A Graduation Speech by: Someone Who Did Not Earn Valedictorian or Salutatorian Freshman Year: Pimple Ridden. My freshman year was the first time I had witnessed a fellow classmate become sexually abused via a Chicago bus. Yo, what? Sophomore Year: Geometry Stricken. Junior Year: Trigonometry went swell. Senior Year: I met the one. I hope you're safe out there. Sometimes Chicago feels and looks like a grey jungle. Was I an individual or an outcast? This is something I still ponder to this day. It's hard to find love in a city filled with so many souls that are constantly rushing everywhere. Chill. Slow down. Enjoy the little things. Life is finite. Appreciate people. Give respect to earn it. Von taught me these life lessons. Thank you. Good luck to all future generations to come. GO PANTHERS! Sincerely, A 2013 Alumni P.S.: Special thanks goes to every teacher I had the honor and privilege of meeting between 2009 to 2013. The intelligence you shared was priceless. read more

Education, yes, respect and appreciation for a job well done. Athletics for females? Completely shocking that a school with female principal and vice principal provide so little support for the girls sports. The only time you will see them at a female sporting event is if there is another event happening simultaneously or afterward - so they make an appearance. The new Athletic Director (and boys baseball coach) Cott...there is not a shred of evidence that he cares in the slightest. Good place to learn and grow....and I guess it is a great example of what the young ladies may unfortunately face the rest of their lives. read more

Don't go here, the staff give you support freshman year and then they throw you to the wolves. Athletic department sucks.

Von doesn't provide support to their students what so ever. Staff and especially security guards think they are so much better and hold this superiority complex over their students. read more

The staff at Von Steuben are extremely disrespectful and do not consider students' feelings. Principal Stutton shows little to no care for the students; the only time it seemed to matter was when her daughter was graduating. The security guard, William, is consistently rude and creates problems with students for no valid reason. Pauly Edith is especially unprofessional--she mocks students and frequently disrespects them. This school claims to prioritize mental health, yet when students actually need support, it is rarely provided. Students' feelings are constantly dismissed and pushed aside. Von Steuben needs to do better. read more

My son graduated from Von a few years ago. He was enrolled in the Scholars Program there, which is accelerated. I think that overall, it was a great place for him. It's not a huge school, and the program itself is pretty small, which for him was just right. I think my son would say that he could have used more more challenging math, physics and computer science courses. He did take AP classes in those subjects, but it just wasn't enough. "Too much downtime and busywork," he always complained. Also, he was disappointed when the Latin classes were discontinued; he really enjoyed them. The Newsweek rating was a real honor, even when you consider that the publication excluded schools with selective entrance policies. I believe that some of the teachers at Von are among the best there are in the CPS system, which is why I recommend the school to families with bright children. read more

Von Steuben has so much to offer. It's a multi-cultural school, that is not too small and not too big in regards to number of attending students, has multiple school programs, honors programs, sports teams, work study, concert band(I will never forget Mr. Alexander!!), choir and more. On top of it's many amenities are it's teachers and faculty who have mastered the art of listening and educating at a keep it simple approach. I believe the building should become a national landmark for it's beautiful artwork! After graduating more than 16 yrs ago, I still keep in touch with my classmates from Von. I'm not surprised that a majority of them are outstanding citizens who are successful hardworking professionals at companies like Abbott labs, Motorola, United Airlines, GE, Equity Residential, Accenture, Microsoft as well as state & federal offices(a lot more of course). I will always remember Von and will always think very highly of it. read more

