As the parent of 5 children who have attended Carmel Clay Schools, we moved to Carmel primarily because of the school system and we have not been disappointed. Three of our kids have graduated and gone on to college and we still have 2 students in the system. While the academics are rigorous, our kids found college to be a breeze because they were so well prepared by the Carmel School system. The size of the school was intimidating to me but the kids have all found clubs, organizations and activities that they have participated in which has helped them connect and form great friendships. Our kids aren't all star athletes which has limited their ability to participate on the school athletic teams. Carmel has an incredible level of talent given the large student count. However, we 've found the Carmel Dads Club is a great way for kids to participate in sports. The teachers are highly engaged and committed to the success of their students. Ultimately there are pros and cons in every school system. If parents want their kids prepared for a higher education and a highly competitive job market in the future, you won't find a school system that will do a better job than Carmel.
—Submitted by a parent

Wow! The previous folks posting must have large axes to grind. As a parent of a Carmel High School graduate, I can say that the academic instruction my son received at CHS fully prepared him for success at his select private college. He is now a college sophomore, and has often commented on how prepared he was compared to students coming from high schools elsewhere in the country. Yes, it is a large school, however, I found the staff and administrators to be extremely helpful when approached one-on-one. It is not - nor does it claim to be - anything but a large public school. Those expecting to be treated with 'kid gloves' should move their children to private schools. That said, I can tell you of many families who paid the big bucks for private high school and had no better luck gaining acceptance to select colleges than CHS grads. I firmly believe that the large, competitive environment at CHS more adequately prepares teens for success at the university level. Challenged: yes. Pampered: no.
—Submitted by a parent

We moved out of the district BECAUSE of the schools. This district has to be the most overrated I've ever seen because the quality is extremely low in every respect. Carmel High school is too big but it does reflect the size of the egos of those affiliated. Most teachers are lazy and unconcerned about delivering watered down academic material. Administration is even worse.It is a very mediocre system which offers very little student development. It's sink or swim which is fine for students who are over acheivers. But even then, they have a false sense of superiority. They may NOT be as smart as they think they are. They may be missing out on so many intangibles that are not included in a Carmel education. Carmel is very superficial and unsophisticated. Students tend to lack character, a moral compass and adequate balance. The large sports program enables this belief in their superiority coupled with poor sportsmanship. If other districts cared more for their wins, they too would stuff students in one huge building...but they won't. Carmel is VERY good at promoting themselves as much as the parents are promoting their kids. It's a political battlefield.
—Submitted by a parent

The high school is way too big and the quality is poor. People are extremely proud of their sports programs, of course. It's the reason why they won't split their school to a manageable size. It is more important to dominate in sports than provide a quality education. It's humorous to watch the parents brag about how great the school is when the academics are typical of any public school. After giving the district six months, we pulled our three children out and enrolled them in private school. We sold our house and moved to a more tax friendly area. Carmel is not special and it certainly isn't hard. I was unimpressed with the teachers and thought many were lazy and unprofessional. I felt the administration was arrogant and not really interested in the students. Carmel is overrated in every way.
—Submitted by a parent

There are many excellent teachers and programs at Carmel High School. However, when there IS a problem, it is difficult to get action to get it solved, and one may be met with incredulity should one dare to challenge the school's perfection. Even when many parents or students have tried to get a situation fixed, it can be hard to know if anything is being done because the school and principal will not acknowledge that it has any flaws whatsoever. They need to be more aggressive when addressing poor teaching. Kids and parents with high work ethic tend to mask teaching deficiencies and I daresay the administration isn't out there looking for problems to solve, let alone responding to parents who draw them to their attention.
—Submitted by a parent

We moved to Carmel 8 years ago and it was the best thing ever happened to my children. My oldest daughter (now in college) had to adjust to the rigorous academics, but she said this school really prepared her for college. She discovered her passion for broadcast journalism here (they have a student run radio station and cable TV station, CHTV). My youngest, a junior, is involved in theatre and choir. Carmel high has 11 choirs, IB drama and film, a comedy sportz team, drama club, student directed one acts. Applied Music, a course for singers, goes to NYC every year, so does Drama. A highlight for me each year is Holiday Spectacular! Every child in choir participates and it blows me away every year! Carmel High has sports and clubs for everyone. My kids have always felt safe here. I have never had a problem reaching a teacher or a counselor. John Williams is a personable and charismatic principal. I see him at every event! I was impressed when he stopped by summer football practice to tell the players how proud he was of them (he did the same thing for the show choir). No school is perfect, but Carmel has come pretty close for our family.
—Submitted by a parent

