We left a different swim program and started here. Night and day difference. Our kids have made great progress!

I cannot recommend this swim school. We had two very different experiences with each of our children...but it seems they have gone downhill since. Our oldest went through the program between 2019 - 2022. She had a great time and picked up a lot of great skills, progressing through each level at a normal pace. We pulled her out after she got to a certain point as her schedule started filling with other activities (and her overall swimming was strong) Our son started in summer of 2023 and ended up getting stuck in the first level between September - March, when we finally pulled him out. What was interesting was that he was able to perform the tasks on demand (even got positive remarks during assessments), but they refused to push him up to the next level. He had a much younger instructor than what my daughter went through, who spent more time reprimanding the kids than actually working with them. We were told he could move up as well, but they never went ahead and moved him to the next level, despite showing the proper skills. We pulled him out in March and moved him to another swim school, which he's progressed significantly since. Used to really love this place, not a fan anymore. read more

CSS has been great with my daughter. She went from not wanting to get water in her face just 2.5 months ago to mastering the skill of going underwater on her own for 5 seconds today. The instructors are patient and kind and of course always put safety first. I definitely recommend this swim school. read more

I worked here for a very short time and due to personal scheduling conflicts, I could not sustain my employment obligation here. I saw the entire staff's enthusiasm as each child accelerated toward their goals. Each instructor took a vested interest in every child's individual achievement. The owners were approachable, kind and equally committed and passionate about each child's individual learning. I found the management staff to be extremely caring, professional, helpful and heartfelt while assessing the goals of the program, school, children and parents. I witnessed all of this first hand. This is an incredibly positive environment while encouraging a fun experience for your children. I saw no prejudices whatsoever. The goals were created for each child according to skill levels and everyone helped encourage the children to learn and achieve their goals. It's a fantastic way to teach them an important life skill. read more

Great school! The instructors are awesome with the kids and the program is extremely affordable! Starbaby is an excellent way to introduce your infants and toddlers to water! read more

My daughters have been going here for over a year. Great school, all the teachers have been very good. My kids have progressed greatly through the program and I'm amazed at how much they have learned. We swim often at public pools and my parents pool, My daughters went from scared to swim and clutching to us to diving and swimming underwater longer than any kid their age. read more

From everything I have learned about this place I recommend finding a different swim school. the administration is one of the most inept I have ever witnessed. By not listening to the actual teachers and instead playing favorites, to people that do not deserve their positions, who in their right mind would choose to send their children here when they are not getting the best possible service? The owners and management should be ashamed of themselves on how they treat people from parents to staff. An absolutely ridiculous establishment read more

Best swim school in the suburbs! Very flexible with scheduling and super helpful all around! Would highly recommend for anyone with some little beginners who need help learning how to swim! read more

They have great teachers and demand excellence when moving children to the next level but good luck trying to get your child scheduled for a class. We have been with them for 6 years and it's the same struggle every registration period and we have priority access for registration because of tenure. They fill up quickly the first day of registration, even for those with priority access, I can't imagine how bad it is for those new comers or those who have not had 6 consecutive registrations. It's just not worth going through that hassle every signing period. As they have expanded, the quality of their customer service has become poor. I would not recommend them if you have something local as they give the same customer service as a local YMCA for triple the price. read more

The customer support staff are anything but supportive. They insinuate that you are a liar, claim they know better than you that your child was present for a class they most certainly were not at, and refuse to give you a makeup that you are entitled to. Oh, and to top it off they say they don't want your business after getting roughly $300 a month for years. Must be nice to dispose of your customers so easily. Will be telling everyone I know about how I was treated. Disgraceful. read more

Chicago Swim School (CSS) is the best!! Our son has been a student there for almost 7 years. He has learned so much and we've thoroughly enjoyed watching him grow as a swimmer. The teachers and staff are so attentive and responsive! We highly recommend CSS! read more

Love the instructors, facility and program. My son is now 4, but he started at 6 months old. read more

