Buffalo Seminary

Buffalo Seminary data: 165 students, student-teacher ratio 1:5, international students 11%, boarding students 16%, 70% of teachers hold advanced degrees. Buffalo Seminary was founded in 1851, a girls' secondary school in Western New York with a long and unique educational history. Against the historical backdrop of traditional New England academies, some parents, desiring their daughters to receive a formal education just like boys, established this school. The school strives to make students proud of their capabilities in society, fostering strong convictions, the ability to handle affairs independently, and respect for others. Buffalo Seminary's mission is to provide an excellent education for vibrant and engaged girls, emphasizing their character development, independence, creativity, and service. Buffalo Seminary aims to cultivate students' intelligence, inspire their modes of thinking, broaden their horizons, and encourage their active participation in various social activities. It offers them opportunities in humanities, arts, and sciences, enabling them to adapt to a world of rapid technological change. Buffalo Seminary's uniqueness lies in cultivating students' comprehensive qualities, which distinguishes it from many other girls' schools in the United States.

【Location】Located in downtown Buffalo, New York's second-largest city, it's ideal for children who enjoy utilizing urban resources.
【Centennial History】A century-old prestigious girls' school that uses a round table teaching model, focusing on cultivating girls' self-confidence and independence.
【Academic Atmosphere】The school has a very strong academic atmosphere. Senior students often help junior students, and girls here form invaluable lifelong friendships.
【Round Table Teaching】We adopt the Harkness round table teaching model, guiding students to develop independent learning abilities. Everyone is a leader who needs to guide others in thinking about and discussing classroom issues.
【Arts and Sports】Abundant opportunities in arts and sports, with 18 sports teams and over 20 types of art activities.
【College Credits】The University at Buffalo, the largest public university in New York State, collaborates with our school on a college credit program.
【College Admissions】The school excels at helping students plan for top universities. Planning for college begins as early as 9th grade. Graduates annually receive numerous acceptances to Ivy League and other prestigious universities, including Yale, MIT, Cornell, NYU, and many more in the past two years.

Finally, I can evaluate this school without bitterness, because at this point, I am no longer attending it and have said goodbye to high school life. I can say that my time in Buffalo was the most painful period of my life so far, but I also encountered some excellent teachers. My English and history teachers made me intensely regret my decision to transfer at one point, because they were truly amazing teachers, and I am incredibly grateful for their guidance in those two subjects. However, I can say that as long as the principal and vice-principal of this school are still those two women, this school will never be friendly towards Chinese people. I was targeted because I transferred, and these two 'principals' tried to give me major disciplinary actions for various baseless reasons. Their targeting made me extremely anxious and scared, almost leading to the point where I considered suing the school. Regardless of how these agencies manipulate reviews or how teachers try to whitewash the situation, I hope that some parents and students can see this message. You deserve better; please don't let your children grow up so fast. Sometimes, being precocious and sensible means having experienced too much. This age is for learning, not for experiencing these discriminatory difficulties that affect studies. Regardless, whether you choose this school or not, I wish you a bright future.

Buffalo Seminary, located in Buffalo, New York, is a rare urban boarding school with a 170-year history. The school focuses more on cultivating women's confidence and independence. I have visited the school, and some students I know have attended it; overall, the college placement rate is good.

School Advantages:

1. Inherits the Harkness Table teaching model, with small class sizes and extremely high individual attention.
2. Unique internship program: Under the school's arrangement, students can participate in a two-week internship program at institutions such as the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library, Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo Museum of Science, hospitals, other schools, etc.
3. Collaborates with the University at Buffalo (SUNY Buffalo) to offer college credit programs.
4. School's strong programs include: Visual Arts, Performing Arts, and Music Performance (offering the Westman Scholarship for piano).
5. Colleges accepting Chinese graduates in 2019 include Emerson College, UIUC, NYU, UCSD, and others.

I studied high school at this school for three years, and this has been the happiest academic life I've had in the United States. The overall atmosphere of the school is excellent, making you feel very included and personally valued. The teachers are also very patient and willing to teach and answer any questions. I believe Buffalo Seminary brought me not only academic success but also an understanding of women, empowering me to be self-reliant and to further discover my unique beauty.

