My son has joined Harker High School in 9th grade. Through the word of mouth, I knew that this school will be academically challenging in spite of him being a very strong student in middle school. He was prepared to work hard. But he was not prepared that while working like he has never worked before, he would enjoy himself so much in the process. Both, he and I were touched, when more than one of his teachers sendt him encouraging emails, noticing that he worked hard while trying to adjust to the new school and find his own rhythm and method. His Chemistry, Chinese, English, and History teachers were cheering him on, knowing he wanted to take Honors classes next year and were always available for extra help. I have read reviews of Harker, where parents (or their friends) complained about the quality of teachers. In our first year at Harker, I only saw teachers who want their kids to excel, who are experts in their areas, who know how to motivate kids, and help them realize their full potential. When he started at Harker, my son joined DECA club and fell in love with all things marketing and business because of the two teachers and DECA team. He traveled and competed within a few months of joining DECA. He enjoyed his time with the students and made lots of friends. He was happy that he could talk finally with kids about politics, history, as well as other teenage topics. Harker Dance and Theater programs are very impressive. The new theater is beautiful and their boy hip hop dance team is really top notch. I love it that the school with such strong academic emphasis is developing the whole child, offering arts, sports, and really wide variety of activities. Choosing what to spend time on is hard. But it is a good problem to have. I have not heard any complaints from him about unhealthy competition or lack of friends at school. Based on our experience so far, Harker created an environment where kids who love learning get to do just that, learn, and enjoy themselves in the process. read more

This place is great but the parking sucks . Your literally stuck at the round about they need people to conduct traffic .

Great teacher and we like the summer camp at Harker school. Nice performance art and high quality education. The food is great.

Well-funded but nearly everyone I know from my time there (I graduated class of 2012) talks about the weird toxic culture. It came in many forms: they were relentless about dress code, and for context we did not have students pushing it. It would be nice dresses or modest shorts that were half an inch too short. Classmates have been pulled into offices with male teachers or admin and had their (once again, reasonable) skirts measured behind closed doors. All female students were pulled out of class my sophomore year to be berated (loudly) in an auditorium for dressing like who*es and making male students and teachers uncomfortable. My personal experience is that many teachers could be rude, snide or dismissive, though to be fair I don't know if that's the case at lots of high schools. In one particularly memorable incident, I saw a teacher shake out the leftover water from his water bottle over the heads of students during a school dance. I thought one of the two or three other teachers who saw would say something but they just laughed uncomfortably. The whole school felt weirdly bitter or disdainful towards the kids. For context I was not a bad student, nor did I have disciplinary problems. In fact I had pretty good grades and was active in leadership for a lot of extra-curriculars; I actually went on to attend Stanford. I only add that because I assume a lot of readers might incorrectly assume that only "problem students" find this environment toxic, and I just want you to know that's not true. (For the elite college focused parents: going to Harker won't make your chances significantly better; competition is fierce and my sense is that there is a ceiling on the number of students an elite university will admit from a single private high school. There are better ways to up your chances). Also, once again not sure if this is just normal for Bay Area high schools, but we have had more teacher abuse scandals than I am personally comfortable with. The culture is also such that I am expecting an email from their lawyer once they read this. Message me if you want to know more! read more

A fantastic place, with solid focus on the kids' success and well-being. It is high-pressure, but rewarding, and it produces self-confident kids that collaborate. Teachers and administration alike are great. read more

Hell overall. I attended grades 9-12 here a while back. They used to have a great computer science program but since I've graduated 10 years ago, they've doubled tuition and I wouldn't recommend this school personally. Also that great computer science program is gone. The administrators and some teachers at this place were sadists and not healthy for the minds of growing children. I was definitely left a bit traumatized and my social growth stunted until college fixed me up. High school sucks in general, so don't pay more than college costs for it. That's just ridiculous. They push you at this school and impose all sorts of stupid rules that both students and parents find frustrating. I tended to be prompt to class in the morning, but I've had very bright classmates who've had to take on "lunch duty" or get after-school detention for being late or not having homework done on time. There's no purpose to all this time wasting. If you ask me, I found the experience to be kind of barbaric despite some good intentions. And I don't exactly come from a super wealthy background, so having filthy rich spoiled kids as classmates wasn't so great. My contemporaries whom attended public high school got into at least of good of colleges, for what it's worth. read more

