Incredible school like no other, for students who are academically advanced / gifted and crave challenge and empowering learning experiences. The teachers are masters in their field, the school day is incredibly vibrant with PE every day and fine arts, language & stem classes. The extracurricular options are vast. The students are incredibly kind and supportive of each other. read more

Great school but tends to greatly favor children whose parents are the biggest donors. Not fair in many ways if you are a medium donor.

The simple truth is that you don't get the quality of experience for the money. We've had equivalent and superior experiences at schools priced much less than Avery Coonley. Furthermore, be prepared for your child to be indoctrinated into social justice/class warefare/communist/anti-American/victimhood politics which permeate every aspect of the school's culture, starting at the top with upper management. I really wanted our children to have a good experience. The teachers were wonderful(now retired) but the political pandering was over the top. read more

Allow me to give this review from the perspective of me, a former student at ACS who was there very recently. ACS is a Terrible School. The extremely competitive environment is actually detrimental to the child's learning, and scars him/her for life. The kids are totally self-righteous and certain parents discriminate against other parent's kids (come ON now... they're kids) and spread dirt on them (the KIDS!!!) purely based off of, for example, what advanced math program the child takes... On the point that the kids are self-righteous... kids are going around flaunting their grades/primarily MATH scores to the whole world... taking no note of those who may have their feelings hurt or those who are quietly Reverse discrimination is also something to take note of... they certainly favor the Asian race. Contrary to the belief of many people, the school is NOT DIVERSE!!! There are certain nationalities, even races with NO representatives! It is not OK to market yourself as a 'progressively diverse school' when you obviously don't even understand the meaning of the term 'progressive' or the meaning of 'diverse'... I was a student at ACS for a while and I absolutely HATED my experience!!! I transferred schools halfway through because I could take it no longer. The teachers are moody, the administration is BOGUS... There have been certain administrators who don't do anything at all... I hate to say it, but may be a detrimental influence/bad role model for their pupils... Alone on a line: NO EQ!!! Customer service (when calls are placed) is terrible... the current setup of the phone calls is completely bogus... Might just be me but that's another grievance I have against ACS... For those godforsaken competitive helicopter parents who think their child is a god[ess] who might read my review: Avery Coonley has been watering down their curriculum, while INCREASING the tuition!!! For example, some of the overly rigorous, TOO COMPETITIVE activities that ACS has been doing for quite some time, they are quietly doing away with those activities/traditions... I know this may not conform to my previous argument, but it is what y'all tiger moms wanna hear... It's the truth!! Parents definitely do not help... Constantly on your d*ck about MATH scores (goddammit), applications to schools he/she may wanna transfer to... The tuition is definitely not worth the experience. Don't send your kids here folks... The uber-competitive environment will train your children to see competition in anything... TERRIBLE!! I transferred out. Kids there are very profane. I wasn't before ACS, but now that's another bad habit from that school that I might not be able to shake... That profaneness might be something you might expect from middle school boys but they are just there throwing around the N word and other shitty racially charged comments... I did it for a while because it was 'cool' and peer pressure is a THING people... but now I realize what a horrendous thing that was and how terrible those people are for coercing me into saying offensive things that they probably held against me... Aside from a history, their 'stewardship' and 'excellence' acts more like scarring innocent children... damn... Don't even try to remove my review, Avery Coonley. I'll just put it right back. The world needs to know the truth about your, frankly, ass way of teaching things. Dammit I'ma get offa my soapbox now... letchy'all decide... Don't even think about blackmailing me ACS... sounds like the type of thing y'all'd do... believe it has happened in the past... my oh my there is so much dirt. I completely agree with Suzie M and John K's reviews. read more

Avery Coonley School (ACS) has been a great fit for both of my kids. I was always a public school kid but have never regretted ACS for my kids. It has taught them the importance of thinking for themselves and not just repeating learned facts. It gives them a well rounded education from Math to Drama, Social studies to Music, and French to Physical Education. They have loved the traditions like tapping maple trees and the spring fair. I have really appreciated the community and the diversity. Covid has been hard over the last year and the school has fought hard to keep the students' education and spirits high. Teachers are responsive. Staff are responsive. I truly feel like they care and want to do the best for each student. read more

5 stars for the tour. It was comprehensive, and thorough. I got a real sense of the vision, mission and method of the program. It doesn't hurt that the campus is beautiful. Incredibly helpful in the decision making decision. read more