【Location】Buffalo, New York State's second-largest city. The school is located in downtown Buffalo. The school's surroundings are fully equipped, allowing students to enjoy urban resources.
【Advantages of a Girls' School】More focused on cultivating female confidence and independence. This prepares women to face challenges and be ready for university or future fierce career competition. During adolescence, a girls' school can pay more attention to the doubts and difficulties girls encounter during their growth, helping them smoothly transition through puberty.
【Technology-driven Education】1:1 Tablet Program, where every student uses a computer as a learning tool to master important skills in querying and managing information.
【Internship Program】A unique internship program where upper-grade students, arranged by the school, participate in a 2-week internship at institutions such as the Buffalo City Library, museums, hospitals, and schools. This experience is incredibly valuable, significantly boosting future university applications and helping students gain industry experience in areas of interest.
【Arts and Sports】A rich array of arts and sports opportunities, with 18 sports teams and over 20 types of art activities. Outstanding artistic achievement is a hallmark of the girls' school. The school's strong programs include visual arts, performing arts, and music performance, offering the Piano Weist Scholarship.
【Special Programs】STEAM, Arts, Robotics, Internship arrangements, International travel learning opportunities. The school's science and mathematics departments are particularly outstanding. Excellent students can take AP courses in Calculus, Chemistry, Physics, Biology, or Statistics and consistently achieve excellent results.

During the Lunar New Year, the school will also have special celebration activities because the school values the importance of multiculturalism.

If students have any feedback, please communicate it to the school. Teachers will listen carefully and make improvements, as the school deeply cares about students' feelings. Thank you for your attention :)

The head chef at our school prepares delicious meals for students in a variety of ways, often featuring Asian cuisine. Everyone is welcome to Buffalo Academy!

Hello everyone! I'm interning at this school. From what I understand, the school has hired a professional cleaning team that cleans for students twice a week, creating a good learning and living environment for everyone. Most rooms in the dormitory have air conditioning. The school has changed its head chef, and the food is now fantastic, with many Asian delicacies offered every week. The school leadership highly values student feedback and continuously improves its work.

Buffalo Seminary (Sem) is located in downtown Buffalo, New York, making it one of the very few traditional boarding schools in the heart of a city in the United States. It conveniently utilizes urban resources such as museums, art galleries, and sports facilities as educational amenities. This is a century-old all-girls school, focusing on cultivating girls' self-confidence and independence. I once visited this school; its campus is not large, mainly leveraging the resources of Buffalo city, and its college matriculation rate is quite good.

Key features of the school include:

1. Harkness Table and Seminar Teaching Method: Adopts the Harkness Table teaching model to guide students' independent learning abilities. Everyone is a leader, responsible for guiding others to think and discuss classroom issues.

2. Unique Internship Program: Students can participate in a two-week internship program at institutions such as the Buffalo City Library, museums, hospitals, and other schools, helping them gain industry experience in areas of interest.

3. College Credits: Buffalo Seminary has a cooperative college credit program with the State University of New York at Buffalo.

4. Special Programs: STEAM, Arts (Visual Arts, Music, and Performing Arts), Robotics, Internship arrangements, and international travel study opportunities. The school's science and mathematics departments are particularly outstanding.

5. Rich Extracurricular Activities: The school has 16 interscholastic sports teams, over 30 club activities, and hosts two important concerts annually in winter and spring.

The school is fantastic! To hone our survival skills, dealing with so many teachers at school feels just like a palace drama.

Frightening

If I had to choose again, I definitely wouldn't come here to waste a year.

Run!

Visited Buffalo Seminary in 2018. Daughters from upper-class families in the Buffalo urban area largely choose this school. For over a hundred years, Buffalo Seminary has maintained its commitment to educating girls in independence and leadership, without changing its original educational mission due to the changes of the times. The main building on campus has been listed as a national heritage protection site. Recent three-year graduation destinations for Chinese students include all University of California campuses, Boston University, University of North Carolina, University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of Washington, Penn State University, and University of Toronto.

Every story has two sides. The internet is an open platform, and the students who are slandering SEM are likely just venting personal emotions, perhaps not maliciously. This matter has also attracted the attention of other SEM alumni. Everyone has freedom of speech. I believe that various problems arising in school life are unavoidable. In this process, children gradually develop their abilities to independently face problems, communicate problems, and solve problems, which is the significant meaning of studying abroad. I hope that students and parents who see these comments can view this matter rationally. SEM is a century-old school, highly praised in New York State and even across the entire United States. SEM's outstanding alumni are spread throughout various regions and industries in the United States. These excellent alumni are the pride of SEM.

