Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts

I'm a freshman going to LaGuardia Highschool. I was reading previous reviews out of my own curiosity, only to find a surprising amount of overtly low ratings. In reading these ratings generally the reason for such reviews consisted of judgmental and generalized complaints. One review spoke of poor parking in the area during auditions to apply to LaGuardia Highschool. This is a rating of the parking in the area, not the school. Another review mentioned "roaches" and "holes everywhere". This is slightly more valid than the previous review I mentioned, although this is hardly the schools fault. Funding is limited and sometimes academics have a priority over anything else. As a New Yorker, I can say that I've seen more roaches in my apartment than in LaGuardia. My point in writing this review was not to defend LaGuardia but to instead keep these reviews just, and valid. If you're going to put something on the internet the least you can do is be reasonable.
5 7 years ago (10-04-2018)

Decided to give a review for those future parents that will be bringing their kid to LaGuardia High School for auditions. So parking in this area is extremely difficult, therefore come early! If you do you may be lucky enough to get a spot on the street and feed meter every 2 hours, this is convenient for those with only 1 studio (auditioning for just 1) however, for those auditioning for 2 or more of you don’t find street parking you could find a reasonable public parking lot on 60 street between Amsterdam and West End. A bit of a walk but not so bad. My main reason for the review is because while I was waiting for my daughter to finish auditions I realized that maybe I could saved the $15 in Public parking lot and just doubled park until she called me to say she was done and then come in to get her. But if you are like me, that’s needs to see his/her immediate reaction after auditions & want peace of mind not going out every 2 hours to feed the meter .. You may just do the $15 .. Lol FYI 1 studio could be between 1-3 hours at most 2/3 studios can be about 3-6 hours long Good luck !!
3 8 years ago (18-11-2017)

im in seventh grade right now i go to dolores hurta elementry and i really want to go here when i get to high school but im not sure i can because its in new york and im in stockton and my dad is not really big on traveling far but this does seem like a very high curriculum school and i hope i can attend this school real soon
5 7 years ago (15-04-2018)

Exploitive. No department gets left unused. Everyone contributes their hard work to the shows, yet there is no word on what they do with the money. There are a few improvements now, but for a long time the school remained exactly the same.
2 7 years ago (17-04-2018)

I attended this school, and I'd it recommend to anyone - who is ready. Be prepared to stay for 3 extra periods of your chosen specialty a day (can be up to 10), while other schools get let out at 7 periods or earlier. This is one of the prices you pay for your craft. Academics, as I can put it, is "no joke". Being a specialized school, it is preparing you for college-level academics. Do not slack, or you will fall far behind. The vibe of the school is competitive, yet fun. Be prepared to hear guitars being played in the cafeteria during lunch, dancers walking around to dance classes in their leotards on the upper floors, drama students "acting out" in the hallways, and moody artists sitting on window sills in their classrooms working on their latest painting. Will everyone break out into song and dance like Fame and Glee? (At least one of the 2 is based on this school). No, but it's as close to it as can be. This school taught me A LOT about the arts (as it's supposed to). Some are required to attend art exhibits at museums, others performances. We were at times brought across the street to Lincoln Center (graduation actually took place in Avery Fisher Hall), and we can see Juilliard right outside of our window. Some students are accepted there, Cooper Union, NYU, Columbia, etc. Is it all glits and shine, rainbows and ballads? No, it's still high school. Some students are caught smoking in bathrooms, some get into a bit more trouble than that. But most of the students are serious about their craft and/or academics. Some of the most professional plays and musicals have been performed by the students at this school, as they should be. Students are honing their craft for 4 years straight, on top of childhood practice and many times have pure, natural talent. Not surprised if many have made it to Broadway right after. With that being said, yes there are many famous alumni. I've seen personal classmates performing on TV, and then there are those who are celebrities. On the other hand, you have students who have gone on to become lawyers, architects, economists, financiers, public relations specialists, or to earn their master's and PhD's, etc. Some have moved abroad, while others have preferred to remain stateside. I'd recommend this high school if, again, you are ready to work. Ace that audition, and have good grades and test scores, and you'll have 4 years that many others can say they could only dream of experiencing as a high school student.
5 7 years ago (08-02-2018)