Arts Department
Strengths
he department has amazing teachers who encourage creativity, and there’s tons of freedom to experiment with different styles and mediums.
Areas of improvements
I think because of the stigma that classes are easy in the art department riverdale tries to make them overly difficult at times
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Who was your favorite teacher? Why?
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Which courses in particular prepared you well for your university experience?
Favorite course
drawing 2 was my favorite because that was my primary area of interest
Favorite book or work studied
Favorite work or artist studied
didn't really use books like that
Favorite sport
Science Department
Strengths
The science labs are awesome, and we get to do experiments that feel like actual science, not just reading from a book.
Areas of improvements
It’s kind of hard to see how science connects to real life outside of the classroom. we don't do enough to push that I think.
How likely are you to recommend Riverdale Country School (NY) to a prospective student?
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Who was your favorite teacher? Why?
What courses would you recommend?
What overall rating would you give the Head of School?
How well did Riverdale Country School (NY) prepare you for college?
Which courses in particular prepared you well for your university experience?
Favorite course
ethics of biology. I took it with my friends and was a great time
Favorite book or work studied
Favorite work or artist studied
Favorite sport
Math Department
Strengths
The teachers really know their stuff, and they make sure we’re ready for harder classes later.
Areas of improvements
the classes can feel kind of boring since it’s mostly just lectures and practice problems.
How likely are you to recommend Riverdale Country School (NY) to a prospective student?
What is the most important thing a prospective student should know?
Who was your favorite teacher? Why?
What courses would you recommend?
What overall rating would you give the Head of School?
How well did Riverdale Country School (NY) prepare you for college?
Which courses in particular prepared you well for your university experience?
Favorite course
Algebra II Foundations for sure because it explained stuff very in depth and helped me with the rest of the math courses I took
Favorite book or work studied
Favorite work or artist studied
Favorite sport
History Department
Strengths
The classes have cool projects, like recreating historical events or debates, which make it more fun to learn.
Areas of improvements
They mostly just talk about the U.S. and Europe, so we barely learn about the rest of the world.
How likely are you to recommend Riverdale Country School (NY) to a prospective student?
What is the most important thing a prospective student should know?
Who was your favorite teacher? Why?
What courses would you recommend?
What overall rating would you give the Head of School?
How well did Riverdale Country School (NY) prepare you for college?
Which courses in particular prepared you well for your university experience?
Favorite course
constructing america
Favorite book or work studied
american history
Favorite work or artist studied
Favorite sport
English Department
Strengths
The teachers are really good at making the books we read interesting, and there’s a lot of chances to get creative with writing projects.
Areas of improvements
They don’t teach much about stuff like writing emails or resumes, which would actually be super useful.
How likely are you to recommend Riverdale Country School (NY) to a prospective student?
What is the most important thing a prospective student should know?
Who was your favorite teacher? Why?
What courses would you recommend?
What overall rating would you give the Head of School?
How well did Riverdale Country School (NY) prepare you for college?
Which courses in particular prepared you well for your university experience?
Favorite course
the art of the essay class bc it helped me in other classes
Favorite book or work studied
to kill a MockingBird by harper lee
Favorite work or artist studied
Favorite sport
College Counseling
Strengths
A lot of involvment. You also find that Riv has been preping your resume for college for a while before needed without outwardly saying thats what they were doing.
Areas of improvements
most toxic thing I have ever been apart of
How likely are you to recommend Riverdale Country School (NY) to a prospective student?
What is the most important thing a prospective student should know?
Who was your favorite teacher? Why?
What courses would you recommend?
What overall rating would you give the Head of School?
How well did Riverdale Country School (NY) prepare you for college?
It's fine. I think riverdale does an average job at that
Which courses in particular prepared you well for your university experience?
well my art classes definitely did as far as knowing different types of styles and techniques
Favorite course
Favorite book or work studied
Favorite work or artist studied
Favorite sport
Administration
Strengths
they give a lot of opportunities
Areas of improvements
honestly the culture. It makes you not want to go into school some days it's so bad
How likely are you to recommend Riverdale Country School (NY) to a prospective student?
What is the most important thing a prospective student should know?
Who was your favorite teacher? Why?
What courses would you recommend?
What overall rating would you give the Head of School?
How well did Riverdale Country School (NY) prepare you for college?
Which courses in particular prepared you well for your university experience?
Favorite course
Favorite book or work studied
Favorite work or artist studied
Favorite sport
Overall
Strengths
very well rounded. Riverdale has a place for everyone no matter the interest
Areas of improvements
culture
How likely are you to recommend Riverdale Country School (NY) to a prospective student?
What is the most important thing a prospective student should know?
The school is very hard but manageable if you approach it properly
Who was your favorite teacher? Why?
Ms McGonagle just very kind and was there for me when needed
What courses would you recommend?
the engineering classes at riverdale are very interesting
What overall rating would you give the Head of School?
How well did Riverdale Country School (NY) prepare you for college?