We are so proud to be a part of the Avery Coonley community. Though we have been a part of the summer camp for several years, one of our children is now in his second year as a student. The faculty and staff are so engaged and truly keep the kids excited about learning everyday. The curriculum is hands on and personalized for each student, which allows each child the best opportunity to be successful. I also really appreciate the amount of diversity we have found in this community. I recognize that private school is not an option for many, but I highly recommend ACS if you are investigating private options. read more

ACS is a wonderful school and sending our child here has truly made a positive impact on his life in so many ways. Not only has he been challenged academically, but he's learned to work in a diverse, multi-cultural environment that 's exposed him to things he never would have experienced had we left him in the local school system. We find the teachers to be caring and innovative, yet there is also importance placed on teaching the children the importance of personal responsibility and what it means to be a positive contributor to the community. Can't agree more with the poster who stated that while it's expensive, it's worth every penny. The decision to send our son to this school has been one of the best decisions we've made as parents. read more

Small class sizes and excellent learning environment. The school recently celebrated its centennial and remains a vibrant institution for pre-school through 8th grade education. read more

My older daughter has been and Avery Coonley since she was in Kindergarten. My younger daughter, since the Early Childhood program (they are currently in 7th & 4th). It has been a incredible experience. My children are confident learners, they are curious and willing to take risks as well as enjoy being challenged. The entire environment at ACS is supportive and dedicated to gifted children being themselves and celebrating their natural desire to learn. The teachers are exceptional. They share the same love of learning as their students and communication with teachers constant and encouraged. read more

This is an amazing place. Not only do my children receive an outstanding education, they enjoy unique traditions such as maple tree tapping, the Thanksgiving program, Spring Fair, and using the outdoor natural setting to enhance learning opportunities. Avery Coonley is unquestionably the best elementary school in the area. It is academically rigorous, but they put the highest importance on the child as a whole (meaning academics + physical + creativity + emotional + social skills + citizenship). Art, Music, World Language, P.E., and computer skills are not treated as "specials." At Avery Coonley, these are core curriculum subjects. This school is a wonderful blend of traditional education, cutting edge technology, and ingenuity. Teachers are always innovating and children are stretched to explore subjects in a way that creates in them a love of learning. The teachers care for the students in a way that is just indescribable. This place is worth every penny. read more

Terrible school. The teachers can be downright rude and unfriendly towards the children. It took our child months to recover from the experience at ACS. We put our child in a different gifted school, and he is now thriving. I think they are living off of a good reputation from years ago. But, if you were to compare it to other gifted schools in the Chicago suburbs, the other schools are far superior. The campus is beautiful and the school has a rich history, but that's where it ends. I suggest looking at the other gifted schools. We wish we would have from the beginning. read more

I love this place from the feisty seahorse mascot ("onward and upward") to the engaged, responsive teachers, to, of course, the children and their families. This is a community that celebrates experimentation, effort, and each other. The preschool is a magical place that sets the foundation for great years to come! read more

The Avery Coonley school is not a place for "gifted" children, it is a place for over-supported boys and girls that are told they are better. The students believe that they are learning at a faster pace and at a higher level than normal schools. And, the curriculum does not supply children with the information given in normal public school, advanced classes or not. The music department is particularly notable for its treatment of students. Children are treated differently because of their grades, and are sometimes called by the percent average they have. The veteran students are snobby and ignorant, and the teachers are occasionally quite rude to students and parents. read more

Our children each attended ACS for the 10 years available to them, and two of our grandchildren have started on the same path. The reviews complaining about indoctrination are ludicrous and sound to me like a case of sour grapes. Our child was the only one in a science class admitting to believing in Creationism, yet the teacher took the time to present the alternative view of the subject. Children are taught to think, but they are also drilled in essential skills and are rigorously prepared in the arts of study and research. They learn joyfully in innovative and inspiring whole life ways. Reading the individual child with insight and perspective, the staff addresses every strength and weakness with the full attention of the school's resources. Among the age levels there is a strong sense of community, and graduates leave to enter the most exacting of private prep schools and then go on to acceptance at the most prestigious universities. However, they retain their fond memories of the unique ACS experience. As challenging as it is, that experience smooths the way for every subsequent academic and professional endeavor. There is no local equivalent to Avery Coonley, and anyone who claims there is has an axe to grind or has never had a dog in the hunt. read more

