Fiorello H Laguardia High School of Music

After graduating from a JK-8 Manhattan private school, my son was very happy at LaGuardia. Everything about the school - teachers, students, academics, culture, opportunities, environment - was way beyond expectations. For kids with smarts, integrity, talent, focus and drive -- this is an excellent choice. My son is now at a top conservatory. And as alum parents, we continue to attend the incredible performances at the school.
--Submitted by a parent

I actually missed the auditions for this school, and I really want to find a way to audition before my sophmore year. I do attend another perfoming arts highschool but it is waaaaayy tooooo focused on academics and I only get ONE period of my major - which is DRAMA and I feel like the school is not focusing enough on the art...Does anyone know if it's possible for me to audition? :/ Help please!

The reputation of this school in the performing arts is excellent and the audition process to get in is highly competitive. The facilities and faculty in the performing and graphic arts are tops. The honors programs at the school are also very academically excellent. My daughter has had excellent teachers who have always challenged her and demanded much of her academically. The principal, Kim Bruno, is a recognized leader in arts education as evidenced by recent articles in the Los Angeles Times about how that city is trying very hard to lure her away to be the principal of their new flagship arts school. There is a very active parents group which raised over $300,000 last year and an active alumni association with a full time executive director with a substantial endowment. The negative side is that as a large school there is not much personal attention outside of the classroom. Parent teacher conferences are very brief and difficult to coordinate on the two assigned dates each year. The college counselor is very good but is spread very thinly over a large graduating class. But we were able to complete the college admissions process with results we were pleased with.
--Submitted by a parent

Wow! Igraduated from M & A 35 years ago today when we were still located on the "hill". Some of the current students comments were very insightful, while other comments sadden me. Yes, we were all artist and artistic in our own ways and that is what created our community back then. Graduating during America's bicentinnel made it an exicting year as I was a vocal major and performed quite frequently that year. With regards to the academic curriculum, at that time it was top notch. Not only did I graduate from M & A, my sister did. In fact that is where she met her husband of 41 years, as he attended the school also. Even my brother-in-law's sister graduated from M & A as well. We all received fine training and an excellent education and became productive citizens.

I'm currently a freshman, and I can honestly say after this year that I'm not interested in LaGuardia anymore. As someone said before, art has become a chore. Although my artwork has improved greatly, it isn't as fun and too technical. My classes aren't necessarily hard, but the time management is. I go in at 8 and get out at 3:15 or 2:30 every day, and it's draining and I have no time to balance homework, studying and sleep. Many of my teachers teach directly from the textbook, teach terribly and don't know what they're talking about. I travel from the southernmost part of Brooklyn. I feel like most of the kids here are full of themselves because they're in an "art" school and act very artificial. This may be in any high school but here it's amplified due to the studios. If you're not at least somewhat "hipster", you just don't quite fit in. I'm so sick of waking up at 5am and getting home at 5pm every day. I wish I had never come. I give it 3 stars because many others succeed here - just not me.
--Submitted by a student

LaGuardia offers excellent arts programs, but their academics are a joke. I graduated with below-Sophomore math classes, which has hurt my academic progress in college. Students do not get free periods; they take more art to fill those gaps, so if you attend LaGuardia, expect to be there from 8AM-3PM for four years. The teachers- paticularly art teachers- have experience in their field, and expect professional work. The students are a bit eccentric (they *are* artists, after all), and come from all backgrounds and areas of the city. Having 3-4 art classes a day became a chore. I didn't draw or paint anything for ten years after graduation. So, even though LaGuardia may have made me a better artist, it also made me despise art- the one thing I had always loved. It is located between a housing project and Martin Luther King High School. Just because Lincoln Center happens to be there doesn't make it a particularly safe neighborhood, particularly for transgendered and homosexual students. However, once they enter the LaGuardia building, they are accepted and safe. Overall, its a safe school (except for the mold in the air vents), and generally better than a zoned school would be.
--Submitted by a student

This is my first year. I'm happy enough, but I often feel as thought the school is draining the life and creativity out of me. The day is extremely long. the teachers are good, as are the academic programs. the classes aren't very challenging but school has never ben challenging for me. I don't really agree with the message: there is no community in this school. If you have a true passion for your major i don't know if it's the school for you. Doing art has become a chore, when it becomes school, it stops being fun.
--Submitted by a student

I go here as a Vocal Major & I gotta say that LaGuardia is absolutely amazing. Students & teachers here are so loving & caring. Even though it's a performing arts high school, it IS a specialized school and they really care about your schoolwork. It isnt all fun & games like some people think. Its hard work but it is amazing.
--Submitted by a student

Although there aren't cliques per se, the majors are pretty separated. The academics are just average. If you're the average student, you'll manage here just fine. The day is LONG, especially if you're a sophomore or a freshman, as you need to get all your years of math or whatever done. There are lots of floors and even though there are escalators, there's always at least one that doesn't work and they're constantly breaking. sure, everyone here is talented, but not extraordinary. It's a little overrated. A few of the teachers aren't too...well..."educated". But I still love the diversity of students and how it's an art school. The glamor sure wears off after awhile, though.
--Submitted by a student

I want to go here sooooo badly..didnt nicki minaj go here???!!!:@SDSADFWERGERGFDbwsjgbergbregberigb sorry random ^.^ ya......i need to get to highschool first lol. and i would have to move to new york since i am in the state below but i use to live in ny...moved actually a couple dayz agol. ILY QUEENZ!1