Lycee Francais de Chicago

1929 West Wilson Avenue

Chicago, IL 60640

76 Reviews

School District
Grade

PK-12
Type

private

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Reviews

Submitted by other on April 22, 2022

Former student here, completed the French Bac program. Teaching-wise, I wholeheartedly believe that I could not have learned some of the amazing topics and work ethic at another school in Chicago. I think the LFC drives curiosity and some of the smartest and kindest students I have ever known have come from here. There are a mix of teachers --some encouraging, some extremely unmotivated. The rigor is no joke for either the Bac or IB. Students are used to writing long papers and developing their thoughts very well... an unparalleled quality I have noticed over the years. Your child will truly grow to be an open-minded and driven individual. Critical thinking is very much part of the takeaways. Some areas of focus though I do not think are well supported at all. The music and theatre departments are woefully unequipped. Try some outside orchestras, choirs, and clubs because there is NO AUDITORIUM. There are excellent theatre, jazz, and classical orchestras in every other school except this one. When I was attending the artsy students were outcast but that may have changed. Lastly, I know some students (and teachers!) that have felt very unwelcome or were bullied out of jealousy, lower economic status, or just for dressing and expressing themselves in a unique way. Some professors and deans were helpful in that regard, but they have left back to France. In all you might be surprised by the quality of the fabulous, fabulous teachers of the school and the program itself -- or underwhelmed in some other aspects, just like any other school.
Submitted by parent on November 22, 2020

This school is simply not for everyone. If you are looking for nothing more than a springboard to an ivy league college, this school is not for you (although there are a fair amount of students that are accepted into ivy league schools). However, if you are looking for a school that is unique, has a broad worldview (read not American centric) and wonderful teachers, the Lycee is for you. An added bonus is there is no religious nonsense here which is hard to avoid in many Chicago schools. My son recently graduated with a bilingual IB. He was at the school for 14 years. He was accepted to all but one college he applied to. Several are in the top 25 worldwide. He speaks French and Spanish. He is a caring, kind and smart young man. I credit the Lycee for much of that. Some parents get hung up on how the school treats them rather than their children. They miss the point. Yes, money talks here, but it does everywhere. We were certainly not part of the moneyed crowd, but that made zero difference in how my son was treated. All in all, if you are looking for a unique school with wonderful teachers and a great worldview, the Lycee is for you.
Submitted by parent on November 25, 2019

Our experience has been incredibly enriching and special. Our children, given their educational journey at the Lycée thus far through middle school, are bilingual, curious, empathetic and critical thinking individuals. They, and we as parents, have been fortunate to make friends with families from all over the world and locally from Chicago and in the process they benefit from a robust academic program that is preparing them for top flight universities in the U.S. AND abroad.
Submitted by parent on November 17, 2019

Our family has travelled and lived in many different places around the world over the past 20 years and we have therefore been able to experience several Lycées so far - the Lycée Français de Chicago is clearly our best School experience so far ! thanks you so much - we are so grateful for what you offer to our kids.
Submitted by parent on June 22, 2019

Excellent and unique, caring and happy, balanced
Submitted by student on May 24, 2019

I have been at Lycee since the very beginning, I have witnessed the Lycee under Mr. Weber as well as the Lycee under Mr. Veteau. Part of the transition was also the innauguration of the new facility. The arrival of Mr. Veteau may have seemed like an abrupt shock in the overall functioning of the school, however, the work provided both by students and teachers is now very rigorous. The school has achieved an incredible job growing its IB program and overall academics with students reaching top ivy league schools (ex: Harvard, Stanford, Yale) all within the past two-three years. To the angry parent down below who claim lycee's admissions aren't nearly as impressive as other private schools, I would like to add that these top ivy league schools have an acceptance rate of 4% and that Lycee's twelfth grade classes usually do not surpass 20-40 kids. Just a reminder for all parents, YOU DO NOT NEED TO GET ACCEPTED AT AN IVY LEAGUE SCHOOL TO SUCCEED IN LIFE. The Lycee transmits this international skill for students to flourish in whatever country they wish to pursue their studies in. The lycee is still only 25 years old and growing at an exponential rate attracting all sorts of profiles from american students transferring there for high school to expats from all around the world. I am a student and I am not [aid to write this. This comment was written in all truth and illustrates what I truly believe. Let's stay realistic, there are no schools out there who can fully satisfy all students and staff. To answer all concerns about parents with deep pockets having a higher voice when it comes to managing the school, that is the case for most if not all private schools. Just look at recent scandal regarding celebrity's children paying their way through college admissions... Just another example to show that, unfortunately, in our society, money holds incredible power
Submitted by parent on November 06, 2018