Which courses in particular prepared you well for your university experience?
Favorite course
Favorite book or work studied
Favorite work or artist studied
Favorite sport
Science Department
Strengths
The labs we had were incredible
Areas of improvements
The classes felt unnecessarily hard at times
How likely are you to recommend Riverdale Country School (NY) to a prospective student?
What is the most important thing a prospective student should know?
Who was your favorite teacher? Why?
What courses would you recommend?
What overall rating would you give the Head of School?
How well did Riverdale Country School (NY) prepare you for college?
Which courses in particular prepared you well for your university experience?
Favorite course
I really liked physics but I don't think most people did
Favorite book or work studied
Favorite work or artist studied
Favorite sport
Math Department
Strengths
the curriculum just goes super high up in terms of levels of math
Areas of improvements
kids in lower math groups definitely got left behind a bit
How likely are you to recommend Riverdale Country School (NY) to a prospective student?
What is the most important thing a prospective student should know?
Who was your favorite teacher? Why?
What courses would you recommend?
What overall rating would you give the Head of School?
How well did Riverdale Country School (NY) prepare you for college?
Which courses in particular prepared you well for your university experience?
Favorite course
the asset management mini course was very popular
Favorite book or work studied
Favorite work or artist studied
Favorite sport
History Department
Strengths
we did a lot of field trips, especially in lower school
Areas of improvements
Definitely glossed over certain parts of history
How likely are you to recommend Riverdale Country School (NY) to a prospective student?
What is the most important thing a prospective student should know?
Who was your favorite teacher? Why?
What courses would you recommend?
What overall rating would you give the Head of School?
How well did Riverdale Country School (NY) prepare you for college?
Which courses in particular prepared you well for your university experience?
Favorite course
A climate change class they had. Was super interesting and pretty easy
Favorite book or work studied
I didn't have one for history maybe the book we had in debate
Favorite work or artist studied
Favorite sport
English Department
Strengths
The essays. very creative
Areas of improvements
Weren't very organized
How likely are you to recommend Riverdale Country School (NY) to a prospective student?
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Who was your favorite teacher? Why?
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What overall rating would you give the Head of School?
How well did Riverdale Country School (NY) prepare you for college?
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Favorite course
english 2 was good and well rounded
Favorite book or work studied
we read animal farm which I think a lot of people liked
Favorite work or artist studied
Favorite sport
College Counseling
Strengths
Was really good, helped me get into my top school
Areas of improvements
They could have probably been better at communicating towards the end of the whole thing
How likely are you to recommend Riverdale Country School (NY) to a prospective student?
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Who was your favorite teacher? Why?
What courses would you recommend?
What overall rating would you give the Head of School?
How well did Riverdale Country School (NY) prepare you for college?
The essay writing didn't help me that much but all stem related things have
Which courses in particular prepared you well for your university experience?
the math in economics class because I am a finance major
Favorite course
Favorite book or work studied
Favorite work or artist studied
Favorite sport
Administration
Strengths
many class bonding opportunities
Areas of improvements
they were a little disconnected from their students
How likely are you to recommend Riverdale Country School (NY) to a prospective student?
What is the most important thing a prospective student should know?
Who was your favorite teacher? Why?
What courses would you recommend?
What overall rating would you give the Head of School?
How well did Riverdale Country School (NY) prepare you for college?
Which courses in particular prepared you well for your university experience?
Favorite course
Favorite book or work studied
Favorite work or artist studied
Favorite sport
Overall
Strengths
A great community of people and teachers
Areas of improvements
The administration could be closer to it's students and give more opportunities to get involved
How likely are you to recommend Riverdale Country School (NY) to a prospective student?
What is the most important thing a prospective student should know?
it's a great school with great teachers
Who was your favorite teacher? Why?
For most of my class we all loved Ms Durani.
What courses would you recommend?
I had a lot of stem friends who said astronomy was fun
What overall rating would you give the Head of School?
How well did Riverdale Country School (NY) prepare you for college?
Which courses in particular prepared you well for your university experience?
Favorite course
Favorite book or work studied
Favorite work or artist studied
Favorite sport
Athletics
Strengths
The campus really helped.
Areas of improvements
the administrations focus is definitely not on sports.
How likely are you to recommend Riverdale Country School (NY) to a prospective student?
What is the most important thing a prospective student should know?
Who was your favorite teacher? Why?
What courses would you recommend?
What overall rating would you give the Head of School?
How well did Riverdale Country School (NY) prepare you for college?
Which courses in particular prepared you well for your university experience?
Favorite course
Favorite book or work studied
Favorite work or artist studied
Favorite sport
soccer because it was a great community with great guys
Arts Department
Strengths
Art at riverdale is also an incredibly strong department.
Areas of improvements
They gave a lot of work and expected a lot of dedication which often times took attention away from other subjects.
How likely are you to recommend Riverdale Country School (NY) to a prospective student?
What is the most important thing a prospective student should know?