8- Finally, I want to say that I really like the school 'sem'. Even though it's not perfect and has many small issues to be resolved, it has enriched me over these past few years. Academically, it taught me how to write a good thesis, how to participate in class discussions, and how to conduct various experiments. Ideologically, it taught me to view things rationally and objectively, to possess critical thinking, and to have an inclusive attitude towards all matters. In terms of life, it fostered my independence. During these years in Buffalo, I also forged very stable friendships and felt the warmth from many teachers. No place or thing is ever tailor-made for one person; a person's growth process is about constantly experiencing and changing. I hope this student can at least learn something from their experience at 'sem'. Lastly, I hope all students applying to US high schools can find the school that best suits them, spend fulfilling, intense but happy years, and ultimately get into their dream school.

7-In summary, my friendly advice to this student is: Firstly, if this place is so hateful to you, then leave it. Secondly, I hope that when you arrive at your new school, you will learn: the ability to communicate with others, the mindset to propose solutions to problems, and the language ability to speak in complete sentences. This is to prevent you from continuing to blindly blame and evade after encountering problems at your new school. Furthermore, when I saw you talking about critical thinking, I found it quite amusing; I wonder if you truly understand what critical thinking means. Critical thinking refers to thinking in a rational, reflective, and open-minded way to grasp the core of a problem, follow logical rules, and constantly propose solutions while questioning and reflecting. With all due respect, your entire lengthy argument has nothing to do with critical thinking; at most, it's a straightforward criticism and accusation that is not based on facts and is biased.

6-Regarding the issue raised by this student that the teacher is not helpful for university applications. I'm not sure what kind of help you are looking for. The job of all high school application counselors is only to provide school selection advice and help you submit the necessary materials. If you are confused about school choices or academic performance, I believe she will also offer you help and advice. The university application process is more about self-exploration, self-understanding, and self-selection. However, I regret to say that if what you want is that kind of 24-hour, all-encompassing 'mom-like' service, I would suggest you find an all-inclusive agency.

5-Regarding this student's mention of the inability to use Uber, since another comment has already explained it in detail, I won't elaborate further. Let me also address this student's mention of being grounded without reason and the threat of expulsion. Firstly, I don't believe such things would happen at SEM. Grounding and expulsion always have prerequisites. You would only be grounded if you violate curfew or go out without signing out. The prerequisite for expulsion is a student repeatedly violating school rules and regulations (including but not limited to: academic dishonesty - exam cheating, plagiarism; disrespecting teachers; sneaking out of school during class, multiple unexcused absences, etc.). Student, you cannot just present the outcome of your grounding and expulsion to attack the school; you should explain the entire incident. If a student is caught sneaking out of school in the middle of the night, I believe appropriate punishment and warnings are necessary.

4-This student's complaints also include some issues that are hard to please everyone and issues related to East-West cultural differences. Everyone should understand that most heating in the United States is central system-based, meaning an entire building or floor can only be set to one temperature. Everyone has their preferred temperature, and if it feels unsuitable, it's completely possible to discuss it with the dormitory manager. Even at home, I would communicate with my parents if the air conditioning temperature was too high or too low. There's also the issue of the food being too bad, a problem I think 90% of international students worldwide have complained about. If you ask Americans at SEM, you'll find they think SEM's food is very good. I'm not in a good position to comment on this, as food is probably a complaint every Chinese international student has, including myself.

3-Next, let's talk about some uncontrollable factors. The school was built in 1851, and the dormitories are all old wooden villas. Although they have been renovated, it's undeniable that many problems still exist – issues with the central air conditioning and creaking floorboards. On this matter, I'm not trying to whitewash the school; it genuinely could do better. However, currently, the school has installed air conditioners in all dormitories, and most rooms have been carpeted.

2-Let's calculate the feasibility of this matter: Assuming one student has two bags of clothes to wash, two people would have four bags of clothes. With two washing machines and dryers each needing one hour for a full load, four bags of clothes can be washed in just 5 hours. This leaves 24 - 5 = 19 hours in a day. A student has 9 opportunities to communicate if a single wash and dry cycle takes 2 hours. If you're thinking, 'I don't want to communicate with others, I just want to wash my clothes however I want,' then I suggest you buy your own washing machine and dryer and use them individually. Regarding daily outings, if you realize you forgot to sign out after leaving, you can inform the teacher on duty via phone, email, or other methods. However, if, despite knowing the rules and regulations, you still have the idea that you just want to break them, then consider what I said as unsaid.

