Before Cortona, I was a struggling student with no drive to learn, the victim of public education. Cortona gave me the tools to expand my knowledge base to levels that were not possible in public school. The teachers have given me the opportunity to dive deeply into the subjects in which they are experts and accomplished professionals within their academic fields, which is quite a change from public school.My horizons have broadened in ways I cannot explain. Thanks to Cortona, I intend to pursue a career in medicine. I am proud to say Cortona unlocked my full potential.

When I started my high school journey I had no desire to participate in, let alone graduate from high school. I was unfocused and unmotivated, and was barely getting Cs. I moved to Cortona Academy near the end of my freshman year. I was immediately welcomed not just as a student, but as something like a family member. I was not only shown love, but I was given the extra push I needed by the teachers to get where I am now, with straight As. I am headed to college this fall, having been accepted to my dream school with about $80,000 in merit scholarships. I credit my academic success to the staff at Cortona and it was truly a pleasure to have been a student here.

Before Cortona, I was a man of my word with nothing to say. I was the type of kid that knew his way around tests and homework, but never felt like actually doing them. I was constantly slacking and behind in my classes, regardless of how easy it was for me. Many of my grades were 0s for not turning in homework on time. Once I joined Cortona, things changed.The curriculum was easier to understand due to two factors: one, how the students around me act, and two, how the curriculum is to-the-point. The students around me were never talking in class, but truly learning. I actually learned here. I learned what really mattered to the subject, and didnt waste my time on unnecessary methods with no purpose. All in all, Cortona Academy is rigorous, but fun, and easy to learn. I am so thankful for the education I received at Cortona.

Before coming to Cortona, I struggled to focus and keep up in class. During 10th grade, I realized it would only get harder and something needed to change. So, I started attending Cortona in the middle of that school year. Even though I had to start over and complete the entire 10th grade, I was able to do so with the great support of teachers and the unique setup at Cortona, which included make-up weeks where I could catch up when needed. The small class sizes and personal attention are invaluable. Now, as I look forward to college, I feel like I am well-prepared because of the things I’ve learned at Cortona. I learned how to be prepared for class and have tools for studying effectively.

Entering my first year of high school, I realized early on that I was different from my peers. I was not enrolled in any honors or advanced courses, while most of my friends were. This bothered me at the time, because even when I tried hard to get good grades and remain on top of my work, my grades remained average or below average. With every new year I thought that it would be my year to finally prove to myself and everybody else that I could do well. Every year my grades were barely better, and I started to lose hope in my academic abilities. I had just accepted the fact that the way I learned was not going to be how the school taught, and I will always be at a disadvantage.Halfway through my junior year of high school, I began to struggle even more. My mother noticed my struggle and began to search for help. I started working with a tutor and staying after school for extra help. Even with the extra help I still struggled in my classes. After having enough, I found Cortona Academy and was intrigued by how different the school was. After visiting and reading up on the school, I knew that I could excel and reach my academic goals here.I have now been at Cortona Academy for a whole year. Although most of that being during the COVID-19 pandemic, I still excelled and had the help that I needed that I did not get in public school. My GPA before Cortona Academy was about a 3.0 and it is now a 3.6. If I had not transferred here when I did, I do not think that I would had been as successful as I have been in my academics. I do not think I could have gotten into any of the schools I have gotten into.

Cortona Academy has been a wonderful experience for our daughter. We transferred to Cortona as a senior to give our daughter a much better opportunity to learn, achieve her potential and be fully prepared for college. The staff at Cortona has been invaluable to her! Their program and teaching is focused on a students individual learning style and that has made a tremendous difference for our daughter. She now has the skills and self-confidence to be successful in college and has been accepted by all the universities she applied to and will be attending her top choice in the Fall. We thank Cortona and the teaching staff for all they did for our daughter!

