Oswego High School

I am very happy with this school. I have one child at Oswego High and he really likes it. I love that the teachers send emails just to say how great your child is doing. We have had no problems at this school.
—Submitted by a parent

All 4 of my kids went to OHS and they were all successful graduates from Loyola, Northwestern, Arizona State, and Syracuse. There are a variety of extracurricular activities and academic help is freely available. There are some fantastic, involved teachers here who truly care about the students. I never met a rude student while my kids were there and it's a small community where everyone looks out for each other. I highly recommend this small school (less than 2500 students).
—Submitted by a parent

This is a HORRIBLE school! The teachers are not helpful, and the overall staff is not friendly. I had two students attend this school, and one attend Oswego East. My kids who went here were not nearly as prepared as my OEHS grad. The school lacks discipline, and there is lots of bullying here. Terrible school.
—Submitted by a parent

All 4 of my kids went to OHS over the past 8 years and all are/were very successful in college (Northwestern, Purdue, USC, and Loyola), which speaks volumes for this high school. All of them had plenty of outside activities to choose from and the staff is incredibly encouraging, patient, and involved. This is a great small school!
—Submitted by a parent

OHS has outstanding academic offerings for bright, motivated kids. My son is in all honors, AP and accelerated honors classes which we hope will prepare him for college and the engineering career he desires. His adviser is excellent and has been involved with assisting us in finding scholarship opportunities. OHS' Band program is terrific and we will miss it when our son graduates. While our son does not do sports, we enjoy OHS football games and it seems the OHS student population is accepting of others and not as "cliquey" as I remember high school. OHS test scores are very good, especially when considering the huge influx of new students from other areas due to Oswego's population explosion over the past few years.
—Submitted by a parent

The reason some reviewers are surprised at negative reviews is because they are involved in sports or band. Those are the only worthwhile pursuits there. Academics are hit and miss. Very disorganized discipline policies that apply to some students and not others. Principal if you ever even see him after the first day is very rude if you have a question. Special Needs are not well addressed. Nearly no special services available unless you want your kid to see a psychologist 15 min. a week.
—Submitted by a parent

We have been very disappointed in the school. Our daughter is not a 'star' in athletics, but is a generally nice kid - we have seen her self esteem drop. I've been to the school and way the girls are allowed to dress is appalling - Oswego is no longer a small town - that's for sure,
—Submitted by a parent

I am a student at OHS, and my older siblings also attended OHS. I am very shocked to read the dissappointing reviews about my school. I have always been on the high honor roll with a 4.0 GPA. The teachers at OHS are supportive and encouraging and they are there to help the students succeed. We also have an excellent sports program that i am involved in and the coaches are there to help the athletes get better in playing the sport they love! I am proud to attend the older high school in Oswego because of its strong history.
—Submitted by a student

Nothing but high marks for Oswego High School! We have visited several high schools in the area over the past few years and OHS is staffed with dedicated teachers and friendly personnel. The school is very clean and ranks high in many aspects of technology. OHS has been recognized for their top notch academics, athletics and extra-curricular activites.
—Submitted by a parent

I think the Sports part of the school lacks in the real reason you play sports. It is to teach children how to play and be a team player. Not to be excluded from the games played.
—Submitted by a parent

The academic programs are lacking at OHS, particularly for students who are on either side of the 'bell curve.' There are not many electives to choose from. The standards are simply average, with average teachers. There is no communication from here to parents, especially where discipline and incidents at the school are concerned (don't ask, don't tell). The english department is pretty good. Athletics is heavily favored, with a 'win at all costs' type of attitude.
—Submitted by a parent

I have just graduated from OHS, and although my high school years weren't the best years of my life, they were surely enjoyable. OHS has tons of clubs and organizations that you can choose from. Most (though not all) the teachers are very good. As a matter of fact a few of them have encouraged and heavily influenced me in my decision to become an english teacher. The athletic programs are also very good.. .no the athletes are not favored (after all I just graduated 5 months ago). My time at OHS I really enjoyed, this school is a lot better then people give it credit for.
—Submitted by Mike, a former student

I am not a parent, but an alumna and a current teacher-observer. This school is very academically sound, take it from a graduate. Though this, like every, school has its shortfalls, OHS as a whole is remarkable. Just look at its 'report card.' There are so many vocational and internship opportunities as well that guide students regarding career choice. I also felt very well prepared for my college courses this year at Indiana Wesleyan University. In fact, is it because of some remarkable teachers and programs at this school that i am studying to become a high school English teacher. I have no idea why the person who wrote the other review got the impression s/he did, but I think we need to take another look. From both a student's, and now an outsider's criticial eye, Oswego High School deserves applause, not degradation.
—Submitted by S. Beth, a former student