St. Ignatius College Prep

1076 W ROOSEVELT RD

Chicago, IL 60608

25 Reviews

School District
Grade

9-12
Type

private

Find Homes for Sale in this School Zone

Reviews

Submitted by parent on May 18, 2022

St. Ignatius College Prep is perhaps my best parenting decision ever! So grateful for the academic rigor, whole student development, extracurricular opportunities… This high school is a well oiled machine with top faculty and caring administration. It is a special gem. The community is diverse with families who have high standards for their teens. I couldn’t ask for a better environment to further develop my child into a contributing citizen, leader, and all around success for life. Service and the spirit of doing good for others is at the heart of the school. There is structure and I am watching the teens at this school flourish whether it is academically, through community service, theater, sports, clubs, debate… Thank you St. Ignatius College Prep for all you do for the kids!
Submitted by parent on April 26, 2022

Best high school in Chicago! Hands down!! Go Wolfpack!
Submitted by other on November 22, 2021

Most teachers are passionate about teaching and helping students. Some are biased and you really have to watch your kids grades and question when you suspect unfairness. The school culture is competitive and is a sink or swim atmosphere. It is quite expensive to attend, even the food. You could get a better value and high quality education elsewhere. There are plenty of clubs, activities and sports(though good luck with your kids trying to make a team since politics and favoritism rules in this space).
Submitted by parent on September 06, 2020

If you continue to pay your tuition and donation checks, not rock the boat and be willing to settle for a values system that sorely misses the mark, then a rigorous albeit hypocritical, intolerant educational experience exists that sadly does not consistently teach the values of faith, justice, love, personal growth and intellectual integrity.
Submitted by parent on June 19, 2019

Best school ever! We are SO lucky to be part of St. Ignatius College Prep HS
Submitted by other on October 21, 2018

I have one cousin that currently attends here and one that has graduated. They both loved their school! They played hockey and baseball for St. Ignatius and enjoyed it. The one who has already graduated goes to Georgetown University, so I'm betting the academics must be great!
Submitted by parent on August 19, 2017

Best school in Chicago! I wish I could have gone here when I was in High School!
Submitted by parent on June 24, 2017

This is a competitive school where homework is continuous and demanding. Papers are expected in practically every class. There is no hand-holding, unfortunately, in this environment (for better or for worse).
Submitted by student on May 30, 2017

St. Ignatius is a difficult school to analyze. I am a freshman and will not be returning next year. Looking out on to my next three years is exciting for me and at the same time, as my time at St. Ignatius comes to a close, I get to witness the current students contemplate their next three years and the end of year firings. All I can say about their reactions is that it is not how students should feel. The school projects itself to be a warm and wonderful place where students can grow in faith and knowledge. The reality is a bureaucratic and biased group of so called educators trying to manage compassionate, innovative, and surpressed teachers with very impressive resumes. I have worked with a Harvard valedictorian and an astrophysicist with a Stanford PhD. The teachers truly are some of the greatest people I have ever met and I only wish that they were more appreciated and didn't have to teach around finals and standardized tests. The school has tried to implement iPads and fidgety chairs into the curriculum to satisfy the cries for a more open learning environment, but it is a no more than a failing cover up of what used to be a neighborhood school. St. Ignatius College Prep is no longer draws you closer to a childhood love of learning and new friendships. It is but a facade of credentials and alumni. The reputation is nice, but I beg prospective students not to go to St. Ignatius because of the show put on during the eighth grade open house or because of the long list of clubs and sports (they do not do very well anyway). Find a place with people you can love. Where the school is not a board, but a group of strong minded teachers with students that want to be there. My year has been an experience, and I am sad to say that compared to other high schools it deserves its standing, but school should be, school needs to be, more than a perceived perfection. I have been given the best that the school can offer and on the sidelines I see people that only get through the four years by telling themselves they have a heightened chance of getting accepted into Northwestern or MIT or wherever their true dreams lie. Before you come, stop for a minute, consider the tuition, and know where you see yourself in ten years.
Submitted by other on May 18, 2017

If you want your child in an environment that festers on privilege and an archaic, sinister moral compass...choose this school. If bullying is your thing, choose this school. If loving to gossip and concern yourself with other peoples business is something that gets you off, choose this horrible school.
Submitted by parent on December 14, 2015

The staff is outstanding and highly educated. There are 4 full time college counselors and 6 part time to make the application process smooth and they visit 72 campuses a year to meet with their admissions office. The curriculum is rigorous which prepares students for any college the wish to go to. Not to mention the campus is absolutely beautiful.
Submitted by other on June 14, 2015

As a recent alum (let's give it a few weeks shall we), I will admit it proudly that the four years I spent at SICP were quite honestly the worst four years of my life. I have Asperger's syndrome which means I am on the higher functioning end of the autistic spectrum. I am very gifted intellectually, but I struggled miserably on the cutthroat and exclusive social end of the student body. I was verbally assaulted and ridiculed as being a closeted homosexual and socially retarded. The worst names I have been called were on that campus and the worst judgements on my character were assessed on that campus. The administration sat passively on these dilemmas of bullying and assault. I have no desire to go back to that school and I personally do not recommend that school for anyone especially those with intellectual disabilities. It's just sad and pitiful with how ignorant everybody there is and how little support you receive and on top of that how horribly people there misjudge you and misunderstand you. Solid F. Worst four years of my life.
Submitted by teacher on March 05, 2015