Our experience at the Lycee for our 3 children has been and continues to be fantastic. Lycée makes rounded students. They are prepared on all fronts, academically with critical thinking (the cherry on top) and in the many opportunities to join clubs, such as in math or start-ups. I would highly recommend Lycee Francais de Chicago.
Submitted by parent on July 13, 2017

My child's been at this school for 7 years. There had definitely been a change in the climate of the school since E. Veteau came on board. Some observations and sentiments expressed are deeply concerning. Some examples are, parents feel they are not heard, unless they have deep pockets. Their concerns are listened to but they feel brushed off or scoffed at. Lack of socioeconomic diversity. Tuition continues to rise. Per a board member the school must continue to raise tuition and get enrollment up. This drives lower income families out. Even with financial aid the school is too expensive. The school does NOT receive money from the French gov't as another post claims. It did but it was drastically cut to almost nil. The number of native French families is dropping. And it's not because tuition is too high. It is because the academics are just not comparable to Latin, Parker, or selective enrollment high schools. Veteau likes to say the school is comparable but it just is not. One visit to compare facilities and you can see the physical shortcomings that is so reflective of the academics. Teachers are leaving in droves. Staff do not like Veteau. He is not a good leader. He is too self absorbed and worried about appearances. When the school was looking for a new head he was their last choice. I am truly worried for the next academic year. Many secondary teachers are leaving including some admin. The school has some very caring staff that has been there for years and to hear they are leaving because of Veteau is very concerning. There has always been staff turnover because some teachers only come for 2-3 years. But these teachers that are leaving have been at the school have been there several years and are well regarded. Lastly, the school claims to make global citizens but what about compassionate caring citizens too? There is such a sense of entitlement among the students. I am looking at other schools because for the price I feel too much damage control needs to be done. Not just to teach my kid good core values but to supplement his education because the Lycee cannot cut it.
Submitted by parent on June 20, 2017

I wholeheartedly agree with the previous reviewer. Shame on the lycée for suggesting that an education here will result in increased chances at an Ivy League school. The one student every five years that gets into an Ivy League university is hardly something the lycée can take credit for. Mr. Vetteau's recent request that parents write a positive review on this and other sites is appalling. He undoubtedly must do damage control but this site is no place for contrived reviews to suit his agenda. Focus on the education and other ills that the school has been suffering over the last few years and stop trying to manipulate opinions.
Submitted by parent on June 18, 2017

As a parent the last 6 years I have a good appreciation of the problems that arose since the new administration took over. Don't be fooled by what Principal Vetteau says. The story around the High school and Ivy League universities is like meteorites hitting the Earth. The probability that ones falls in your backyard is really very, very low.
Submitted by other on June 06, 2017

My son went to Lycee, graduated from Harvard College with Suma Cum Laude. His friends are in UPenn, Columbia New York, His friends graduated from Yale, Standford, Columbia New York, Darmouth. They are all successful citizens.Thank you LYCEE!!!
Submitted by other on May 08, 2017

Give your money please.....some good teachers, very bad management. I'm very dissapointed, no equity or equality between children, it depends on your donation. This school can be a super school, but they forgot the first step...respecting children for what they are not for their parents' money...
Submitted by parent on May 04, 2017

Caring, great teachers, engaged parent community, well-run by the administration, diverse student body, and an international, bilingual education!
Submitted by parent on May 03, 2017

As parents, we have witnessed many events recently and have seen that the communication of the school’s administration is completely away from reality. I have long reflected and hesitated to post on this site. But the accumulation of contradictory facts prompts me to share my opinion here. I am well informed because I personally know several staff members as well as many parents. First there was this meeting with the Board where the latter asked parents not to speak out publicly so as not to undermine the reputation of the school and where they proclaimed that their door was opened. But who are they laughing at? Do they forget that parents spoke to the principal on numerous occasions to ask basic questions but that his door was closed as soon as the questions became problematic for him? That to these questions, unanswered to this day, he has only opposed his contempt and his arrogance? Finally, does the Board forget its responsibility? The reputation of the lycée absolutely does not need the parents who express themselves to be tainted! The dysfunction of the institution is public knowledge beyond our community and the responsibility rests with the principal (the one in office and above all the previous one) but also with the Board which for years has allowed decisions that no other School would have accepted because they go against the most basic ethical standards. Thus, how can one explain that three directors had spouses as teachers in the last school year, with the conflicts of interest that this inevitably leads to, not to mention the blatant underqualification of one of them. Even today, the principal himself is at the heart of a conflict of interest and he ignores all the queries and concerns of the community with a superb contempt! Instead of trying to silence critics, it may be necessary to dry them up at the source by questioning the responsibilities for these drifts.
Submitted by other on April 08, 2017

