We have our two little girls, ages three and six, at the GEMS world Academy, and we could not be…read moremore happy with our experiences there! The quality of the education has really spoiled us for going anywhere else, and communication from teachers and administrators is amazing, they always hear our concerns and respond, to such an extent that we don't email them on nights or weekends because we know we will hear back from them too soon! Additionally, my husband and I had concerns about putting our children in private school, but the value of this educational institution is truly outstanding. Highly recommend!

When we began looking at schools for our kids (then age 8 and 9), we were seeking a school with an…read moreemphasis on a more global and interactive educational experience rather than a curriculum focused on teaching to take tests. We wanted them to learn how to think and process information rather than to memorize. We also wanted them to have a more global understanding and what it meant to be a member of a global community and interact with a diverse student body. We found that, and more, within GEMS World Academy ~ Chicago. The teachers are among the top of their fields and know how to get the best out of their students. The Field Studies help them engage and interact with the outside world and apply their learnings in real-life settings. Our kids engage with a diverse group of students, parents, and educators. It's exciting to enter their lobby and hear a mixture of different languages spoken at any given time. We're entering our third academic year at GEMS and my kids look forward to going to school every day, something I couldn't say when they were attending their former school.

This is an amazing school in the heart of Chicago. The new building opened about a year and half…read moreago and it is really state of the art. The building may be new but this school has a lot of history in the city. There is a beautiful green space on the roof of the school. It is great to go up here and enjoy the urban jungle which is our city. There is also a fun play area for the students including nets overhead...we would not want a basketball going over the side and hitting someone in the head 3 stories below. Ouch!!! The staff here is great. They truly care about the students. The IB program here is also really great too. I wish I could go back to grade school and attend here. I also love the front office and the security guards too. Everyone here is so friendly and it makes the experience of school fun. I also must throw out some congrats to Kenneth Staral the school principal. He cares so much about education and the well being of all of the students. If it was not for him, I am sure that this school would not be this successful. He is a blessing for putting together such a great education plan for the students. In the warmer months, there is a guy that lives in the high rise, over the school on Oak, that will play his bag pipes on the top floor of his balcony. At first, I thought I was in some movie with hidden cameras but then realized this guy was up there practicing. So if you are ever walking around the school and you hear the music just look up and you will see this guy. I do get a tear in my eye when he starts playing "Danny Boy"! My little one will start to dance...he has even waved at us from 20 stories above. Fun Fact: The school is named after the first mayor of Chicago. Mr Ogden was involved in real estate, he also was involved with canals too. In fact, his company cut out the canal that made Goose Island in Chicago. He later moved on to the railroads and was president of Union Pacific. He built a railroad to Wisconsin to bring grain to Chicago and also a railroad out West too. He was on the cutting edge of progress and growing our nation. The parents, students, faculty and staff make the learning experience here at Ogden great and I look forward to many more years here.

When I was a kid, I had aced the Iowa Test of Basic Skills. Did you know you could ace them?…read moreNeither did I. What I mean by that is that I scored a straight 99th percentile on every single one of my Iowa Tests and got a strange invitation in the mail. The invitation was from pre-International Baccalaureate Program to take an exam and potentially join Abraham Lincoln Elementary or William B. Ogden Elementary. Little did I know, this little invitation would change the rest of my life. At the exam, I met a friend that had moved away in third grade and we laughed wondering why we were both here. We both talked and said that Ogden School sounded better than Lincoln Elementary School, so that is what we decided. After taking their exam, I also had an interview. I was informed that I had scored the fifth best in the city and that I could pick Ogden or Lincoln. Seeing as my friend and I agreed on Odgen, Ogden it was. I missed my first day of school because the school bus did not show up until 9 in the morning, but by then I had already walked back to Volta Elementary as I did not know what to do. Over the years the bus was pretty consistent, except for the day that I missed it and decided to take the train downtown to school. Being eleven years old, sometimes you just don't know where you're going. I got off the train and started walking and then realized that I had no idea where I was. I walked into a police station and yelled, "Help, I need help!" After explaining that I was lost and late for school two cops drove me six blocks to school and apologized for swearing like pirates. I arrived to the playground in the back of a cop car and the kids thought that I had been arrested! With regard to the curriculum, it was a bar up from the Gifted Program that I had been in Volta Elementary and the adjustments took awhile because whereas before I was able to dominate, I struggled with the new social situation and had to take extra time to regain my bearings. By 7th grade, I was doing well in school again and liked French class the best since it was the most interesting. I still speak French today, which serves as a testament of the merits of Ogden's rigorous curriculum. At Ogden, you also learn to deal with kids coming from the deep south side and kids who live right around the corner on the Gold Coast. The pre-IB Program at Ogden set me up well for my future IB entry exams at Lincoln Park High School. The French curriculum is a must have for kids who will want to be speaking French in the future and is a cheaper alternative than sending kids out for private lessons. I also learned the ability to respect and tolerate the diversity of races and socioeconomic statuses of the various Chicagoans that will be found at this school. If you ever wonder who William B. Ogden was, he was the first mayor of Chicago. He worked extensively with land developers and reached the epic agreement that guarantees the land on our lakefront as public parks now and forever. Well forever until the city decides to lease it out for the next quick buck.