This "school" is so terrible and scarring that I have had multiple dreams of blowing it to pieces. I went here from 1st until 7th grade. Eighth grade was paid for, but it was so bad that my parents pulled me out anyways. And if I had stayed any longer than I did, I probably wouldn't be here on this planet today. I picked it based on a clown fish hanging from the ceiling in the science room and if that fish hadn't been there, maybe I would be a sane and normally functioning person. Do you want a child who could get into any university and who is academically prepared for anything? Send them to Harker. That is the typical reason for paying a university tuition in elementary school. But it is not the only result of going here. Do you want a child who knows no social skills and no prosocial values? Do you want a child who can get away with bullying and have the victim be blamed for the consequences? Do you want a child who thinks that it is okay to put down others and that their feelings are the only ones that matter? Do you want a child who has no childhood memories except for those of studying and doing homework? Do you want a child who grows up to take pleasure in absolutely nothing because they had no opportunity to play? The answer to all of the above questions is yes. This scar is over eight years old for me and I am still dealing with the consequences, which will most likely stay with me for the rest of my life. I have many stories to share - if you wish to hear them, you are welcome to message me. read more

We didn't end up sending our kid here. They definitely do push the kids. But their response to "how about stress" is "we don't encourage stress, and the kids will deal with it." Also, they're big into worksheets and homework. And kids are in school for 7 hours, starting in Kindergarden. If your dream is to push your child as hard as you can, and you think this is the path to success Harker may be the school for you. If you prefer to let your child have a childhood, spend time with friends, unstructured playtime, Harker is not a good place for your kid. Edited to add: Oh, and it costs about the same as a private university. It's $20,674 for Kindergarden and $29,894 by 9th grade. Just to keep it in perspective, Stanford Law School is $20,440. And in spite of this, there is 1 teacher and 1 teacher's aide per classroom. read more

Overpriced hell hole. if you want your kid to go to a good college or to have a non toxic education do not have them go there. I went there for years and so did my sister. Racism and homophobia were rampant with no punishment. Kids who were friends stop having healthy relationships and go at each others throats over academics. when both my sister and I went there the depression rates were disturbing compared to your average school. At the highschool there is a day known as crying day if I remember correctly when everyone bawls over the fact that none of them got into the school they wanted to. only the top students get into the schools they want typically. all I can say is that its a school that could care less about your family's well being as much as lining their pockets with what should be your college savings. one of my proudest moments in my life was helping a parent save her kid from going to Harker by telling her my experience. read more

What NO reviews? Simply put, this is the best experience your child can get. Best education, many after school activities, and caring teachers. If you want your child to be successful, Harker is the place to send your child. ALL kids go on to 4 year colleges and become doctors, dentists, lawyers, etc. It's absolutely amazing to see my classmates and sister's classmates so accomplished years later. Very expensive, but well worth the education. Saw other posting and would agree that Kindergartner's do NOT need to be pushed, however I started Harker in the 5th grade along with my sister. When you want you child to become SERIOUS about their academics, there is no better place than Harker. I wish that I could give you the list of names of classmates, but believe me, ALL of them are successful in careers AND life. read more

Consequently, our son graduated from CAL magna cum laude (Phi Beta Kappa) as a double major and double minor and received the Chancellor's award. He teaches at CAL and is pursuing a PhD. Essentially, Harker will groom students who are exceptionally motivated in STEM. My son pursued the humanities. The objectives were not complementary. read more

