| School Name | Address | Phone | Grades | County | Type | District Name |
| Ellis School | 6425 5th Ave
Pittsburgh, PA 15206 | (412) 661-5992 | PK-12 | Allegheny | private | |
| Date | Who | Comments |
| 4/18/2012 | parent | Do not send your girls to this school. Both the board and the administration have demonstrated a benign neglect for educational excellence that suggests a motive of wanting to ultimately shut down the school. The administration alienates its faculty and continually erodes it's own educational standards by pandering to the whims of the few remaining wealthier parents. |
| 1/26/2011 | parent | From the perspective of a lifer (Ellis' word for a girl remaining from K/1 12), I can only say that my parents and I both admit to being tricked to attend with rather false advertising. Difficult academics, strict uniforms, and a single sex education, already should strike perspective students as a warning. Both the students and teachers refer to this type of environment as The Ellis Bubble. Here, girls come to loose sight of the world and the broader image I have seen girls cry when receiving a B+ on a Math test. . On the whole, most of the students here have no social skills around the opposite sex (even in grades 11 and 12). Yikes! This can be an issue in college Which by the way, Pittsburgh Public School students gain admissions the same ones. Although its graduates come out of Ellis with many memorized facts and numbers; personal style, socialization, and self-understanding do not exist. |
| 8/16/2010 | other | Ellis is awesome. Ive been here since kindergarten and am about to start 6th grade. The teachers are great and really take time to help you. There is sometimes a lot of homework and it can be stressful, plus, if your like me and don't go running off to paris every weekend, it can make you feel a little bad, but overall, a great place! |
| 2/28/2010 | student | Ellis is a friendly and cozy place. Students are encouraged to pursue their interests as well as try new things. I graduated last year with more knowledge and skill relating to art, culture, and history than most of my peers at MIT. The science curriculum at Ellis could be a little more rigorous, but motivated students will generally find challenges if they seek them. |
| 2/21/2010 | student | Ellis... you get such a great education, the teachers are wonderful, and the students are ok. Not all of them are very nice to some kids, and it always makes me feel bad. I do recommend it if you want your daughter to have a good education, but if she wants to have fun, send her to another school |
| 1/8/2010 | student | From a student's point of view, The Ellis School for girls is one of the most stress inducing schools that I have attended. When I first arrived to Ellis in kindergarten, I remember thinking how much fun I was going to have here. Unfortunately, I was very wrong. I am currently in 9th grade, and I must say that Ellis is very stressful. There are many projects and papers to write, and many of them are all due in the same week. There are also unbelievably high expectations of the students. Many teachers expect us to be able to complete projects and reports, and write essays and other papers, many due on the same day. Overall, I would not recommend sending your daughter to The Ellis School, unless you want her to rip all of her hair out from stress. |
| 12/13/2009 | student | I don't know about other students' thoughts, but Ellis is amazing. I'm in seventh grade, and a lifer. That means I've been here since kindergarten. The student-teacher relationships are fantastic, and the sports are amazing too (I'm in field hockey, basketball, and lacrosse). Ellis has definitely prepared me for life situations in so many ways. I recommend sending your daughter here: You won't regret it! |
| 12/2/2009 | student | Ellis is an excellent school and I can honestly say that it has changed my life. I used to attend a not so good public school and bad influences were coming at me from all directions. When my parents first decided to send me to Ellis I was really reluctant, but then as I spend more time here, I just realize how wonderful of a school it is. The opportunities that we have here, the comfortable and excellent learning environment, the teachers who absolutely love their jobs and their students, and all that add up to an absolutely amazing school. I can say that I'm not worried about my future because of the preparations that Ellis has given me. I would definitely send my daughters to school here. |
| 9/30/2009 | parent | We are absolutely pleased and satisfied with the performance of the Ellis School. We sent both of our daughters, the oldest starting in 9th grade and the youngest in 6th. The oldest went on to Yale, I believe in large part thanks to her preparation at Ellis. The youngest is currently looking at schools and We have no doubt she will be accepted wherever she applies once again in large part due to Ellis. Ellis excels at teaching writing skills and is the perfect college prep school not to mention the confidence that they instill in the girls. In short if you have a diamond you want polished then this is your school. By the way, Ellis isn't paying us to write this , We're just grateful parents. |
| 9/26/2009 | parent | our daughter loves the school. she attended kindergarden and is now in the first grade. The teachers and staff are very knowledgeable.It is costly but terrific ! |