Lakefront Academy and the teaching staff have been absolutely phenomenal. We are so appreciative to…read morehave been part of this community. As a former educator, I am deeply thankful for the amazing support they provided for my son over his two years at the daycare. During this time, he was able to develop strong literacy and math skills along with the socio-emotional growth that built his confidence and led to his acceptance into a Gifted Center for Kindergarten. I have tremendous respect for this team and cannot recommend them highly enough. I would be happy to speak with anyone who has questions about our experience.

Lakefront Children's Academy is highly qualified child care and education establishment in Chicago,…read moreand probably the best thing that my family have received from living in Chicago. I would simply say the best investment you can do in your life is investment in your kids, LCA is fully worth it !!!! Kids are really missed their friends and teachers and the extensive curriculum when we moved out of Chicago, and now we are looking for at least something similar to LCA in our current place... and nothing compares to it. Thank you LCA, and kisses and hugs from our kids! We miss you...

I attended this school 2nd grade through 8th grade, 1998 to 2004. The principals were authoritarian…read moreand modeled the school's organization on British boarding schools for some reason. In middle school, our math teacher Mrs. DiIorio gave an official, approved lecture to my class on why slavery was actually a good thing for enslaved Africans. I'm serious. She screamed at us constantly. Her approach was based in control, verbal abuse, and coercion. She led the class in bullying one of my friends who had organizational difficulties due to ADHD. In social studies, we had to memorize every single American Civil War date yet barely touched world geography. Another social studies teacher told us he supported the use of the nuclear bomb in WWII Japan and suggested that he opposed abortion. Were there decent teachers? Yes, the art and music programs were pretty good and the teachers were kind. But I hope the white supremacist, right-wing ideology and abusive tactics have gone to the wayside at this school. Something was very off at this place. I'm still unpacking trauma from the constant screaming of Mrs. DiIorio and others.

Catherine Cook School is a small private grammar school in Old Town on Schiller Pl. Over the years…read moreit has grown to take over the loft building and to buy the lot and build the building next door. There is a great community of parents involved. My closest friends to this day are Catherine Cook Moms.The strong academic foundation at CCS made high school a smooth experience for my son and now he's doing well as a Loyola freshman. He started in pre-kindergarten and went all the way through. The tuition is far below that of Francis Parker or Latin. I highly recommend Catherine Cook for a strong phonics-based reading program and solid accredited teaching protocols and an excellent art department.

My kids don't go to Latin school but they played many basketball games with the Romans. The school…read moreis well located and beautiful. There is a lot of art on the walls. I'm sure that kids get good education in this school. This review is about behavior of parents of the Romans and the Romans Coach in season 2025/26. They put so much pressure on kids. One of the siblings of the Romans was cheering with mean words. The kid would position itself next to the hoop, so that only the players can hear. Unbelievable. One of the fathers was yelling at his kid because they were loosing. I felt so sorry for those kids, even though they are probably similar to their sickly ambitious parents. The Romans Coach is a nice looking woman, but unfortunately in traveling team she is well known to be mean toward the girls. She was so annoying during the games, she was too hard on her team, with an attitude of cruelty toward opposite team. Again - unbelievable. This is expensive school and kids in Latin school will be successful, but in the background of their success, there will be a lot of therapy, substance abuse, hidden inappropriate sexual behavior and on the top of that, life long competitive cruelty that was built in them in such a young age. Such a pity.

I started at Latin in Jr. Kindergarten and went all the way through my senior year of high school…read more At the time I didn't realize how lucky I was to have had parents that insisted that I have the best education available; Latin is absolutely that. I was learning things in my freshman and sophomore year of high school that many people didn't study until college. I made life-long friends there and had a wonderful grade school, middle school, and upper school experience.

