The Webb School - Review #4

Very few elite boarding schools on the west coast.They provide all the same things that the boarding schools on the east coast provide, except we are on the west coast.I particularly liked the low student teacher ratios and the students. All the students were bright and driven. And the teachers got to know all the students, which really made my teacher recommendation come through to help me get into Carnegie Mellon.

I've had this debate with my friends over the years many times. Should I send my kids to webb? Did I like webb? etc... I've come to this conclusion. Its all case specific. For me, I take advantage of the situation that i am in and I make the most of it. Webb had a lot to offer and I took advantage of it, but not every person has that kind of personality. If you have that personality, you will do well in life no matter what and at any boarding school. My comment would be, why gut it out in the cold then? Come to california and enjoy sunny weather!

I really didn't know much about college, the process and academics. I was getting straight A's in Jr High and came in to Webb cocky. I was quickly humbled and ate more than my share of humble pie every single day. The kids were incredibly intelligent.My only regret is that I should have taken more summer school. It would have prepped me more and given me a good head start when the school year started so that my grades would have been higher. Its easy to fall behind. I finished with like a 3.1 - 3.2 gpa, which is ok by Webb standards, but had I done summer school, I might have made it into an even better college.

Its all about the students and the teachers. At the end of the day, the kids are all smart and will do well no matter what. The relationships you form there, can last a lifetime.Webb is also a success factory. If you send your kid there. Know that when they graduate, their friends won't be 'losers' Their friends will be out in the world and doing something productive.

Webb has changed dramatically since I have attended. They now have internet and improved the dorms. When i went, it was all concrete floors. It felt like jail. But its good in another sense because then it kept my head in my books and no distractions.Just keep an open mind and take advantage of everything. Remember, its YOUR experience, so its up to you to make the most of it.

The math and science program is top notch. The students are extremely quantitative and the school invests a lot into science equipment.I was not a great english student, but I took an AP Rhetoric class my senior year. The dean taught it. It was the best class I took at Webb. I did poorly, C+, but it laid the foundation for persuasion, which has helped me immensely in the field of business.That being said, Webb also had a great arts program. Drawing and pottery were popular.We also had a museum on campus.Some students transferred in from public school. They told me that they were straight A students there, but at Webb many were not nearly as high on their class rankings.I honestly had to work REALLY hard just to keep my head above water - basically to be a B student. But my classmates have now become lifelong friends.

I learned a lot from sports and I was an athletic guy, but Webb gave me the opportunity to be on a sports team. Had I gone to public school, I'm not sure I would have made the basketball team.Because Webb has a program, its hard not to do sports each season. I consider myself an average athlete, but I graduated as a 4 sport varsity letterman at Webb. The opportunities would not have been possible had I gone to public schools.Playing sports at Webb laid the foundation for a healthy and active lifestyle that will serve me for the rest of my life.

The drama program was excellent. We had a very passionate acting teacher named Michael Kane. Great teacher. I really liked how Webb wasn't just academic. They had some interesting classes like drawing, pottery, and acting to roundout my class schedule.

Because its a boarding school, getting off campus requires more coordination. It happens, but just not as easily at public schools.My favorite was the chinese club. The school is largely asian and jewish, so a large portion of the school was in the chinese club.

I really enjoyed living on campus. During my time at Webb, I learned to be independent. That is important because my father once told me that not everyone is truly independent. Living on my own has laid the foundation for me to be able to pursue my career in different cities and be self sufficient.

I honestly didn't like formal dinner, but it was a good experience. Again, it laid the foundation for good manners. This is important because in the future, when I am a guest or mingling with important people, it reflects well on me.Of course, the food was buffett style, so nothing ever wrong with all you can eat!

Claremont is a quaint town. Most boarding schools will be in a quaint town, in the middle of nowhere. Claremont had more to offer than most. As long as there are basics there like a movie theatre and some basic shops, you should be fine. Your under 21 anyways, so you can't really do too much else besides go to in-n-out burger.

I loved the social life at the school. I was intimidated at the time because I was an underclassman, but everyone knows each other. 15 years after graduation, I am able to contact EVERYONE that i went to school with and they remember me. Some more vaguely than others - I guess I wasn't as good looking as I had hoped!I just had my 15 year reunion and it took close to 20 years to realize that the relationships formed there are not fleeting. Its really awesome to chat with friends that I went to school with 20 years ago. I don't think many people can talk about that.