REVIEW OF Hudson College BY Alum, Julia Shanta

Overall Experience 3.5

My overall experience at Hudson was quite positive. The school allowed me to work part-time at the after-school program, which encouraged me to expand my cultural and linguistic horizons and introduced me to a whole scope of different cultures and people. I do think that Hudson prepared me well for life's next steps, though I do feel that the support and diversity I received at Hudson made me more uncomfortable with the hands-off approach in my first year at Queen’s. It was a bigger transition for me in making friends and in managing my time appropriately. I think that as a prospective student, you might expect small classes, a tight-knit group of friends, one-on-one support from teachers and mentors, and an opportunity to get involved in clubs and activities with little to no obstacles. This helped me a lot when applying to university as I was able to determine what I do and do not enjoy and the areas I wanted to invest more of my time in at university.

School Leadership 4.5

Personally, I was very close to the administration during my time at Hudson. Mr. Bavington Sr. (Principal) was extremely helpful and attentive and was more than accommodating to my wishes to change classes at the last minute. I felt that a majority of the administration was respected. Rosa (Front Desk Attendant) was an extremely welcoming presence and always welcomed me and others. She was more than an administrator and really took an interest in the students and their lives. For the most part, I do believe that leadership instilled confidence in the student community. Leadership was very proactive in responding to the concerns of my parents and of myself, and anytime I had broken the dress code, I was disciplined very fairly.

Teaching 5

The teachers were amazing, and I still have a profound level of respect for them and their impact on me to this day. Mr. Capel, Yovanni, and Steve were not only very knowledgeable about their subject area, but they constantly kept me accountable and encouraged me to do my best even when I was struggling to focus. They are really the reason I have such a positive outlook on the school and on teachers in general. I do feel that the teachers were quite informal, but of course, that is dependent on the teacher and a student's knowledge and relationship with them. I felt like the feedback was always very constructive, and having been given an opportunity to contest my grades, I felt like I was given a fair opportunity to be heard when I disagreed with their assessment of my work.

Academics 4

The academics were one of the main reasons my parents had decided to switch me to Hudson. The small classes provided much-needed one-on-one support and encouraged individual progression. If I felt I was excelling in one area, I was able to take advanced grade-level subjects. Likewise, if I was struggling in an area, the teachers made an effort to stay late and offer more personal extra help. Students as a whole cared about their grades, but not in a competitive way where they would bring others down to succeed. Everyone was very willing to help when asked, and the school encouraged this. The school's semester system prepared me really well for university, and the structure of the classes closely resembled that of university, which took an added burden off my plate in 1st year.

Extracurriculars 3.5

There were a lot of extracurriculars. I will say that if you are looking for a very specialized sports or arts program, this is not for you. However, Hudson does have a lot of extracurricular opportunities, and you can even make a club if you like. Extracurriculars were quite easy to join and not at all competitive, which honestly was such a relief as someone who wanted to just get involved and try different things. I will say that everyone I have kept in contact with to this day are quite well-rounded people and are doing quite well for themselves.

Students 4

It’s difficult to answer because there were so many different types of people. It is an extremely diverse school (at least when I attended). No "typical" student garnered more respect over the others. However, like any other school, there were groups of "like" people. These were typically people who spoke the same language or who were from the same country. However, there was a lot of mixing of cultures—it really just depended on the student and how comfortable they were breaking out of their group. Students got along quite well; I rarely, if ever, saw anyone being bullied. I do think, though, like others, this school is not immune to its share of student drama. However, that isn't a Hudson-specific issue but rather a high school-specific quality.

School Life 3

I don't know if I would say I loved going to school there. I mean, what student loves going to high school? However, there were a lot of cool things about going to Hudson and being on St. Clair. I was definitely a more kept-to-myself student. However, its proximity to food was extremely helpful and gave me a much-needed break in between the day. The lower school students gave the school a lot of energy, and I loved working with them during my breaks and after school. This definitely helped me break up the stress of high school with fun and play. While I do feel that most people were happy, high school can be a stressful time, so of course, there were all types of people—stressed, passionate, and disengaged. It can’t really be said to be one homogenous thing, which is a positive in my view of the school, that it allows for individuality.

Community 3.5

Parents are very welcome to be involved in the school if they wish. My parents were very involved with my sister’s and my education and would speak to the principal and teachers about how I could improve or about the broader school community and its improvements. Many of my close friends, people I love, are past alumni of Hudson. I have kept up with many of them since leaving, and they are all wonderful people with extremely bright futures. I haven’t really been as involved with the broader Hudson community, so I can’t speak to my experience with the alumni community, but I do know that there are efforts to connect more alumni together, to provide a source of connection for job recruitment and otherwise.

School Location 4

The school location was amazing. There are so many amazing, inexpensive food spots to go to that my friends and I would visit for lunch every day. The community is very safe; there aren't many homeless people near the school. On the main road, you might see a few, but they typically do not bother you. Students will often venture to the main street, which is about a 2–3 minute walk away from the school. However, this is only for the upper school, not the lower school. Lower school students are not allowed to leave the school until their parents pick them up.

Admissions 4

I honestly do not remember anything from admissions. I was kept quite in the dark about the whole admission process. I don't remember it being stressful; it seemed like quite a fast process from start to end. However, because I was not actually the one conversing with the school, it is hard to provide any substantive advice. When I ask my parents about their experience, they do recount that it was a relatively stress-free process, extremely inclusive and holistic in that they care about the person being admitted, rather than just grades. They say that one piece of advice might be to participate before making a decision, whether that be in the open house or visiting the classes for a day. That might help determine whether your student is comfortable at the school and whether it is a good fit for them.

University placement and counselling 4

I feel like I was given ample support in applying to university. The counsellor briefed me well and really helped me when it came to scholarships and bursaries. I don't think I utilized the support as much as I could have, however, but nevertheless, I was still able to successfully be accepted to my first and second programs. One thing I would love is if there were more exploration of different fields of study. I hadn't really considered politics as a field of study until my first year, when I fell in love with it. I think early exposure could have made course selection in first year a bit easier. Otherwise, I do feel that I was adequately supported through this process and I do feel that the services provided are helpful for exiting students.