My child has been enrolled in the infant class at UCC for the last 5 months. He has loved every…read moreminute of his time at UCC. He loves his teachers and it is clear they love him too and take wonderful care of him. Ms. Rosa and Ms. Lashawnda are fantastic teachers. My son gets a huge smile on his face to see his teachers every morning. They keep us updated through the Kindercare app; sending us pictures of his day and letting us know about his eating, sleeping, and diaper changes. In the late afternoon, he transitions to another classroom, but Ms. Haley and Ms. KK and all the other teachers take wonderful care of him and always have updates on how the day went when we pick him up. The consistency of teachers has helped make us feel comfortable with our son's time at UCC. They know him so well! We can't say enough good things about how comfortable we feel dropping him off every day. The facility is clean, organized, and we're always met with a smiling face and personal greeting from the administrative staff for drop off and pick up. Everyone knows our name and our son's name. It really feels like the staff at UCC cares about our family.

Our 2 year old son has been going here for daycare for over a year. It's been a great experience…read morefor both us and him. Great teachers and staff! Excellent communication and awesome indoor playground for the winter and rainy days.

CGS has been a part of our families community for two years now. I couldn't be more thrilled with…read morethe decision we made to send our daughter to the school. The teachers are exceptional, the administration receptive and accommodating, and the students are embraced and enthused with a desire to not only learn, but to dig deeper into subjects. I'd never heard of the school prior to a family mentioning it, but boy am I glad I did. My daughter has been given wonderful opportunities as a member of this community and I can't wait to see what's in store!

This is our second year at CGS and if you are looking for a private school for your child, CGS…read moreshould be on your must see list. CGS is nine years old and is graduating their first class of 8th graders in 2014. All will go to the best high schools in Chicago. Class sizes are small, all under 15, so your child will get more attention. That is what we feel we are paying for. From the first grade, your child will have more than one teacher who is teaching their specialty. Another plus. Our headmaster, Mr. Jackson comes from a special needs background, so it is an excellent choice if your child is smart, but has some challenges. Our daughter she needs a lot of repetition. With the small class sizes, she is getting that at CGS. We had her tested this summer and discovered that even though she was in the "lower" groups for reading and math, she is reading more than two grades above level and her math was also above grade level after only one year at the school. The fact a child reading over two grades above grade level was in the lower group, also speaks about the student quality. If you want your child challenged, this is the place. If you want to go to work and brag how your child is a straight A student and the smartest in their class. Good luck at CGS. Now to why this school is not for you. We are in an office building. If looks matter, go to British, Cook or Parker with their beautiful campuses. Sports, we do not have a volleyball or basketball team. This apparently is a big deal to many in Chicago at the elementary level and why some parents do not choose CGS or use as an excuse to leave. At CGS, the parents make sports happen, We have the only traveling snow sports club with its own ski school at any school in Chicago, a Taekwondo Grand Master teaching in our after school program as well as weekly yoga and swim club in our after school program. Other student are excelling in hockey, figure skating and golf outside of school. So we are a very sports conscious and active school. There is a music school upstairs that will pick up your child from after school for their lessons. How great is that. We are a private, for profit school. What does that mean. To me, the best part of all, no giving fund or annoying fundraisers. Both my spouse and I are self employed and have work commitments 7 days a week. We do not have the time to sell chocolate or make things for an auction like was expected at our daughter's former school. Your tuition might seem higher than your friends at FXW, Old St. Mary's or Urban Prairie, but they have "mandatory" giving and/or significant pressure to make large purchases at their fundraisers, so in the end we are about the same. There is no other school in Chicago we would rather be at, my only wish is we had a High School :-)

We love ICSJ. Our son joined the school in Kindergarten and we've had a great experience since day…read more1. The teachers truly care and are invested in the whole child. Our son is challenged and thriving academically, as well as nurtured emotionally. The co teaching model is amazing and special. 2 certified teachers in a class of 24 students max. They also have learning specialists that are able to help children if they need a little extra assistance but they do it in a fun way so the kids do not view as a negative. In fact my son loved his small group time with the reading specialist. We love that they have Spanish twice a week, as well as very strong academics across the usual subjects including STEM. We love their student lead conferences because it teaches students public speaking skills in front of their parents in which they can present what they have been working on. After the "presentation" then the parents have opportunity to speak to teachers in the more traditional private format. We are not religious and feel that the religious aspect of the school is not overwhelming but rather teaches good morals and ethics. The community is amazing! It really is a small school in a big city with a family feel. The teachers are also very responsive when parents reach out. They have before & after school care. We often sign up for enrichment classes after school which have been great. They have ranged from stem, yoga and chess. Many graduates continue high school at high ranked Catholic schools like St Ignatius AND the #1 ranked high school in Illinois Walter Payton. We originally looked at Lincoln Elementary (CPS), St Clements, Catherine Cook and FXW but chose ICSJ for the reasons above. It may not have the big name factor of some other schools but I would definitely check out this hidden gem because it's an incredible school!

