Anderson High School in Austin, Texas

“The academics at this school are unmatched in the Austin area. I attribute Anderson's prestige and high level of achievement to the principal, Ms. Donna Houser. Ms. Houser is fair, kind, and able to relate to the children, but she is also a competent, qualified, capable leader. I cannot say enough about Anderson and the kind of environment Ms. Houser has created there; one which nurtures learning and encourages kids to succeed to their highest potential.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“The best high school i have ever attended, and i have been to 3. the teachers really love what they do, and they try to spend as much time with each student as they can. Go Trojans”
This review was posted by a student.

“Anderson is a good school academically, especially with opportunities to participate in the IB program. The director of the IB program is an excellent resource! My concerns are primarily with the fact that my daughter has had 4 counselors in 4 years. This posed a problem when it came time to request college recommendations. We have hired outside help for the purpose of guiding us through this process. And it is a big school and can be a difficult place to interact socially unless you have a student who is very involved. This is important at any school but especially so at Anderson.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“Great success! This school is very nice and welcoms all to its halls. We found staff very nice. We wish more diverse.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“Even though I only went to this school for my freshmen year, I loved every minute of it. As long as you get involved, you will meet and make lots of friends all ages. Work hard and you will also gain the respect of your teachers... well, most of them anyways. Many fun events happen over the year in the amazing theater. That thing is beautiful. The school environment is great... I always got to class on time between classes. Lockers, there are top and bottom lockers but you'll survive if you do get a bottom one. I certainly did. Sports are probably the weakest quality of the school but I would really recommend this school. I really miss being there. The library is amazingly beautiful and everyone (from jocks to dorks) goes there during lunch. Also, about a 50 min. lunch which is great and you can roam around freely.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“Anderson High School is a terrific school. The school environment is fantastic and the teachers/staff truly cares about each and every student. I wouldn't want to go to any other school.”
This review was posted by a student.

“We moved to Austin after my son's sophomore year and chose Anderson because of its excellent academic reputation, despite being warned by some that the school was very 'cliquey' and difficult to become established and accepted if you were from the outside. While the academics have been as good as expected, we have indeed experienced 'discrimination' from students and staff because my child did not come into the 'system' through the feeder middle school. As a result, he is not being allowed to participate in some activities and hold some positions as a senior although underclassmen from the feeder school are accepted readily with less experience and commitment. We have also had a great deal of difficulty getting the paperwork, transcripts and evaluations needed for college applications in a timely manner. Here again he has been pushed aside in favor of 'established' students. Good academics but don't 'transfer'to this school.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“I like this School! It is so komfort and Nice”
This review was posted by a parent.

“My son graduated from LC Anderson in 2003. I think Anderson HS is one of the best in the city. I was very pleased with the teachers, staff, administration - all exhibited a commitment to excellence for the students. I would recommend this school to anyone who wanted their child challenged and supported throughout their high school years.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“Very well managed school... our two daughters went there. We found the entire staff very motivated and the teachers dedicated.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“Anderson High School has great academic programs for all students. The teachers have a strong desire to maximize each student's education by building relationships with the parents and the students. The sports programs are great, and there are ample extracurricular activities in which one can get invloved. A highly recommended school! If my wife and I are still living in Austin when our children are at that age, they will most definitely go to Anderson!”
This review was posted by a former student.

“Seems to be a preety good school academically.”
This review was posted by a student.

“Anderson is a great school. The teachers are committed and focused on the kids' success.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“Anderson is a great school.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“This is a challenging high school with approximately 2000 students attending. The theatre and music programs are excellent. Parent involvement is very high. Between 60-90 International students attend each year with an International counselor available to them. Students from Anderson have been accepted in Ivy League schools and have stated that this high school made college easy.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“School is great for those students who are self motivated and bright. Does not work for those students who need any kind of extra help with 'traditional academic teaching'.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“One of the best programs in the county. My daughter loves the teachers and raves about their enthusiasm.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“I have two children who currently attend anderson high school. Anderson high prides itself on the high academic standards that are demanded of its students. It is after all, an educational institution. Part of one's education however, relates to health and social awareness. This is a weak area in my opinion, not only on the part of the administration, but generally lacking as a valued part of the anderson high school experience. The small learning communities are trying to address this failing, but the outreach must also pervade the attitudes of the staff and teachers. I wonder how many students at anderson, if asked, feel that there is even one adult there who genuinely cares about them as a person--rather than a test taker. The ib students do have that caring, concerned other--the marvelous ann cowan. But what about the other three thousand students?”
This review was posted by a parent.