Totally visited this school and was blown away. As a New Yorker, this campus is more gorgeous than my college campus. Granted, I am only reviewing based on what I have seen- the faculty are awesome and the facilites are amazing. Each teacher has their own classroom which is unheard of in New York High Schools. And the cafeteria pretty much carries anything your heart can desire... carving station? Sushi? Pizza? Sign. Me. Up. I'd be remiss to mention that lunch in NYC High Schools include a "cheeseburger" (gray filler meat with plastic cheese) and some other random hot dish (like "fish sticks" or something else that falls under the "heat and serve" category) to choose from on a daily basis. I would go to school all over again for a good lunch. Doing homework laying in the halls with natural lighting? Yes please! I had access to sleeping on the hallway floors in high school but never with sunlight... New York Kids are deprived of sunlight (it shows...just hop on the subway between 2pm and 4pm) I would go through puberty again in order to go to this school.... that says a lot because puberty SUCKED. read more

This is an experience I had with Harker sometime back. I did not know if this school till my credit card was misused and charge showed up with the name Harker. After some research it turned out a parent who was establishing her magazine for parents in the Indian community ( Indian Bay Area for parents ... not to be confused with Bay Area parent) missed my cc to pay for her child's tuition. While she was clearly unprofessional I explained to Harker they need to clear the charges and that was another unprofessional and unpleasant experience I did not anticipate. Not sure if they know about the legality of the situation or just be super aggressive to cover their Big mistake! read more

The food is amazing, 10/10, keep up the great work! It's very nicely seasoned, and good serving portions.

My son went here for a couple of years. The school is a for profit and it reflects as such. From my experience, if you have to ask "how much," chances are you cannot afford it. They increased the fees substantially which prompted me to look over the cost to benefits. The cost did not warrant the additional expenses as we calculated the child at the age of 6 shouldn't cost $20-35k per annum. From experience and speaking with other parents who were both accepted and denied, there is no guarantee you will be accepted into the following year. The core assembly of executive staff look over not only the scores of your child's tests, but the history of your family as alumni, and frequency of your donations. The second year we did not donate as much as the previous year due to the price hike. However, to compensate, my wife volunteered at every single opportunity as she was, at the time, a "stay at home" parent. Our son was evaluated a second time by a 'child specialist' at it was determined by the school that my son was 'below average'. We asked what type of testing criteria they used to come to this determination and they would/could not provide adequate answers. We were in shock and promptly had our son evaluated for cognitive defects such as dyslexia and autism. After thousands spent on professionals and doctors, the Hx was null. No defects or abnormalities in cognition and comprehension. Again, a shock. We asked the school about this (after the dismissal of our son) and they did not provide information that would help us in zeroing in on the reason. Additionally, they mentioned us to "respect the other parents and not discuss anything related to this topic." I am not sure what prompted that response as we did nothing to provoke such as statement. I found that rather obtuse and authoritarian. We have good relationships with some of the Harker parents still enrolled and they are saddened to see our son not attending. He forged some good relationships with a couple of the well behaved children. One parent, who donated a substantial amount of stock options to th school did say that their child also received a "below average" score much like my son which prompted them to donate additional funds. Interestingly enough, their child was accepted due to "additional space being opened up". The parent said they would speak with the administration but I told them to not do so due to the previous statement by the administration stating, "Do not share information." I did not want them to have issues since their child was accepted the second term. We came to the conclusion that many children with sub par scores will make it to subsequent years because of the family history and continued funding they present. Based on our experience, if you are not an elitist, then please keep your child with their peers at a more affordable charter or public school. There is no proof that attending this school will mean your child will be set up for success. However, they do offer a wide range of activities for youngsters which is a plus. I found that augmenting my sons after school activities with weekend field trips to museums and other activities made up for this. -- I will tell you, most the parents speak Tesla, iPhone, large monetary donations, and multimillion dollar estates. Hard for a child that isn't in this category to relate to his peers. They don't speak jeans, civic, blue collar. If one makes it in with a loan without substantial donations, expect child to get low scores and denied continuation within school. If parents are heavy donors, advance payers, and child is at or below average, expect additional support and continuation of school. read more

