Laurel School

Our daughter visited both Laurel and HB, and to our surprise she chose Laurel (despite the less impressive campus). She told us that Laurel was more welcoming, and even during her visit, they treated her like one of them. Coming from a traditional school where they were quizzed daily and were given lots of homework, at first we were uncomfortable with the infrequency of tests, emphasis on real world projects, and de-emphasis on grades (at least in Middle School). But you know what, despite all these, she continued to score well on standardized testing, and is now an even more well-rounded girl who knows how to write essays and position papers, do research, prepare powerpoint presentations, defend her positions, properly reference sources, etc. I am most impressed by the visionary Head of School (she is truly ahead of her time), the amazing Director of Center for Research on Girls (we attend all her seminars as we always learn something!), and the amount of attention we have received from my daughter's teachers whenever we had a question or expressed any concern. Our daughter has chosen well and we couldn't be happier with her decision. Good luck to all parents!
—Submitted by a parent

LAUREL SCHOOL IS AMAZING. i spent 6 years there and could not be happier. of course some teachers were great and others weren't..just like at any school. there have been a lot of renovations to the building including a totally new lunch room and kitchen. the community and sisterhood built at this school is everlasting. i recommend it to any girl.

The building is old and outdated, the lunches suck, and this is a less prestigious version of Hathaway Brown. The school is definitely second and tier and absolutely DO NOT send your daughter here if she is an athlete. She will waste her good talent at this sub-par school.
—Submitted by a parent

I love Laurel! The teachers are so nice, and I could fit in with the girls unlike the ones at HB. Everyone is so nice.

Hated this school. the teachers were horrific, the people were ooook.... the building was not nice.

My daughter left Laurel in 2003. The FIRST consideration in my view is how does the student feel about the school(my daughter loved Laurel) after a visit. Private schools in this area are very competitive and the academics are strong. Laurel is blessed with possibly the best English Lit teacher in the area(and had some other strong teachers in this area). Although in math it was not uniformly strong it had multivariable calculus taught by a strong teacher. I am not aware of this level of math offering at any other school there but it has been some years. One of the best science teachers you could hope for has since left so I'm not up on that now though others were very good. Laurel is gifted with language teachers-phenomenal. But respect your daughter's instincts. She's the one who has to spend the years there. Does it feel good to her?
—Submitted by a parent

For high school, I looked at both Hathaway Brown and Laurel. I couldn't be happier that I chose to come to Laurel! Laurel has made me a confident, worldly, and overall well-rounded young woman. Had I chosen to go to HB, I know I would not be half the person I am today!

Laurel School has a nice facility, a warm inviting environment, and some quality teachers. However, Laurel School is lacking when it comes to student safety and taking legitimate student concerns seriously. At times the teachers treat the students very well and at other times they neglect the students significantly (physical and academic). They do not help the individual student reach their full potential, they do not provide more challenging material when the student is ready for it - they let them coast. Laurel School offers a full after school program but the teachers are not required to know the material before teaching the after school class and there are times when there is not enough student supervision. The head of the school speaks eloquently, but not necessarily genuinely.
—Submitted by a parent

Laurel School provides an incredibly diverse and nurturing environment to girls from all walks of life who want to 'Dream, Dare, Do'. The faculty is first-rate, and they take pride in their ability to work with girls with academic challenges, as well as the brightest of the class. I can't say enough about how much it helped my ADHD daughter thrive in the kind of learning environment it provided.
—Submitted by a parent

I am extremely impressed at how each girl is allowed to be herself, be that as quirky of conservative. I feel the other private schools in the area have more of a cookie cutter approach. Its hard to believe but each girl gets individualized attention, and competes with herself and is never compared to a 'norm' which I dont believe exists.
—Submitted by a parent

My daughter is in her second year at Laurel and in the upper school. She absolutely loves the school. It is extremely demanding and challenging, with very rigorous course offerings, but at the same time relaxed and nurturing. Each girl is looked at as a whole person and balance is emphasized between academics and the rest of life. The teachers are very supportive and available, and the school is flexible in meeting each students individual needs. The school is very well resourced and the girls have many opportunites not available elsewhere such as the Butler campus. In addition, the people there are just nice, from the students, faculty and staff. My daughter has felt very welcomed, even being a new student last year. Also as a parent, the atmosphere is very welcoming. We are very pleased with our choice to send our daughter to Laurel.
—Submitted by a parent

The Head of School is an inspirational leader. It is a very diverse community with a very dedicated faculty. The academic rigor is paired with a support system to ensure that the girls' work at their optimum potential.
—Submitted by a parent

We relocated to Cleveland 3 years ago and enrolled our daughter in Laurel. The people in this community are so welcoming. The academics are top-notch and the faculty understands all aspects of girls' education. The students are kind and accepting of those not from the Cleveland establishment. This was very important to us as a family. Our daughter is thriving and is receiving a superb education. Thank you, Laurel!
—Submitted by a parent

This is my second year at Laurel. The students and teacher are great. The environment is great. There has been an increase in the variety of athletics and arts being offered. I looked at almost all of the other highschools in the area, and I am greatly pleased with my decision to attend to Laurel.
—Submitted by a student

Laurel school is absolutely out of this world great...yep, the cost is hard on us, but our daughter is worth it...Down to earth environment that reaches out to ALL the young ladys.
—Submitted by a parent

I have two children attending the Primary School at Laurel School. It is an awesome school with a nurturing environment, excellent educational teaching, and top-notch leadership. If you are considering a private school in the Shaker Heights area, there's not a better school than the Laurel School.
—Submitted by a parent

There has been a lot of administrative turnover, current one is fairly weak. Does not seem to be a lot of leadership. It seems that teachers are leaving left and right. Not sure if it is so much better to warrant the cost...not sure if it is better at all. Our daughter loves it. We are torn every year. Envirnonment is great for the students just not the parents.
—Submitted by a parent

Laurel had always been the leading school among the private girl's schools in the cleveland area as well as the state of ohio. It's students went on to dizzying heights in academia. However, under the new head mistress, the school has fallen precipitously in virtually all areas.
—Submitted by a parent

I love Laurel so much! It is a great environment for learning, but in a way, lacks a little bit in athletics.
—Submitted by a student

Laurel is an amazing place for girls. My daughter has grown so much here.
—Submitted by Maria Shinn Bouck, a parent