We have given Chicago Swim School 2 chances with my now 3.5 year old. We started when he was almost 3 in the parent and baby class. It was a good experience until we had a substitute teacher. That substitute convinced me to dunk my child underwater saying it would help him get used to it. It completely traumatized him and the regular teacher eventually told us that he never should have been dunked at his age. Needless to say it was very difficult to get him to lessons going forward. We then moved him to the first level class with 3 other students. He was terrified from the previous experience and wouldn't get in the water unless he had one on one help. He barely got 3 minutes of that kind of attention per session. We decided to pull him out and take a break. We returned aprox 6 months later and this time decided on private lessons. He had one lesson and during that a terrifying situation occurred. The instructor turned his back on my son who fell face first in the water and was left flailing head down in the water. My husband immediately yelled out to the instructor and ran to the pool to pull my son out by his swim shirt. The instructor arrived at my sons side at the same time. The instructor did not offer an apology but instead stated "well this happened last week too." As this was a huge safety concern we decided to immediately pull our son from lessons there. Chicago swim school would not acknowledge the seriousness of the situation and will not refund our almost $200 we prepaid for the month despite their negligence that could have led to my son drowning. They are keeping our total amount despite us only using 1 lesson. Beware as they are unsafe and will not acknowledge their wrongdoing. read more

I have had so many positive experiences at Chicago Swim School with instructors that it pains me to write this review, but it is one I feel is important for parents of young children to have. My wife and I have had our daughter taking swimming lessons at CSS for a year and a half now and we have had wonderful experiences with Ms. Liz and Ms. Penny teaching her how to swim. We have always felt that our daughter was safe and learning important skills in the pool (such as breath control, back floats, etc.). A few sessions ago, we were unfortunately unable to obtain one of the two above named instructors and ventured out, assuming the rest of the instructors would be of the same quality. We were very wrong. The instructor's we have had have been ineffective and, in some cases, detrimental to my child's safety. The worst example of this happened a few nights ago during swim class. My child was pushed towards the edge of the pool and the instructor immediately turned around and headed towards the other end of the pool. Meanwhile, my daughter (who is 3) did not reach the edge of the pool and, instead, sank and struggled to wade water. She, thankfully, was able to gain enough momentum to reach the edge of the pool, but immediately started crying (as she was terrified of what had happened). The instructor AND the deck leader (the person who is supposed to watch for safety concerns) had no idea what had happened. In fact, the instructor asked my wife why my daughter was crying, stating, "Oh, did she put her head under water or something?" I've had poor experiences with CSS's administration in the past that I was willing to deal with, but this is preposterous. We immediately switched classes and got the runaround from the administration. read more

After being part of the Chicago Swim School family for over eight years, it saddens me to rate them with only 1 star. I understand that many small companies have had to deal with many various issues throughout Covid. Still, unfortunately, CSS has only been looking out in its owners' best interest and making a profit. Both my children have attended CSS for years. Still, we have recently dropped the program entirely due to the lack of professionalism, poor communication, irresponsible and non-respectful instructors, unsatisfactory lesson time plans (including makeups) that work for both families and CSS, and the lack of progress/feedback provided to the students. CSS recently made a change with the color groups, which directly impacted my children. It required them to pass more levels, have more instructors, and was finically more expensive. My son especially did not progress any quicker or develop stronger swim skills from this change. Instead, CSS continued to profit from my monthly payment with my son never being tested, provided feedback on how to improve, or any insight on what to change or do. When asking questions to the instructors or discussing my concerns every time they were easily dismissed, it is sad to see a program that once started such a strong program turned into a 1-star rating. I would highly discourage any family from using CSS as they no longer support families, help students learn or teach swim skills, but are clearly in the market to a make a profit and not care about customer feedback. read more

My boy nearly drowned in a class. The instructor just looked at him. She said "kids drink water in lessons all the time." She also handled him roughly. Tuition is overpriced. After yrs. and thousands of dollars spent, the business owner took side with the employee instead of apologizing or accommodating to find a better instructor. Don't waste your time and money. Do not risk your child's life or health. Find a better place. read more

As a former instructor (now swim parent), with over 15 years teaching experience and having run a program of my program, I would not take my children anywhere else to learn to swim. The program focuses on getting children comfortable in the water with focusing on helping children be safe in the water. As a child progresses they breakdown the strokes to make easy for your child to learn. My girls have been in the program for over 4 years and have set their eyes on graduating from it! read more

Not that impressed by having a new teacher mid session my son was improving with his skill and was quite comfortable and trusting with his instructor. It was especially important considering he is 3 and they are learning to go under the water. We also missed a class and tried to reschedule I changed my work schedule and reserved a class only for them to call me last min and say they made a mistake and put him in the wrong class the new time and class I was offered didn't work couldn't make it last minute so oh well for us. Also I'm not sure why the staff is allowed in the pool with there shoes but I saw this multiple this times not swim shoes or sandals actual street shoes . Overall not happy with the school or the way classes are taught and times offered won't be back read more

I have three kiddos who have taken lessons through Chicago Swim School and we have loved it. My oldest is (12) and has been finished for several years, and my younger two (7) (5) are enrolled as our schedules permit. They have been extremely patient and gentle with my special needs child. You will get more from this school and teachers when you discuss goals for each session and remain with consistent teachers from session to session, but we have tried several teachers and haven't had a bad one. read more

Favoritism to the max. "Family oriented" talked badly about parents and family to co workers. Management horrible.