Don't be duped. This isn't a "gifted" school. In the 21st century, a school offering gifted education should cater to all gifted children. It should include emotional education. It should provide integrated subject material that is project based, with room for lots of personal exploration. These are things that ACS claimed they would provide when we toured the school. They kept to this promise in K and 1. After that - it's just a grade and test score generator. The homework load is outrageous. The curriculum is based off of what was considered gifted learning in the 20th century. Their curriculum is as outdated as their facilities. If you're looking for a good STEM education for your gifted kid, this isn't it. Their math program in K-4 is exceptionally uneven and there's no coherency between grade levels because there's no evidence of a school-wide plan. There is essentially no science program. You would expect a gifted school to offer top notch science and engineering curriculum even in lower grades. They have a dedicated science faculty and facilities for the middle school, but the science lab for K-4 is virtually unused. Their faculty don't understand or even love science. They don't even do science fair in K-4 anymore. They do a good job with language and social sciences, as well as music. But your STEM-interested child will not be satisfied. Once you pass first grade ("group" as they call it), the signs of gifted curriculum begin to drop away, a little at a time, until what you're left with is a curriculum that just pushes high achievement. It's not based on learning, or knowledge, it's just based on pumping out good grades and good test scores. The project based learning turns into just doing big projects, with relatively strictly confined parameters (i.e., no room for exploration or creativity). While in lower grades, the teachers do work on emotional health, this disappears after K. The beautiful spirit of the gifted mind, one that seeks knowledge, explores boundaries, is extraordinarily creative, is molded into a framework of rigidity and performance as the grades advance. The education becomes more and more about just teaching material above grade level, and less about the love of learning. By the time they're in 4-6th grade, the homework levels are insane - our child leaves school, spends hours on homework, gets to do an extracurricular a few times a week, but otherwise is dealing with school issues until bedtime. You may think this "builds character" or something, but what it does is build anxiety, poor sleeping patterns, and depression. They do not provide any emotional or mental health support, which gifted kids often need...and very little support for learning challenges (like dyslexia.) Lastly, and importantly, the school actively denies entry to their program to children who are disabled, from lower income groups, or have learning "disorders." They begin this process during application. They take the entry test, and look for "evenness" in the test scores. What they don't tell you is that unevenness can be an indicator of a learning or behavioral challenge. For example, a dyslexic child might have a lower test score in one test group. So they don't even offer these kids a contract. There are kids with learning disorders at ACS, but often their challenges emerge or are discovered later on. Many of them are dismissed from the program before middle school. It's a school for -some- gifted children, just those who fit a pattern that makes them easier to deal with. As for other disabilities, I have never seen a child with a physical disability at ACS. I'm quite sure there are gifted kids with physical disabilities, so the reasonable explanation is that they don't admit them. The price tag is clearly inhibitive to anyone below the upper middle class. There is some financial aid available, but there are only a handful of 'scholarship' families at ACS. The ethnic demographics match. The social scene is one of privilege and money, and you are expected to fit in with that. Their biggest school-wide event of the year is a massive fund-raising auction. We were told on admittance that everyone is expected to participate. The kids whose parents can't participate at that level are left out of the events that lead up to it. It's not a happy situation for anyone not driving a Maserati. A lot of people at ACS are very happy there. They have some good programs, some great traditions, and produce kids with stacked portfolios. For us, it's not worth all the baggage and therapy needed to get through it, for something that's not even a gifted education. There are several better places in the area that focus on the growth of the gifted child and not the bank account and achievement statistics of the school. Try Seton Montessori, or Vine Academy, or Midwest Academy, or the Science and Arts Academy, or really anywhere that values the child over the school's reputation. We've left the school, and feel like a new family read more

Both of my children started at The Avery Coonley School in kindergarten and each recently graduated from 8th grade. The school and our years there have been an incredible experience for our entire family. All children need to be challenged at school in order to thrive year after year, and this is what ACS does day after day. The teachers teach to the entire child and aim for him/her to be well rounded in ALL subjects. From math to literacy to P.E. and drama my kids were challenged each day. ACS is a very warm, small yet diverse community where it is "cool to be smart". My kids left with very fond memories and very very well prepared for high school. read more