Williston gave me a good education and a great start in life. College was very successful, thanks…read morein part to foundation I received at Williston. After college I returned to visit Williston and met with the then Headmaster [my old one too] and I was able to fill a position on the faculty for a semester and then in the Summer School. This experience was a springboard to my Boston College Law school education, and clearly a positive element in my career and life to date. This June [2025] will be my 60th Reunion. I will go with gratitude and anticipation of seeing my friends from Williston. As our Class Agent for decades [a ceremonial chore, I assure you], I am in constant communication with guys I was in school at Williston with. We may be "old", but we are thankful for our education at Williston more than 60 years ago, and happy for the life-long friends we made.

My family has not had a good experience at Williston. The teachers seem burned out or just…read moresurviving (and are fake nice, they hide how mean/angry they are, and then when parents are around, they act like they are so nice, which they are not), the coaches are only focused on playing the top players that come to Williston already as top players, rather than working on and developing their younger/less experienced players into becoming a top player. The heads of the school are not approachable. They look like they are always in a bad mood or are mad at students. They are always inconsistent when it comes to who is disciplined, and who isn't. One kid could break a school rule and get in sent to the dean, and then another kid could do the same exact thing and never have to visit the dean. The energy behind the scenes at Williston is negative, most kids who go there do not like Williston but appreciate that their parents are spending the money to send them to a private school. It seems more like a public school with rich (not wealthy) people in it, than a private school---kind of shabby and gawdy, not traditional new england private school, like they were desperate for students and let in a bunch of thugs who maybe can throw a ball well or who own Mercedes and BMWs but live in a cul de sac in a pre-fab pop-up McMiniMansion and visit the mall weekly. I preferred the private schools I visited on the coast, much classier that Williston.

Went for an info session with my son. Really great group of deans and faculty members readily…read moreavailable. Warm greeting. Genuine interest in all students and families who attended.

There is NOTHING wrong with community college. I went to NWCC for my first two years to get my AS…read morein Marketing & Sales. Many students fresh out of high school think that going here will look "bad" in the long run when transferring, and finding a career, but I strongly disagree. Professors Valerie Royals and Dr. David Rodgers are great. I took classes in communications, micro/macro economics, financial/managerial accounting, all of my general ed classes, etc. And guess what? They ALL transferred to the University of Hartford, all 60 credits. Many of the full time staff and adjunct teachers have real-world experience and incorporate that into every day lessons. Some also teach part time or night classes at UCONN or UHART. I also remember having a professor in marketing who worked full-time for Pfizer, and a professor and mathematics who works full-time at the Hartford. I can't guarantee that those same people will still be there now, but when I can tell you is that this experience was not only great, but I was able to commute from my house extremely easily, and it saved me tons of money! I am now out of college debt-free because I started off I community college. To put it in perspective, I spent two years here, that's four total semesters as well as a few summer classes here and there to speed up the process. Each semester ran me about $1750 not including books. Books or anywhere from $3-$500 depending on the semester. This is pennies on the dollar compared to the university I transferred to! I also can't say with 100% confidence these prices because are the same because this was about 3+ years ago and I'm sure they have risen but they are most definitely cheaper then any state school or university! Some other perks about Northwestern are: free printing from the library, free tutoring assistance for classes, small class sizes, office hours with professors, opportunity for extra credit, activities part provided by the school and clubs to participate in!

My daughter is in her second year here and so far I'm very happy with the experience she is having…read moreat Springfield. The college's motto of "Mind, Body, Spirit" truly shines through in academics and throughout campus life. I love all of the clubs and activities that are available to students - especially how welcoming they are and that there are clubs that focus on mental and emotional health as well as teams and club sports that promote physical health and activity. The campus has activities for students nearly every day and evenings on the weekends, and the Bingos are super fun and are really popular with the students. The precamp program offered to incoming freshmen is incredible - my daughter made great friends there and it was an awesome experience for her. She has also participated in Leadership Training opportunities that have been incredible as well. The Springfield Campus is very clean and attractive with grassy areas, flowering trees and plants, a lake, well maintained buildings, a modern library, up-to-date athletic facilities, and a comfortable student union. Although parts of the city of Springfield are rough, this college campus feels safe. The campus security department does a great job and my daughter feels very safe walking on campus at any time of day or night. My daughter is in the PT program and I am very impressed with the quality of academics at Springfield. I feel that she is being well prepared for her future career, her professors are accessible and helpful, and the tutoring and opportunities for academic support have been outstanding. It's also pretty awesome that Springfield offers an accelerated DPT program where she will be able to complete the program in 6 years rather than 7, saving her an entire year of tuition. Food at the Cheney Dining Hall is not bad, though my daughter wishes there were more consistent choices, like having a stir fry station available daily, or having a grill with burgers/hotdogs/grilled cheese/chicken sandwiches/fries available daily at lunch and dinner would be great as well. The dorms are very varied, with traditional dorm rooms with shared bathrooms for the floor, to suites, to townhouses. Some dorms have elevators, and a few have AC. The administration at Springfield is very supportive, enthusiastic, and is doing a great job leading the college. President Mary Beth Cooper knows many students by name and attends most of the campus events. I'm so glad my daughter chose Springfield and I highly recommend this school.