From the owner: Immaculate Conception – St. Joseph School is a premier Catholic elementary school on Chicago's near…read morenorth side, serving over 300 students from 28 different zip codes. Our unique co-teaching model puts 2 certified teachers in every classroom through 3rd grade, giving students authentic differentiation in learning. With student support teams consisting of 2 learning specialists and 1 counselor at each of our two campuses (PreK3 - 3rd grade at 1431 N. North Park and 4th-8th at 363 W. Hill Street), a full-time school nurse, and Spanish, PE, Music, Art, STEM and Religion at all grade levels, in addition to our primary subjects taught, our focus is on developing each child to his or her fullest potential. Our students have tested in the top 85% for math and reading, at every grade level tested (K-8th) within the state of Illinois, for the last 3 years and go on to the best high schools in Chicago and beyond. Come join ICSJ...a Family of Families!

We've had such a wonderful experience with Guidepost at the Mag Mile campus. Our son started when…read morehe was just 15 months old, and like many parents, we were understandably nervous about sending him to school at such a young age. That made it all the more meaningful to find a community that has been so warm, supportive, and genuinely invested in his growth. The engagement from everyone at Guidepost--from the teachers to the administrative staff--has meant a lot to our family. It's clear that the people there truly care about the children and work hard to create an environment where they feel safe, encouraged, and excited to learn. Watching our son blossom, gain confidence, and discover new things has been a wonderful experience, and we truly do not think it would have happened in the same way without Guidepost. Initially after we enrolled, there was some turbulence with administration earlier on (3 admin changes), but it really seems like those issues have been sorted out. The school feels welcoming, well-run, and focused on doing a great job serving the children in its care. That has given us a lot of reassurance and made us feel even better about being part of the Guidepost community. We're very grateful for the nurturing environment they've created and would absolutely recommend Guidepost Mag Mile to other families looking for a caring and engaging place for their child.

I would give them a 0 if I could. There is a reason they keep shutting down locations. We went here…read morefor my daughter's kindergarten year, they sold us on this being a very academic school that encouraged independence and grace. What we got was my seeing my daughter who is academically advanced being used as teacher's aide in a school that was understaffed. Instead of helping her learn she was constantly being told to help younger kids. She was also subjected to seeing her teachers become physical with her peers who didn't listen, by harshly putting them into chairs, grabbing them by the shoulders. I myself witnessed a Spanish teacher pull two boys into the hallway and slam one of them into a wall while yelling at them in Spanish. I believe this happened because the teachers are all running classrooms without the proper student to teacher ratio so they are frustrated and stressed. That teacher told me she was in the room alone and the boys were acting out. We finally took our daughter out of the school when she started coming home with scratches and bruises on her body and the staff did nothing about it. There were two boys in her classroom who were physical with the other kids and the teacher had no control. Their director even pulled the video tapes from the classroom and verified to me that my daughter was telling the truth about these boys but their only resolution was to "give the teacher more training". These boys were wild and out of control. Overall it was a total waste of our money. The only positive was some of the other wonderful families we met there (most of whom are also pulling their kids out). This school was much better when it had a different head of school. It is very unfortunate because they have some great kids and a few great teachers but they are all so unsupported and staff turn over is very high.

There are lots of social activities for students, nice people around and so many nations! Lessons…read moreare split to three parts, 1.5 each and teachers rotate. Mike and Kevin are fantastic teachers, Kelley was my another favorite but she left :( Prices are good and we can pay by instalments. There are talks that Solex may increase tuition (currently, its $480 a month including books) but it will not effect old students, fingers crossed. Oh yes, they just bought new furniture and comps, it looks soooo nice. Hope we will get a coffee machine on the 4th fooor too.

Solex its very good school for many reasons first and foremost most of the students are…read moreinternational students and someone from different country could feel there very comfortable. All the instructors are very qualified and very friendly the school is located in the middle of downtown so the students can go for lunch to me millenium Park and enjoy all the things the city of Chicago has to offer .