Adlai E Stevenson High School in Lake Zurich, Illinois

“Great academic opportunities. Small class sizes considering large size of school. Very high percentage of students go to college- many entering with large amounts of AP credit. Deserves to be rewarded for achieving such excellence.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“It shows excellence in every way from excurricular activities to sports to academics! Stevenson is a beautiful modern school with exceptionally disciplined and talented kids.”
This review was posted by a student.

“The staff and teachers here are not very helpful at times.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“The teachers are dedicated, and most of them have masters degrees in their subject. That, of course, means that there are so many different opportunities, no matter what you want to do with your education. This school is definitely one of the best.”
This review was posted by a student.

“This is the best high school in the country. There is no doubt about that. It allows kids of all learning levels succeed. Everyone at Stevenson is involved in at least one thing at school, whether it be a club, a sport, or just helping kids out in GIVE or KEY club.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“I have 3 sons at this school and all of them are very happy with the education they are recieving and we are very impressed with teh quality of teachers and the programs they have at this school. I would highly recommend any parent to sent thier kid to this school.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“I graduated many years ago from Stevenson and now am a teacher myself. To sit in staff meetings and have principals refer to SHS as a model school, well.. it is amazing. Stevenson made college seem like a breeze, and as a teaher, I'm proud to say I came from such a well known school. Although the teachers and student population have changed, I have not met a highschool that prepares it's students as well for the real world as Stevenson. Thank You!”
This review was posted by a student.

“Stevenson is amazing! Everybody always says that it's too big or that it's too hard and at first it may seem that way, but it really isn't. After spending several months at Stevenson, it seems quite small in size actually. At first, you feel a lot of pressure academically because it is so different from middle school. The teachers are very helpful with this and are usually more than happy to help you out. It is an amazing opportunity to be able to go to Stevenson and I think that in the end, it is going to give me so much more for my future than I could recieve any where else.”
This review was posted by a student.

“Way to big lot of mean people. teachers do not connect at all with students. my son went there and was tormented. DO NOT SEND YOUR KIDS HERE”
This review was posted by a parent.

“I couldn't have enjoyed my time at Stevenson more. I was never at the top of my class or the top of the social scale however, all of the opportunities provided at Stevenson gave me the opportunity to find my niche and found people to connect to. There are so many things to get involved in to make the world smaller and thus, the school becomes a more comfortable place. I was able to connect to at least one teacher a year and keep in touch with them and use them as resources. Going to Stevenson prepared me well for university life socially and academically. I can't imagine having gone to high school anywhere else. I consider myself so lucky everyday for the friends and memories I made during high school.”
This review was posted by a student.

“Stevenson is a very fine school, although it is very large. It has won the Blue Ribbon Award of Excellence, as did Warren Township High School which is also very large.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“Having graduated several years ago from SHS, I feel very privileged to have received such an excellent education in such an accommodating environment. The facilities are world-class in every aspect, the administration is efficient, and the teachers are simply outstanding. As an education major, I have come to appreciate how fortunate I was in receiving my high school education. The faculty push and expect students to excel, most often achieving their goals. The only drawback I experienced as a student was that due to the level of academic excellence at SHS, there was a rather competitive atmosphere among the students. Whereas I would have easily placed in the top 10% at any surrounding schools, my 3.5 GPA placed me somewhere more along the 30th percentile. However, many colleges (especially midwestern schools) recognize this paradox and often relax their admissions standards because of Stevenson's exceptional reputation.”
This review was posted by a former student.

“This school is amazing. My Children find it a challenge, but enjoy the curricular! The teachers are amazing! I wish all schools were like this especially the midddle school.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“Adlai E Stevenson High School is in a league of its own. The faculty is absolutely remarcable and the facilities are world class. Stevenson as Dan Larsen said is a 'concept.' Although some of the best teachers such as Carol Levin and Senor Martinez are leaving, there are great young teachers such as Zizzo, Conneen and Larsen. The social studies department at Stevenson is amazing! Additionally, math and science is excellent. There's no better school to go to in the North Shore. Also, the students are very respectful and are able to interact in open environments without much guidance from rules and security guards.”
This review was posted by a student.

“Stevenson is the only high school in Illinois to receive four Blue Ribbon Awards for Excellence in Education from the U.S. Department of Education. SHS won the award in 1987, 1991, 1998, and 2002. Stevenson also received the U.S. Department of Education's New American High Schools Award in 1998. Newsweek and U.S. News and World Report have ranked Stevenson among the top 100 high schools in America, with Newsweek selecting SHS for the fourth time in 2005. Stevenson is included annually in the School Watch and School Match listings of schools that offer features most sought by parents. Stevenson offers more than 200 courses in communication arts, mathematics, science, social science, foreign languages, fine arts, applied arts and physical welfare. Classes are taught by a talented and experienced corps of teachers, three-fourths of them with a master's degree or more.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“good school. large. has clubs for everyone”
This review was posted by a parent.

