Walnut Hill School for the Arts

I am a parent of a ballet student and my daughter has completed her first year at Walnut Hill. My older daughter attended a top ten boarding school in CT ( Hotchkiss). I am very impressed by Walnut Hill and I think it is better in many ways than Hotchkiss, although it is also very different being an arts school. I disagree with the parent comment that the facilities are outdated. There are some schools ( like Hotchkiss or Andover) with fancier facilities but that's not what makes the quality of a school, At Walnut Hill the quality of the teachers, their concern and their competence is extremely high. Overall, the teachers at Hotchkiss were not better and were generally less inspiring and less dedicated, Also, I greatly appreciate that the teachers don't give ridiculously long hours of homework because they take into account the time the students spend on their arts. College admissions are very impressive at Walnut HIll with a very respectable number of students going every year to Ivy League schools and many more going to other highly selective colleges. All in all, a great school and I highly recommend it!
—Submitted by a parent

I graduated from this school last june after transfering their for my junior year, and I had the most amazing expeirience here! it truly is a remarkable place, with so many dedicated and talented individules, the teachers are really supportive and caring, and I am very happy I spent two years of my life at this school.
—Submitted by a student

My daughter transferred to this school after sophomore year and graduated last June. I found the quality of the academics to be very high and the teachers to be very supportive and responsive. There was a new head of school brought in during her senior year and he has been intent on making some changes, most of which seem to be for the better. The facilities are being upgraded and the appearance of the campus has improved. For my daugher, this school was a perfect fit because it enabled her to pursue her arts training at a very high level and her attitude toward academics improved considerably. The student body is unique in that they are very diverse (30% International) and artistic. This isn't for everyone, but my daughter felt very welcome here and loved it. The only negative for us was because it's a boarding school, scheduling college visits is much more challenging than if she had been at home.
—Submitted by a parent

My daughter attended this school last year. The academic and arts teachers were good. The administration and support staff left much to be desired. They seemed to be unfocused and appeared to utilize crisis management as opposed to good planning and execution. They seemed defensive when given feedback and made excuses instead of listening. The facilities are outdated and in need of repair.
—Submitted by a parent

My son attended the summer program and enrolled in the Fall. What an amazing place!
—Submitted by a parent

My daughter began attending this school as a sophomore this past year. She is extremely happy with her choice. Her academic teachers provide individualized attention and are caring and supportive. The arts training is intensive and has raised her skills to a new level. She is surrounded by talented artists in all the varying arts disciplines. The deans and administration are responsive and involved. Couldn't ask for more.
—Submitted by a parent

My son attended this school freshman and sophomore year. We decided to pull him from the institution as we have seen a significant decline in the administration and performing arts faculty. They just hired a Chief Information Officer to run the school. This gentleman has zero knowledge of performing arts and the difficulty of finding the right school and fit not to mention he doesn't have operational experience. I'm guessing he is a puppet for the board. They had a wonderful Head of School two years ago and fired her because she wanted to make significant changes to bring the school into leadership posiiton among it's competitors. I wish I could say I felt this was a good investment. Not at all. I strongly suggest you review Interlochen or Idyllwild.
—Submitted by a parent

This school is perfect. I recently graduated after four wonderful years. It is a very unique and special place, for lack of better words. The academic faculty is accommodating and supportive of each individual student. Arts faculty members get to know students well so that they get the most out of training. most most out of
—Submitted by a student

My daughter transferred to this school half-way through her junior year. This is a school for students who are very focused on an arts specialty. Students have to declare a major, music, drama, dance, writing or art. Students devote a large part of their day to pursuing their major. My daughter takes art courses for three hours most afternoons. The talent at this school is amazing. I think the music, dance and drama programs are especially impressive. I was worried a little about the academics, but my daughter has had a good experience in her classes. She tested out of PreCalculus and was encouraged to take Calculus in her junior year, something her old school would have never done. Her English teacher has been excellent too. The academics are a little less stressful than at some other prep schools, because of the intensity of the arts program.
—Submitted by a parent