what you could expect from a school with less than 100 students in the Tahoe area. Venues for these sports are fine (world class for skiing/snowboarding). My ski teachers were professionally certified. My soccer coach took us to the finals. - drug and alcohol testing for boarding students, 3 hours work crew if caught smoking (plenty of oversight when I went there) - food was not bad -it's cafeteria food (duuuhhhh!) - students include world-class snowboarder and skiers, and a mix of students who left other schools for 'something different' or 'other reasons' attend here.
--Submitted by a student

The school, though it has a well crafted mission statement, is poorly administered. The food is poor and the organization by admin is frightening; there is no planning for daily outdoor activities--it was always at the last minute, thrown together by the staff with poor direction from admin. Couple this with a high turnover of teachers, $40,000 would be better spent at another school
--Submitted by a teacher

Most of the teachers don't even know how to teach. The staff don't watch the kids enough. I would not reccomend this school if you want your child to succeed in life and get a good education.
--Submitted by a parent