Lovett School

4075 Paces Ferry Road Northwest

Atlanta, GA 30327

19 Reviews

School District
Grade

K-12
Type

private

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Reviews

Submitted by parent on September 20, 2023

We are an ethnically diverse family and have been at the school for several years now from kindergarten with 2 children and we absolutely love the school. We feel a great sense of belonging and from the beginning have felt very welcomed at Lovett. We love the academics, teachers, and other families that we get to do so much of our life with. No matter what your interests are and the personalities of your children, there is something to keep you engaged at the school.
Submitted by parent on June 07, 2022

My children received an excellent education from The Lovett School. Both went to top public Universities - The University of Michigan and The University of North Carolina and are excelling in their careers. I credit a lot of their success to the wonderful education they received at the Lovett School. Both were involved in the arts - one in the orchestra program, now led by an outstanding, nationally renowned cellist, and the other in the Ellington Jazz Band which cultivated an interest in music. He also learned how to wire the school's recording studio, growing his interest in the physics of sound that led to a career as an acoustics consultant at an engineering firm. Both participated in the athletics program as a cheerleader, and on gymnastics, soccer, volleyball, and cross-country teams. They participated in plays and had lots of practice public speaking. They also took advantage of Lovett's international travel opportunities and developed strong relationships with many of Lovett's faculty and staff.
Submitted by parent on June 02, 2022

Our child came to Lovett as a junior when we moved to Atlanta from Virginia. We chose Lovett based on the school's excellent choral and Fine Arts programs.We expected that coming to a new school midway through high school might be challenging; however, from the beginning Lovett found ways to smooth the transition. One teacher let us know he thought our child would be a great addition to his advisory -- and before school started, students from that group had arranged an outing so they could get to know each other. Our child, who doesn't fit the stereotypical Buckhead profile, felt accepted from Day One.Lovett is a very special place. When they talk about their Whole Child approach, those aren't just empty words. The school sees students as more than just their grades, and teachers make the effort to build relationships with students and encourage and inspire them. I felt that my child's wellbeing was valued above all else.Our child loved working on Lovett plays and performances -- their theater, equipment, and resources are amazing. The theater staff helped find an internship, and after graduating our child became the first freshman accepted into the BFA program at Hofstra University.
Submitted by parent on June 02, 2022

Lovett has been a great place for my rising senior. I had an older child who went through the magnet program at Chamblee, and my Lovett child's education was far superior to my child at Chamblee. At Lovett, my child was an actual student and not a number at Chamblee. With smaller class sizes, great relationships with teachers/coaches, college counseling, and a positive and thriving environment, Lovett has been a home for educational growth that they would have not gotten at our home public school.
Submitted by parent on May 20, 2022

Lovett is a great environment….for a very specific demographic, which represents a microcasm of the population. While they have tried to ensure a diverse faculty, retention is starting to be an issue. For students (and families) who don’t fit into the specific demographic (white, affluent Buckhead families, with the correct social affiliations, and sports acumen), Lovett can be a very isolating experience. The academics are somewhat rigorous. The college placements, when compared with other local independent schools is fairly underwhelming, with UGA, Bama, Ole Miss, Auburn or GA Tech as a stretch school. Like who invests over $300k over a 12-13 year period for a student to attend Univ. of North GA? Lovett has slowly slid from its lofty perch as a competitor of Westminster and Pace on the academic front. It is well on its way to shining as a wonderful finishing school for Buckhead families who want a controlled social environment and finishing school for their kids. This schoolhas truly shaped up to be a disappointment.
Submitted by parent on November 19, 2021

We are a new Lower School family and could not be happier. Our child applied to and was admitted by all of the schools she applied to in the Atlanta area, and we chose Lovett because of its warmth, holistic approach to education, the first class facilities and campus, and the palpable joy that the students and faculty exude. Our daughter is very bright (tested on the gifted level at her prior school) and is thriving; she comes home on a daily basis telling stories about her science classes and art projects. We have found it very easy to get involved and meet other families at the school, and the community is very welcoming. While we would have been happy to attend any of the schools to which she was admitted, we feel very fortunate to be a part of the Lovett community.
Submitted by parent on May 21, 2021

