Cushing Academy

About 8 years ago I wrote a one star * negative review about Cushing. Two other alumni with bad experiences Yelped me behind the scenes thanking me for my review. Today, all these years later I am reversing my review to a full ***** five star positive review. The reason for this is twofold. 1) With greater age, wisdom & grey hair starting to grow, I realized that these criticisms that I had, while valid, are also very common problems. Common coin of many educational, professional & family environments. Therefore to blame Cushing alone for them, when they are common problems, was overzealous; yet in a sense also valid; with belief & hope that Cushing can do better than the average; in fact exceptional on these issues, if it wished to in the future; among the best of schools. 2) That leads to my second reason for reversing the review from one star to five stars is my belief that the new Headmaster, Randy R. Bertin, Ed.D. has the capacity to lead Cushing in the right direction, to a better future, in these, as-well-as, all sorts of other ways. I have returned to Cushing about ten times or more since graduation in 1981; including four class reunions and to speak & work with several of my professors, for years after graduation. I strongly support the concept of "community building." Over the years, along with face-to-face, as well as email communications, multiple generations of Cushing Headmasters, along with other leaders, have gradually, step-by-step, showed me how they were making Cushing Academy a better & better place. My intention is not to degrade or discredit the negative reviews of other alumni or students. No institution or for that matter person is perfect, and given the #s of students that go through such a revolving door, there are almost guaranteed to be at least a few bad experiences for one reason or another. The "big question" for every school, institution & person, including myself, is how are we going to honestly, directly & clearly look at these problems & mistakes, that one or another of us may likely make at some point, or have already made, and both make remedy, as well as do everything reasonably possible to prevent it from happening again. As well as all the fun, creative, educational, & enjoyable stuff we ask our educational leaders to create or make possible as well...In these ways, Cushing history is not perfect, but it is based on my experience, continuing to improve over the years, getting better & better with time! Lets keep on complaining & also keep on improving! Not afraid to look at the negative problems, but recognize them, resolve them, prevent them from happening again, improve beyond them! My Cushing experience was amazing because I met and was assisted my multiple teachers in and out of the classroom that were among the best I had in life and beyond my public school. Met great life-long friends, & had all the typical sports, games, getaways to Boston, each other's houses, & much more. It was over all a great, fun, amazing time!!! Thank you, Cushing! A very cultural experience that a local, yokel, from a small hick town, in Vermont, could get a worldwide view of experience, connecting with students, & people from all over the USA & the world...That to me was amazing!!! Like my backwoods' bad grammar; Cushing "ain't" perfect; but unlike my grammar; it is an awesome & amazing place not to miss!!

Decades later, I can only remember the rampant drinking, drug use, hook-ups and bullying. How sad is that? The marketing propaganda makes it looks like it evolved into a first-rate institution, but there is a deep social aspect to boarding schools - especially a co-ed. And young kids living away from home need supervision and structure. Parents, proceed with caution.

Wow. Read the negative review and wanted to provide some balance. My grandfather went to Cushing with Bette Davis. My mom went there and graduated top of her class in the 50's. I graduated from Cushing in 1974 and on to work on-air in network radio in New York and on Madison Avenue. My nephews graduated in the past few years and both of them are achieving and growing in the arts -- one's a professional photographer and the other a musician. Without Cushing Academy, some of the high points of our lives could never have occurred. I highly recommend the school for its low teacher/student ratio and even individual attention that bring out the positive aspects of those with mild learning differences. Cushing is located in the bucolic little town of Ashburnham not far from Boston. The location is very convenient, yet far enough out to be in touch with nature and a slightly slower pace of life.

i went to cushing in 1978.it was the worst experience of my life.the principle dr. curry was a dissapointment.there were more suspentions than needed.he had no control over the school and there was avid drinking and drug use.i wasa bullied at cushing till i wrote a teacher,a suicide note.the principle had me leave.there was never any action to deal with the bullying.maybe cushing is great today but its not beacause of a horrible principle.remeber my face.