CSS is very caring towards children teaching them very naturally. My older son was very afraid of putting his head under water and the transition he to not only putting his head under water and jumping in was tear free and full of laughter. Any parent that wants their children to learn to swim gently (quickly) should check them out. Glenview location has had some pool trouble but CSS has been very communicative about these issues. read more

Chicago Swim School could be a great swim school, depending on who's your instructor. I enrolled my two kids there for 2 years now. We had luck for the baby since he got a warm, welcoming and good instructor, Mrs Elaine since the beginning. But my daughter had less luck. She had Lonnie who was great but who's gone now. Then she had Mrs Vanessa for a while. My daughter loved her and suddenly she was gone without any notice in the middle of a session. She got a new one who was not trained! Now she was suppose to get Mr Efrain for the fall session and it is another one who's coming after we get a subs for 2 lessons! I feel like my daughter was not learning so much during this two sessions with transitions and new instructors. It seems like the instructors are coming and leaving. They hire new ones and they train them during your kid session! For the price we are paying, I'm expecting to get fully trained instructors and I'm also expecting the school to be able to keep the instructors for an entire session (6 weeks, come on!). So this is very disappointing. And forget about getting a discount for the next session... Also some deck leaders are nice but others are not. I feel like some of them are not friendly at all, like Mrs Kim... I also agree that the shop at the entrance of the building is a shame. You are coming for a lesson with your little swimmer and you have to spend your entire time explaining to your others kids why they should not touch the stuff or why you will not buy them something... The new facility is nice but don't ever sign up for an evening session. It is impossible to find a spot for your stuff or even a changing room. It is all busy and very crowded... Also their policy in case you miss a lesson is too strict. So I think some instructors are great and your kids can learn a lot if they are lucky to get them but the customer service and the management is not great at all. read more

My daughter has been going for 2 years now. We went from being afraid to go above tummy to diving with no fear! Best school in the area! I'm planning to enroll my son in a year as well. read more

This used to be a great swim school many years ago before the current owners took over. These days, you may get a seasoned instructor or....you may get someone who has minimal training. I have experienced sessions where my children thrived, others where it was a complete waste of time. The owners are not helpful at all in trying to remedy a poor situation. They are most concerned about getting your tuition fees. If you are unhappy or have issues, sadly you are out of luck. I also resent their constant attack to sell items that are unrelated to swimming. Having a "toy shop" at the entrance of a "swim school" just doesn't make sense. Oh, you can also buy a Keurig pack for $1.50 at the entrance or $2.00 if you would like a cup to go with that cup of coffee. And if you would like to march in the Fourth of July Parade...you can BUY one of their t-shirts for $10-15 for EACH member of your family to promote THEIR swim school. Like I said, prior to the new owners, this USED to be a great, solid swim school. Now, profit is their pure motivation. read more

UPDATED IN MAY 17: The registration process continues to be a nightmare. They started a new thing with "continuing enrollment" that just leaves you in your class until you're ready to move to another level. Sounds great in theory and love the idea of not having to register for same class every session. Not great in concept when your child is ready to move on and there are no openings in the next sessions and you have to wait until someone else's child is ready to move on. Also not great when they decide to change everything in the summer and it's a huge mess while you hope they find a spot for your kid. I really don't understand how after all these years these folks can't figure out registration for sessions. Other camps, schools, etc. seem to handle it no problem and registering for a makeup session doesn't take an act of god. They send you emails saying how hard they are trying to accommodate everyone and yet pretty much everyone seems frustrated. Again, if you get an experienced teacher, the program is great but if you get a newbie, good luck. That's why it's such a mad rush to get an experienced teacher. I keep saying I'm going to quit and go to the Blue School or the YMCA but my love of our instructor is what keeps us. Sadly she is leaving in a few weeks so it may be the time to make a move. OLD REVIEW: Let me first say our instructor Ms. Kim is fantastic. She is the only reason we keep going back and torturing ourselves with the insane registration process and poor customer service. If you find a good teacher, stick with them and your child will greatly benefit from the lessons. We had one bad experience with a teacher and just made sure we never took a session with her again. But registration is a nightmare and we've been going for more than 6 sessions. They really make it way too difficult and I often think they really cause themselves more harm than good with their crazy registration process and makeup policy that they try and change every time. They have this new thing where they try and auto enroll you in the next session at the exact same time and not necessarily with the same teacher. Umm, summer vs. school year are totally different schedules for your kid and you hope they advance to a new level so it's silly and an administrative burden on you. I have called a few times to complain about a poor instructor or a registration issue and don't ever feel comfortable with the service. But in the end we keep going back because we love our teacher and want our son to continue to excel. read more