Daughter attended here for several years and we loved the academic and non academic curriculum. Phenomenal campus and program structure. However, we pulled our daughter out because we strongly felt she was losing out on diversity of background and thought. She started to develop this elitism and narrow minded view of the world and those around her. My wife and I grew up under much different circumstances and we didn't feel the student body and parents represented the diversity and inclusion ideals we strived to instill within our children. If academics were the only thing we valued, Harker would have been spot on, but we came to the conclusion that we wanted a well rounded experience, both mentally and socially. Students at Harker represent only a fraction of what the world truly is. If that's what you're looking for. It's perfect. read more

Sent my son to Harker for a summer Geometry class - 2014. The instructor did not appear to know the material - as she was corrected on her problems continually by the class. The instructor could not maintain control of the class and at times would leave the kids alone. An internal Harker student failed one of the tests and cried - a retest was then implemented. If you, your son or daughter are not a student at Harker and don't show some tears when you fail a test don't expect a retest. I ended up hiring a private tutor to teach him the material and the tutor started pointing out where the Harker instructor was marking answers wrong that were correct and vice versa. Bottom line - do not expect the staff to be educated or on the ball. The main theme there seems to be to be to rush through the material, don't teach anything, make the tests incredibly hard and those who pass or do well - well they have the money for a tutor ;-) read more

If your child is in the gifted area - and I don't mean just on those silly Star tests- this might be a good school for him or her. In fact 85% of the kids at Harker tested as "gifted" on the standardized test they gave last year. If your kid is bored stiff in school because they won't "let" him or her learn at his own pace, this is the place. If your child gets the best grades in his or her class in public school, this is the place. Your talented, inquisitive child will no longer be stifled and demoralized if you send him to this school. This school is on 3 campuses, the Lower School (k-5) a.k.a. "Bucknall", the Middle School (6-8) a.k.a. "Blackford", and the Upper school (9-twelve) a.k.a. "Saratoga". I don't know much about the earlier grades in the lower school. (Maybe someone else could write a good review about K-3.) This is maybe the only school in the area, private or public, that has academic tracks for math in the lower grades. Theoretically, if your 4th grader passes the placement test for calculus, he takes calculus. Practically, there are 5th graders taking honors pre-algebra with the 7th graders. Even the lower tracks are challenging for bright students. For example: Math books are completed to the end. No chapters are left undone at the end of the year. In English, even the lowest of the three tracks in 6th Grade use "Wordly Wise 5", which is considered 8th-grade level. The work and the pace might be too challenging for a student of just slightly above average ability. The work is relentless, but there is very little busy work like I have seen my friend's kids get in Cupertino public schools. The kids are excited about their subjects. There is no comparison between these kids and the joyless achievers at other, shall we say, "challenging" schools. Teachers have a love of their subject, expertise, and love for kids. You will find only outstanding teachers in the major subjects. Very few of the standard mediocre education-major-type dumbo teachers are to be found in any subject. Some of the teachers are slightly quirky and most seem to have a highly nerdy interest in the subjects they teach. With most of my kids' teachers I get the feeling that they love coming to school. Many of the teachers and other staff send their kids here - yes they can afford it even if totally on a teacher's salary because they get a tuition discount. Culture at the school? It is o.k. to be smart. No emphasis on clothes or money. Multicultural: one-third Indian, one-third East Asian, one-third "other" (American "white" , Hispanic, African-American, Russian) Many families of mixed ethnicity. Most families have at least one immigrant parent. Kids do not form cliques along ethnic lines. Kids are nice to each other, and supportive. Absolutely no bullying or even hint of bullying are allowed. Teachers are very supportive. No anti-social behavior is tolerated. Kids are polite and friendly even when no adult is watching them. Arrange a visit to campus and you will see how happy and poised the kids are. Uniforms are required, except for fortnightly free dress day. On free dress day, girls dress modestly. The competition to get in is very high. Entry points are K, first grade, 5th grade, 6th grade and 9th grade, I think. In other grades, only one-3 slots are open per year, because of students who move, etc. Your child is unlikely to get into the Harker high school unless he or she has been getting top grades at a top public or private middle school. This goes even for students who test positive for "gifted". Sports is good. Kids have fun, play hard, and sometimes win. They have phys ed in middle school 4 days a week. They must be really running the kids around a lot, because virtually no kid at that school is obese. After school there is a complete program until 5 and supervision up until 6 if you choose. Students can choose from study, clubs, and athletics, and activities too numerous to name. It seems to me like every member of the supervisory staff knows every kid by name. Cafeteria food is tasty and healthy - much of it is organic food. You are required to pay for cafeteria unless there is some medical reason not to. All three campuses have a strictly enforced no-peanut policy. Parental involvement: The teachers or administrators are very open to meeting with you and are very responsive. If you want to get involved with your child's school, be aware that you will be allowed to help raise money and nothing else. All after-school monitors are employees. Snobby? I don't think so. Many of the parents are wealthy but most of the parents work hard. The general attitude of the moms is that designer clothing is for silly people. The moms are usually as smart as the kids, and genuinely friendly. Expensive? Yup. Worth it? Yup. Financial aid is available, and not just to poor families. read more