I went to Cushing for my four years of high school (Class of 13') and I can't recommend it enough. First off, the connection that I gained with my teachers throughout my time there have been carried on in the years since, and I still feel connected to the school years after graduating. The educational experience is truly second to none. I came from a public school to Cushing - and was reluctant to come in the first place - but I'm very happy I did. One aspect that Cushing excels in is getting you ready for college. I entered college (at my top choice University), and had no problem keeping up with the work-load, and even adjusting to campus life (boarding school prepared me well for that). Cushing allows you to learn your independence throughout your time there, and grow as a leader (The leadership growth that Cushing gave me was carried on - I now sit on 3 executive boards in college). Final reason (in this review - but there are so many more) that really contributed to my positive Cushing experience: I started to become a cyclist during my time at Cushing, but at the time the school didn't have a club for it (or an afternoon activity - as it's called). I went up to my advisors office, and asked about the possibility of starting a club. Without much work at all, we got a club off the ground, and was happy to gain lots of support from faculty and other students who took part in the club (we had 15 riders or so by my senior year). This was one of my biggest takeaways from Cushing, and I've carried my cycling passion on and now race Division II cycling in college. I had an absolute blast at Cushing, and I wouldn't exchange my four years there for anything else. Hands-down one of the best decisions I've made in my life.

Two children, two different academic paths, six different sports - ONE AMAZING SCHOOL!!!

I have had one child graduate from Cushing and I have another that is a Junior. Our experince has been wonderful. The support from the teachers, dorm parents coaches, nurses and even office staff has been unbelievable. It is truly a family enviornment. Although I always heard that the college process is tedious, with the couselors at Cushing it was very smooth. Transferring my kids to Cushing was the best decision we made. My only regret was waiting until Sophmore year.

This is a great school, as I have had two children graduate from the institution in recent years, and one is still attending the school. It is in every way the perfect place for students, to grow, take appropriate risks, participate in wonderful offerings such as world-class arts and athletics, and also learn self-advocacy and independence. The leadership, faculty, and staff from top to bottom are some of the finest educators in the country. I wish I could back to High School myself, and feel so blessed my children have had this experience!!

I am doing this review for serval reasons. The first because this is an amazing school and another because I am paying it forward. My daughter was accepted to this school for the upcoming fall. She also attended their summer College Prep program. After making a decision for this school I began stalking the www for reviews because I was getting anxious about sending my child away. I stumbled upon Amy W.'s review and messaged her to ask if her daughter was still happy there. Amy W. messaged me back, reassured me, gave me tons of information. My daughter was able to connect with her daughter and they have become the best of friends this summer. My daughter has transformed in 5 weeks. She has experienced growth in so many different areas. Everything that the acceptance video said has been true. http://www.cushing.org/page/Admissions/New-Student-Information/Congratulations My daughter feels that this is the school of her dreams. She is open to trying new things and for the first time in a long time has peers who accept her for who she is. After meeting the house parents I have so much more security that my child is going to be in an environment where people genuinely care about her well being. She wants to go back to campus early for Pre-season, is excited about taking sports (soccer, hockey and strength building) when she has never played organized sports in her life, actually prior to attending she was a dancer and was trying to figure out the easiest way to fulfill her sports requirement with the least amount of sweat. She is already trying to figure out how she can earn a scholarship to go back to the summer program next year. The fine arts and dance programs have numerous offerings which was one of the primary reasons for considering this school. If you want your child to be happy, accepted, supported emotionally and academically this is the place.

I had two daughters attend Cushing Academy, and both experiences were extremely positive. The school creates a sense of community that fosters confident, well-rounded students. The teachers are attentive and caring, and show genuine concern for the well being and success of the students. The college counseling office is exceptional, and they do a phenomenal job of preparing students for the college application process, and alleviating the stress for families. As a parent, I could not be more pleased with the young adults that my daughters have become as a result of their experience at Cushing Academy. They have thrived and grown in countless ways, and have established relationships and friendships that are sure to last their lifetimes. I would highly recommend Cushing to any parent who is looking for a school where their child can be stretched and challenged, but also feel comfortable and cared for. My daughters truly appreciated their experiences at Cushing, and have repeated thanked us for providing them with the opportunity to attend.

School is hyper focused on hockey program, rampant bullying and hazing, out of date dorms, and staff turn their heads to poor behavior of their so called athletes.

My daughter is having the experience of her life. This is not like any other high school. It is a culture of positivity, teamwork. The levels of support to ensure a student is successful are numerous. There is really no student classes like Freshman or Senior they all work together based on academic level and maturity. Excellent for ESL students, can board or be a day student. The sports programs are the best anywhere in the country, as are the art, music and drama. They learn to work with glass, pottery and silver. Cushing is the oldest private school in the country and I don't want my daughter any where else.

I loved my experiences at Cushing. I am class of 1987. I went for the competitive sports, but came out a well rounded kid. The teachers were interested and hard working. The school is very well organized and thoughtful about meeting the familial needs of their students. The sports aren't bad either. I would love to go again.