Who was your favorite teacher? Why?
What courses would you recommend?
What overall rating would you give the Head of School?
How well did Riverdale Country School (NY) prepare you for college?
Which courses in particular prepared you well for your university experience?
Favorite course
The foundational art class was amazing because there was a mix of the type of people in the class. Some were just doing it for fun and some were very committed.
Favorite book or work studied
Favorite work or artist studied
we did a lot of fun stuff with basquiat my senior year.
Favorite sport
Science Department
Strengths
Science is top tier at Riverdale. Especially for anyone interested in computer science/engineering
Areas of improvements
I don't know if they had any. Sometimes outside programs were hard to get into because so many people were interested.
How likely are you to recommend Riverdale Country School (NY) to a prospective student?
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Who was your favorite teacher? Why?
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What overall rating would you give the Head of School?
How well did Riverdale Country School (NY) prepare you for college?
Which courses in particular prepared you well for your university experience?
Favorite course
Advanced robotics. The teacher was great.
Favorite book or work studied
Favorite work or artist studied
Favorite sport
Science Department
Strengths
most people at riverdale tend to think science is it's strongest department. Mainly because of the resources and money the school gives it.
Areas of improvements
I don't think the science department really had any areas of improvement.
How likely are you to recommend Riverdale Country School (NY) to a prospective student?
What is the most important thing a prospective student should know?
Who was your favorite teacher? Why?
What courses would you recommend?
What overall rating would you give the Head of School?
How well did Riverdale Country School (NY) prepare you for college?
Which courses in particular prepared you well for your university experience?
Favorite course
Bioethics is a very interesting and unique class that riverdale offers.
Favorite book or work studied
Favorite work or artist studied
Favorite sport
Math Department
Strengths
The levels you could go up to at riverdale in math seemed to be higher then most schools in new york.
Areas of improvements
it sometimes felt unnecessarily difficult. The tests were always harder then the homework so you would have to spend a long time studying if you wanted to do well
How likely are you to recommend Riverdale Country School (NY) to a prospective student?
What is the most important thing a prospective student should know?
Who was your favorite teacher? Why?
What courses would you recommend?
What overall rating would you give the Head of School?
How well did Riverdale Country School (NY) prepare you for college?
Which courses in particular prepared you well for your university experience?
Favorite course
Discrete math was intense. I also think riverdale is one of the only schools to offer it.
Favorite book or work studied
Favorite work or artist studied
Favorite sport
Math Department
Strengths
the math was very strong at Riverdale and the teachers were always very easy to access for extra help.
Areas of improvements
People who were in lower level math classes aren't given many opportunities to try and move up and it sometimes felt like the school didn't want you to.
How likely are you to recommend Riverdale Country School (NY) to a prospective student?
What is the most important thing a prospective student should know?
Who was your favorite teacher? Why?
What courses would you recommend?
What overall rating would you give the Head of School?
How well did Riverdale Country School (NY) prepare you for college?
Which courses in particular prepared you well for your university experience?
Favorite course
My calculus class was very well taught and prepared me very well for college.
Favorite book or work studied
Favorite work or artist studied
Favorite sport
History Department
Strengths
History department was solid but history wasn't really my area of interest so I didn't love it.
Areas of improvements
the school doesn't seem to care as much about history as other departments
How likely are you to recommend Riverdale Country School (NY) to a prospective student?
What is the most important thing a prospective student should know?
Who was your favorite teacher? Why?
What courses would you recommend?
What overall rating would you give the Head of School?
How well did Riverdale Country School (NY) prepare you for college?
Which courses in particular prepared you well for your university experience?
Favorite course
there was a cool debate class that I took which was good because i was already in debate.
Favorite book or work studied
A book called constructing America I believe
Favorite work or artist studied
Favorite sport
History Department
Strengths
The history department does a great job at talking about events. As well as the guest speakers were great.
Areas of improvements
I think we didn't get into as specific history as many other schools that I know of.
How likely are you to recommend Riverdale Country School (NY) to a prospective student?
What is the most important thing a prospective student should know?
Who was your favorite teacher? Why?
What courses would you recommend?
What overall rating would you give the Head of School?
How well did Riverdale Country School (NY) prepare you for college?
Which courses in particular prepared you well for your university experience?
Favorite course
everyone loved constitutional law
Favorite book or work studied
I forget the name but the main textbook of history II was very interesting.
Favorite work or artist studied
Favorite sport
English Department
Strengths
I thought the english teachers were incredible and always very understanding of their students.
Areas of improvements
the teachers varied a lot in what they expected from their students an so it was hard when you got a new teacher.
How likely are you to recommend Riverdale Country School (NY) to a prospective student?
What is the most important thing a prospective student should know?
Who was your favorite teacher? Why?
What courses would you recommend?
What overall rating would you give the Head of School?
How well did Riverdale Country School (NY) prepare you for college?
Which courses in particular prepared you well for your university experience?