I graduated from Von in the Scholars Program in 2006, with Mollye P in fact, but unfortunately I do not have quite as many positive things to say about it as she does. A big positive is the diversity. As a kid who went to a very tiny, not at all diverse private grade school, Von helped me learn more about other cultures and people from different styles of life in general. The ridiculous amount of culture clubs was pretty great, and the event each year dedicated to them was really fun too. There were two advisers for my year, and students were randomly assigned to one or the other... unfortunately, the one I was assigned to did very little work. However, the other would happily take on any students that requested her help, and she was the reason I took the classes I did, and wasn't required to take any language classes in college. For the most part, the classes were good, but as I became an upperclassman and we had more options in our classes, it became clear that of the options, only a few of them were actually honors classes. If you wanted honors or AP upper level classes, you were pretty much restricted to AP hard sciences, or AP world history or English. Behavioral sciences wasn't offered at the honors or AP level, and neither were the other classes I was interested in taking. As a result, my junior and senior years were mostly filled with classes I had no interest in, but needed in order to stay in the scholars program. While I got a good education and was very prepared for the college I'm about to graduate from (UIUC), I wish there had been more options to branch out. read more

Hi I'm a senior here at Von in 2020 and let me tell you don't let these people fool you. This school is so unhelpful in many ways. Unless you get straight A's or are in many clubs your counselors and teachers will just throw you under the bus. My counselor hasn't helped me at all. Von is very disorganized and only cares about top students please don't send your kid here. The counselors are barely available. The math teachers who teach HONORS MATH can't teach and almost all the clubs are either sports or dance related. Von does very little for preparing its students for academic success. I know that school is what you make of it but if you got into an honors program at any other school in CPS go there and not here. The only teacher from this school who actually had his stuff together is Mr. Hernandez. He was the only teacher I had who genuinely cared about every student and wanted everyone to succeed. The other teachers however just a see their job as a pay check and don't help their students that much. Please don't send your kid here. read more

This is the most incredible school if your child is a diverse learner. I am a special education teacher and cannot express the amazing sped dept at this school. I do not work here but have witnessed first hand how this school is genuine and has old school values. No gangs and everyone is kind! read more

My son attends Von Steuben in the Scholars program. He is a sophomore this year, and came from a VERY small private school where many of the kids have been together since they were 3 or 4.His transition to VSMSC was seamless. I was bowled over by the whole experience. He met kids on the orientation day prior to school and has been friends ever since. The teaching staff he has been exposed to has that quality I look for - they are engaged with the students, they know their students, they appreciate the quirky characteristics of each individual student. They go above and beyond to work with a kid who is struggling, (whether the kid realizes it or not). They are open to communication with the parents. In short, they are passionate about teaching and it shows. The school itself is a beautiful, clean, lovely facility. The kids respect the teachers, staff, building, &each other. The Scholars program is a great place for my son, he loves science, math & engineering. He has been in engineering classes both years. He is challenged WITHOUT being OVERWHELMED and there is only healthy competition. The pressure level is one of encouragement and growth, not STRESS. read more

Wow, I was surprised to see this school rated already! Why not!? This school has been SOO incredibly nice to me so far. Being an itinerant teacher, it sucks coming into a new place and having no one help you. EVERYONE here has been so nice here to me, and have even given me my own room!!!!! That's high class for me, as I'm usually sitting in the hall ways, or lunch room. Not really acoustically sound for working with deaf/hard of hearing kids. Anyway, a special place for those who work here with me! YOU ROCK! read more

There is a place for every student at Von Steuben. The diversity is astounding, and that fact alone should make every urban parent want to take a look. My son is a sophomore, and attended a very highly regarded elementary school. I am impressed with the efforts the school makes to make every child feel welcomed and valued. There is a level of attention to each student's success and a culture of nurturing that is perfect for my son. He absolutely loves the school and his teachers, and so do I. I have an older son who is at Northside, which has been a fine school for him, but would not have worked for my younger son. The stats for a school like Northside are seductive, but there is more to life than statistics. The idea that ratings alone indicate quality is limiting. I urge all parents to give Von Steuben a closer look. Visit, and you might be surprised at what you find! read more

Von Steuben is one of the best Chicago Public High Schools. They have a dedicated staff. In particular, the counseling department. Each counselor & even the counselor's assistants care deeply about each student. They take the time required to give individual attention to every student at Von. Getting young people prepared to succeed after high school with a caring touch. read more

