Hawken School High

Hawken school is amazing! I looked at many of the top public schools in the area as well as other private schools and there is no comparison! The attention and consideration that goes into the programming is exceptional. The faculty go above and beyond to know each child as an individual learner and to make the most of each child's individual talents. Hawken is the best decisions we have made for our daughter!
--Submitted by a parent

The Hawken School community is really terrible. They make you think that they have you and your child's best interests in mind, however, they do not care about you at all. The community is pathetic and Hawken School is really pathetic. Do not send your children here.
--Submitted by a parent

I am a Hawken graduate as well as a prospective "consumer" with two children entering the world of NAIS/CCIS schools. (I am moving back to Cleveland after 20 years away.) As the last reviewer noted, the impact of the Hawken experience is substantial and lasting. My parents enrolled me at Hawken School after I struggled in the local public schools from K-6. (A typical critique was "too smart for his own good"). At Hawken I was taught by a caring and engaged faculty and found a sense of goodwill and support for each student that I've come to recognize as truly exceptional. I matriculated and graduated from one of the most competitive universities in the US and have since gone on to earn an MBA from another top-tier school. Financially, I am now in a position to send my own children to a school like Hawken. It is an investment that I take very seriously. My family is not wealthy, we are not socially "connected", I have no connection to Hawken other than my own experiences there. However, after interacting with 20+ independent schools in the last 2 years - in Cleveland & the SF Bay - I can say with confidence that Hawken remains an exceptional institution. Go see it for yourself.
--Submitted by a parent

I speak from the experience of being the parent of three children who went to Hawken School. The proof is in the pudding: They are went to top tier universities, earned BAs, an MBA, multiple MAs, and a PhD among them. They are all currently well employed and well adjusted in life. All this I owe to Hawken School and its dedicated faculty, staff, and administration. Parents considering Hawken should simply visit there, take the tour, ask questions, and see for yourself. You will be absolutely amazed. I am an educator myself, with a MEd from a top ranked university and I know of what I speak. Hawken School is absolutely the choice for the student who is intelligent, self-motivated, engaged and invested in his or her own education, and who wishes to be challenged to reach his fullest potential. If you are reading this, you are a thinking person. Go to Hawken and see for yourself. And do meet Head of School Scott Looney, who is a forward thinking visionary who has his finger on the pulse of education in America today, and who has already taken Hawken to new heights. Outstanding teaching, dynamic leadership, and a stunning physical plant are only part of the story....
--Submitted by a parent

I don't agree at all with the previous review giving Hawken a poor grade. The school is exempary in all aspects and takes the "fair play" motto to heart. My daughters are receiving experiential learning and go to class with challenging peers which expands the depth and breadth of their learning. The school and administration are both responsive and proactive with the student body and parents.
--Submitted by a parent

School has been a great failure for my children. Academics are inferior to the public school we transferred from and school is run by an elitist group of families that make the "fair play" motto ironic. Leadership is pompus and disinterested in constructive feedback or ways to improve the school. Please dont waste your money on this second rate insitution. It is so weak, our kids need to be tutored in math to catch up to the public school children. We will remove our child in the middle of the school year.
--Submitted by a parent

i have been attending hawken since the 6th grade. ive loved it ever since. it is an awesome environment and all there are so nice. this creates a great learning opportunity, especially since all of the teachers are so great. though the school just hasn't been the same since mr. looney became headmaster
--Submitted by a student

Hawken School is a fantastic school. They teach the children not only rigorous academics, but also a good deal on civic responsibility. I have no doubt that Hawken reinforces what we teach at home, which will help make my children be the best that they can be.
--Submitted by a parent

My son entered Hawken in the 9th grade and received a stellar education that led to several Ivy League admittance letters. He had always been a committed student and Hawken proved to be the best possible place for him. Excellent school; they know what's important.
--Submitted by a parent

It definitely prepared my girls for the real world. It was very challenging and it gave them a foundation to be successful.
--Submitted by a parent