My daughter is a Junior this year. She is NOT one of those super-students who takes 5 AP classes each year and has a 4.0+ GPA. She works hard at her non-weighted classes (has a GPA of 3.2) and sings in a choir and participates in a couple of clubs. We have been very happy with her education/experience at Carmel High School. Yes, the teachers expect more from the students at CHS than at her previous school, but that's ok. She's getting a fantastic education and will do well at college because of it. No, she won't be going to Harvard or Notre Dame, but she will be successful wherever she does go. The course selection at CHS is fantastic (the reason we chose Carmel over other school districts), and for the most part, the teachers are caring and competent. We did have a problem last year with a teacher (new teacher, very bright, but couldn't effectively pass on the knowledge), but after an email to the department chair, a meeting was quickly set up between the department chair, the counselor, the teacher, our daughter and us. The problem was resolved to our satisfaction.
—Submitted by a parent

Teachers at this school always have the excuse "it's harder because you are at Carmel" In my junior year I was taking 5 AP classes and 2 honors classes so I went to see teachers outside of class for help because I would always have so much on my mind in class. Teachers started to think I was struggling with my grades and they woould say "at Carmel we have a more rigorous curriculum..." They always have that excuse to back their poor teaching. Teachers also barely get to know you. The administration is more concerned with students that do activities and their students as a whole to get higher AP and SAT scores.
—Submitted by a student

I love carmel high school so much! It's such a great environment to learn in. The school has high standards, but it is a great preparation for college. There are so many extra curricular activities to get involved in. The performing arts, sports, student government, and all of the clubs they offer are just fantastic. This school provides so many great opportunities for kids to get involved.
—Submitted by a student

carmel is better than most schools but still has some problems. the reason that the school test scores are so high is not because of the teaching quality but because of the demographics. there are many successful families in carmel who teach their kids how to succeed as well. the main cause of success of standardized tests is not teaching quality. also, it is hard to go to a good school from carmel because the standards in carmel classes are so high. it makes the student look worse than he/she actually is.
—Submitted by a parent

Excellent school, but considering the socio-economic demographics of Carmel, IN, the students would do well no matter where they went to school. My daughter started at Carmel and we transferred her to North Central High School because of her high interest in Performing Arts. Carmel has a lot of cliques and is not very welcoming. We have met several parents who moved their kids because of social problems. Carmel is a great school, but very wealthy and very white.
—Submitted by a parent

Great teachers, great kids!
—Submitted by a parent

Carmel HS exceeds expectaions and triumphs all other public schools in the INdianapolis area. My oldest went to Park Tudor (an expensive private school in the area) and my youngest goes to Carmel, and she recieves as great of an education as my son did. There is a wide variety of academics and an abundance of activities.
—Submitted by a parent

Carmel HS is excellent in almost every regard -- from the outstanding academics to an endless array of extracurricular activities. Their teachers take an interest in each and every student -- whether academically gifted or struggling. The only way a student would not succeed would be by the student's own intentional failure. Ambitious students will find almost every resource available to them to further their studies.
—Submitted by a parent

Carmel High School is the best school ever!!! I just finished my first year at college and I thought my classes were easier than high school where kids from other schools were struggling. I developed great relationships with many of my teachers at CHS and they are almost all really involved and excited to teach. The opportunities are endless from any number of over 100 clubs, to amazing sports teams, top rated performing arts programs, intermural sports, and an amazing student government. It is really easy to get involved the school does not seem too big after your first semester there. It is super easy to make friends and get involved. I would recommend everyone to go here.
—Submitted by a student

I loved this school very much and will miss it. Everything here is perfect, from academics to extracurriculars, Carmel is #1 at it all! Great school to send kids to; very diverse and will definitely fit in!
—Submitted by a student

An outstanding school in every respect. Our son far prefers Carmel High School over the private (and quite distinguished) middle school he attended.
—Submitted by a parent

My oldest child and I went to the same small private school and I was pleased, so when we moved to Carmel Schools, I was extremely worried. I could not be happier! I recalled one or two 'stand out' teachers from the previous school but when I attended the orientation at Carmel for both my younger children, I did not see a single teacher that was not a 'stand out' teacher. The small groups make it seem like a much smaller school and the course options are wonderful. My kids played freshman sports and had a great time. The football coaching staff is excellent. You honestly get a response within the hour most of the time whether you are e-mailing administration about spring break, teachers about grades or coaches with concerns and that includes the head football coach with a question about practices. I could not be happier with CHS.
—Submitted by a parent

I moved to Carmel a year ago and am now graduating. I've found that although numbers are large and you won't know people in your classes on the first day, by the end of the year you would have made a ton of friends. I loved my time here.
—Submitted by a student

I was an '07 grad of carmel. i loved every minute of being a student there. yes its true you really can only participate in an activity or two and its hard to get on top. but its that way in the real world too. The classes are difficult and encourage you to work harder and actually become an active learner. I was extremely well prepared for college and find it much easier. I take a heavier course load than most students and get better grades. Carmel encourages you to go out and get what you want instead of handing it to you. All the opportunities are there you just have to take advantage.
—Submitted by a student