| 11/25/2008 | parent | Words cannot describe the satisfaction I have had sending my daughters to the Ellis School. Many people think it is expensive. But you will get more from Ellis than from any other school. The campus and faculty are impressive. My daughters especially appreciate the educational trips to destinations such as Greece, Turkey, Spain, Belize, Australia. The academics are rigorous. My daughters have had so many opportunities opened for them because of the experiences obtained at the Ellis School. I would not hesitate to strongly recommend the Ellis School to anyone looking for a great school for their daughter. |
| 5/20/2008 | other | Ellis is amazing, the teachers are great and the academic program is very intense. Ellis girls will be noticed by colleges everywher. It also has a great social enviroment and is very aware about the enviroment |
| 5/3/2008 | parent | Do not send your daughter here if you even remotely suspect she has a learning disability. The faculty is not prepared nor willing to accommodate. No commitment to these students they accept and a pervasive unwillingness to bend the curriculum. Cookie cutter education for 'the gifted'. |
| 4/16/2008 | parent | We really have been happy with Ellis. To quote my 1st grade daughter 'It is my favorite school.' The academic program at Ellis is rigorous, but takes into account differences in talents and development. Social and emotional development is supported by caring teachers and staff. The tuition IS high, but they do have a pretty generous financial aid program, which my daughter benefitted from. It's been worth every penny. |
| 3/20/2008 | parent | I can't say enough about the ellis school! worth every penny |
| 6/1/2007 | parent | We were so fortunate that our daughter was able to matriculate and graduate from the Ellis School. I am a teacher who has taught at every level from 6th grade to medical school. I have never come across a K-12 school that prepares its students so rigorously for life. The Ellis school gives the best liberal arts education possible and also provides a vast variety of extracurriular activities that enrich a student's life. I will forever be grateful to the Ellis school, its teachers, and its benefactors, for teaching my daughter. |
| 2/2/2007 | student | Ellis is worth every penny! The teachers are absolutely amazing, for the most part. They make learning fun and it is so much easier to ask them questions because mostly, they won't make students feel stupid for asking. The work is hard, but the way they prepare the students for college is incredible. Alums come back from college and tell the students that Ellis is actually more difficult. |
| 10/9/2006 | parent | This school was a waste of time and money to send my daughter to. Most parents think its a good school but its full of teachers who have no idea how to teach and academics that aren't even necessary in life. This was the worst experience for my daughter. |
| 3/30/2006 | former student | The Ellis School provides an amazing education for young women. Many extracurricular activities are available, though most utilize only the sports activities. Academics at Ellis have proven success in colleges across the country. It's a great place for girls to grow! |
| 12/11/2005 | former student | Ellis was the best thing that ever happened to me. I attended Ellis for high school and it truly changed my life and opened so many doors for me. The small classes, excellent teachers, and critical thinking is encouraged at Ellis cannot be found in many other institutions. |
| 7/7/2005 | parent | The Ellis School in Pittsburgh, PA is a wonderful, warm all-girls' school. Our daughter has been there since kindergarten and will begin third grade in 2005. We have been amazed at how Ellis teachers have been able to understand our unique child. Our child is quiet and more the observer type. The teachers have worked hard to make sure she participated in class and joined in with her peers in work and play. They have shown joy at her successes as we have felt them. Academic quality is top notch, especially reading and writing. Science programs are outstanding as well. Ellis uses everyday mathmatics, which is well-accepted. Music, art, french, computer and physical education round out the school week. The after school program is well-structured if parents need after school care. And special fun/educational programs are available from kindergarten on. Parents are highly involved in this tightly knit community. |
| 2/23/2004 | student | This is a wonderful school with a comfortable teacher- student interaction. The atmosphere encourages active participation, individual confidence, and comraderie. The standards are high, but the diversity of student abilities can slow down more advanced students. Overall, our experience has been extremely rewarding. Our primary complaint has been the ever increasing tuition rate; to the point that it is no longer affordable to middle income students. Only the wealthy and financially assisted can attend. Some students who are lower income are given much assistance, leaving the middle income students no option but to leave the school for public schools. We are included in this group. |
| 2/23/2004 | parent | Our eldest daughter is a recent graduate of Ellis and her sister is attending 6th grade there. To put it very simply, I can think of no other school I would rather have sent them to. Ellis is certainly the finest school in Pittsburgh and, I am sure, one of the finest in the country. |
| 8/26/2003 | former student | This school is an amazing prep school for colleges. It's also a tight community of girls and teaches them how to be strong and smart and self-confident. |
