Walt Whitman High School

I just graduated from Whitman, and I can say that I know I'm going to really miss it. The administration is beyond phenomenal, and I can say that this school has some great teachers (and some bad ones, like every school) that I know I will visit on my college breaks. The extracurricular activities at this is school are abundant and worth it, so make sure your child gets involved since they're all amazing. However, Whitman is notorious for its elitist students, which is only true to an extent, but every school is going to have some kids that feels they're above everyone else. In all, I would like to applaud Whitman's great staff and administration for giving an extremely rewarding and memorable high school experience.
—Submitted by a student

I a former student and now have a daughter that goes there she says she has loads of friends but sometimes she wishes that more people would feed to that school. I love their school.
—Submitted by a parent

As a former Whitman student , currently studying at Princeton, I can confirm that this school prepares you for the top U.S colleges. I find myself better prepared than most of my current class mates. I would like to express my thanks to Walt Whitman teacher's and students! Whitman for me will mean more than Princeton ever will.
—Submitted by a student

Don't let this school's reputation fool you. Whitman only cares about its 'smart kids', that is, the kids who take AP and honors classes and who score well on standardized tests. I am an American white male with lawyers for parents, and even I have struggle being part of the ethnic and social majority in the school. Though very similar to private school, switching to Whitman was a tough transition for me, and the school did little to help. My guidance counselor tried to 'help' me by pulling me out of honors classes and holding bureaucratic meetings various school officials, giving me suggestions like 'underlining key words and phrases in class' and granting me 'preferential seating', though I made it clear I was having trouble adjusting socially rather than academically. The truth is, the school doesn't know what to do with you unless you test well and get good grades.
—Submitted by a student

One of the finest if not the finest public school in montgomery county. My 2 daughters graduated from Walt Whitman and moved on to Under Grad + Gradschool. A wonderful community and great support.
—Submitted by a parent

One of the finest if not the finest public school in montgomery county.

Whitman truly is a great school. As a former student who is now attending a top college, I credit Whitman for making me well-prepared for the college atmosphere. I think the statistics speak for themselves: Whitman has been rated a top 100 public high school for the past several years, and sends boatloads of students to top universities. There are obvious drawbacks to the Whitman education. As has been mentioned previously, the Bethesda environment can put an emphasis on grades rather than actually enjoying school. Cheating is also a significant problem. That being said, I think this is a side effect of many 'competitive' high schools around the nation. Dr. Goodwin also deserves credit for his job as principal. He is a very down-to-earth guy and has chosen a very competent assistant principal in Mrs. Webster. The administration at Whitman truly runs like a well-oiled machine.
—Submitted by a student

As a whole, Whitman is a great school. I am currently a student and I love it. The academics are rigorous and demanding and most of the teachers are sweet, and push you to your best. There are many sports to choose from, as well as clubs. Although some students might be a little too arrogant and uninteresting, this proves to be the case at any school. If you find the right group of friends, join the right teams or clubs, and take the right classes, you will have a fabulous experience here.
—Submitted by a student

Whitman is an extremely impersonal and arrogant school as a whole. I know. I go there. Yeah it has competitive academics and athletics. But in most of my classes, if i wanted to, i could just sit through four years of high school and never be noticed by anyone. Unfortunately, the surrounding area is too invested in their own egos to realize their children's school is this way. They think that because they live in bethesda, there school must be 'The Best'. The fact is, while other schools may not have as great test scores, chances are that students will have a more fulfilling experience. Another thing. The students. Oh my gosh. While there are many perfectly down to earth students that go there, a good percentage of them are just people you would never want to know. They are just arrogant, materialistic, and very boring.
—Submitted by a student

As a parent I feel that it is my duty to provide my children with the best education possible. If this means paying a high premium to live in the Whitman district, then so be it. Attending Whitman is on of the greatest experiences my children have ever had. There are few problems with misbehaving students and the teachers are extremely well qualified. The principal, Dr. Goodwin, deserves to be mentioned too because as the father of a high schooler himself he can relate to the students' needs. Whitman is a great school and I would not send my kids anywhere else.
—Submitted by a parent

