We enrolled our child at the International School of Minnesota (ISM) for the 2025-2026 academic…read moreyear. We were living in New York at the time and, unfortunately, did not tour the campus or read reviews -- a mistake we deeply regret. We paid the $750 non-refundable registration fee and signed the contract, trusting the school's reputation and name. After moving to Minnesota and finally touring ISM in July, we realized it was not the environment we hoped for. Despite calling itself an "International" school, the campus lacked the diversity and inclusiveness we expected. It didn't feel like the right fit for our child, and we submitted a formal withdrawal notice well before the school year started. Our child never attended, never received instruction, and never used any materials or services. Still, the school insisted we pay an additional $3,200 cancellation fee (25% of tuition) -- not based on any actual expenses, just a contract clause. We asked for a breakdown or justification but received none. It feels like a punitive policy that shows no empathy for families. We are immigrants from a different country, and we didn't fully understand how private schools work in the U.S. We assumed it would be similar to our home country's system. Sadly, it was not. We now realize how important it is to tour the school, ask questions, read reviews, and take your time. We also found that the only child chosen to represent ISM at a SABIS competition was the daughter of ISM's executive director. This raised serious concerns about how fairly opportunities are offered to students. Looking back, we would rather lose the $3,200 than ever send our child to a school like this. Even though it hurts to pay for a service we never received, we'd rather walk away than continue this relationship. Please do your own research, don't rush to sign anything, and be wary of being pressured with quick financial aid offers. There are also multiple reviews online about bullying--read them carefully. We hope our experience helps other families avoid the same mistakes. There are much more transparent, inclusive, and fair educational options in Minnesota.

I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS SCHOOL FOR YOUR KIDS. They make big deals out of the smallest things. There…read morewere kids door dashing food and they had called the whole school for a meeting, yet when a kid tells people to kill themselves, self harm more, and had doxxed them online they let that kid stay with a warning. The student that was getting bullied by that student did try to attempt cause of it. Also what this school does is tell them that saying slurs of any sort is unacceptable as they should, but when a kid goes around calling people racial slurs they just ignore it and act like it's an "accident". It's a very challenging school, yet they have little to no mental health help. The counselor they have is part-time so you essentially have to schedule a mental breakdown. On a side note, one student got groped at a dance and nothing was done, likely because he was male presenting.

Outstanding education. Benilde prepares students well for College/University. We've prioritized…read moretuition payments over other things in order to have the opportunity for a Catholic education

Great school. Great sports and not just because of good teams, anyone who wants to play a sport is…read moregive the chance. They have lots of strings so everyone has a chance. More extra carriculars than anyone could want. Great Drama, video, chess, speech, theatre, ect. They are a blue ribbon school the best of the best for college prep. They teach a value based ethics education. It is Catholic based but open and inviting to anyone of any background or religion. On of my best friends who went there was a hindu. They have need based scholarships and the school, faculty and students truly give back to the community.

my child was abused she came home with turtle bites and whip marks. She also was missing a leg and…read morehad food poisoning from the chicken tika masala

Minnetonka is world class. You can actually have a public school with updated technology, Chinese…read moreand Spanish immersion, great sports and arts and all you have to do is publicly and privately FUND it. Taxes in Minnetonka are high but this is why... world class education. We have lived in Boulder, Co where the schools are pretty sub-par and nobody seems to know it. We have lived in Singapore where you can pay 40k per year for an education that is comparable to this.

Such a frustrating orientation day. One would think they do this every year that clear instructions…read morewould be posted. Wrong directions to auditorium posted and being sent back n forth to tables. No team work. And there all educated hmmm

Southwest was an excellent school for high school. It really made a difference in how I turned out…read moreand was much improved from my middle school. They have so many wide programs in theater, arts, baccalaureate. The school is very diverse and allows students to interact with all kinds of students from different ethnic backgrounds. They always encourage students to come from abroad, so you'll have the chance to meet with people from around the world. They offer PSEO, so you can go to Normandale and get credit for high school and college (although most classes only transfer to U of M and not all private schools accept - look into it). Great neighborhood. Great after school programs. Great teachers. Just awesome!

bring back mast or i swear to god i will sue this school. im so tired and i cannot cope with the…read moreloss of sleep every wednesday. just put sail time before hour 1 every once in a while or something so i can sleep. please. im so tired all the time. i cant take much more of this.

