Ashbury College

” To parents and student considering coming to Ashbury College, I would like to share the experience behind the scene of the advertisement. First of all, the meal plan, 20 bucks per meal and the meal plan is mandatory for boarders, funny we won’t get a refund if we didn’t eat but we have to pay 8 more bucks if we want to eat more, it is basically a non physical way of robbery. The high quality meal we get is chicken for a week straight, the only meal that is not chicken is meatless Monday where everyone is voluntary to become a vegetarian all of a sudden. The wonderful meal plan offer literal construction material, which takes a lot of skill to make, imagine making a rubber from beef, greatest industrial revolution. In boarding, we have to hand in our phones for two hour of study time at night and 10pm before curfew. This is significantly invading our rights to privacy and disrupting our personal life. The Wifi is not on until 5pm and it will be off again before 7, so the maxium amount of gaming time is 3 hours, which makes our experience boring because there is no other activity at school to kill time. Coming here is like going to jail, except nobody pays 80k to go to jail, and jail have single cells, but here everyone lives with a cellmate, it is cheaper or similar cost for renting a apartment nearby (meal included). The safety check in system is also very human. We have to sign in 3 times everyday including weekends. If we miss 3 check-in a week, we will be assigned a Saturday detension where we have to get to school at 9 and waste 2 and a half hour of our life reflecting on the sins we commited. If the campus is so dangerous that students have to check-in 3 times a day, I would suggest thinking twice before coming. “

” Full disclosure I went to Ashbury in the 1980s, I volunteer there and I’m a parent now. My other kids went to public schools and the high school there is truly exceptional. The junior school also, but I haven’t experienced that. The tuition is substantial, but if you can afford it, I highly recommend as an incredible experience for your teens. The small classes, connection with the teachers, amazing extra curricular activities, and emphasis on character and integrity, far surpass probably most kids’ experiences in public high school. Lots of opportunity for travel. The uniform is a tough sell for teens these days for sure but people get used to it. There is a lot of demand for spots, so you’re not guaranteed to get in if you apply, but you might as well apply just in case. If your child doesn’t get in, they can go to their local high school, and Ottawa has many top-ranked public high schools. The application process is not too hard, a visit day, a one-pager on why your student wants to go there, And recent report cards, and reference letters from teachers. Applications take place in November and offers take place in the spring sometime for the following year. There is some financial assistance available. The student body is truly global. Kids learn leadership, and are supported through high academic expectations. There is definitely a range of students there from kids with averages in the 90s to the 70s. Almost all kids go onto the university programs of their choice. My other kids were really not into it and that was fine, And they had pretty good high school experiences, but my daughter who’s there now is absolutely thriving. The big difference is she’s never bored. But she definitely has more homework than her friends in public school. Once she said she learned more in a week at Ashbury than she did in a year in public school. I would say your child has to be pretty on-board with the idea. There is also a boarding option; even if you live in Ottawa you can come home on weekends. That’s much more expensive but convenient for a lot of families who don’t want to drive in from Kanata or Manotick or outlying towns. This is truly a world-class education in our own city, highly recommend. Teachers are well supported, and have a great work environment and professional development. I would say students really develop good time management and confidence from doing different clubs and sports and activities. Kids are really encouraged to do a lot of volunteering and community service which is so important. Lots of language instruction available. Truly feels like a community or a family. Be warned, though, it is an independent school that does fundraising to improve facilities. As a parent, plenty of opportunity to get involved on committees and boards because that’s how the school runs, not from the ministry of Education; of course, uses the Ontario curriculum. Also offers international baccalaureate. Hot lunch is available in the cafeteria, And a nurse is on campus all day, which is amazing. Lots of emphasis on wellness and mental health. Amazing communication from the teachers, which is a huge contrast to public school. For some reason, my daughter thought students there would be workaholic and not want to have fun, but that hasn’t been true at all, There are fun kids that work hard and play hard. It takes me 20 minutes to drive there Which has not been that bad. There is a school bus that will pick up near your house. I also went to Elmwood, which is just as academically challenging And has similar extracurricular opportunities. For me, the all-girls concept is not that relevant today. Men and women have to learn how to work together on everything so why create a separate artificial environment for high school? Just my opinion. In summary, Ashbury is a more challenging and demanding and rewarding 4 year experience for high school than public school. If you and your kids are up for that, go for it. “

” Wow! You give 80k to come to this school and you will have unlimited wifi and if you are a boarder you will have some delicious Indian, African, and Mexican style dinner and breakfast just like a buffet. With unlimited and valuable food. This school has absolutely zero flaws. What’s special is that the teachers here are very kind and approachable, especially the old man that teaches French who also drives a truck part-time. And that chubby, beautiful lady who controls the entire campus network. The community of this school is very inclusive. Here you have absolute personal freedom and can see all kinds of beautiful species. His accommodation is also very safe. If you go out, you have to sign out. The teachers will confirm whether you are still alive during breakfast and dinner. The activities of this school are very rich. During the holidays, we only need to pay a little money to get affordable activities. I really love revealing this beautiful school. Wow! 80k and you will have a fire drill during the morning at 7.30 while the school starts at 9.30. Wow! Now someone will ask how does this fire drill help use during our academic? Let me tell you it can help you to get clear-headed which will help your son or daughter be more focus on their academic. This is for prevention so when there is fire drill you can get out of the resident a fast a possible with the beautiful music of the sirens like a stun grenade. Wow! I love this community this community is amazing! “

” Fantastic educational institution and this is an educational institution not an alternative learning enterprise. Your children will be supported but will also be pushed. They are expected to excel and there are all sorts of supports to help them succeed but slackers are not entertained. Our children’s education didn’t skip a beat during COVID. Staff are exceptional and facilities are cutting edge. Probably the only thing I have not been impressed with has been the bus service to and from school as it is insanely expensive, it is good but you might as well buy your kids a car. “

” Teachers range in quality from great to very poor. Our overall experience has been poor. Our child will not be returning next year. The investment we made in a private school education has produced no significant return. We do not recommend Ashbury at all. Brutal!!! “