We were interested in the French curriculum, as a French speaking family from Paris. My kids have always attended international French schools and the culture was very different. We met with the previous principle, monsieur Weber, and were very pleased with his approach and the school culture he engendered. It's was an academic institution. Now, it feels like a business enterprise. The culture of the school today as it stands has no identity. This new principle has poor diplomacy and leadership skills; he does a terrible job at unifying the school. You walk in the hallways and everyone is speaking in English! Mais c'est une école française! Très déçu avec l'expérience. The teachers are very well trained, but have been leaving en masse because of the level of disrespect. The 'lower' tuition does not justify the state of disarray in the school.
Submitted by parent on April 02, 2017

The Lycée has an outstanding and bold proposition that leads students to Harvard, Stanford and the like of other top universities. In addition, the French American biculturality provides with privileged access to McGill or top UK Universities. The value for money of the Lycée is unbeatable by by Chicago private schools standards. The other elementary/middle and high school equivalents are close to twice the price of the Lycée and the education proposition is not neatly better, it is just different. The healthy financial situation lies in the fact the France (the state) helps financially the school to keep the fee at a low level.The school has emerged in the last twenty years in the Chicago arena and has profoundly evolved. Those changes have naturally trigger discontent, as in any evolving organization. The fees have increased, but for the sake of hiring stellar teachers and building a brand new facility.
Submitted by other on March 30, 2017

The High school IBprogram is outstanding. The teachers are engaged, caring and demanding. Class size remains small.
Submitted by parent on March 29, 2017

We left the French lycee last year for another state and we are much better now, merci! The new tuition policy was a blow too hard to bear. Remember that this policy was imposed by the board of directors WITHOUT prior discussion! We could no longer bear contempt for the middle-class parents like us who contributed with their money to the development of the school. Already under the former president there were VIP parents to whom the administration made sweet eyes. Let us pass on. Then there were the demands for donations that have grown steadily to become unbearably repetitive. And finally, this discriminatory policy that has done so much harm to families for whom to pay school fees is a real sacrifice and not a whim. We believed in the promises of the Lycee but we were bland. I read with stupefaction the lenifying comments of some parents and I want to make corrections. No, at the level of aid to students in difficulty, the lycee is not at the forefront or even at the level of public schools because we saw clearly that the lack of staff compelled the school to privilege the aid to some children only. It's a joke to say that. Teachers are happy? How could they complain while a confidentiality clause obliges them to censor themselves? Shut up or get sacked! The school is not what it claims to be. The Board of Directors wanted to make it rise in range, without any consideration for the parents who formed its base. By increasing enormously the cost of schooling, the school has been losing since several years the families that gave it its soul.
Submitted by parent on March 28, 2017

Lycee Francais de Chicago is a wonderful, diverse school with very high academic standards. The teachers are warm, loving and firm. My daughter has been there for three years. She is currenting in grade one and is fluent in French and is reading in both languages. The only down side is that the French families tend to be at the school for only a short time.I wrote that review 9 years ago! Wow time flies. I now have children in 10th and 6th grade. We have had an amazing 12 years at the Lycee. This past year has been a struggle for my 6th grader. I do how ever feel the school is trying its best to provide the support he needs. I find all the discussion about tuition interesting. When my son started junior kindergarten 8 years ago we looked at Sacred Heart school because he had a language delay. The tuition was about the same as the Lycee. It is currently about the same as Lycee. The tuition had risen along with everything else. There is only so much financial aid to go around. I believe this year they gave over 1 million dollars. I do know that several teachers are leaving in the high school. The ones I have spoken with have reasons outside the school for leaving. I do think the new administration has made a lot of changes. I think we need to be patient to see how everything works out. I will reiterate, Lycee Francais de Chicago is an amazing place. I have made so many amazing friends and the teachers are incredible!
Submitted by parent on March 28, 2017

My husband and I do not speak French, our kids have been at Lycee since Junior Kindergarten, now they are in the middle school and elementary. Attending a dual language program is not for every child. Our oldest had/has a much harder time picking up French than our youngest where it truly came naturally through the rigorous curriculum. For our oldest, we have invested in tutors and stayed more connected with the teachers to ensure he is learning and the program is the right path for him. What I can say about the school is they have been very honest with our son's challenges and have done so much to help him become more confident and equip him with the right tools to master the French language. While our son is very determined to learn, the teachers and faculty have been exceptional in helping him learn, gain confidence and be competitive academically with his peers. When he transitioned from elementary to middle school we were quite concerned he would be left behind with the flood of change. The opposite happened. He had a team of teachers to support him through the transition and he is flourishing. We attribute this success to the notion that each child develops at different times and while there is a balance of tending to the class, there needs to be an effort to educate/teach to the individual as well. Lycee has demonstrated this approach with our son. Our kids are getting an excellent education. Their test scores are solid and feel the positive energy of learning from their peers and teachers. In addition, both of our kids have the gift of being in a diverse environment where we have met people from around the world and with varying points of view. Our kids and their friends are being given the tools to be solid problem solving people as they continue to grow.