Olney Adventist Preparatory

This is in my opinion the best adventist school in the Maryland DC metor area. While there is a religious bent, they don't sacrifice quality education. The school is benefitted by the fact that there are tons of incredibly involved parents who will not accept anything less that a great education for their children. Teacher quality is very good. I can not speak much about the upper school as my children only went through 6th grade. I feel the school prepared our oldest very well for the school she attended after leaving. I recommend this school highly. We have had 2 children attend. One went from First Though sixth and is now about to attend High School and the Other is currently there and has been there from first through third.
--Submitted by a parent

We have 3 children at this school and this is our second year. Teachers and curriculum are excellent.
--Submitted by a parent

My wife and I are parents of a first grader at Olney Prep. He started in Kindergarten there and our family has loved it ever since. I agree with all of the reviews of the lower school. We have had two excellent teachers and have become acquainted with the 2nd - 5th grade teachers. All appear to be well-qualified, dedicated, and in tune with the academic, emotional, and spiritual needs of their students. I have also talked with other parents in the K-5th grades and universally I have heard only positive (extremely positive) things. Like the others who have said that they will reserve judgement on the upper school (6th-8th) I will as well until our son gets there. The facilities are clean and well managed. The faculty (as well as the administration and staff) are top-notch. The classrooms are well-managed and the student-teacher ratio is about 15:1. 5 Stars!
--Submitted by a parent

Reviews are strange things. They reflect information not only on the institution, but also on the person giving the review. So here goes. My child has been attending Olney Prep for the last four years and has grown exponentially for it. Her self-esteem, her ability to discuss matters with her teachers and advocate for herself is amazing. My interaction with Admin, teachers and other staff has been positive and respectful. In spite of the need for aesthetic upgrades the teachers are qualified not only from an academic viewpoint, but also from an emotional level. Students are treated with respect. I am pleased to have my child attend Olney Adventist Prep. School.
--Submitted by a parent

I was quite surprised by the perspectives expressed in the April 29, 2008 and September 10, 2007 reviews. Our family is new to Olney Adventist Preparatory, but everything we've experienced so far indicates that the school is superbly managed, with high parental involvement and attention to students' safety and wellbeing. The principle strikes us as a person with a vision for the school and a profound love of what she is doing, who supports her staff well (a good sign as this isn't always the case). The grounds, while modest, are absolutely clean and everything is in good order. I'll post another review in some months after we've become more involved with the school, and observed how our son is doing and the kind of education he seems to be getting.
--Submitted by a parent

Poor structure, teachers not qualified enough, not enough structure in classrooms, no discipline, parents urged strongly NOT to send their children here. I took my child out in the 5th grade because she was subjected to poor education when we were made to pay for private quality education.
--Submitted by a parent

The rating and comment given on 9/10/07 are far from the truth. In fact, I can only guess that the parent disagreed with some policy and decided to vent. In our experience the school (lower level) has been excellent. Teachers are well trained, hands on, and bring out the best in every student. Although we are biased, we believe it's the best private school in the area.
--Submitted by a parent

School is very poorly managed and academics are not up to par for a private school; I have 3 children who attended, 2 for 2 years and 1 for 6.
--Submitted by a parent

We have two children at this school. We have been extremely pleased with the lower school. It is excellent in all ways! The teachers tune in to the capabilities of each child and help them excel. The child(ren) are allowed to move on academically if they show they are able. The teachers spend one on one time and really go 'above and beyond.' We have one child in 5th this year and moving into the middle school next year. We are holding off opinion on the middle school until we have experienced it for ourselves.
--Submitted by a parent

Olney Prep has a top notch lower school! Their upper school is very marginal at best. Three of our four children have gone there including two that are graduates. We have opted not to put our fourth child there due to serious concerns over the upper school's problems.
--Submitted by a parent