To the previous poster... It is too early to say that these kids are doctors, lawyers and dentists...The earliest Harker high school graduates are probably in their Graduate school studies at this stage. It will take a lot more years to become these professionals. Harker is not for everyone. Your kids maybe very smart but not fit for Harker. They do have many smart kids indeed. I give Harker High a BIG 5 simply because my daughter had a good experience with it. If this is Harker Middle school, I will give it a BIG ZERO because my son had very bad experience with that school for these years he was there. read more

When we were looking at schools, our goal was to find a community that would take a whole child approach to education -- nurturing their character and curiosity as well as their intellect. We're grateful to have found that at Harker. As parents I believe we all have the same dreams for our children...For them to grow to be creative, independent thinkers who regard learning not only as a core strength but as a life-long passion. For them to be continually inspired, and in turn, inspire those around them. And most importantly, for our children to be happy and resilient as they grow to pursue their own path.. Every year, we watch our children realize a little more and more of those dreams with a sense of awe and profound gratitude. We are grateful for the teachers who carefully nurture their curiosity and encourage their out-of-the-box questions; the athletic, performing arts, and journalism departments that foster their spirit and sense of team; and their peers group who serve as uniquely caring allies moving through what, anywhere else, would surely be crazy adolescent years. We have 3 kids with very different personalities and learning styles. One of Harker's internal mantras is "Challenged, not stressed" and we have found that to be true. read more

I sent both of my children here. One started in 9th grade, and the other started in 7th grade. Both of them graduated and went off to 4-year universities, and are now well and independent. My youngest daughter is only a sophomore in college, but she told me that without Harker, she would not have been as prepared as she was today. At Harker, she was an "average" student, but now she is in the top 10% of her class in college. She even tells me that her professors in college know of Harker, and are impressed by it. And my older daughter has graduated from college and is doing very well, living on the other side of the country where her job is located. Both of them always tell me that Harker had positively influenced their education. They always go to visit during their breaks, mostly to see their teachers who had helped them over the years. I think what students at Harker need to do is take advantage of all the opportunities offered, such as clubs, sports, and such. It will help them find what they love to do. read more

My son plays for Pop Warner and we had a game located at this school. I didn't get to see the rest of the school but there was plenty of parking. The football field is very nice and clean. The bleachers are very nice also. Restrooms are very spacious and clean as well. It looks like they offer swimming classes too and the pool area looked pretty nice too. read more

I recently graduated from here. Was my experience absolutely perfect? No. Was I stressed at some points? Of course. But which school is perfect, and what teenager doesn't go through some degree of stress in high school? In fact, I attended Harker all the way from Jr. K (back when they still offered this grade level) to 12th grade. My parents have no regrets about spending this much money to give me a wholesome education in not just academics but also how to interact and work with other people. The food is amazing. The campus is beautiful. The class sizes are small (what I miss the most about high school, now that I'm in college). The teachers are possibly what makes the school so great - of course they teach well and everyone who wants to learn will learn. But what makes them stand out is that they care about the kids on higher level - they want to get to know each and every one of their students as people. They care. There are so many resources here, from research to performing arts to journalism - and much, much more.. Anyone who is willing to take the time and effort to use those resources can do well. read more