Favorite course
The major novels class was great especially for someone who enjoys reading like I do.
Favorite book or work studied
The sun also rises by Hemingway
Favorite work or artist studied
Favorite sport
English Department
Strengths
The teachers were all incredible.
Areas of improvements
The essays didn't have a lot of guidance so it was sometimes hard to write them.
How likely are you to recommend Riverdale Country School (NY) to a prospective student?
What is the most important thing a prospective student should know?
Who was your favorite teacher? Why?
What courses would you recommend?
What overall rating would you give the Head of School?
How well did Riverdale Country School (NY) prepare you for college?
Which courses in particular prepared you well for your university experience?
Favorite course
Creative writing was interesting and very laid back
Favorite book or work studied
I feel as though everyone loved the great Gatsby when we read it because there were a lot of fun activities we did with it.
Favorite work or artist studied
Favorite sport
College Counseling
Strengths
they have you thinking about it your entire time while there
Areas of improvements
Sometimes the counselors took a back seat towards the end of the process. It sometimes felt like they expected you and your parents to do the heavy lifting.
How likely are you to recommend Riverdale Country School (NY) to a prospective student?
What is the most important thing a prospective student should know?
Who was your favorite teacher? Why?
What courses would you recommend?
What overall rating would you give the Head of School?
How well did Riverdale Country School (NY) prepare you for college?
All my college classes are finance based and there were not many good finance classes at riverdale.
Which courses in particular prepared you well for your university experience?
Probably just the math, specifically the calc classes.
Favorite course
Favorite book or work studied
Favorite work or artist studied
Favorite sport
College Counseling
Strengths
College counseling was very good. The department has you thinking about college pretty much as soon as you get there as a freshman
Areas of improvements
The most toxic environment I have ever been apart of.
How likely are you to recommend Riverdale Country School (NY) to a prospective student?
What is the most important thing a prospective student should know?
Who was your favorite teacher? Why?
What courses would you recommend?
What overall rating would you give the Head of School?
How well did Riverdale Country School (NY) prepare you for college?
Math and essay writing has been pretty easy in college. And the biology class I took in college was easier then the one I took in highschool
Which courses in particular prepared you well for your university experience?
The science department. My friends who are stem majors have attested to this.
Favorite course
Favorite book or work studied
Favorite work or artist studied
Favorite sport
Administration
Strengths
they made a lot of fun school bonding activities outside of class
Areas of improvements
the other students and parents can get really competitive about colleges.
How likely are you to recommend Riverdale Country School (NY) to a prospective student?
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Who was your favorite teacher? Why?
What courses would you recommend?
What overall rating would you give the Head of School?
How well did Riverdale Country School (NY) prepare you for college?
Which courses in particular prepared you well for your university experience?
Favorite course
Favorite book or work studied
Favorite work or artist studied
Favorite sport
Administration
Strengths
Administration is good and they definitely seem to care about their students.
Areas of improvements
They favor their more privileged students and it sometimes felt like they could get away with more.
How likely are you to recommend Riverdale Country School (NY) to a prospective student?
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Who was your favorite teacher? Why?
What courses would you recommend?
What overall rating would you give the Head of School?
How well did Riverdale Country School (NY) prepare you for college?
Which courses in particular prepared you well for your university experience?
Favorite course
Favorite book or work studied
Favorite work or artist studied
Favorite sport
Overall
Strengths
The teachers are very good.
Areas of improvements
probably just the environment but there are no large areas for improvement.
How likely are you to recommend Riverdale Country School (NY) to a prospective student?
What is the most important thing a prospective student should know?
It's a great school and the administration cares deeply for it's students
Who was your favorite teacher? Why?
I didn't really have one. I thought they were all very good.
What courses would you recommend?
Art of the essay class was good and helped me in many other classes.
What overall rating would you give the Head of School?
How well did Riverdale Country School (NY) prepare you for college?
Which courses in particular prepared you well for your university experience?
Favorite course
Favorite book or work studied
Favorite work or artist studied
Favorite sport
Overall
Strengths
The campus gave the school and the student body a huge leg up against other schools.
Areas of improvements
The culture can be really stressful and it doesn't have the best reputation with other schools.
How likely are you to recommend Riverdale Country School (NY) to a prospective student?
What is the most important thing a prospective student should know?
It's a very good school but the social scene can get competitive and toxic at times.
Who was your favorite teacher? Why?
She no longer teaches there but Ms Durani was amazing.
What courses would you recommend?
Any stem class is great. All engineering related classes are a must take.
What overall rating would you give the Head of School?
How well did Riverdale Country School (NY) prepare you for college?
Which courses in particular prepared you well for your university experience?
Favorite course
Favorite book or work studied
Favorite work or artist studied
Favorite sport
Athletics
Strengths
Very supportive of student's safety and health. Trainers are very accessible and work very hard to make sure comfort and health are prioritized.
