Westlake High School

Posted: March 5, 2025

The best part of Westlake High School are the teachers. They are truly amazing. The worst part of the school is the athletic program. It is a pay-to-play mentality. They also discriminate against student athletes that do not fit their mold.

Posted: March 5, 2025

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Posted: November 5, 2024

We transferred our child from a neighboring district and have been extremely pleased with how welcoming it has been. Our child has transitioned quite well and has met some other nice kids who transferred from Trinity and Regents. The academics can be rigorous, but the teachers we’ve met are very professional and knowledgeable. Our child takes both honors and on level courses and enjoys the tutoring offered there. As for sports, the parents who send out communications do a phenomenal job at keeping parents informed. We’ve also noted a few special needs kids on the football team and have seen students be caring and inclusive. As for the social environment, there may be circumstances you’d not want your child to be around, but we practice expose and educate parenting which seems to work well with some of the social situations our child has encountered. We as parents our their primary teachers and as long as our child continues to focus on studies and make good choices, we are hopeful for a positive four years.

Posted: November 5, 2024

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Posted: November 18, 2020

Posted: November 18, 2020

Posted: November 18, 2020

Posted: November 18, 2020

Posted: November 18, 2020

Posted: November 18, 2020

Posted: November 18, 2020

Posted: November 18, 2020

The reason why Westlake is so high up in academics is not because everyone is able to retain the information better magically, its because students are breaking their back with stress, spending almost 9-10 hours of the day in between classes, the testing center, clubs, and tutors. Kids drink double shot coffee and some even do drugs to stay awake for AP classes and testing. Bullying is rampant, with kids being made fun of for not fitting the Texas standard of white and privileged. Don't send your kid here.

Posted: August 11, 2020

Posted: August 11, 2020

Posted: August 11, 2020

Posted: August 11, 2020

Posted: August 11, 2020

The course catalog and AP teachers are outstanding. Unfortunately, Westlake doesn’t offer college credit like many other schools including dripping Springs. Also this is a very competitive high school in the wealthiest neighborhood and Austin. Parents spend thousands of dollars on private tutors, SAT advisors, private lessons for sports and music, etc., so it’s very difficult to keep up and even harder to make the top 6%. The cut off for the top 15% is typically a grade point average of around 112 which means you have to max your # of AP classes and make 95s or better in all of them. Also, if you are a conservative Christian, you will feel under attack from the administration, principal and teachers. Many teachers, with support from the superintendent, exert their personal liberal political views as facts in the classroom. Also, the superintendent protested against opening schools with his teachers when 70+% of parents wanted schools to open.

Posted: April 22, 2020

Amazing, truly prepares students for success in college. Many courses at or above college level

Posted: April 22, 2020

Posted: April 22, 2020

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Posted: April 22, 2020

Posted: January 16, 2020

My daughter transferred to WHS and has been saying nothing but good about the school. She experienced cyber bully which was handled very effectively by the school management. I am proud to see my confident girl knowing she is valued and protected, all the credits go to WHS' wonderful teachers, staff and management.

Posted: January 16, 2020

Posted: January 16, 2020

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Posted: January 16, 2020

Posted: July 27, 2017

We are transferring out - at the end of the day we don't have time in the short high school years to fix the issues at the school. It is a factory for unhappy kids.

Posted: July 27, 2017

Ironically, an EISD elementary school PTA screened the documentary "Race to Nowhere" but clearly the WHS staff do not agree with the premise of the film (that endless homework and pursuit of grades in AP courses is seriously impacting the health and wellbeing of most students) Our student had a fairly reasonable course load and still was assigned 5 hours of homework a night on average. Dr Leonard's direct comment to us on the subject was to take easier classes or take it up with the teachers. The Stanford study on student stress is a disgrace to both Stanford and EISD - every interview result and comment I have seen consistently highlights the ineffectiveness and stress of the competitive environment at the school - and yet there are no plans to react to the findings in the near future.

Posted: July 27, 2017

They simply have too many students to engage in any meaningful way - and are too driven to assign huge work loads to concern themselves with the impact on the student or their families. Our student was often overlooked simply because they had an A average in every course and no staff member could understand why they would be unhappy with that.

Posted: July 27, 2017

Posted: July 27, 2017

There are over 600 transfer students in EISD, and a fair number of the high school students happen to be varsity athletes. They will sustain successful athletic, academic, and performing art programs at any cost. That cost is that the few students with opportunities to participate in athletic or performing art activities are forced to wait for their senior year - but most don't get an opportunity at all. This is a deliberate (and really harmful) policy supported by the school and district leadership.

Posted: July 27, 2017

Posted: July 27, 2017

Posted: October 1, 2016

The comment regarding bullying being nonexistent made me double over in a laughing fit. That review had to be from admin or someone just trying to keep the WHS's great school rating up, which is all WHS cares about-"looking good" WHS is successful not because of great teachers or admin but because 80% of the students come from families who can afford a full time tutor, which everyone uses. SO many "teacher coaches" who only care about football and do not teach. This school has very few people of color, most of which are recruited from other areas of town only to magically show up on the WHS football team. Bullying is going to be at any school, but at WHS, it is terrible. Unless you wear Vineyard Vines and Sperry's you will be a joke on every student's snap chat story. NO diversity at all. If you are in any way creative or different, you will not fit in here and the spoiled entitled brats who attend this school will make fun of you. Seriously have no idea how this school has such a good rating. This school is full of small minded, racist kids and parents who live in a bubble. If being around Johnny Football dads and Plastic Real Housewives of Fakeness moms who all pretend to be great people is your thing, then go here. These parents also send their kids off to places like Haiti and other 3rd world countries to do "charity" work and "look" like great people but when you look at what their kids post on Instagram about their recent visits to Haiti they will usually be posing with a child of color with a CLEARLY racist comment that is mocking the child. MUCH different than the photo of the same kid and child they will GLAMORIZE in the year book.