Things are really bad right now. Stay far away until the current leadership is replaced.
Submitted by student on February 06, 2015

I'm a sophomore here at Saint Ignatius, and I am genuinely happy here. There are teachers at this school who are better than any I have ever had, and I feel like I learn a lot I love this; I have always been a fan of school, especially of English, art, and the social studies, which I think are Ignatius's strongest areas. I must be honest, the academics here are intense. If you or your child is looking to come to Ignatius but isn't serious about school they will not succeed. The minimum effort it would take to get an A at a normal school would probably get you a B- here. The grading system is not unfair or tilted, but it doesn't allow room for you to just crap your way through high school. The dress code can be annoying, but it's not as bad as most Jesuit schools'. I don't particularly care for the religion classes. I think that there are teachers that really aren't very good, and it's a shame because when you have a good teacher it can be a truly interesting class. The student body itself is generally on the more affluent side, but money isn't a huge deal to us. There isn't much peer pressure to conform or anything like that. Most of SICP's students are serious about school.
Submitted by teacher on November 30, 2014

This school has changed a lot in a generation, but it has changed dramatically over the last 5 years. Between the iPads, disillusioned faculty (resulting from poor pay and decreasing freedom), incompetent leadership, a growing disparity in the socioeconomic status of our students, and declining academic standards (resulting from a desire to pander to wealthy parents), I would not choose to send my child here. At this point, Saint Ignatius is simply resting on its laurels: a stellar reputation, and beautiful architecture. At some point, only its beautiful architecture will remain.
Submitted by teacher on June 30, 2014

There are some excellent teachers, but also others who don't do much, yet are lauded by blind administration anyway. The school does not support students who struggle, which is a real shame. I hate to say it, but for the most part, parents are much better off saving their money and sending their kids to a good public school.
Submitted by parent on April 25, 2014

The staff at this school are some of the rudest individuals I have ever met. Extremely unprofessional. I would never send my child here, especially talking to the older white man that works in the treasury department. That man is one unsavory and unhappy person.
Submitted by student on February 12, 2014

I am a recent alumna of SICP. I highly recommend attending this fine college prep to any student that is willing to make a serious commitment to personal and academic excellence. I look back on my years there with fondness and remain in contact with my friends that I made there. The St. Ignatius community and education gave me the foundation I needed to thrive later in a University setting. The academics are extremely rigorous, but prepare you well for demanding college coursework. (In fact, I found obtaining my B.S. in a science field at a VERY prestigious University with the intent of medical school less demanding than I did coursework at SICP. My University GPA is higher than the GPA I struggled to keep up at Ignatius. Don't let that scare you though! It's well worth every second.) As for legacy, you don't need it to get through those big wooden doors. I did not have a legacy and I was still accepted due to high marks on my entrance exam. I had a blast at Ignatius. The students, faculty, and staff are incredible. The location is worth the commute. The building reminds you that you are somewhere special. Five out of five stars for me. I wish I could give it six!
Submitted by parent on October 13, 2013

First rate education, very solid theological instruction, much broadening of young horizons. It's not the place for everyone. It is an undertaking in every way to attend this school. Ignatius prides itself on this quality. One of the hallmark traits of graduates is that they are not afraid of hard work or rising to a challenge. The school loves this aspect of its reputation. It is extremely tough. Ignatius kids are mostly high aptitude types; the majority of students were rockstars of some kind in grade school whether they had to try hard or not. Here, everyone has to do the work. Approaching one's studies mindful of the gifts one has been graced with is part of the paradigm. I experienced this school as a student myself and also as a parent of a student recently. It is challenging. It is sophisticated. It is expensive: tuition, fees, books, pledges are one thing, but it also costs more than just that to go there. As I beheld the whole person of my learned, poised, capable, compassionate, grounded, faithful young adult at the exceptionally beautiful baccalaureate mass, I knew totally that it was completely worth it. It is a privilege to be a part of St. Ignatius.
Submitted by parent on July 28, 2013

I have been agonizing for four years over whether to write this review, and I have finally decided to do it (after my son has graduated). On the positive side, my son has received a good education here. He scored very, very well on his ACTs and SATs. On the negative, this school really is a "sink-or-swim" place. This does not get emphasized enough, so I will restate it -- this school will eat your kid up and spit him out if he is not organized, has ADHD, or a learning disability, or is just not intellectually mature enough. There are no services for kids like this. The Ignatius way is to punish kids like this until they see the light. I know that people who are thinking of sending their kids to high school are not thinking so much about college, but you have to. It is really hard to get As at Ignatius, and, with today's grade inflation, colleges are expecting to see As. Even though your kid had to score in the 90th percentile to get into this school, Ignatius will give your kid a B-/C+ is he/she is average for Ignatius. This will impact your son/daughter's chances to get into his/her choice of college, and his/her ability to get scholarships (which have grade cutoffs).