Dont get me wrong, I did love it and the obvious affluence of Whitman's district does help in terms of the overall educational, social, and physical development of its students. But its really a different drive, from both the parents and the environment, than what I found in the experiences from my college and post-college friends' high school experiences.
—Submitted by a former student

I have been a college professor for nearly 25 years. It gives me great pleasure to observe first-hand as a parent the quality of education offered to students as Whitman. We paid a housing premium to live in this area so that our children could go to Whitman. It has certainly been a wothwhile investment in their education.
—Submitted by a parent

Top scores and all - high pressure cooker.
—Submitted by a parent

Safe, clean, studious, intense, focused, high achieving, this school has to be considered one of the very best public high schools in the nation. As parents, we were and are thrilled with the education of our two children. Diversity is achieved by many, many international students from around the world. Could it be even better, of course, but bottom line is that the Whitman school district is on the tongue of every buyer coming to this area. It an exceptional school.
—Submitted by a parent

I thought I was a supporter of public schools,but Whitman changed my mind.The kids there are bright, but there is nothing in the culture of the school that encourages an interest in learning for learning's sake. It's all about getting ahead--by getting into an Ivy League school(otherwise your life will be over), and making money, so you too will be able to afford living in the Whitman district. If that's what you want for your kid, Whitman is the place. On the other hand, if you want your kid to grow up to be a human being, and associate with other human beings, its better to find some other district to live in, or to go to school somewhere else.
—Submitted by a parent

I am former student/athete of the school. I found this site and felt compelled to leave give some feedback. Whitman is located in an afluent area, thats why 'some' kids have the cars they drive and kids dress and act in the manner they do, which is not schools, but society and their parents responsibility. The school itself was a great experience. As a child of African diplomats, divesity was not a big issue. There were Americans and there were a decent number of first generation Americans and foreign kids at the school. So there arent that many kids have a high melanin percentage in their skin. Montgomery county is in America, Whitman isnt in the minority when it comes to this. The sports programs and classes were a great experience, due to a diverse range of personalities of the faculty, some of whom I still maintain contact with. email away:oD
—Submitted by silas, a former student

An excellent school. Students who are motivated and take advantage of the learning environment are well prepared for any college or university in the country. Teachers work very hard to help all the students achieve their very best.
—Submitted by a former student

The quality of academic and extracurricular programs, the maintenance of facilities, and the teaching standards are all superb. I attended my freshman through junior years, 1997-2000, and in retrospect, no other public institution has awarded me so many opportunities. I want people to stop focusing on racial diversity when they criticize Whitman... The majority of my friends were foreign-born or first-generation American. They represented countries as diverse as India, Korea, Croatia, Albania, Brazil, Lebanon... There were many bi-lingual, bi-cultural people, myself included. Such diversity is priceless. However, there's an area where Whitman is very homogeneous, and that is status and expectation. Everyone is quite affluent and hoping to become Ivy League material. It can be suffocating. I played a varsity sport for one season and found the pressure too much. I think as long as you keep a healthy perspective on things, you can get a lot out of attending Whitman.
—Submitted by a former student

Diversity should not be narrowly defined as whites vs. non-whites. There are many international students at Whitman, amny of them from countries such as France, Croatia, Germany etc.
—Submitted by a parent

As a current student at WWHS i think its a great school, i am hispanic and i can say it does not have that BIG of a diversity, but through out the years that number has been increasing. The teachers/student relationships are great, students are able to talk to the teachers for extra help. There are many available Sports, and Art programs. Whitman has outstanding choral and band programs, which i am involved in. As a student i would say there is a lot of people with expensive cars and the latest in technolegy. Everyone is really dedicated to their studys, we have the highest scores in montgomery county, and 98% of whitman students graduate. It has a friendly and clean environment. In the years that i have been in WWHS (2 years) i have NEVER heard of people getting into fights or even seen. It is a great school no
—Submitted by a student