1-How did that student, who spares no effort to criticize the school, unconsciously remind me of the Hong Kong 'wasted youth'? The core idea is: I don't care if what I say is right or wrong, whether it's reasonable, or if there's any evidence; I just want to destroy you. I want to advise that student, as someone who is about to become an adult or is already an adult, you should understand. Every school is an institution with its own operating model and regulations; for students, it's like a small society with its own laws and rules. If you choose to live and study within this institution, you must, to a certain extent, accept its regulations – for example, returning to the dormitory after 10:30 PM, notifying the dorm manager in advance if you plan to stay elsewhere on weekends, having a fixed laundry day within the week for every two people as a group, and informing the school in advance about your destination for daily outings due to safety factors. Of course, these regulations can be flexible to a certain extent – for example, after the designated students have finished using the washing machine/dryer on a specific day, students who need to can inquire and then use them.

I want to say that I don't deny that some of the things mentioned are true, but I also feel that another part is deliberately trying to blacken the school's reputation. I studied here for 3 years and graduated this year. I think this is a very good school, not perfect, but a great school. Every teacher I've met here has been very good. If there's a problem, and students genuinely communicate with their teachers, the teachers would absolutely not ignore it. I don't really understand the point of putting these things on social media. If you truly want things to be resolved, then why not report the problems to the school instead of constantly blaming it here? Your comments are indeed factual, but they are partial facts, not the whole truth. Why are you afraid of the school coming after you? If what you're saying is truly honest, the school should thank you for pointing out these issues. I think you might have a guilty conscience. I'm willing to speak up because I genuinely feel that this behavior has gone too far, and if I had to choose again, I would still choose this school!

5. Regarding no air conditioning in summer. Out of the three houses that were open, only one had no air conditioning, and I happened to be living in that one. I was in 10th grade that year. It was really hot then, and one student fainted due to dehydration. (I'm not sure about the specific details). However, at night, if you opened the window and used a fan, it wasn't actually that hot, as it was only May. The school installed small air conditioners in the rooms the very next day, so I'm skeptical about the claim that the school doesn't solve problems. Furthermore, this house now has central air conditioning installed this year. The reason this house didn't have air conditioning was because it was old and difficult to install AC.
6. Only allowed to wash clothes once a week. I find this a bit exasperating. This is how collective living works in most schools; each house has two washing machines and dryers, so it's impossible to allow everyone to wash clothes daily. Everyone has one designated laundry day for their room each week, and there will also be an open day when anyone can do laundry if they wish. I have nothing to say about this; it's a fact and unlikely to change. Besides, isn't washing clothes once or twice a week enough? Many American families operate this way too.
7. Shower water was sometimes cold, sometimes hot. This problem really did occur, but the reason was that at one point, a student took an excessively long shower, leading to insufficient hot water supply, and several people were showering simultaneously during that period. After this issue was resolved, similar problems have rarely occurred.

4. The school prohibits students from using Uber. This is a new rule this year, and many other high schools in the US are also implementing similar policies. According to Uber's regulations, individuals under the age of 18 are not permitted to have an Uber account, so using it in such a way is against the law. After the school became aware of issues with the Buffalo airport taxi software (likely referring to ride-sharing apps like Uber), it has proposed solutions. Specifically, students aged 18 and older can use Uber, but require parental consent. Students under 18, with parental consent, can also use Uber if accompanied by an 18-year-old student. The school also provides a bus service on Sundays to take students to specific places like Target, the mall, or Asian supermarkets. The school's reason for not agreeing to the use of Uber is that Uber drivers do not undergo background checks, and you don't know what kind of people you might encounter. When I first heard about this rule, I found it quite unreasonable because it made our travel very inconvenient. However, after communicating with the school, they have provided solutions. I can also admit that I still used Uber even after the school disallowed it. So what if I get caught? You should be responsible for your own actions, and I think admitting that you're still using it isn't a big deal. But if you lie about it, that violates the school's honor code, which is a completely different matter. I also think we should consider the school's perspective; if something were to truly go wrong because of using Uber, who would be held responsible?

