The Harker School

The Harker is a wonderful school! I'm loving it!
—Submitted by a student

Academic programs are overrated. The tuition is very expensive at 25,000 dollars not including food and other expenses. Extracurricular is only available for the extremely skilled performers. Parent involvement is limited to volunteer work.
—Submitted by a parent

Harker has a strong academics program and there is intense pressure to excel. There are many sports opportunities, but sports-focused students tend to go elsewhere. The arts program is very good: theater, dance, and music. The faculty is responsive to student's needs but students need to be self-motivated. Despite high tuition, donation pressures are constant. A protected and somwhat insular environment.
—Submitted by a parent

Reading so many glowing comments, this doesn't seem like the same place that my child found so depressing. Not an open place. Very concerned about outward appearances. It seemed Harker wanted parents' money, but not input or involvement in the classroom. On the upside, Harker offers tremendous fine art and extracurricular programs. There are lots of good things going on, too!
—Submitted by a parent

This is the best school in pretty much all of Northern California. There is a very small student body with hands on teaching. The best private school in all of Norther California.
—Submitted by a student

Very clean campus with teachers who are dedeicated towards teaching. The coaches are also very focused on improving the skills of their kin.
—Submitted by a student

This school is perhaps the best school I can think of in according to its academics and sports programs. If you want your child to be a college bound, I highly suggest this school. My child used to be one who used to get into fights all the time and would get GPA's less than 1.0. After enrolling him here, his GPA rose up to a 3.5 and is still going up towards a 4.0
—Submitted by a parent

This is a very good school except for the fees.
—Submitted by a parent

Academics are top-notch at this college prep school. Classes rarely have more than a dozen students, the breadth of courses offered is staggering, and teachers across the board are excellent. However, the courseload is often very heavy, and the school is very expensive, even for a private school. For extracurricular activities, it has excellent performing arts and debate programs. There are also many service organizations, robotics, and sports. The college counseling here is also very strong, each student is given individual attention.
—Submitted by a parent

this is an excellent school, with a superb performing arts program that encourages students to participate. the teachers are exceptional and the students all look out for each other.
—Submitted by a former student

The Harker School is an excellent school with high academic standards and great music, art, performing arts and other extracurricular activities. They have an excellent after school program with a variety of classes for all age groups. Some parents would like to see a more rigorous or competitive athletic program. What we like the most about the school is the fact that all children are divided into three different levels based on their skills and abilities. The groups are different for math and language arts. The more advanced children can be challanged based on their own abilities, while those who need more time/practice can take their time. The groups are fluent and many children move up as they mature. I believe this system works great and is wonderful for families with children who have different strengths and talents, but can attend the same school.
—Submitted by a parent

A cutting edge school all around. Very long history of achievement and excellence.
—Submitted by a former student

The Harker school provides an excellent, well rounded education for its students. The tiered class structure ensures that kids can learn at their own pace and each child gets appropritely challenged. The extracurricular and after school programs are extensive and very well developed. There is a lot of emphasis on being 'good citizens'. I think the best thing about the school is a wonderful peer group that a student finds himself associating with. My son has been in Harker since he was in KDG and he loves the school.
—Submitted by a parent

Excellent, well rounded school. Very strong academics but also a large emphasis put on a wide range of other programs including arts and athletics. Harker certainly provides a top quality education. My children had previously gone to a number of other schools in the Bay Area and there is absolutely no comparison. There is also a strong and wide spread parent involvement particularly in the lower grades. Parents donate a lot of time to helping with a number of activities including parties, field trips and the annual giving campaign. Lastly, but certainly not least, another aspect that has impressed us so much about Harker is the personal integrity they develop in the kids. The school is full of wonderful children that are a pleasure to be involved with.
—Submitted by a parent

Very good academic programs. Varied extra curricular activites for individual talents. Definitely a good school.
—Submitted by a parent

My daughter is in the kindergarten class. There are 3 levels for each grade: grade level, grade + 1 level, grade + 2 level. Each child is assigned to a level after the placement, so she/he can learn the most from his/her own level. There are also a lot of after school activities including Arts, Dance, Computer, Chess, Piano ... Many of them are free of charge. The teachers are all very professional. Different classes are taught by different teachers. My daughter likes Harker a lot and I definitely give it a 5 star!
—Submitted by a parent

Harker has something most schools, no matter how prestigious, do not: a strong sense of community. Perhaps this is due to the small size of the school, but my children seem to know almost every other student by name, and always get along with their teachers. Harker is very science, math, and technology oriented, but they still have a fantastic performing arts department - my husband and I love to watch the upper school dance shows and conservatory concerts, as well as the spring musical and fall drama. The history and English departments are not lacking either; my children are reading true classics in their English classics and are able to discuss history thoroughly with my husband now, who was a political science major and history buff. While Harker is a bit pricey, I do not regret enrolling my children there, and believe it is worth every penny.
—Submitted by a parent

My son is in the 6th grade at Harker and has attended since 2nd grade. We are relatively happy with the school. We moved to Saratoga for the public school system and quickly realized how bad even the top CA public schools are. Harker, although far from being world class was the best we could find in our area. The facilities are wonderful, up-to-date and safe. The teachers are OK. The school could do a better job of recruiting and selecting teachers (and keep the top teachers). The top 20% of the students get 80% of the attention and are given the top teachers. The average students get what is left over...The after school activities are very good. However, they could improve on the after school study hall. The Library usually open after school for the students, teachers/tutors are not available.
—Submitted by a parent

My two children have been harker students since 1997, both continuing into the then-new upper school (harker high). One just graduated, the other will be a junior. While harker isn't perfect and won't be for everyone, i can't imagine a better school. In the high school in particular, my kids have had fantastic teachers (with very few exceptions), had access to the most advanced curriculum in the area while being surrounded by noteworthy opportunities in art, performing arts, sports, and other extracurriculars, and been challenged to do and be their best in everything. Their fellow students are sharp, respectful, clever, supportive, and fun, and they are turning into young people who care about the world, have the energy and drive to make a difference, and most importantly, who think. I can't imagine a higher compliment for a school. Harker is a vital and amazing place.
—Submitted by a parent

Harker is a tough, competitive environment. While the administration says otherwise, do not expect any balance with quality sports programs or performing arts in high school.
—Submitted by a parent