Having graduated from Havergal in 2009, I'm still a relatively young "Old Girl" (as they are called…read morebehind the ivy). Of course, everyone is going to have growing pains in high school, and private school is not any different. And obviously all-girls uniform private schools come with their own bumps in the road that take getting used to. It certainly will not be everyone's cup of tea.
But I thought that since I've been out for a few years now, I could probably have a few fair things to say about the school. First of all, my overall experience here (six years!) was positive. All things concerned, I had a pretty good time in high school. I know my life story is probably not something that should be airing out to dry on Yelp, so here's an objective point-by-point highlights reel, shall we say, of what I thought of Havergal.
Pros:
1) writing. This English department here really teaches how to write a proper essay. As anyone who had to wade through Shakespeare and Steinbeck undoubtedly knows, it isn't the most fun thing in the world. Clearly, I'm not jostling to write another examination of the themes in To Kill a Mockingbird. But all the practice I did in high school really set me up on my way to effective writing.
2) mathematics. I really appreciate how supportive the school is of the mathematics department. With accelerated math classes starting in grade eight, it's refreshing to see girls encouraged in math class. Extracurriculars were abundant too: math circles, math competitions, and math awards were all unabashedly endorsed. And I guess while being the math nerd is never cool, the fact that they were tolerated and even celebrated by their peers is a mark of how supportive the school was.
3) athletics. If Havergal did one thing right, it was pushing girls in athletics. The new athletic centre began and finished construction while I was at school, and it was pretty spectacular. I have about the physical ability of a disabled goose, so I was never really able to take full advantage of the athletics department at Havergal, but I could tell even from the outside that it was pretty sweet.
4) extracurriculars. Havergal had a lot of awesome clubs, teams, and activities. Students had free reign on how many and which to join. Photography, yearbook, publications, film, dance, community service, band, symphony, choir... the possibilities were very nearly endless.
5) class size and teacher availability. Classes were 20 students or fewer, and teachers always made an effort to be available for extra help if students needed it. The small class size was really helpful in staying engaged and feeling important. In the higher year discussion-based classes, class sizes were sometimes around 10 people, seated around a round table.
Cons:
1) science, science, science. Science was seriously lacking at Havergal. Not to say that the actual classes were bad--in fact, quite the contrary. The AP Biology class I took at Havergal was one of the most informative and enjoyable classes (albeit stressful) that I ever took in high school. However, science extracurriculars were mostly left under supported, despite interest. Not for lack of trying on the part of the science department--but higher administration did not allocate as many resources to the science extracurriculars as I would have liked.
2) more science. Similarly, while girls were aware of and encouraged to study business, arts, music, or even math, I doubt I ever heard the possibility of engineering brought up. Perhaps I was ignorant myself, but I did not even consider or even really know much about engineering until I had gotten to university. As one of the most prominent and popular professions, it's a shame that it isn't introduced as a serious possibility.
3) bureaucracy. At most institutions, there will be red tape to tread around, and Havergal is no exception. It was usually extremely difficult and frustrating to change something (even for teachers), especially if you did not have overwhelming support from administration. The administration could be quite obdurate in this sense.
When all the chips fall, I'm pretty happy that I spent six of my childhood years at Havergal. But then again, if you are thinking of sending your daughter here, it is a good idea to research the other schools also in COSSOT. I have no doubt that the other schools have their own merits; in the end, it probably just comes down to which school is a better individual fit.