Areas of improvements
The culture, both between teammates and also amongst coaches, needed severe improvement. I, as well as many others, felt as though the team cultures that were created, either by some students or pretty often by coaches themselves, were unhealthy.
How likely are you to recommend Riverdale Country School (NY) to a prospective student?
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Who was your favorite teacher? Why?
What courses would you recommend?
What overall rating would you give the Head of School?
How well did Riverdale Country School (NY) prepare you for college?
Which courses in particular prepared you well for your university experience?
Favorite course
Favorite book or work studied
Favorite work or artist studied
Favorite sport
I loved soccer, but that's just because I loved the sport growing up. I felt the most improvement and had the most fun on softball.
Arts Department
Strengths
Super supportive of students. Teachers in this department(Theater, Dance, and Film) really truly care about the wellbeing of their students.
Areas of improvements
There were times were that support was carried a little far, though, and friendships were made between teachers and students that were not always the most beneficial to the students. Those could be worrying at times.
How likely are you to recommend Riverdale Country School (NY) to a prospective student?
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Who was your favorite teacher? Why?
What courses would you recommend?
What overall rating would you give the Head of School?
How well did Riverdale Country School (NY) prepare you for college?
Which courses in particular prepared you well for your university experience?
Favorite course
Musical Theater Workshop. I absolutely adored the teachers (Ms. Frare and Mr. Walker), my class, the content, and I gained so much from it. I left with a confidence and appreciation that I have never had before.
Favorite book or work studied
Favorite work or artist studied
Sondheim, hands down. I really didn't know much about his works, and they are incredibly challenging, but such a welcome and beautiful challenge.
Favorite sport
Science Department
Strengths
Ability to gain experiential learning experiences—many labs and hands-on activities
Areas of improvements
More options for honors science classes (electives) would have provided students with a better opportunity to explore science, pre-college,
How likely are you to recommend Riverdale Country School (NY) to a prospective student?
What is the most important thing a prospective student should know?
Who was your favorite teacher? Why?
What courses would you recommend?
What overall rating would you give the Head of School?
How well did Riverdale Country School (NY) prepare you for college?
Which courses in particular prepared you well for your university experience?
Favorite course
Biology I, it set the foundation for Biology II Honors, which many students took in junior year and provided me with guidance in my science career at Riverdale
Favorite book or work studied
Favorite work or artist studied
Favorite sport
Science Department
Strengths
Very passionate faculty that offer a lot of support for students inside and outside of the classroom. Also offer some amazing extracurriculars to students interested in the sciences.
Areas of improvements
I guess there was a slight lack of courses when I was there? It felt like there were only the core courses with two electives, and compared to other schools, it felt lacking in that regard. However, the science department has changed a lot since I have been there.
How likely are you to recommend Riverdale Country School (NY) to a prospective student?
What is the most important thing a prospective student should know?
Who was your favorite teacher? Why?
What courses would you recommend?
What overall rating would you give the Head of School?
How well did Riverdale Country School (NY) prepare you for college?
Which courses in particular prepared you well for your university experience?
Favorite course
Biology II Honors with Dr. Cox. I just really enjoyed Dr. Cox's style of teaching, and I strongly feel as though that class set me up really well for my STEM courses in college.
Favorite book or work studied
Favorite work or artist studied
Favorite sport
Math Department
Strengths
Very bright and smart teachers who were dedicated to the success of their students. They offered a lot of support, more than is necessary, really just for the benefit of the students.
Areas of improvements
The Math Department is not exactly Riverdale's strongest department; outside of class, there are not many extracurricular opportunities offered for students interested in math. Some teachers did not always teach in the most efficient style as well-- classes could sometimes be very confusing with little support.
How likely are you to recommend Riverdale Country School (NY) to a prospective student?
What is the most important thing a prospective student should know?
Who was your favorite teacher? Why?
What courses would you recommend?
What overall rating would you give the Head of School?
How well did Riverdale Country School (NY) prepare you for college?
Which courses in particular prepared you well for your university experience?
Favorite course
Precalculus and Trigonometry (H) with Ms. Nadecki. Honestly, Ms. Nadecki really made this class for me. She is an incredible teacher and explained concepts so clearly, making the classes and material really interesting.
Favorite book or work studied
Favorite work or artist studied
Favorite sport
Math Department
Strengths
Varying levels of math classes to ensure that people had the best ability to succeed.
Areas of improvements
There could have been more in-depth explanations of many concepts and greater support throughout the math department.
How likely are you to recommend Riverdale Country School (NY) to a prospective student?
What is the most important thing a prospective student should know?
Who was your favorite teacher? Why?
What courses would you recommend?
What overall rating would you give the Head of School?
How well did Riverdale Country School (NY) prepare you for college?
Which courses in particular prepared you well for your university experience?
Favorite course
Introductory geometry course, I first became confident in math during this course.
Favorite book or work studied
Favorite work or artist studied
Favorite sport
History Department
Strengths
Very strong curriculum and interdisciplinary studies. Really advanced history department, which Riverdale is known for.
