Walnut Hill School for the Arts

I am an alumna of Walnut Hill and I have to say it was one of the best experiences of my life.
The artistic training is unparalleled. The academics consistently result in placement at top colleges and conservatories. The friendships are lifelong.
Was it challenging? Yes. Were there disappointments when I didn’t get a role? Sure. But there were many, many more triumphs, personally, artistically and academically.
Walnut Hill gave me the building blocks to live my life as a confident, compassionate, hardworking, and creative adult. I’m sending my own children.

I have to disagree with the previous reviewer. My daughter too has some issues and had a terrible time at the Community Dance Program, but our issues and experience spilled over to the faculty and administration of the high school. Ultimately, my daughter was rejected for her problems. Rather than work with her or even discuss the issues directly with her, they dismissed her. To reject a child that is already suffering is just so cruel. If you do not have the perfect little cherub, do not send your child here.
–A parent

This is a school AND an arts venue, an international boarding school for high school students. The students major in theater, ballet, music, visual arts, or writing and publishing. There is an audition process involved in admissions, they seek out the most talented kids in the world. You know those Korean child prodigies that play cello with the philharmonic or at the White House when they’re 12 years old? They go to school here. When they put on a theatrical production, the students are rehearsing ten hours a day, six days a week, for several months. The theater itself is not huge, it seats 340, but it is a professional, modern theater and the productions are 100% professional, you will have a hard time believing you are watching high school students. The tickets are usually $ 20 at the most, even less if you’re under 18 or over 55. I have seen several famous and prominent citizens coming to these shows, they might get mad at me for letting the secret out. You will not see a better production of any show anywhere for half the price. The Nutcracker sells out well in advance every year, as does the spring musical theater production.
Disclaimer: My son is a senior here. He is very talented, but he has learning issues and needs a lot of academic support. He struggled through public schools before coming here in 9^th grade, and by then he hated school. The student community here is extremely strong. My son made so many wonderful friends, now he’d rather stay at school than come home (he’s one of a handful of students that don’t board). The academics here are very, very demanding, much more advanced than anything I ever saw in high school, but the support the students receive is excellent. My son’s SAT scores were through the roof, and he’s going to get into an excellent college. We always knew he was smart, but I don’t think he would have done nearly so well without the academic support he received here. Seeing him on that stage was one of the proudest moments of my life, but knowing he received a top notch education is priceless. Thank you Walnut Hill.