The Cost of “Ambitious, Joyful Learning”
Written for Newspaper Journalism course at UC Santa Barbara with classmate Brooke Neilson
With a school motto of “Ambitious, Joyful Learning,” one would imagine that the Archer School for Girls would offer a happy and encouraging education environment, but their history of mental health issues would prove different. This prestigious private school is located in West Los Angeles, California and offers grades 6-12 with an outstanding tuition of $43,275 per year.
On paper this all-girls school looks incredible providing an average class size of 16, a 7:1 student to teacher ratio, and offers a multitude of course offerings as well as varsity sports. Archer is shown to have a 100% graduation rate and sets up many students to achieve above average SAT and ACT scores at 1350 and 30. But at what cost is one's mental health worth excellent grades and the promise of a prestigious college? The school website advertises their empowerment in women and is said to be “an experience like any other”. Judging by the school reviews on Niche where one student describes the school as “one of the worst experiences of my life”, there is no doubt it is an experience unlike any other!
Kelsey Thompson, a UC Santa Barbara sophomore majoring in English and Economics, attended Archer School for Girls for 6th through 12th grade. When asked her initial reasons for attending, she turned to her mother, Jackie, for the answer. “I went to an all-girls school growing up and received an amazing education and had a wonderful experience. The public middle school in our area was already way over crowded, and the reputation of Archer was too good to pass up on,” Thompson’s mother reasoned.
What exactly was the reputation of the Archer School for Girls that the Thompson family could not pass up? It can be best explained by Kelsey Thompson as she was a tour guide for all six years of her education at Archer. As her job to properly represent the school, she sported a black or grey pleated skirt with a white polo, the school emblem sweater, and shoes that were not too flashy. “In an effort to create “unity” in the dress code, students weren’t allowed to wear shoes that were too expensive or showed any sort of wealth. They did not want any student to stand out too much,” Thompson said. She recalled a specific event where a classmate dyed her hair orange. “Instead of just making her dye it back or leaving it alone, they made her wear a headscarf to school everyday until it grew out.”
Along with the pressure to appear a certain way, Archer girls endured academic pressure like no other. “There was a part of the hallway where pendants of all the best schools that Archer alumni have attended were hanging. As a tour guide, we were instructed to show prospective families and students this part of the hallway.” Thompson remembers. These pendants included Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and Stanford to name a few. “They wanted us to show the touring families where their child could go if they attended Archer,” Thompson continued. At the other end of the hallway sat the less impressive academic institutions.
Considered a wonderful example of an Archer girl, Thompson was no longer just giving tours to any prospective students. “By my junior year, they were pulling me out of class to give tours to only donor families,” Thompson explained. The Archer School for Girls has quite an impressive alumni list including the daughter of Jennifer Grey and Clark Greg, singer-songwriter Gracie Abrams, and TV/movie star Emma Roberts. The school is even mentioned in the hit TV show 90210. “Oh you’ll love her. She’s an Archer girl,” a character expressed.
Thompson estimated that by senior year over one quarter of her grade was on medication for mental health issues. With only one guidance counselor for the school, it was almost impossible to make an appointment with her. “Students just started rebelling. By the end of our time at Archer, we felt very controlled by the faculty. We just felt disrespected,” Thompson acknowledged. When asked the type of mental illness that ran through the Archer, Thompson noted that it was mostly eating disorders, depression, and anxiety due to the constant pressure to fit in.
Despite these pressures, Archer was an incredibly close community with a sense of sisterhood throughout. Andrea Campos, a Business major and volleyball player at Villanova, recalls having a wonderful experience during her first two years at Archer. “After eighth grade, I always wanted to go to an all-girls school. It was very much advertised as a place where girls can gain confidence within the classroom and find their passions,” she explained. “For the first two years, it was great. I loved the atmosphere, the sisterhood, the teachers, and the community. After those two years, it started getting a little redundant,” she continued. Beyond the redundancy, Campos says she wouldn’t change a thing about her experience. “I believe that the sisterhood was a real thing and was so strong at my school especially. I will always remember those girls.”