I am a proud alum of Cushing Academy. The faculty, staff and coaches have changed my life in countless ways that continue to surface each day in my professional life. The community feel remains the cornerstone of this great academy and while development continues on campus with new buildings and new faculty, the passion and commitment to the students is prevalent everywhere as it was 20+ years ago. Cushing truly is one of the greatest places on earth, beautiful campus and people. World-class in all they do, arts, academics, athletics, it is all top notch. I remain close with friends and faculty from my years at Cushing and they continue to shape my thoughts and desire to be involved all these years later. So many wonderful memories of the classroom, dorm and fields. Thank you Cushing, cheering for continued future success, looking forward to reunion 2020 and celebrating our great school with our penguins from near and far.

Cushing Academy is the quintessence of a caring, student-centered, challenging college preparatory school. While the school does, indeed, feature a great teacher-student ratio, it's the quality of those teachers that elevates the Cushing experience to exceptional heights. The faculty and staff are second to none. They are there because they are dedicated to and deeply care about their charges. I attended Cushing with my twin brother (both class of '79) and older brother ('76) and my four-year experience was nothing short of transformative. Thanks to the amazing teachers and staff members, our immersion in Cushing's remarkable academic, arts and athletics programs helped shape our lives in ways that benefit us to this day. The bottom line is this: If you want your son or daughter to grow into the capable, mature, responsible and self-assured young person she can be; if you want her to reach her potential, in life, and at school, then Cushing Academy is the place for her.

While our child usually liked attending Cushing, as parents we observed problems at the school that were more than disconcerting. First, the school is financially distressed -- it has $27M in debt and it takes most or all of its endowment income just to service the debt. This ripples and affects most of the administration's decisions for want of resources. As one example, they hired very inexperienced teachers usually -- sometimes right out of school with zero experience, which is not what parents pay $60,000 a year for. As a second example, they often only hired those who could be "triple threats," meaning are willing to do three jobs -- residential life, coach sports, and teach something -- for the price of one entry-level teacher instead of one job at which they're a specialist and highly experienced. Because of its focus on sports, this often meant that residential life and teaching suffered. Second, the school had high turnover in administration, over 100% in some departments. Third, the leadership loathed parent feedback instead of soliciting it to grow and become stronger like better schools do. Fourth, alcohol and smoking were epidemic in the student body. Fifth, there was generally a complete lack of quality assurance systems at the school -- few, if any, teachers or staff were ever held accountable for their performance, neglecting students or their work, establishing and following best practices or standards of excellence, etc. After the fact, we found that if we had compared Cushing to other boarding schools point by point as to resources, services, teacher experience, student:teacher ratio, etc., it would demonstrated there were, and are, many schools that outperform it and at a much better value (because other schools offer more for less cost and have more financial resources to offer more scholarships).

I completely and wholeheartedly DISAGREE with Belito L! Sounds like someone is harboring resentment for ridiculous reasons and slandering an amazing school for unsubstantiated reasons! I went graduated from Cushing (class of '97) and will say that it's an awesome institution. I enjoyed my time there and loved my teachers. Funny how people complain about sports teams at schools without realizing that their success and dollars they generate contribute to scholarships and facilities! Cushing thoroughly prepared me for college, in fact I was accepted to Ivy League institutions such as Brown and Yale. I made lifelong friends and happy to call this my alma mater. For anyone interested I suggest you visit campus for a tour or even attend the amazing summer sessions the school offers before you pass judgement. And please by all means don't listen to Belito L...he probably never attended the institution!

Opportunities are everywhere at Cushing Academy. Our children have made friends from all over the world as well as many from area towns and across the US. They have been challenged in the classroom and encouraged to explore new interests in the visual & performing arts. Our kids enjoyed pottery, metalsmithing, and film, stepping out of their comfort zones into introductory and progressively more difficult projects in these courses which they really liked. Cushing's traditions bring the community together either in friendly competition or celebration throughout the year and the students look forward to these events. The sense of community is strong with faculty and staff providing a caring and supportive environment for our kids to learn, grow, and develop. Both of our kids have benefitted from the small, interactive classes and we have enjoyed the ongoing feedback from teachers, administration, coaches. The athletic teams have been competitive throughout the league and enjoyable to watch. Both children played jv and varsity sports. Facilities have seen a major upgrade in recent years and Cushing is meeting its community's needs in athletics, the dorms, and the new dining hall. We have been very impressed with the college counseling experience. Cushing staff works with students from the onset to position them to identify what they'd like to pursue after Cushing. The college selection process has been organized and while students are driving the process, we've been well-informed along the way. We are confident that the transition our younger child makes to college will be as smooth as our older child's as Cushing teaches self-advocacy, time management, study skills, and personal responsibility. The fit for our family has been right.