I graduated from Harker, and chose it for my children as soon as they were kindergarten ready. In fairness, we did look at other schools in the area, but none truly compared to Harker. It's no wonder the school has so many alumni families. The grounds and facilities are amazing at all three campuses. While the curriculum has evolved to include advances in technology, the core academic programs all remain top notch. The elementary school kids love having daily science with a designated science teacher, complete with experiments. The computer science lab is outstanding, as are the theater and recreational facilities. The after school clubs, athletic programs, and enrichment offerings are a huge bonus (and included in the tuition). The field trips are an extension of classroom teachings, and intended to reinforce coursework in science, technology, theater arts, and language arts. The commitment by dedicated teachers, and administrators is unwavering. There are ample opportunities for parent participation and involvement through middle school. The needs of children are met at every level. I could not imagine a better school for my children, or for all children. I highly recommend this school for parents seeking a well rounded K-12 experience. read more

Harker's summer enrichment program is horrible. My child attended its Pre-Algebra class last summer, and the teacher (a very moody Asian female) basically did not teach and just sat there surfing the web and watching Chinese news. The tuition for the summer is not expensive compared to that for the regular school year (not cheap either since the teacher only gave kids some worksheet to do.) It's frustrating that hen parents and students reported the situation to the Harker middle school principal (summer only), a Japenese guy I believe, his attitude was very cold and asked parents to contact the teacher directly. Well what can I say about this school, good luck to those who want to give it a try this summer. Definitely will not make the same mistake again! read more

Harker is a wonderful place. Both of my kids attended K-12. It is what you make of it. Both of my kids thrived at Harker and loved it. Is it perfect? Probably not. But, considering the options we have in the Bay Area, I don't think you can do better. It can be stressful. You have to be careful that your kids don't become too stressed out. I don't think it is the teachers or the administrators that put the stress on the kids. I think it is the parents. Are the teachers perfect? No, but the majority of them were wonderful. Very small class sizes with lots of personal attention and help. The English department is insanely good. Both of my kids graduated from Harker with better writing skills than almost any college graduate that I've ever worked with. Kids are competitive with each other, but that will happen at ANY top-notch public or private school. But, in senior year, when they were all applying to college, they were peer-editing each others essays and HELPING each other. Socially, I've never seen a more inclusive community. I've never seen such HEALTHY boy/girl relationships. The dating scene is very mild compared to other schools. It seems the kids have a ton of respect for themselves and each other. It is refreshing to see the way they behave at football games and other school events. If you are wondering whether or not to send your child to Harker, attend a football game and observe the kids. That will tell you all you need to know about what kind of community Harker is. Go Eagles! read more

