Reviews of Solebury School (School)

Cheryl Neas

My daughter has just finished her first term of seventh grade, and she is SO happy here. She loves nearly everything: the campus and environment, her classes, her teachers, her friends, even the food. She attended a Montessori elementary school so we had some concerns about her transition to a more traditional classroom and Solebury has been the perfect place for her to make that transition and to be supported through any bumps.

ap pr

Decent school, some excellent teachers, nice and fairly diverse student population. But the boarding program has some significant negatives. There is a kind of mandatory boarding curriculum enforced against the boarders, recently introduced by the school, and not enjoyed and more resented by most of the boarding students, that is somewhat angrily enforced by the head dorm parent as seemingly more important than the boarders' health, happiness, or academics. Most of the boarding students find it very intrusive and even stressful. They get "strikes" whenever they don't conform and the strikes add up to punishments and discipline, even potentially serious discipline. Including "strikes" against boarders, leading to discipline against boarders, for things like being 2 minutes late to check in at the dining hall on a weekend morning, even if they have a stomach virus or the flu. Best to be a day student here, to avoid the boarding aspect and avoid all of that stress and complication, and use your free time in however it serves your particular personal situation best. Because as a day student, it is a very good school overall, all-around.

Amy Chen

A really friendly boarding environment. There are people who will be there for you no matter what. Support is always there it’s really a beautiful thing.

Emily Braun

Thank you Solebury School for being a place that feels like home. The boarding program is amazing, and so is the school itself. Solebury is an awesome place!

B T

Solebury School is far from diverse and welcoming, contrary to what they tout. Teachers and faculty all follow a very narrow-minded set of expectations in terms of politics, social values, and what they deem to be acceptable by their standards. Those that contradict what these "norms" are often targeted by teachers, mistreated, and discouraged from sharing or standing in their beliefs or values. Administrators tend to turn a blind eye to those they disagree with or personally have a quarrel with in order to deflate the confidence of students. For the price of $50,000/year for boarding students, the amenities provided are sub-par in comparison to alternative boarding school options, whether it be food, appliances, or entertainment available. Facilities are dated, dorm furniture and infrastructure is orphanage quality, at best, and the principle of teachers sharing the same housing as students is quite mind boggling, considering Solebury's checkered past... Select faculty and staff have a tendency to play favorites and frequently cross the line of being strictly educators/administrators, as the school's checkered past can quite evidently expose. Notably, using school vehicles to take kids out to lunch. Additionally, rumors were rampant about the then athletic director having had an affair with a student, which only years later turned out to be truthful. Considering how involved teachers were and how crucial they made it to be involved in every aspect of students lives, these rumors went unacknowledged or ignored. Solebury School will not prepare students for the real world outside of the bubble in which this school exists and isolates itself. Whether it be social values, political discussion, or even preparation to be an independent young adult - this is not the place to grow up. Save your $50,000+/- and put it towards a college tuition.

Donna Jagiela

Great high school kids love to learn there

Eden Biskin

Caring, supportive teachers, challenging curriculum, relaxed, accepting atmosphere. Great school!

Olga Vannucci

Solebury has been great for my son. It's a wonderful, supportive environment, and he's been able to do well academically with progressively more difficult classes, and to pursue his interests, including film and theater. He has made films, acted, and even written and directed a play.

Cathy Block

My daughter had a wonderful experience at Solebury and received a great education.

jenn Burns

Solebury really IS what school should be. My son applied because he knew he was missing something important in his education - engagement. Solebury's teachers are THE BEST at finding that spark and igniting that love of learning and getting every kid involved in some fashion. Three years of growth and progress; graduation and college on the horizon - what more can a mom of a teenaged boy ask for?

Sherry Goulding

This school was definitely a game changer for my daughter. Not only did she excel academically, she also excelled on a personal level. Everyone is embraced at Solebury School for who they are and what they can contribute to the world. When a child feels like their voices are heard and they can be themselves, a new level of confidence emerges. From the faculty to the staff, this school truly feels like a big loving family (without any dysfunction-haha). I've never experienced anything like it. I'm so glad my daughter had the honor of attending Solebury School.

Sara Bizarro

What a dream school! We are really happy our son was able to attend this school, the friendly environment, the excellence in education and the preparation for life are truly extraordinary. I would give more than 5 stars if I could!

Zoe Sharpe

Let me just say that being a student here for 3 years now has been a serious blessing for me. When I first came here in 9th grade, I was shy, sad, and awkward. It took awhile for me to warm up, like any 9th grader, but once I did I was so happy. I'll admit that the boarding program has some flaws, but that does not mean it's awful. Everything has flaws, and coming in with the expectation that everything has to be perfect is just unrealistic. This school, as a whole, gives you multiple opportunities to grow as a person and as a productive member of society. For example, there are multiple chances throughout the year to be involved in the community, including JC Committee, Proctorship, Sherpas, and Academic Committee. The boarding community is a accepting, helpful place, and it only grows better every year. Holmquist, the girl's dorm, has a fabulous dorm head, a home-like feel, and helpful and caring dorm parents. You can really connect with the teachers, and by graduation I can confidently say I am very close with them. I really love it here, and I hope you'll come visit if you're thinking of coming here!

Rebecca Thane

Some really great teachers there and amazing resources but the environment as a whole isn't as loving and supporting as they paint it out to be. When I applied for the school they advertised it as a very welcoming and friendly institution where everyone was able to find their own little niche in the community. This was very far from the case for me. When I arrived at the school three or four other new kids arrived along with me. Every single one of them was received with a warm welcome by the student body except for me. Even when I confided in school staff about the issue they said they noticed the same thing. I am not an awkward or anti social kid by any means. I have never had issues making friends in any of my other schools and was often a well liked individual amongst my peers, but at Solebury I felt alienated. I resorted to using my phone to talk to my friends back home and distanced myself from the community since no one seemed to take an interest in me. I was constantly lectured and my mom was called every week or so about my constant use of the phone (may I add this was never during class always in MY FREE TIME). Solebury was practically reprimanding me for isolating myself because their very own students who they always claimed were "the kindest and most supportive" wouldn't accept me. Eventually after three weeks I was able to establish a friend group but I was still known as "the girl on her phone" by many students and staff. It was honestly humiliating. In addition to that issue my roommate was a vindictive bully. She constantly reported things to school staff about me that were not true or were extremely exaggerated in hopes of getting me in trouble (she had a single room but I transferred in the middle of the year and I took that away from her which is a completely understandable reason for making my life miserable....not).She always made horrible remarks about me behind my back and when I tried to switch roommates I was told there was no space for me to go. As time went on it continuously got worse and I once again confided in the administration only to be told that I needed to make more effort to be friends. They basically did nothing as I was terrorized by my roommate for months. The only other problem I had at Solebury was finals week or as students refer to it "hell week". The work is IMMENSE... even for me (and I was in a very rigorous academic setting in my previous school). I was assigned to write nearly 40 pages worth of essays for finals week and the school makes you do an afternoon activity Mon-Fri that takes up most of your afternoon so it was very hard to stay on task. Overall the school has very good instructors and the curriculum is very interactive yet the environment caused my mental/emotional health to deteriorate so rapidly throughout the semester that I don't even know if it was worth it. This is my personal experience at this institution I am not saying this will be any prospective students' experiences but I am giving this review to let people know the potential risks of attending the Solebury School.

Sagefrog Marketing

Solebury School has transformed our shy middle schooler into a confident young adult with unlimited potential.