They served mayonnaise with chicken tenders but no BBQ sauce. Disgusting and disgraceful to the…read moreAmerican Chicken Tender.

Eden Prairie Schools were very well represented and at the forefront of education initiatives. The…read moreschools are well-organized and structured, and I was amazed by the wide range of academic and extracurricular opportunities for students. Communication with families is consistent and thoughtful, and it's clear that student belonging and well-being are top priorities. Everyone - staff and students - are supported both academically and personally!

This school is the best, if you think otherwise you're stupid. Great place, great atmosphere, great…read moreice cream.

Caution: This review contains sensitive material. Please skip to the end if it makes you…read moreuncomfortable. I don't really want to sully positive reviews here for negativity, but I was bullied at this school during my time as a student here. Not only from the students (two of whom I was in a toxic friendship with), but the PARAs, teachers and adults who should have known better. I was a disabled student with several family members that died during my junior and senior years, and I was yelled at for crying in class and for having panic attacks that were out of my control, causing increased mental breakdowns throughout the day. This school also has a history of racism and prejudice as a whole, and I had an unpleasant encounter with some students saying homophobic things to another student only to act like it was all a big joke, some other students in my class were joking about prison r*pe and genuinely thought it was funny, and my Mexcian peers were treated horribly by a staff member who I won't name solely because they were Mexican, and another PARA was so islamaphobic to another staff member that they made them cry. The only saving grace were the positive staff members who made my experience worthwhile, namely the receptionist, who I still have yet to call to thank her, my case manager, my writing teachers, and my science teachers. Still, I was afraid to report the toxic friendships I had with the two students I knew here due to the trauma I sustained. The way they treated me was no way to treat a student who experienced several deaths in the family. I would advise against sending your students here, but given the positive reviews others left based on their happy experiences, I would advise you make this decision for yourself and take caution if your child claims their teacher is out to get them because at Hopkins High, that claim may very well be true.

Sigh.....I really didn't want to write this but i was left with no choice. This is from a concerned…read moreparent who believes in justice. I put my kid in this school thinking that my kid was safe. My kids leave home with a tail and ears which we are happy that they express themselves by zirrrrrr and it identify as a dog. Pulls it's tail and calls it mean names not acceptable. It was threatened to be run over and the teacher told it that it would never be layed in its life. the teachers are normalizing the bully.

I am a bit biased since I went to Benilde but I have to say SLP does a good job…read more The teachers are really good and do all they can to help you. They work with what they have. Don't sent your kids here with a private school expectation. Sent them here with a diverse world learning expectation. They have a minority majority as the world does. That being said you will not find a singular group of kids from any one race or belief system. They all work and learn together as we do in the ever connected global world. They have a nice facility with big upgrades coming soon. Nice fields , gyms, common areas. The sports have good coaching staff. The leadership is good and willing to talk. The food is about what you would expect. They have a great music department and very nice theater. I am happy with my experience as a parent and suggest you give them a try.

I'm giving five starts to SLP HS for many things, like the great reputation it has for academics…read moreand diversity, but mostly bc the DFL used this building for caucusing and it was the easiest thing I've ever done. With friends complaining about traffic, parking, lines, signage, and every possible issue all over the metro area, I feel a little smug that I showed up (via car) in the middle of caucusing and without knowing my precinct number and was able to walk right through the building with lots of volunteers and find my room and cast my vote. I still think caucusing is not the best way to vote in 2016, but oh well.

Let's just say we've been driving to ISLA for nine years, starting with my daughter who is now in…read moreeighth grade when we could've had the kids take the bus from three houses away. I've been a substitute teacher for seven years, I've subbed at ISLA and I've subbed at about about 50 other schools in the Twin Cities metro. This is an amazing school! They have two classes of every grade from kindergarten to sixth grade. They cap the classes at 25 students. They also have a preschool in the building which is convenient if you have younger children. The school has won awards, it's a blue ribbon school and it's an inter-national baccalaureate school. It's a highly rated charter school in the state of Minnesota. They have a library, a gym, and office in the classrooms. It's an office building that was specifically converted to be a school. I did have to take my daughter out after fourth grade because she needed more special ed help. Most charter schools don't specialize in special ed. They'll do their best because they're legally required to provide those services. But we felt she would be better served in her local school district with a larger team to help her out. Your child to be greeted by name by smiling happy teachers and staff and if you know any Spanish, they will be correcting your pronunciation about a month into kindergarten. No regrets!