TL:DR If you want your child to hate and resent you for the rest of their life and suffer lifelong mental health issues then send them here. If you love your child and want them healthy and happy then run, do not walk from the BS artists trying to sell you on sending your kid this place. I went to VFMA back in the late 80s for my junior year (11th grade) and I can only describe this place as a torture chamber. From bullying and physical abuse to mental abuse it was all the norm there. This place was a hair away from Lord of the Flies. Any parent who decides to send their kid here should have their head examined, if you have read Lord of the Flies that really demonstrates how this place was. The bullying was off the charts, some of the stuff I witnessed there still haunts me to this day. While this is based on my experiences a very long time ago I can see from the more recent reviews and the article in Mother Jones in 2022 called "Hazing, Fighting, Sexual Assaults: How Valley Forge Military Academy Devolved Into 'Lord of the Flies'" that absolutely nothing has changed. To this day in my 50s I still have horrible feelings about this place and to add insult to injury the quality of education was absolutely terrible. I went from gifted classes in public schools to VFMA where the curriculum was so incredibly dumbed down that my year there was a complete waste of my education. As a junior I remember doing work in 11th grade that I had done in 7-9th grade. I read more

I attended Valley Forge Military Academy and College with high hopes, expecting a transformative experience that would shape me into a better individual. However, my time there turned out to be deeply disheartening and had a lasting negative impact on my life. First and foremost, let's talk about the food. Despite their promises of delicious and satisfying meals, the reality was quite different. The food at Valley Forge Military Academy and College fell far short of what was portrayed. Not only was it unappetizing, but it often lacked nutritional value, leaving me feeling unsatisfied and lethargic, I ended up losing all the muscle I came with. And when cadets didn't want to eat the food, they would ask to order food instead but yet most of the time we're rejected of that request and we're left starving that whole night. Asking around other cadets for snacks. So they didn't have to goto sleep with a starving stomach. and I am speaking from experience. Most of my nights were like that. Moreover, the water fountains were consistently in a deplorable state. It was evident that they were dirty and contaminated, yet the authorities seemed to be fully aware of this issue. This blatant disregard for basic hygiene standards is unacceptable, especially in an educational institution. The living environment at the academy was mentally and physically exhausting, even after completing the Plebe system. It's true that the purpose of such institutions is to challenge individuals and foster personal growth, but Valley Forge Military Academy and College took it to an extreme level. Unfortunately, instead of empowering and building me up, the environment seemed to break me down even further. I struggled to communicate, find joy, and regain the happiness I had before attending the academy. Adding to my woes, the presence of water cockroaches in the Younghusband barracks was an ongoing issue. It was distressing and unhygienic to encounter these pests throughout my stay. This not only impacted my physical well-being but also added to the overall sense of discomfort and dissatisfaction. Worst of all, the negative experiences at Valley Forge Military Academy and College left me feeling isolated and disconnected. Returning home with nobody to talk to, I found it difficult to share my struggles and adjust to a "normal" life again. Instead of emerging from the academy as a better version of myself, I came out worse, with no discernible benefits or positive changes to show for my time there. Overall, Valley Forge Military Academy and College failed to live up to its promises and left me deeply disappointed. The subpar food, contaminated water fountains, mentally and physically exhausting living environment, and the presence of water cockroaches all contributed to an overall negative experience. Regrettably, instead of benefiting and changing me in a positive way, the academy left me broken and unable to regain the same level of happiness and contentment I had before attending. Think before you send your children here. I wouldn't want anyone to experience what I went through. The school is falling apart. read more

Valley Forge Military Academy & College - Dinner - Middle Schools & High Schools Near Me - Wayne, Pennsylvania

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A fantastic institution that helps foster the great American values in our children that this great country was founded on. I would not send my children anywhere else and I hope their children continue our legacy. No place better prepares its cadets for the real world and to be well formed members of society. read more

This is a very difficult review for me. Having graduated from this institution in 1978, I am back here for my 40th reunion. Over the past decade this academy and Junior College has found it self going from a Corp of thousands to a corps of hundreds. The past administration thought it best to move away from traditional values and cater more towards the new millennial's that would make use of this education. They've gone through several presidents.Whenever you attend a private school usually there is a uniform that is worn. This includes faculty and staff. I knew things were not going well when I heard that they were allowed to come dressed however they liked for school. All good things really come from the top down if you are too have a good impression on high school students. The alumni really want to see things get back to the way it used to be big corp big brand great product. After listening to the alumni state of the Forge address, I see a glimmer of hope in the current administration. Our new president, major general Lord summarized his goals in three key points for the board and three key points for his administration. When asking parents of today's kids what they wanted out of the school they liked the 1984 product that general Lord was a graduate from. It is no longer a cadet driven corps. His goal is to bring back to this. I hope to come back in five years and rate this school a five star school. The only way that's going to happen, is that people will begin to believe in the value of a military education for secondary school individuals. When I attended the school the band was one of the best in the United States of America. I played a fanfare instrument in a group that was unique and the only one in America at its level. Talk about brand recognition. I was proud to be a trombonist on scholarship to the school. I am looking forward to the day when this tradition will be reestablished. All the best to my alumni friends and the current administration. Let's help if called upon. See you in five years Lord willing. read more

Valley Forge Military Academy & College - Middle Schools & High Schools Near Me - Wayne, Pennsylvania

I went here and watched half my fellow cadets try and commit suicide. There is no merit system. The kids in charge of your kids were put there because their parents donated money to the place. It's the ultimate bully system and your child will suffer. What else can I say? The education was subpar as were the accommodations and food. Every time I need a reason to make my parents pissed I remind them of how much money they wasted here. I would only send my kid here if I hated him. read more

Great school very nice uniforms!! The teachers are great the commodes could use a little more bleach to kill the urine smell rooms are very nice and cots look comfortable read more

1954, 2 yrs at VFMA got me into a top New England college. 5 yrs later I became a buyer for a large discount store chain where I quickly learned that under-the-table bribes were normal for big orders. I always ignored the offers. Actually I was mad at myself for not accepting them. I thought I was foolish & weak. A few more yrs. passed and I was vacationing in PA. and found myself on Eagle Rd. & at VFMA. I parked the car, walked in the side gate and stood on the Chapel steps. There I had a flash - an understanding! I understood then that it was the honor system of VFMA that had been pounded so deep into me that when I was later affronted with those bribing situations, I could not accept them. I realized I had been strong, not weak. Since that time I have supported the academy, helped to send a few California kids there, and found many other ways to help the academy. The values taught at VFMA will stay with your children throughout their lives. DWE Class of 1954. read more