We had to miss a class. Two weeks now has been past and I still can't schedule a makeup class. Horrible!!!! I have to keep in mind and check the stupid availability every day. I just don't have time for that. And the class is overpriced. Don't recommend the place!! read more

I would like to try my daughter - 5 - in your classes, but the times offered are impossible for school aged children. Nothing available at night or on weekends? seems ridiculous unless you are home-schooled or younger children that stay at home all the time. read more

Our daughter liked the water and started swim lessons and a national chain. After a few lessons, she was scared to death of the water and the instructor. Then we moved to Chicago Swim School. Gina, at the desk was super sweet and found the perfect (transition) class for our daughter with Lonnie as the instructor. She LOVES swimming now and has really done well with Lonnie. I think what sets him apart is that he takes the time to get to know the kids. He found a common interest with our 3 (now 4) year old child and she looks forward to class each week. Another thing about his class is that he packs a lot in during the short class. Lonnie is great! read more

We did Starbaby level at CSS with my 2 year old over the spring and it wasn't the best fit because almost all other participants were infants-- like 7-12 months old and my son is totally comfortable in the water. The instructor Penny was phenomenal. This summer we signed him up for white level. I was very disappointed and disturbed. They charge over $213 per session, the class is 30 min long. There were 4 toddlers approximately 2.5-3 years old and ONE instructor. For 25 min they expect toddlers to sit still and not splash at all and wait on stairs shivering. And frankly I'm not sure that's even safe to have that sort of ratio with such young children. Of the total class length my son was instructed maybe five minutes-- and that's being generous. The rest of the time the instructor spends five minutes each with the other 3 students and disciplines them and messes with their goggles. Not worth even $10. Avoid this place like the plague if your child is 3 or under. read more

The lessons here are so much more structured than the park district. and you also get more "individualized" attn even though it's a group lesson. read more

CSS has done a great job teaching my children how to swim! They like their instructor & look forward to going to class. We went to Olympic indoor pool (park district) for 3 sessions. Compared to park district, CSS is more structured (you have an assigned, consistent instructor) and the water is warm. The pool at the Olympic pool is very cold & my children always complained about it. read more

Chicago swim school is a chop shop for swimming lessons. They try and cram as many kids and instructors into the pool as much as they can. The quality and even the friendliness of their staff have gotten terrible over the last couple years, yet they will continue to raise their prices. The owners seem money hungry and are never around and the rest of their management is extremely passive aggressive and just rather rude. We'll never go back or give them another dime. Recommend you do the same. read more

We sent both of our kids here and became much more disenchanted over time. Our last two sessions for my youngest child were very disappointing. He had a number of substitute instructors and there was a lack of continuity. The other problem is that there is no incentive for the instructors to pass children on to higher levels. We were given a ton of different reasons why our children weren't progressing and the reasons changed from session to session. In the end, we came to the realization that we wasted a lot of time and money. read more

We had our daughter's birthday party at the swim school on Northwest Highway. We were SO impressed with the experience. They explained there would be a life guard in the pool and one on the pool deck and that they would decorate in our color of choice and provide a Frisbee for the guests and a shirt for the birthday girl. We thought all of this was a great deal for the price. What we were really blown away by was the level of service. Every person that worked there asked us over and over again if there was anything they could do to help. They had everything set up and decorated when we walked in and helped us set up food and anything else we needed. All employees were smiling and happy the entire party and seemed to really enjoy being there. As our end time came near instead of rushing us out they played more games with the kids while we loaded the cars. Then they cleaned it all up! What a great alternative to the usual kids birthday places in the suburbs!!! read more

the place was okay just the progressively worse my work schedule changed and they would not work with the with me call then say I can't make it because of work they just said oh well. so I was able to go to four classes they charge me the whole even though I gave prior notice. then I can't stand their lobby trying to sell so much garbage not even related to swimming read more