Posted: September 29, 2016

Posted: September 29, 2016

Posted: September 29, 2016

Posted: September 29, 2016

Posted: September 29, 2016

Posted: September 29, 2016

if you have a tutor, you'll do great. Your football coach/teacher will not teach you anything, yet expect you to pass an AP test

Posted: August 16, 2016

Posted: August 16, 2016

Posted: August 16, 2016

Posted: August 16, 2016

Great school - one of the best in the nation. Science and math programs are exceptional. Bullying is almost nonexistent - ALL are welcomed. Being smart is cool at this school, and it's even cool to be a total nerd. My kids loved going to school here and got an excellent education.

Posted: July 20, 2016

Cheating is rampant. So are drugs. Counselors are often unavailable and unhelpful. I feel forced into taking all AP classes by both teachers and peers. The school promotes test scores, not learning. Some departments are great (cough cough PAP Chemistry), some are not (cough cough AP World History). The school needs to distribute information in a timely manner, and be clear about their deadlines and keep people up to date during the summer. I have had good experiences, but I feel that in this case, the bad outweighs the good. Best of luck, Westlake Student.

Posted: April 16, 2016

Great school for ALL. This school has some sort of MISPERCEPTION among those who don't know live in the area and have NO IDEA what they're talking about! Example: Oh, those Westlake kids all drive Mercedes, etc. Um, no. Just drive by the parking lots and look! For those who actually have cars in the first place, they are not Mercedes! There was an article in the school's magazine about five years ago written by a girl who was not wealthy and was anxious about going to school there. Her story was about how WELCOMED she was and how her initial perceptions were completely wrong.

Posted: December 13, 2015

Posted: December 13, 2015

Posted: December 13, 2015

Posted: December 13, 2015

great school if you are rich or upper middle white family, not so much if you are a minority and not rich. If you are wealthy then you will be welcomed and that's not just here but just about anywhere you go.

Posted: February 17, 2015

I'm perplexed as to how "great schools" has suddenly rated this as a 9?! This is an Excellent school, but not perhaps for some students who don't do well in at a large school, or with the rigorous work. Westlake HS is definitely a 10, and is well known and most likely instrumental in getting my kids into the top colleges they are now attending.

Posted: October 31, 2014

Great school with so much to offer. We moved to Austin due to a job change and our child was quickly welcomed and made to feel a part of everything. There is a lot of money but a lot of really good kids who are working hard to get to college. Junior and senior teachers are great. Freshmen and sophomores get the newbies or less excellent. Tons of clubs and activities to get involved with.

Posted: December 16, 2013

As a student that goes to this school, I can say it's a very friendly place and a way to make new friends. Everyone see' sit as the rich, snooty, no good rich kids school but really it's not. The people there aren't at all what everyone describes them to be. The teachers are dedicated to helping students, and they are all pretty much friendly. I moved there my sophmore year from Dallas because my old school (Highland Park High School) was just a terrible environment and you could literally use every single stereotype against Westlake and hold it true against Highland Park. Overall a Westlake is a great place and I've noticed people there that talk bad about the people there and other things when they really aren't actually trying to get know people or trying to study. But if they really did, maybe they'd see the good in the school and people. This is my Junior year and I can personally tell you that this school is absolutely wonderful. Not like Highland Park in Dallas TX.

Posted: November 7, 2013

My daughter transferred here this year thinking it would be better, back to AISD it is! She learned nothing here. My daughter hated it. I wouldn't recommend Westlake.

Posted: October 31, 2011

I moved from AISD to Westlake and immediately, from the first day of freshman year felt there was a HUGE academic gap between AISD and EISD(Westlake) staff, and students. (WESTLAKE IS MUCHH BETTER IN EVERY WAY POSSIBLE!!)

Posted: June 26, 2011

I am going to be a Sophomore at Westlake high school this coming 2011-2012 year. I am very happy at this school. Westlake does have a pretty bad Reputation about having a bunch of rich mean people who think they are better than every one else. Well what school doesnt have those type of people. The students here could not be any more welcoming and sweet to everyone. The teachers are AWESOME! They know what they are doing, and yes they do give a good amount of homework and you will hate them for it. But truth is it helps your grades. The distict that Westlake is in is very welcoming to transfers. I am a transfer myself but treated no diffrently. I wouldnt want to go any where else. Go CHAPS

Posted: June 15, 2011

This is one of the great High Schools in the state of Texas. Although very competitive in the classroom and on the sports fields, there are opportunities for everyone fit in. The 25 -30 student class sizes, although larger than most, not had any negative effect on my children. I have 4 kids in the eanes school district and I am forever greatful that these schools were recommended to me when I moved to Austin. Even the foreign exchange student we hosted fit in quickly and had the most enjoyable year of her life. Budget cuts are a fact of life. It is the tremendous parental involvement and support that helps to make this a great school.