Cortona Academy has helped me a lot, for example, when I was in public school, I was stressed out doing homework and studying for tests. I was failing in English class. When I came to Cortona I knew it was a good fit for me. Cortona has a unique note-taking system, and accommodates students who have different learning styles. One thing that stood out to me was small group classes and one-on-one attention which enables the teacher to focus on you . I also like the fact that if you dont understand something, the teacher will happily explain the concept again. It allows me to get my homework done at school, so I didnt have to be worry about it doing it at home. Cortona has the support and the learning systems to get me ready for a four year college and pursue my dream in dentistry. Cortona has helped me set my future because when I was a public school, I didnt think that college would be in the picture. Now the doors are wide open.

The Cortona Academy faculty and staff help our son succeed by offering a unique teaching environment. The dedicated teaching staff provided a positive and supportive environment which was very flexible in addressing our family situation. In addition, they promote the development of life skills by purposefully pursuing the Congressional award with their students.

My sophomore year I was in all honors classes at a 3000 person public school, passing all my classes with A’s. I was on two varsity teams, but something wasn’t right. I took classes that their only goal was to prepare us for a standardized test that only seemed to evaluates the teachers’ ability to teach. Class sizes were large enough to the point where I was afraid to ask questions out of fear of looking stupid. Now, I go a school with small-individualized classes, where I can go to more in depth areas that are not on the Virginia standardized tests. The teachers are always there for you, and making sure you truly understand the content. The school hours are more individualized, so there is more time to get real life experience, such as volunteer work and internships. For example, I now have the time to go to George Washington University and do nanotechnology research in the afternoons after school. My next step is college, and I don’t think I could be more prepared.

This school saved my son academically. The greatest school in NoVA wont help your child if he/she isnt thriving in it. This school met him where he was, nurtured him with incredible attention to his learning. He didnt move on until he mastered a subject. In his previous top Arlington school he was lost in the middle of the pack. Now hes got scholarships from 2 of the 5 schools he applied to! Its expensive, but I have no regrets! Instead, I have a sense of relief.

My daughter started her 8th grade at Cortona 5 years ago. The reason we decided take her out of public school was because we did not feel she was getting the academic support that she needed. We visited lots of private schools but we felt that Cortona was the school that could help her to perform academically to her true potential. And after years we are happy that we made the right decision for her. She was always happy, not being stressed out and her grades improved significantly.We also benefitted from wise advises that Sharon provided to us. All staff members and professors are very supportive specially Amber who makes a bond with each individual student.This year my daughter got acceptance from 14 colleges with scholarships from $64,000 to $96,000 for 4 years. We are very grateful for everything that Cortona Academy offered our family.

I am a current student at Cortona Academy who transferred from a very competitive public high school a few months ago, so I can make a very unbiased review of this school. For students like me, who like working at their own pace and enjoy working on projects outside of school, Cortona is amazing. At my other school, to even consider going to a very competitive college you had to really excel everyone and put in work that wasnt worth losing the high school experience. This is because in the public high school environment it is very difficult to distinguish yourself from the other two thousand kids in your school, and the only way offered is by doing all the AP’s available, joining every club, trying to find ways to obtain as many leadership roles that you can, and somehow prepare for the SAT and get a 2100 or above.Well, that is definitely one way of doing it, but not the way for me and many other students. I enjoy the opportunity to do things that would differentiate me from all my public school peers, get great grades, and still be able to sleep 8 hours at night. Sure, Cortona doesnt have the same private school feel as Phillips Exeter, but Cortona teaches how to learn better than them. Pressure and stress free is almost the motto of the school, and it is much easier to experience learning. Cortona is a perfect match for students like me, but for those who thrive resisting the pressure in public high school and doing unnecessarily large amounts of work, then this school wouldnt be good for them. Cortona also helps you build your resume by helping you find internships and giving you the opportunity to work in the hi-tech facility within the school which houses a quarter million dollars worth of technology. Cortona helps you work to your potential, basically picking your grades by giving you enough time and resources to be good at the course, and by being there for you the entire way.Another thing that is very worth mentioning about this school is that it is a science and technology based school. There are many revolutionary pieces of technology coming through here every day, 3D printers, VR headsets, Robotics, people here even learn how to build computers. We have scheduled project periods to work with an instructor and do projects we enjoy and learn about some piece of technology that can change the world tomorrow.

Questionable ethics, have a lawyer read the contract before signing.