Benet Academy

2200 Maple Avenue

Lisle, IL 60532

14 Reviews

School District
Grade

9-12
Type

private

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Reviews

Submitted by parent on February 07, 2024

I cannot praise the teachers at this school enough! Their passion for teaching shines through, and they provide individual attention to every student.
Submitted by parent on August 14, 2022

This school has a way of making students feel unwelcome and judged for being different. Proof? Benet Academy fired the girls lacrosse coach for being gay. One could argue that it is a Catholic school and they are allowed to do that, but this is a highly qualified COACH (not a teacher) of a sport no one even watches (sorry guys I play the sport). They do not allow same sex couples to go to dances together and it has made many LGBTQ+ students feel lesser than and unseen. As someone who has many gay friends, I saw firsthand how many kids were fearful of what would happen if they came out during their high school career and therefore waited until after graduation to be open about who they are. I myself am a part of the LGBTQ+ community and chose to come out during my time at Benet. Some of my classmates supported me, but many other students were unfriendly and would talk poorly of me behind my back. However, sexuality isn't the only form of diversity Benet fails to include. In my entire class, there was one black person. She said she often felt like a fish out of water at school and like she had to pretend to be someone she is not. This student made it through all four years of high school while a lot of the other black students transferred out of Benet after one year or less due to the unwelcoming environment. It is a shame Benet makes young kids feel this way because the academics at the school are actually very effective. I am well prepared for college and had a lot of great teachers, but if your child isn't happy in their social environment, the academics can be found elsewhere. I would not reccomend Benet Academy to anyone.
Submitted by parent on January 07, 2022

This was a catholic school. They have gone woke. The are a shell of what they were.
Submitted by other on May 14, 2020

Unprofessional teachers that put in fictitious grades and gossip about students. The administration is spineless and allows unprofessionalism. Linda Browne was only put on probation for fudging academic records of students, because she is the Vice Principal's wife.
Submitted by parent on May 29, 2018

If your child's goal is to go to college and be successful - then this is THE place. It is 'cool' to be smart- not cool to be lazy and just get by.... entrance exam is not easy to pass, but once in these students learn how to think independently and study the rights ways so that college becomes much easier because of these skills. My child left as a straight A student in elementary and middle school ( public) but found how challenging school could be...and although it was an adjustment because of actually being behind entering - made the most of this experience. The comments on social class distinction could not be further from the truth as we would not be one of the elite class by any stretch yet that never seemed to be an issue for kids OR parents.... and far less an issue than in the other high schools in this area . Integrity from the administration and separation of academics from athletics is clear - even though many state titles reside in this very small high school. Have your child 'shadow' another student when they are in 8th grade and let them experience a day there.
Submitted by parent on August 22, 2016

My son is currently a Senior at Benet academy. This school has challenged him at every turn academically. Sometimes, I asked myself, why are we doing this? Then I remember the absolute dedication from 99% of the teaching staff. They are available at the school everyday single day to help a struggling student. They also teach tried and true methods that Work! They will push your child to reach their full potential. Which is evident by my sons outstanding ACT score. While many of the students are privileged, they have been brought up with solid values. Many of my son's classmates including himself, have part time jobs after school. This is no easy endeavor, as schooling is rigorous. However, a major component of our children's success is that we are teaching them to become independent, self sufficient and hardworking. Many non Benet students and their parents wouldn't dream of having their children work. I'll take the "old school" values that Benet provides any day. Because I know, it's what success is made of.
Submitted by student on May 21, 2015

Benet Academy was an academically rigorous school with a great culture of community, worship, and excellence. The school gave grades and calculated your grade point average on a 100 point scale instead of the A, B, C, D, F scale of most surrounding high schools. This made students more competitive as it became very unlikely that two students had the exact same GPA. The valedictorian of our class graduated with a GPA of 98.3% and the salutatorian's GPA had a 97 handle. Our graduating class sent students to all sorts of colleges including IVY league schools. The class size was large enough where cliques formed easily, but over four years of high school those cliques break down. The school offers competitive sports, but was best known for basketball and cross country when I attended.
Submitted by student on May 12, 2015

Benet has provided tremendous opportunities and given me the skills to acclimate to a challenging college program. I never fully appreciated the life and study skills that I obtained at Benet until I could compare my background with students from different high schools. Early on, I was forced to talk to my teachers and ask them directly for help (helicopter parents were just ignored). I had to learn to give speeches, take oral exams, and understand the subtext in our literature assignments. I was out of my comfort zone, and the transition was difficult at times. My peers were also intelligent and capable, so it was frequently difficult to stand out or keep up. I found this fueled my drive to excel, but I also found students and teachers willing to help me out at every turn. The greatest difficulty for me was learning how to ask for help. That said, the school is probably not a good "fit" for everyone. If it's important to the student/parent to have the kid get straight A's, rather than a focus on learning, this might not be the right place. I came to Benet shy and probably coddled, but I left more confident and capable and certainly ready for that next step in life.
Submitted by parent on December 02, 2014