“My neice attends this school and its a great school for learning. Alot of students, and they have tough subjects and expect alot of the kids. No blow off school. Great education.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“This schoold is a very Great School and has one of the nicest people not only enroled but teaching also.”
This review was posted by a student.

“very cool school. Has an olympic size pool even.”
This review was posted by a student.

“Academic programs and arts are phenomenal at this school. My only complaints are concerning the competitive environment the schools' excellence at times created.”
This review was posted by a former student.

“Stevenson provides exceptional learning opportunities for students of all abilities through its core curriculum and abundance of special interest topics. Our graduated children expressed that the caliber of academics, arts, sports and variety of extracurricular activities provided an excellent foundation for their college endeavors. They feel that their interests exceeded those from other high schools and their preparedness for the academic rigors of Big Ten universities was vastly superior to that of others.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“Stevenson is a country of its own, much larger than many small university campuses. It's true that hundreds of visitors a month travel through the halls, without explanation, watching and observing, often leaving students to feel like animals in a zoo. Having graduated with High Honors a few years ago, my feelings on Stevenson are mixed. It's true that sports are impossible to get into unless you've been playing since you were five years old. And it's true that many kids who do not meet the 'Stevenson standards' do fall through the cracks, without a blink from the staff. However, Stevenson does provide a multitude of areas for your student to shine, whether it's in the arts or sciences. A student must find their niche, and Stevenson won't feel like such a scary place afterall. Too much security (scary, prison-like) and giant wastes of money! Stop building things!”
This review was posted by a former student.

“Currently have 2 students attending, one in highest AP level other in middle level. The pressure is on in both, but school offers all kinds of support: resource centers, study/review sessions, accessibilty of teachers for one on one. Your student will be prepared for college and beyond, highly recognizable high school reputation is known among college admission officers. Real estate values high because of demand for district. Facility is gorgeous and technologically updated, very well maintained. Large student population not a problem for my students despite moving from 8th grade of 180 to 9th grade of 1100. Most sports are non-cut but a few are impossible to participate in after freshman year unless you're very talented. Nice intramural program. Excellent music/fine arts program. College resource/center is fantastic asset for counseling. Be prepared for scantron/type tests in many classes. Annoyance is unyielding/strict rules but this keeps school operating like a well-oiled machine.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“Good school, lots of activities. The guy criticizing them for being bad for average students is incorrect. The resource centers are great for such students, even though I myself didn't take advantage of them. I was only slightly above average and I thought it was a great school”
This review was posted by a former student.

“People need to quit complaining and take a moment and realize how incredibly fortunate they were to attend a school like this. Sure, the administration is very grade & award-winning driven, but think of all of the people who would give their life to let his or her child attend this school.”
This review was posted by a former student.

“I went to Stevenson High School and graduate in 1999. I recieved an outstanding education inside and outside of the classroom. The teachers really showed a passion for helping the students and used all available resources in order to make learning enjoyable. The school provided many opportunites for enrichment and offered a wide range of classes. The extra curricular activity selection was way above all other schools in the area. I would recommend this school for any prospective families.”
This review was posted by a former student.

“The school is too large student population wise. It's a great school if you're an 'A' student. If you're not, you fall through the cracks and the staff don't care. Sports wise, most of the sports are cut due to the number of kids. If money is no problem and your child plays a club sport, it's pretty well guaranteed they will make the sport at Stevenson regardless of whether or not they are good at the sport. The only thing leadership is concerned with is their countrywide ranking and how their school is a model, visited by hundreds of administrators to see how it's done. The school wastes money on frivalities such as engraved window panes and flexible mechanical seating in the auditorium. This isn't a school for the average or below student.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“Students who do well in the advanced track program are probably ready for their third or fourth semester of college. The teachers are extremely well qualified. They have a lot of pride in their work and they push their students quite hard. Most Stevenson grads feel they are well prepared for college.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“My children are thriving at major colleges in the USA including Duke, Colorado and Teikyo post,Colorado State. The habits of learning how to learn as well as great writting skills have given my children over 3.2 GPA and all graduating. All happy and well adjusted”
This review was posted by a parent.

“Good school academically, but that is the the only thing that the administration cares about, grades. They want students to score as high as possible on tests and exams so that it makes them look good. They dont care about sports or other extra activities. All they care about is you pumping out good test scores.”
This review was posted by a former student.

“Very strict and a ton of pressure is put on the students.”
This review was posted by a teacher.