“I am the parent of an ADD student entering Senior year in 2004. Anderson's staff has been exceptionally supportive of my son. I have talked to parents from other schools, and they can't believe the level of support we have received. Their schools don't seem to compare. The balance between assistance and challenge is well-managed customized, monitored and geared for each student. He has had a few teachers who were not responsive to the needs of all of their students, and in fact favored some students over others. But overall, the teachers have been excellent, and took the time to presonally contact me whenever they had a concern. He is succeeding, and I don't think that would have been possible in another environment. He has a safe, active social life with really nice kids, and is well accepted, even though he is ADD challenged. GREAT SCHOOL!”
This review was posted by a parent.

“I am a former Anderson student. I know that Anderson is a great school because it has prepared me for college. Most of the other reviews mention that AHS is too cliquey, but I ask 'what school isn't?' Life is full of friend groups, we naturally are closer to the people we are most alike. Although the school does have these groups they are not totally exclusive. I felt that through my high school experience I had my closest friends, but generally our class was very social and all got along well. To this day I can go to a party and see graduates of all different graduating classes and friend groups. Anderson was a great school and I was prepared for life after high school. Classes were challenging and I learned many life skills in and out of the classroom through my experience at Anderson.”
This review was posted by a former student.

“I completely disagree with the prior statements about 'too many cliques' and 'it's all about social status.' I am currently a student at Anderson High School and I have attended many other schools around Austin. Anderson is by far the best. Everywhere has some of the cliques but overall Anderson doesn't have 'the popular group' that makes your life miserable. I wouldn't go anywhere else. Some teachers are annoying but that is to be expected, all but two teachers I've had in 3 years have been great and they conduct their classes wonderfully. Many of the extra curriculars are amazing also, and the whole school is full of amazing oppurtunities.”
This review was posted by a student.

“I graduated from Anderson four years ago. If you are considering this as the school for your child, it can be great academically and athletically. However, there are too many cliques. These people do not care about their education. They are only concerned with the social aspects of life - like where is the keg party tonight and where did you get that shirt. If you don't shop at Abercrombie and Fitch, they can make life miserable for you. The 'popular' students are usually the ones who came from feeder schools like Murchison. Everyone else is automatically looked down upon. Other than the drinking and unruley people - not to say that everyone is - this school is alright. Excellent academic - for those who want a challange - and athletic programs. Many of the athletic teams consistently win disterict every year and most of the coaches are excellent.”
This review was posted by a former student.

“I'm the mom of a Anderson sophmore. My older son went to the school a few years ago. Because this school is in a suburban locale, the high scores that are achieved may well be a reflection of the fact that the kids are drawn from a highly educated, generally affluent populace. Some of the teachers are exceptional. They tend to have the honors students. (But even in honors classes, there are some teachers who are in the wrong profession.) Most teachers are acceptable, and many are good or very good. The social scene is extremely cliquey (sp?). The school has tried to fix this problem, but breaking in socially is very difficult for the kids that didn't go to the feeder middle school (Murchison) or are not blonde gods or goddesses. Alcohol consumption is a real problem here...though the school administration works very hard at addressing this particular problem. The principal, Dr. Kernwein is fond of saying that Anderson is not a good school....it's a great school. While I don't agree with his observation, I suppose he is trying to set a positive tone for the kids.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“The school has troubles keeping up with schedules, grades, and attendance for many students of which I am one currently and it is a rediculous state...I however would suggest more ways of out of school graduation to where the students can work on class work while being at home if they absolutely need to or if they choose to get a job but classes such as delta aren't helping them, also if you allowed for students to do other such forms of work such as more group involved achievements then the students would be more willing to do the work because it affects several people other than that I think Anderson is a half decent school.”
This review was posted by a student.

“This school is very tough for kids (especially the not-so-popular ones) Peer pressure is high and the kids don't seem to respect one another's differences. My daughter really disliked the school and said that everyone there focuses too much on status and fashion and noone really cares about school. As far as the teachers, I thought a few were very good teachers, but not all of them. I would say 50% know what they are doing, the other 50% seem more like kids themselves. The one thing Anderson has going for it is their sports coaches are great. But besides that, this school was too clique-ish.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“AHS does really well with highly motivated, achievment-oriented students. They'll do well no matter what their intrinsic talents & ability may be. That covers about 40% of the student body. Bright underachievers tend to be ignored, at best, especially if they're well-behaved.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“Couldn't have chosen a more positive and great overall environment for my children to be educated and grow in.”
This review was posted by a .