Areas of improvements
Similarly to the English department, there is very minimal diversity within the faculty.
How likely are you to recommend Riverdale Country School (NY) to a prospective student?
What is the most important thing a prospective student should know?
Who was your favorite teacher? Why?
What courses would you recommend?
What overall rating would you give the Head of School?
How well did Riverdale Country School (NY) prepare you for college?
Which courses in particular prepared you well for your university experience?
Favorite course
Constructing America taught by Ms. Fisher and Dr. Pillsbury. It is a very well-known Riverdale class that is meant to combine English and History into an interdisciplinary study of American history. This class really allowed students to develop their skills and was also an overall very interesting class.
Favorite book or work studied
I really liked our unit on Modernism as a whole, when we studied artwork and literature from that time. Not only were the works we were studying very interesting and engaging, but Ms. Fisher and Dr. Pillsbury's teaching on it made me really love the unit.
Favorite work or artist studied
Favorite sport
History Department
Strengths
The ability to comprehensively look at world history through various lenses and deep dive into certain themes.
Areas of improvements
I think at times, the History Department could've done more to examine histories of varying cultures and done more experiential learning around these histories.
How likely are you to recommend Riverdale Country School (NY) to a prospective student?
What is the most important thing a prospective student should know?
Who was your favorite teacher? Why?
What courses would you recommend?
What overall rating would you give the Head of School?
How well did Riverdale Country School (NY) prepare you for college?
Which courses in particular prepared you well for your university experience?
Favorite course
My favorite course in the history department was Constructing America. CA was a combination of English and history, one of the reasons I enjoyed it so much—the literature accompanying historical themes we were discussing helped me gain a deeper perspective and understanding of American history.
Favorite book or work studied
My favorite book I studied was The Great Gatsby, as it gave me more context about the history we were learning about the 1920s.
Favorite work or artist studied
Favorite sport
English Department
Strengths
Great faculty, fantastic curriculum, very good teaching on academic and essay righting
Areas of improvements
One major area for improvement was diversity within the faculty-- faculty was majority white (at least when I was a student)
How likely are you to recommend Riverdale Country School (NY) to a prospective student?
What is the most important thing a prospective student should know?
Who was your favorite teacher? Why?
What courses would you recommend?
What overall rating would you give the Head of School?
How well did Riverdale Country School (NY) prepare you for college?
Which courses in particular prepared you well for your university experience?
Favorite course
My senior year elective, "Major Novels," with Ms. Fisher. I adored this class, it is still one of my favorite classes I've ever taken to this day. It was a class I could tell Ms. Fisher loved teaching, as it came from her own passion, and it was about something that I really loved myself.
Favorite book or work studied
Pride and Prejudice in Major Novels. It is a fantastic book, firstly, but I really appreciated how we read it in class, studying its historical context and looking at the subtle arguments Austen makes within the novel.
Favorite work or artist studied
Favorite sport
English Department
Strengths
The English Department continuously chose literature selections that were relevant to various themes and current issues, and brought about engaging discussion and discourse.
Areas of improvements
At times, we could have gone more in-depth on themes/issues raised in the literature.
How likely are you to recommend Riverdale Country School (NY) to a prospective student?
What is the most important thing a prospective student should know?
Who was your favorite teacher? Why?
What courses would you recommend?
What overall rating would you give the Head of School?
How well did Riverdale Country School (NY) prepare you for college?
Which courses in particular prepared you well for your university experience?
Favorite course
My favorite course in the English Department was English II, a 10th-grade English course. I enjoyed this due to the fascinating book choices and ways of evaluating our knowledge on the subjects.
Favorite book or work studied
My favorite books I studied were To Kill A Mockingbird and A Visit From the Goon Squad, specifically the latter as it uses a completely revolutionary writing and story-telling style
Favorite work or artist studied
Favorite sport
College Counseling
Strengths
Very robust and supportive. One of the best college counseling departments in the city. I received so much support there that I would have genuinely never gotten anywhere else.
Areas of improvements
They do center wealthy students and students of influential/involved Riverdale families. I'd heard some very bad stories prior to my year with the office, but I think by the Class of 2023, they had started to become a little more conscious of that bias.
How likely are you to recommend Riverdale Country School (NY) to a prospective student?
What is the most important thing a prospective student should know?
Who was your favorite teacher? Why?
What courses would you recommend?
What overall rating would you give the Head of School?
How well did Riverdale Country School (NY) prepare you for college?
I've found a pretty good amount of success academically and socially in college, and I attribute a great deal of that to Riverdale.
Which courses in particular prepared you well for your university experience?
My humanities courses in particular. I feel so extremely well prepared in terms of my ability to think analytically and write academically because of Riverdale.
Favorite course
Favorite book or work studied
Favorite work or artist studied
Favorite sport
College Counseling
Strengths
The ability to effectively help with revision and organization of college applications.
Areas of improvements
At times, it was an intense atmosphere which was sometimes amplified by counselors.