My daughter is a competitive swimmer and swim has taken us a few times to Springfield College and…read moremany other colleges in New England. I can share this is one of the worst college pool facilities we have visited. It's old, super uncomfortable bleachers, no air flow in the building so it's hot. No snack bar or vending machines. The bathrooms this visit were not maintained during a long competition. Usually the lot is shared with a basketball tournament so a chaotic parking lot. It does offer a lot of vantage points.

I am the mother of a current student at the school. We have had quite the journey to find a school…read morethat is not abusive and productive for his needs. My son had attended 5 other therapeutic boarding schools prior to his start at Valley View. Many, if not all had an element of emotional or physical abuse. The industry is corrupt in so many ways, from the educational consultants who get financial kickbacks to the money-hungry owners of the for-profit schools, it really is difficult for a desperate parent to weed through the BS and find a school that actually cares about your child. VVS sets itself apart by being a not-for-profit school thus not driven by financial gain. They have proved to our family that there schools available that are truly child-centered. From the start, the school believed in my son. He wasn't just another "bad kid". Upon his arrival, he was in fact probably one of the most challenging kids at the school, but they trusted the process and supported him through it. Throughout his 1.5 years there he has grown into the young man that I could always see. The school started with getting his medicine correct. Because they have a full-time nurse they were able to monitor his behavior and report it back to the psychiatrist. They would make small adjustments to the dosage and time administered to give him the best opportunity to succeed. This then allowed his brain the opportunity to use the tools they were teaching him at VVS. I think one of the biggest differences between VVS and other therapeutic schools would be that they allow the boys to still be kids. The environment is less clinical and more supportive. It functions much like a regular boarding school with the support that kids like my son need. They have clubs, outings, and social opportunities to allow him to mature in a more natural type of environment. The staff has been so supportive of my son, so much so that his advisor takes him and other students fishing at a lake by his home and to have dinner with his family after. They interact with him much like a family member would, making him feel included all while being away from us. My son has gone from being kicked out of over 7 schools to being elected onto student council, on the honor roll, and even the school librarian; a position they created for him seeing what his strengths are. That is just what you get at VVS, they look for the good in your child and create opportunities for them to excel in that area. I can not thank them enough for the transformation they have allowed my son to make. I want to speak a bit about the negative reviews that can be found for Valley View. From what I have seen in our many years of therapeutic settings, you are dealing with students and sometimes parents with mental health needs. Often times disgruntled students that did not succeed in the program can interpret their experience as abusive. Other times they are angry that their parents "sent them away" and feel they need to seek revenge on the school. From our experience, when my son has had an issue with the staff he will let me know over the phone or facetime call. Often times when he and I talk through it we discover that he was interpreting their actions or words out of context...which is part of the reason many of the boys are there in the first place. There have been a few times that I did feel the need to bring it up with his advisor. Every time I addressed it with the lead staff, the issue has been addressed and resolved. My son has learned a lot from that process actually. He learned how to address things that make you uncomfortable, be heard, and the issue resolved. My last point I want to touch on is the price. This is a self-pay school, for most, insurance will not cover any part of it. This was the case for us. It is a huge financial investment. We have chosen to prioritize our son's future and are so happy we did. We went from being concerned that he'd ever been able to live on his own, to looking for top universities after graduation. Valley View School has given my son a chance at the life he deserves and for that, we will be forever grateful!

Before I start I want the reader to know that I was a troubled young man who absolutely made…read moreprogress at this school even though some events that happened to me are probably illegal now. These events happened 40+ years ago. I was adopted (as a baby, my adoptive parents were all I knew). So being institutionalized from them stung quite a bit. I remember being angry and confused during my first day. I had a moment so I snuck behind a shed (music and wood shop) to have a cigarette. 5 minutes in a large bald man showed up and told me to put out my cigarette. After I put it out I had a few smartass words for the man. He grabbed me by the collar and shoved me against the wall of the shed and said "You are here now!". That was day 1. I forgot this guys name, I do remember his brother taught guitar there. The next BIG thing that happened was, during my year I was having a bad day due to losing a privilege or something. I was walking by one of the Phils that ran the school. There was Phil Spiva and Phil (A-Hole). I was walking by Phil A. and again I'm sure I said something bad to him because he followed me into my "private" room then he shoved me onto my bed. He then got into my face and yelled "Your parents don't even want you anymore!" (Word for word). A very nice thing to say to a boy who was just rejected by his adoptive parents. Maybe I'm wrong for letting these past events affect me, maybe I should let it all go. So for whoever is running that place now, memories last a lifetime. Be careful of who you hire. Moving on