Centipede on my shoe and it scared me and I got really upset because I'm afraid and I do not comprehend much stuff but when it came I just got really upset and did not like the quality of the neviornmwnt that I am in read more

I was enrolled in the Scholars Program at Von and everything that I learned there has helped me through college so far. I just finished my freshman year and I met a lot of new people but hardly anyone had the AP test opportunites or the amazing teachers that I had at Von. Von is, the last time I checked, the most diverse high school in the city of Chicago. Because of this diversity, I learned about many cultures and personalities. We had so many clubs and organizations that really pushed me to take a leadership position and be active. Even International Day and Night taught me so much more about the world and life. I go to college in Indianapolis and I thought that it being a somewhat big city that it would be diverse and what I learned is that it lacks so much diversity, which has actually hindered what I've learned there. I totally feel that as much as the actual academics, which, if you choose the right classes and programs, can teach you so much and give you huge opportunites in college, the level of diversity at Von teaches the students so much more than I ever thought was possible. The teachers that I had there were always amazing and always pushing and encouraging the students to do better and to be the best they possibly can be. My first year of college made me realize how lacking many other high schools are in that respect and how that is more important than the academics. Academicly, Von offers almost all AP tests and really does prepare the students for college and the real world. The one thing that Von makes you realize is how much the rest of the world is lacking in diversity and culture, and how much better things would be if people were more accepting towards others and culturally aware. Honestly, I wish I could go back to Von and personally thank all of my teachers for what they've taught me because it was much more than math, science, english, etc. But from what I remember, Von has some AMAZING teachers and faculty and they do offer more academic choices than many other schools. read more

My son is a junior there so I'm rating it as a parent. Good: exceptionally quirky, original, and mult-culti student body (no one strives to pigeonhole themselves into ill-fitting suburbanesque "All-American" stereotypes), good scholars program for kids who can and want to excel, beautiful building, a manageable student body size (around 1600). Meh: sports and arts programs. Can't win-em-all: only sporadic help for students on 504 and IEP plans - especially if they're incredibly bright but totally unfocused. This magnet school (selective enrollment for scholars' program) is one of those hidden Chicago gems that is well worth checking out. It's a real solid alternative to the anonymity and freakishly large Lane or the well-run but expensive Catholic high schools (especially if you aren't Christian). Reported test scores do not paint the entire picture of what this school (or any other CPS high school - including the high-achieving "pressure-cooker" schools) is really all about. read more

I attended this school as well and just graduated recently. This school produces some of the best people. Off campus lunch is so handy and allows you to discover local eateries and its courtyard has to be one of my favorite places in the world. I really loved this school and some of the teachers were just amazing. There were of course a few bad ones every once and a while, but I met the most amazing pepole and I dont know what I would have done if I hadent gone here. read more

Von Stueben is a hidden treasure in the CPS school district. We have a child who is a freshman in the Scholars Program. The Scholars Program is small so each child gets lots of individual attention and an opportunity to develop close relationships with the teachers. The teachers are dedicated and the communication between school personnel and parents is easy and responses are prompt. We are also pleased with the amount of information provided about scholarship/job opportunities. The Scholars curriculum is accelerated and includes AP classes. In short, the school is great. We love it. read more

Von Steuben has a great history. It's funny how we look at it as a high school situated in today's world, but back before WW2 in the late 30s, my father also attended school there. He went on the become a 'Pioneer of Television' on NBC. He always looked back by forever crediting the school's superb teachers and leadership programs that gave him direction in life - even during wartime. From VS he went to Northwestern, then to UCLA and Harvard. After ther war, he settled at Yale teaching Geography while also hosting a fascinating show on NBC for 16 years where he discussed politics and other issues. Once in the 70s when we visited Chicago, he took me to see the school.. he was proud to have gone there. So I just wanted to say that it has always been a great school. And I just checked in to see if it was one of the 50 recently closed in Chicago to save $$. Hats off to Von Steuben and to the many fine teachers and professionals who all have spent their careers there, teaching kids.. like my father. read more