How likely are you to recommend Riverdale Country School (NY) to a prospective student?
What is the most important thing a prospective student should know?
Who was your favorite teacher? Why?
What courses would you recommend?
What overall rating would you give the Head of School?
How well did Riverdale Country School (NY) prepare you for college?
I felt very academically prepared for Brown with Riverdale's curriculum and several learning styles that I was taught.
Which courses in particular prepared you well for your university experience?
Constructing America, Biology II Honors, and English II prepared me well for my university experience.
Favorite course
Favorite book or work studied
Favorite work or artist studied
Favorite sport
Administration
Strengths
Overall initiatives, specifically providing interesting non-academic learning opportunities, through assemblies, events, etc.
Areas of improvements
At times, there were some difficulties at times addressing the community when serious situations or difficult conversations arised.
How likely are you to recommend Riverdale Country School (NY) to a prospective student?
What is the most important thing a prospective student should know?
Who was your favorite teacher? Why?
What courses would you recommend?
What overall rating would you give the Head of School?
How well did Riverdale Country School (NY) prepare you for college?
Which courses in particular prepared you well for your university experience?
Favorite course
Favorite book or work studied
Favorite work or artist studied
Favorite sport
Administration
Strengths
Centering of student's needs a lot of the time. Pretty progressive and inclusive administration.
Areas of improvements
Since I've graduated, their administration has changed a lot, so I really can't speak to the people currently in the office. However, when I was a student, I had heard many people express their frustrations with some individuals within the administration and their tendency to not favor or listen to students.
How likely are you to recommend Riverdale Country School (NY) to a prospective student?
What is the most important thing a prospective student should know?
Who was your favorite teacher? Why?
What courses would you recommend?
What overall rating would you give the Head of School?
How well did Riverdale Country School (NY) prepare you for college?
Which courses in particular prepared you well for your university experience?
Favorite course
Favorite book or work studied
Favorite work or artist studied
Favorite sport
Overall
Strengths
Amazing school with a plethora of opportunities and resources to provide their students. Students are given a challenging education with a great deal of support and that really prepares them for life after Riverdale.
Areas of improvements
There are still problems with a lack of diversity and inclusion at Riverdale. It is sort of inherent that it falls into the traps of elitism, and Riverdale is actively working to bridge that gap.
How likely are you to recommend Riverdale Country School (NY) to a prospective student?
What is the most important thing a prospective student should know?
Riverdale Country School is meant to enrich students with a diverse and challenging education and set them up for success in their future endeavors.
Who was your favorite teacher? Why?
That's a very difficult question. Dr. Cox, Ms. Nadecki, Mr. Edwards, Ms. Fisher, Mr. Walker, Ms. Frare, Ms. Desmond, Dr. Karmen all come to mind.
What courses would you recommend?
Major Novels, Musical Theater Workshop, Integrated Liberal Studies, Constructing America, and Bioethics.
What overall rating would you give the Head of School?
How well did Riverdale Country School (NY) prepare you for college?
Which courses in particular prepared you well for your university experience?
Favorite course
Favorite book or work studied
Favorite work or artist studied
Favorite sport
Overall
Strengths
Fostering community, academic strength, and college preparation
Areas of improvements
Diversity, fostering a full sense of inclusion/belonging
How likely are you to recommend Riverdale Country School (NY) to a prospective student?
What is the most important thing a prospective student should know?
Not only will you get an invaluable education, but will form lifelong bonds and be able to engage in a tight-knit community during and after your Riverdale experience.
Who was your favorite teacher? Why?
Kent Kildahl, he had some of the most engaging lectures and enjoyable classes I've been in. Additionally, he treated every student with care, humor, and curiosity.
What courses would you recommend?
Constructing America, English II Honors, Black American Literature
What overall rating would you give the Head of School?
How well did Riverdale Country School (NY) prepare you for college?
Which courses in particular prepared you well for your university experience?
Favorite course
Favorite book or work studied
Favorite work or artist studied
Favorite sport
Athletics
Strengths
They’ve really worked hard to improve the department over the last few years and I think they’re growing their diversity and presence at the school in a great way.
Areas of improvements
I think the coaching staff should be reviewed by the students more frequently and anonymously, and I think those reviews should be looked at closer by the department.
How likely are you to recommend Riverdale Country School (NY) to a prospective student?
What is the most important thing a prospective student should know?
Who was your favorite teacher? Why?
What courses would you recommend?
What overall rating would you give the Head of School?
How well did Riverdale Country School (NY) prepare you for college?
Which courses in particular prepared you well for your university experience?
Favorite course
Favorite book or work studied
Favorite work or artist studied
Favorite sport
I loved the soccer team because I’ve played my whole life and the community was great
Science Department
Strengths
The accelerated pathway was a great way for students to get the most out of their science classes.
Areas of improvements
I think the curriculum could be improved a bit by slowing down the later classes so students could really get the most out of it. I also think they should have options for helping better prepare for AP tests, as those end up being helpful in college.