I am also a current student at this school and the dorm leader of one of the buildings (the very one this student mentioned having no air conditioning and no hot water for showering). I believe that if students have the most say, then not unilaterally attacking their own school is also what a student should do. And I think I've roughly guessed the owner of the comment.
I think this comment is very unfair to the school. Some of the issues mentioned by this student are facts, I don't deny that, but some have already been resolved by the school. I can describe them one by one.
1. Regarding the cafeteria serving three-day-old leftovers, I personally am not very familiar with this and haven't noticed it. The school sometimes does serve the same dishes as yesterday or the day before, but if students report it to the teachers, the relevant teachers will immediately address and supervise it.
2. The issue of unclean cutlery is true, and teachers are already addressing it. I have nothing more to say, this is a fact.
3. Regarding the school's heating system. The school has a total of four accommodation buildings. To my knowledge, in most rooms, students can adjust the heating switch themselves. Only a few rooms in certain buildings cannot, such as my own room. However, the heating temperature is controlled by the dorm supervisor. As long as students do not tamper with the heating devices arbitrarily, I believe the room temperature is acceptable. And based on my own personal experience, if you report to a teacher that your room is too cold or too hot, the school will immediately take action. I am skeptical about the authenticity of this point.

Hello classmate, firstly, I will not investigate your identity because what you wrote is irrelevant to me personally; secondly, I am merely expressing my opinion and not slandering you, yet you used many insulting words to curse "agents." Every profession deserves respect, and your behavior of insulting the entire study abroad industry is wrong. There are many dedicated and responsible study abroad consultants in the industry.

Regarding the school issues you reported, I believe we can appeal to the school and alumni for an official response, and I trust that the operators of the FS website will undertake this task. Your feedback includes the following issues, and I am not questioning your feedback; I merely want to know the other side of the story, what problems are real and truly ignored by the school, and what the reasons for ignoring them are. I believe the approach to handling these issues is more important than the issues themselves.
1. The cafeteria always serves leftovers from three days ago.
2. Cafeteria utensils are never clean.
3. Heating frequently breaks down in winter, and the school does nothing to address it.
4. The school prohibits students from using Uber, forcing them to use the Buffalo Airport Taxi app, which charges more than Uber, only accepts cash, has a 30-minute minimum charge, requires long waits for a ride, and drivers tend to take detours.
5. Dormitories have no air conditioning in summer, students are very hot, and the school still doesn't solve the problem after it's reported.
6. Laundry is only allowed once a week.
7. Shower water is sometimes cold, sometimes hot.

I hope FS can investigate the truth. Thank you.

The following comments are directed only at that individual agent who slandered students, not at the school. Since I chose to study here, I have my reasons, and it's none of your business. If you try to get the school to dig up my personal information and attempt to threaten me, then there's no need for us to comment here; we can communicate via a lawyer's letter.

Students still don't have the right to speak, do they? If currently enrolled students are all considered mere netizens, then what do you consider yourself?

LOL, this whitewashing is truly something else.

Regarding air conditioning, many people have misunderstandings. In reality, schools in the northeastern United States, including dormitories at Harvard and Yale Universities, do not have air conditioning. The reason is simple: summers in the Northeast rarely experience extreme heat, and there's a significant temperature difference between day and night. During the day, students go to classrooms and libraries that have air conditioning. By the time they return to their dorms at night, the temperature is very low, making it quite cold, so air conditioning is simply not needed. Therefore, schools in the Northeast, especially older dorms with a long history, do not have air conditioning. If it genuinely gets hot, a simple electric fan is sufficient.

Regarding the comment below, if it was indeed written by a student, then the student themselves certainly has issues. No school is perfect. Cases of students in top American private schools developing depression are not uncommon, and it's not surprising for any private school in the U.S. to expel students for disciplinary violations. I can say with certainty that the student who wrote the comment below cannot represent all Chinese students at this school. I hope netizens will not dismiss the school based on such unverified statements. There are many excellent Chinese students among the alumnae of Buffalo Seminary. While they won't tell you their alma mater is flawless, they have definitely benefited from their experience studying at Buffalo Seminary. All young international students studying in the U.S. encounter various difficulties to some extent. The correct attitude is to cultivate the ability to overcome these difficulties, rather than venting emotions, complaining, and cursing online.

Buffalo Seminary is a school with a century of history, located in the affluent northern part of downtown Buffalo, making it the top choice for daughters of local middle-class families and above. In the past three years, universities that Chinese students have matriculated into after graduating include: Boston University, Middlebury College, Penn State University, George Washington University, Ohio University, UC San Diego, UC Santa Barbara, University of Washington Seattle, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Wesleyan University, New York University, Northeastern University. It is certain that the quality of education and resources provided by the school are sufficient to help students get into top American universities!

Some teachers are very good, but a few individual teachers are indescribable, to the point of making people incredibly frustrated.