Germantown Friends School review by University of Pennsylvania student.
The best departments at Germantown Friends School (GFS) are the English and History departments. The student body is not too competitive, (as no classes are graded on curves) but some competition exists. More emphasis is put on essays than on tests or quizzes. The biggest strength of GFS is the quality and openness of the faculty. The students interact with the faculty as peers rather than subjects. Most students will tell you that they not only liked, but befriended several of their teachers.
The college process at Germantown Friends School starts early Junior year, and instead of having.... Get the real inside story on college counseling at Germantown Friends School as experienced by former pupil and University of Pennsylvania student — Login or Sign Up to access full review
Sample insights on college counseling
They have contacts at most of the major universities and feel perfectly comfortable picking up the phone and advocating for a student to get accepted somewhere they feel is a good fit for that student. However, these counselors are certainly not magic bullets. They cannot guarantee that a student will get into an Ivy League university...
For those wishing to move on to Oxford or Cambridge, the provision is second-to-none. In the months running up to application and interview, every subject faculty offers classes (often run by former Oxbridge tutors) exploring further areas of their subject as well as offering advice on personal statements, interview technique and more...
Germantown Friends School prefers well rounded students, and will not give much of an advantage.... Get in-depth insights and personal advice on admissions to Germantown Friends School by former pupil and University of Pennsylvania student — Login or Sign Up to access full review
Sample insights on admissions
For the interview, dress conservatively. Try to be very clean and put together. Also, I was a tour guide for two years and at the end of every tour, we were asked to evaluate the candidate so if you think the tour is not apart of the process, you are very wrong. Ask questions and be interested. Also, tip for the parents: the kids speak on the tour. Do not ask their questions for them...
Most younger siblings have an easy time in the admissions process. I can only think of one case of a younger sibling not being admitted. About half of the students who entered with me had come from public schools. The remainder came from private K-6 schools, or had transferred from other New York private schools The Elizabeth Morrow School and St. Bernard were two of the larger feeder schools...
There is no on campus housing. The dining hall is okay, with several options every day. The neighborhood isn't safe to wander into, but there has been no point when I felt unsafe on campus. Many of the facilities are new or recently renovated, and the outdoor college feel of the campus makes for a great experience. The student body is fairly diverse for a prep school in both ethnic and economic terns... Get the real inside story on quality of school life and extracurricular offerings at Germantown Friends School as experienced by former pupil and University of Pennsylvania student — Login or Sign Up to access full review