How likely are you to recommend Riverdale Country School (NY) to a prospective student?
What is the most important thing a prospective student should know?
Who was your favorite teacher? Why?
What courses would you recommend?
What overall rating would you give the Head of School?
How well did Riverdale Country School (NY) prepare you for college?
Which courses in particular prepared you well for your university experience?
Favorite course
Physics 2 with Dr Eby because I loved the lab components of that course and found the material very interesting.
Favorite book or work studied
Favorite work or artist studied
Favorite sport
Math Department
Strengths
Their honors department is very strong with a very solid curriculum.
Areas of improvements
I think the faculty’s pace of teaching could be improved. All faculty members are very smart and accommodating, but the pace of the curriculum can feel rushed.
How likely are you to recommend Riverdale Country School (NY) to a prospective student?
What is the most important thing a prospective student should know?
Who was your favorite teacher? Why?
What courses would you recommend?
What overall rating would you give the Head of School?
How well did Riverdale Country School (NY) prepare you for college?
Which courses in particular prepared you well for your university experience?
Favorite course
11th grade math with Ms. Nadecki because she was an amazing teacher and I learned a lot in the course.
Favorite book or work studied
Favorite work or artist studied
Favorite sport
History Department
Strengths
They have a very strong curriculum and a fantastic faculty
Areas of improvements
I wish the faculty during my time there had been a little more diverse, especially in the Constructing America classes. I have heard that they are working on improving that, but during my time at Riverdale it was an area for improvement.
How likely are you to recommend Riverdale Country School (NY) to a prospective student?
What is the most important thing a prospective student should know?
Who was your favorite teacher? Why?
What courses would you recommend?
What overall rating would you give the Head of School?
How well did Riverdale Country School (NY) prepare you for college?
Which courses in particular prepared you well for your university experience?
Favorite course
10th grade history with Mr. Quereshi because we wrote the term paper and I loved that experience.
Favorite book or work studied
A Mercy by Toni Morrison because it’s an incredibly evocative piece of literature and it was amazing to read and discuss in class.
Favorite work or artist studied
Favorite sport
English Department
Strengths
The English Department has a great faculty who will take time to do one-on-one meetings with you to improve your writing
Areas of improvements
I think the curriculum felt a little choppy sometimes and there were some years where it was hard to follow along.
How likely are you to recommend Riverdale Country School (NY) to a prospective student?
What is the most important thing a prospective student should know?
Who was your favorite teacher? Why?
What courses would you recommend?
What overall rating would you give the Head of School?
How well did Riverdale Country School (NY) prepare you for college?
Which courses in particular prepared you well for your university experience?
Favorite course
Constructing America because it blended History and English in a super fascinating way
Favorite book or work studied
The Things We Carried because it was an incredible perspective on the Vietnam War and I loved the way it was taught
Favorite work or artist studied
Favorite sport
College Counseling
Strengths
I think the College Counseling is one of Riverdale’s best departments and the faculty is incredible.
Areas of improvements
Faster response time on supplements, although I know that’s not always possible.
How likely are you to recommend Riverdale Country School (NY) to a prospective student?
What is the most important thing a prospective student should know?
Who was your favorite teacher? Why?
What courses would you recommend?
What overall rating would you give the Head of School?
How well did Riverdale Country School (NY) prepare you for college?
I feel incredibly well prepared to take and study for my courses
Which courses in particular prepared you well for your university experience?
All of my writing/humanities courses
Favorite course
Favorite book or work studied
Favorite work or artist studied
Favorite sport
Administration
Strengths
They connected well with the students and put themselves in positions to get to know students well.
Areas of improvements
In some instances I think they could have better outreach and responses to student concerns
How likely are you to recommend Riverdale Country School (NY) to a prospective student?
What is the most important thing a prospective student should know?
Who was your favorite teacher? Why?
What courses would you recommend?
What overall rating would you give the Head of School?
How well did Riverdale Country School (NY) prepare you for college?
Which courses in particular prepared you well for your university experience?
Favorite course
Favorite book or work studied
Favorite work or artist studied
Favorite sport
Overall
Strengths
Their diverse student body and strong humanities programs
Areas of improvements
More communication between students and administration
How likely are you to recommend Riverdale Country School (NY) to a prospective student?
What is the most important thing a prospective student should know?
That your teachers and advisors really want to support you and build connections with you. Some of my best experiences at Riverdale occurred because I talked openly with my teachers and they were able to give me advice and guide me to opportunities that I found incredible.
Who was your favorite teacher? Why?
Jonny Hager because he was always so supportive of his students and made his classroom fun and educational
What courses would you recommend?
Queering America with Mr. Kingsley
What overall rating would you give the Head of School?
How well did Riverdale Country School (NY) prepare you for college?
Which courses in particular prepared you well for your university experience?
Favorite course
Favorite book or work studied
Favorite work or artist studied
Favorite sport
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