The culture at Lovett is terrible. They advertise their teaching a facilities as top of the line, but once you’re inside you realize that it is an okay public school with required uniforms. I also attended a high school band concert, and they sounded like they were at a middle school level. I’ve had several talks with his director, and he is rude and arrogant. The school also doesn’t provide room for students to excel in certain areas because it spreads them too thin.
Submitted by parent on May 19, 2021

College placement is disturbingly ineffective given the lofty tuition price. My child graduated at the top of the class and was unable to get into the majority of colleges to which he applied. The school has poor acceptance rates at Georgia and encourages its students to attend Auburn, Alabama, and Ole Miss to such an extent that more students attend those schools than Georgia. Lovett had zero students accepted at Ivy League schools this year (2021). Conversely, Pace and Westminster had many students accepted at the Ivies. The school claims that they have no idea why they are falling woefully short when it comes to college acceptances. This demonstrates their failure to acknowledge and address the school’s reputation as an elitist party school for entitled trust fund kids who aren’t willing to work hard to get ahead because they have had everything handed to them. I’m disappointed to have spent $300,000 for an education at Lovett and to see my child at a competitive disadvantage to hard working kids from the public schools and other private schools.
Submitted by parent on August 25, 2018

Disappointing. Even though both Armour children excelled and got in to the college of their choice, we had to hire an outside consultant because the guidance counselors were so bad. They are having difficulty getting kids into the University of Georgia and discourage kids from “reaching” (applying to better college) to maintain a good acceptance ratio. Socially, the cliques are really strong and are a reflection of the parents. Everybody looks the same and there is a certain snob like atmosphere. If we were to start over, we would go in a different direction.
Submitted by parent on January 08, 2016

Our experience of The Lovett Lower School has been amazing. Teachers and administrators are extremely qualified, dedicated and loving. They genuinely care about your kid as an individual and are like family to us. The lower school counseling is exceptional. Our son excelled academically and grew as a well-rounded person. We are very thankful for the outstanding environment The Lovett Lower School has provided with.Many kids are in wide range of extracurricular activities, from arts, music to sports, to explore and excel. If your kid misses classes due to extracurricular activities or other reasons, the teachers would give a condensed version of what the child missed and offer help or tutoring immediately after school if needed.A parent commenter said in a prior review that "Most of the kids are at Lovett because they couldn't get into Westminster". That's incorrect. There are many talented kids at Lovett. And more importantly, the teachers and administrators recognize and cherish the talents they see. I know a few kids who were accepted to both Westminster and Lovett and chose Lovett. It comes down to which school is a better fit. Sure, Westminster has won 250 state sport championships and their SAT average is higher. But the parent forgot that the most important factor is your own child and yourself as a parent. The 250 state sport championships means nothing to a child, especially if your child are not competing in them. The SAT average means nothing either because your child is not named average. And many students are too stressed out at Westminster, which is not healthy and may hinder their personal growth. You as a parent, have to teach your own child to excel, explore, and be happy. Bragging rights means nothing.In summary, our Lovett Lower School experience has been outstanding. We are eternally grateful to all the amazing teachers, counselors, and administrators at The Lovett Lower School. Thank you!
Submitted by parent on March 14, 2015

Boo Hoo Hoo, I am not African American or Caucasian, but my child has attended Lovett since the 5th grade. She has had a multitude of opportunities that children in public school could only dream about. My child has excelled academically and socially. Parents should never subscribe to the feeling of not belonging or feeling wanted by an institution. If you are there, then you belong and that is what I teach my child everyday. Some of the best public schools are far more cliquish than Lovett, and I know that first hand. My advice: Visit the schools before you apply and have your child participate in a shadow day to see if Lovett (or any school) is the right place for them. We love it at Lovett, one of best places for a solid education, despite some of the harsh reviews.
Submitted by other on October 02, 2014

the campus is amazing, and so is the networking and social connections for the children and the parents. There is a lot of old southern money at Lovett, so be prepared, the students and parents can be cliquish. I have heard rumors of some not so PC treatment of minorities, perhaps out of ignorance. Like assuming an african american parent was a server at a fundraiser. Lovett is a great status school, and children do have access to amazing materials and opportunities. Just be aware of what you are getting into with the non academic aspects.
Submitted by parent on February 25, 2014