My review is based on 15-year recent experience with Harker where my two children attended kindergarten through high school. Like many Harker parents, my wife and I selected Harker carefully. For both our children, my wife and I researched and visited all the good private schools in the Bay Area, talked to multiple parents, compared many factors, and considered our public schools, which are ranked among the best in the Bay Area. After comprehensive evaluation, we chose Harker despite the long drive. Both our children and their friends are in excellent colleges. Looking back, I would choose Harker again for my children. What makes Harker are its people. Harker's leadership is visionary, intent on building a long-lasting educational institution and one of the top-ten schools in the nation. Administration is outstanding. Academic counselors are exemplary. College counselors are extraordinary. Support staff is fantastic. Just observe the lady who directs traffic in the campus every morning, and you will be impressed. Most of the teachers are very good, and many are exceptional. I can name countless outstanding, caring teachers who taught my children. For example, all my children's high-school English teachers were outstanding. My second child's math teacher in junior year was not only a superb teacher but also a remarkable human being. My child will never forget his kindness and support beyond his being a great teacher. Most students are very smart and hardworking, setting role models for each other. Most parents are very committed to their children's education. Contrary to some reviewers' uninformed comments, most Harker parents are not "filthy rich." There are a few very wealthy parents at Harker, but that is true at many Bay Area public and private schools. Typical Harker parents are middle-class, educated professionals dedicated to their children's education. Additionally, Harker is a relatively small school, which makes it feel like a community, although many students and parents do not realize it until after graduating. Harker has a refined system and process for almost everything. Things run very smoothly. Class size is very small. Excellence is practiced from the highest- to lowest-level detail. Harker's education is academic, extracurricular, and social. Harker is not only superior academically but also has an extensive and wide variety of non-academic activities, functions, and clubs, such as speech & debate, sports, performing arts, music, visual arts, Latin, etc. Harker has outstanding science, engineering, and computer science activities, functions, and clubs, such as programming and robotics. The computer science program is undoubtedly the best in the Bay Area. Contrary to another reviewer's uninformed remarks, the computer science program is amazing and thrives more every year. Harker is not only outstanding in math and science but also in humanities and languages. For example, Harker has multiple humanities research scholarships every year with impressive results. Harker graduates go to top science and engineering schools, such as MIT and Cal Tech, and to top humanities schools, such as Harvard and Yale. Harker develops social skills in their students, instilling respect, self-discipline, courtesy, and civility. Harker encourages and fosters community service and social responsibility. The Harker system, administration, and counselors coach and develop students' leadership skills. Academic and extracurricular accomplishments and hard work are recognized and celebrated. Rudeness, bullying, plagiarism, and egregious behavior are absolutely not tolerated. Outrageous infractions can lead to expulsion, regardless of who the student and parents are, resulting in a safe, organized, professional environment. Harker's tuition is not cheap but comparable to other Bay Area non-religious private schools. The superb education and lifelong skills are definitely worth the investment. Beyond the education and skills, many Harker graduates will land top positions in the nation in the near future, and the connections Harker students make among themselves are priceless. Most parents see the tuition as a worthwhile investment and understand the long-term value of their investment. No one is forced to enroll. Harker turns away many qualified applicants every year. Harker does not compete on price. Harker competes on quality. Harker is undoubtedly the best school in the Bay Area and is one of the best schools in the nation. On a percentage of number-of-students basis, year after year, Harker beats all other public and private schools in college admissions results. Out of about 176 graduating high-school students, about half go to top-25 colleges. Of those, about half go to Ivies, Stanford, and MIT, a feat few schools can tout. Every academic achievement metric is stunning. Harker is an investment toward academic, extracurricular, and social excellence and toward admission in top colleges. read more

2 words. Robbie korin. The best teacher in the us. Editor of princeton reviews he himself is worth the tuition.

RobbieK. The man, the myth, the legend. Praise the GOAT. Best teacher i've ever had. Nice recreate reading book. Your class is the best.

My daughter did her Geometry course in Harker Summer Course and found it extremely useful. We really thank Margaret Harris for her coaching and guidance. read more

Excellent, exceptional school. The opportunities and resources available to the students are well above any other private school in the area. The educators are excellent. Although the school has a reputation for being quite academic and challenging, you really can make it however challenging you would like. In the end, Harker will give your child an excellent education and will provide your child with the skills and knowledge to be successful in college. SEE THE FILTERED reviews for Harker too! read more

Our personal experience with Harker school is amazing! Our middle schooler at Harker loves everything about Harker! The faculty and administration are highly qualified and extremely helpful! They have different levels of the courses so the students can be placed at the levels that they are comfortable and challenged at the same time! The teachers are almost like private tutors. My son always gets help whenever he needs it! The rules are in place without having the students feel suffocated. The lunch is amazing! It feels like a five star restaurant! They have a healthy balance of athletic and after school programs. My son would totally be lost at any other school after being at Harker. If you want your child to be challenged without being stressed out, if you want your child to go to top colleges in the nation, if you want your child to receive a well rounded education I recommend you choose Harker. read more