My child was a Benet grad, and he hated it. Aside from certain teachers who actually helped him to succeed, the teachers were average at best. The school is cliquey. All the rich kids there are supposed to be "angelic", but party till 3A.M. and chug cough syrup to make up for it. The biggest issue my son had was the serious amount of intolerance there, whether against poorer neighborhoods, non-Catholic religions, or against non-Irish ethnicities. The people who say otherwise probably were simply blinded to this fact because they didn't have to deal with any of this intolerance on a personal level, but my son did. Certain teachers also pick their favorites since day one. My son went in for math help and was pushed aside in favor of the class "darlings". If my son answered a question in class wrong, he was laughed at by other "genius" children who had the tolerance level of a small pea. He also said that there were kids he saw all four years who never made a single friend. So much for "acceptance". Also, the school has certain teachers that preach that racial inequality is "ok" and that biracial marriages only end in divorce & terror. If this is the Catholic way, then I am appalled.
Submitted by other on October 02, 2014

My siblings and I are all alum of Benet. All of us are alums or students of regionally accredited universities in several different states. Often times Benet has the stereotype of being a school with rich kids with no morals or compassion. Many of the students, contrary to the stereotype, come from low to middle class families, mine being one of them. Never once did I feel snubbed by my peers. In fact, many of them were interested in my experiences coming from a rural community with agriculture being the main "crop." My siblings all had similar experiences. Additionally, Benet's teachers are without compare in my opinion. Many of them are the reason I decided to follow a career in education. It is easy for even an outsider to see that Benet teachers build rapport with their students. This is something that seems lacking in several schools I've been to during my college fieldwork. I can say without an ounce of doubt that Benet Academy was the most influential force in my adolescent years. The experiences I had and lessons I learned follow me to the present day. When it comes to college preparatory Catholic institution, Benet Academy is the best I could have attended.
Submitted by other on February 11, 2014

Amazing school. Yes it is hard and a lit of academic options particularly for students who get higher grades. But even so normal classes are just as hard. Those few ignorant people at benet make the whole school look bad. However, many students are very welcoming and accepting and you will find your own group of friends. There are also great teachers here that will help you academically and as a person. They are also hard but I learned a lot from them and still will as I have a couple more years left. Yes benet has some downs in it but has far more ups. It is a much safer environment than some schools and also a great place to worship your faith openly. You won't be discriminated against that here. Even sports di pretty well and many teams advance to state occasionally. Also there is a huge amount of students who are not financially well but also a good amount of students who are. Its worth putting your child here in the long run because he or she is guaranteed to graduate to college.
Submitted by parent on May 22, 2013

It s hard to believe that my child's four-year experience at Benet is coming to a close. I can remember his first visit to Benet a fall shadow day when he returned home with the biggest smile and certainty that Benet was his future home for high school. From his earliest freshman orientation meetings to last week s prom, the Administration, the teachers and his fellow students have embraced him into the Benet community and deepened his passion for learning, his sense of community, his perception of responsibility and his faith. I m so proud of the Administration s and the teachers commitment to excellence and their insistence on creating programs that appeal to the broad interests of the student body. Thank You Benet for your contribution to my child's growth and for preparing him for the next chapters of his life.
Submitted by student on January 10, 2013

I am a current junior, and the arrogance everyone seems to have mentioned is completely false. Parents commenting on how they sense arrogance in the parking lot is ridiculous... judging a book by it's cover much? The students are not arrogant at all, and I come from a "have not" family. My dad works two jobs to send me and my siblings here, and I don't feel any different than the rich kids (while there certainly are many.) Really, the arrogance rumor is ridiculous. I love Benet, and highly recommend it to any parent considering it. I knew two people coming into Benet, and now I have a completely different friend group which was easy to make. Seriously, send your kids to Benet...
Submitted by parent on August 31, 2012

I have sent 3 of my children to Benet and I am very pleased with the results both academically and morally. We are not a rich family, in fact none of the families from our grade school that sent our children to Benet are to be considered rich. We wanted a school that provided strong academics, discipline, and values. We received all of that. All 3 of my children were different, the one that was not a strong academic going in was a strong academic coming out. They had friends from all economic backgrounds and it was never an issue. Sure there are people there that are wealthy, but I found most of them to be friendly, outgoing and generous. The teachers truly care about the students and will help in any way they can. I will always remember those years with gratitude for what my children received.