My son has been there for half a year and so far it exceeds our, and more importantly his, expectations. He is genuinely excited to get out the door. He loves all his teachers and takes advantage of many of the after school programs. The whole student approach is not a marketing tag line as they spend real effort to insure he gets life lessons in topics that matter but aren't typically taught.
Submitted by parent on October 16, 2013

We have two children here since kindergarten. They are now 7th and 4th graders. Both my kids love the school, teachers, social environment (we are not Caucasian). Both are thriving academically. We were advised by people in our community to apply them at Westminster for more challenge. My kids never want to leave Lovett. One of our kids took a test for gifted students and WAY outperformed some of the Westminster kids that took the same test (I know because the same people that told us we should transfer were bragging about their kids score, even though ours were much higher). So bottom line is that send your kid to whichever school as long as it has a solid reputation and your kids are happy. The rest is YOUR kids personality. All school have some strong points and some not so strong. But the best "schooling" is done at home...these places are there to build on that.
Submitted by other on October 03, 2013

I attended Lovett for 14 years (pre-k -12th) and value the excellent education I received. The teachers are outstanding!!
Submitted by other on August 06, 2013

The negative reviews around oppression, conformity, narrow-mindedness are all correct. This school has been this way for decades and from friends currently there has not changed since we sent kids there in the 80s.
Submitted by parent on December 05, 2012

My son has attended Lovett for 3 years and started as a kindergartener. Lovett has high expectations AND gives lots of support ie: reading and writing tutorials after school. I am a teacher and have taught third grade-my son comes home with independently done work that my 3rd graders couldn't do. In addition, they have great character development classes, science classes, art, drama, etc., etc. We are thrilled with this exceptional liberal arts education! The only down side are the monthly "materials" charge-the notebooks, markers, books, etc. are around $100 per month...really?
Submitted by parent on November 01, 2012

This is an oppressive school; there is a STRONG instance on white, male-driven conformity. Girls are "girls": long hair, pretty, thin, will make good wives. Boys are men: leaders, decision-makers. They've also had a revolving door of children of color for years. Administrators implicitly communicate that admission is a "gift" for non-white families. We paid for 3 kids for 6 years and were treated like guests. Once there the burden for diversity is placed on the families. They ask children & parents to represent at open house or to give a speech in chapel, like props. Most diversity "efforts" exclude the majority of the school (whites). Admins held an evening meeting for non-white families ONLY to "give tips" on how to help their children succeed. It's the culture, not the child. Another ex. of managing vs authentic engagement with full community: Admins created student groups by race lead by black teachers ONLY, taking kids from lunch & class to talk & support each other as if they are the crux of the issues. It was like AA for children of color, their confessional. Like AA, their issues and complaints never left the room. In an increasing diverse U.S., they have a long way to go.
Submitted by parent on September 20, 2012

The highest values at Lovett are conformity and class consciousness. Putting your child in this oppressive and stressful environment just when they should be developing confidence and intellectual curiosity is a huge mistake. Students constantly compare houses, cars and vacations. Resentment from the underpaid teachers toward these children of privilege is palpable and they treat the students with hostility and contempt. The administration turns a blind eye to this and focuses instead on 'green initiatives, raising money and capital improvements. Many teachers are sub-par and don't use proper spelling or grammar. Most of the kids are at Lovett because they couldn't get into Westminster, which is down the road, and the institution has a real inferiority complex about the issue. An inordinate amount of energy spent on the under-performing football team, who is regularly beaten by small public schools without nearly the resources. During the civil rights movement, Lovett denied admission to the son of MLK, Jr. and now the institution is racked with guilt and spends a great deal of time with self-flagellation and political correctness. The result, very few high-achieving alumni.