Urban was a small school when I went there in 1969. Students could do pretty much anything they…read morewanted. While they received grades, they were not allowed to see them. Instead, they were given narrative evaluations. The school was selective, with more of an emphasis on the humanities than on the sciences. The overall idea was for independent-minded students to take charge of their own education rather than having it spoon-fed to them. Those who were interested in college went on to good schools, including the Ivy League. There was a definite "radical chic" atmosphere to the school, with a number of students from wealthy families going to Cuba to join the Venceremos Brigade. I remember reading Marx, Freud, Sartre, Marcuse, Baudelaire and taking a class from a beat poet. Each year, students were required to conduct an independent study project. Because I was interested in music composition, I wrote a piece for small orchestra that was performed as an overture to Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night." I gather the school has become much larger, offering a greater variety of subjects to study. As an alumnus, I contributed small amounts of money to the school, but I drew the line at teachers going to "white privilege" conferences. Urban is an excellent choice if you have the money, are okay with an ideologically charged atmosphere, and have a highly motivated child who wants to take charge of his own education in a safe and supportive environment. The only negative thing I can say is that the Haight where the school is located is a sketchy neighborhood.

I interviewed at Urban wearing a fuzzy argyle sweater and baggy cordoroy pants. The person who…read moreinterviewed me said that "I didn't care about my appearance." I found that odd comment of her to make. And then it was really funny because I was going through a philosophical phase. So they had me come up with my own question and I came up with something kind of amusing actually and based on that I was admitted. Next I observed Geometry class and thought it was really interesting how it was taught, students worked in math groups which I wasn't so good at. It did impress me that the students made presentations on Geometrical formations, not just the usual proofs form of standard analytical geometry. Although I got the feeling that most of the work wasn't very rigorous, not for my future plans at least. I think Urban is too small, some rural schools can't help it. But Urban caters and coddles not making academics too hard or else students leave in droves. And it gives its students a leg up in boosting their egos by helping their odds of being accepted to Stanford. I always wanted to go to a big high school where you can meet a new person everyday. To that was an exciting prospect after an all girl's private school where you've known the same people for nine years and you want a mental divorce. OMG. I think there should be a Mega high school/secondary school located in the Presidio where students from all social circles can interact and learn that this is actually what the world is about. I think it would bring back the energy of the city which is plagued by the prestige factor. My sister attended Urban as a freshman and I don't think it was a good school for her to reach her potential and develop competency and a positive self image. And I honestly don't think the setting of the Haight Ashbury is really a good setting for personal educational success given that its located in a neighborhood world famous for elicit drug use. What do these schools do with all this revenue from tuition? I mean are administrators embezzling it or something. They don't pay teachers so much and the Urban school hasn't spend money on a new buidling recently. So it is a scam. Make your happy and get them to reach their potential try out School of the Arts if you are looking for an artistic school. Really talented artists go there and an infusion of more socio economic status diversity would benefit SoTa. Public school high school students in SF tend to become much more independent and responsible than the stiffling environment of the well meaning private schools. Public high schools in SF is a fun and stimulating experience where practically every AP credit class is available. Save your money and put it in your 401k or take really nice vacations abroad instead.

It's been over 45 years since I've visited the campus save an event that my friend invited me to…read moreattend about 13 years ago at the girls' gymnasium. With that being a sit-down Father's Club event, I didn't tour the campus nor interact with many people other than those at our table. My thoughtful and generous friend and fellow alumni (7 years my junior... yes, I'm ancient) invited me to the 2025 Red & Blue Celebration (the school colors in case you wonder) (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q&select=5s3hwZL7O__cD3sB352W0A) (thanks for giving me this sense of appreciation). The school changed, dare I say, actually evolved since I was a student there. It's co-ed now, unlike the boys only policy when I roamed the halls. There are tennis courts, a training room, a swimming pool, and a women's gymnasium, besides a spacious library and new theater here. Since my 2012 visit, they've torn down the Carlin Commons and the Orradre Chapel to build a student center and expand the campus. There are piazzas and viewing decks (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q&select=oOKX0YeUCx8PkpynlKc-PQ), an improvement from our view of the sand dunes and the Pacific Ocean back in the '70's. The view (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q&select=FGD9kf2tLvU3ivSZPNSCpA) is still there but the sand dunes are gone. You know you're old when buildings or halls are named after staff who you personally met as they taught at the school. The event was festive and a great way to reconnect with fellow alumni and possibly classmates. I met one and was surprised that he remembered me and, yes, I remembered him at the mere mention of his name as one of the participating food donors to the event (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q&select=dcKbKC0yJ_bdKMg4I8dBnA). I met another acquaintance in the local restaurant industry and got to catch up with him (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q&select=4wgzMRh0KVTIvEjhaWklYw). It was nostalgic yet at the same time exhilarating, seeing the passion of the alumni who participated in this event, whether contributing or attending. The night ended with a heartwarming encounter with a recent graduate who returned for this event. After getting her degree from an Ivy League university, she was taking photos of the campus like I did and was preparing to take a selfie. My gracious host took the photo for her and we struck a conversation. What we learned was that she just graduated and just moved back to the Bay Area to start her career. My deeper reading is that the loyalty, devotion, and gratitude from former students to the school for providing them the necessary tools to realize their dreams and goals. To me, that is invaluable. Bear in mind, my perspective is from an alumnus, not a student.

As a San Francisco native who has lived in this city my entire life, I have watched St. Ignatius's…read moreculture since I was a teenager. It is heartbreaking to see that after all these decades, nothing has changed. In fact, it's gotten worse. They almost won me over with their presentation, but it's all fake. Throughout the admissions process, they do this aggressive sales pitch to get the kids excited. They send out "pick us" emails and even have applicants start picking out freshman activities and clubs as if they are already part of the community. While other schools do a bit of this, SI is on another level of aggression. It is dangerous and honestly sick to manipulate young, impressionable kids into imagining their whole future there, just to turn around and reject or waitlist them because they don't have the "right" last name. My kid is a First Honors student and a dedicated student-athlete. My kid did everything right and proved they belong in any top-tier classroom in this city. It is insulting to see kids in the exact same class with extremely poor grades get accepted while a First Honors student is sidelined. I understand that legacy can help maintain a school's culture, but you cannot put unqualified kids in that environment at the expense of students who have actually earned their spot. It proves SI is prioritizing family trees over academic standards. It's a "who-you-know" club masquerading as a meritocracy. If you are a hard-working SF family without a legacy connection, don't let them waste your time or your child's heart. . As a native, I'm done with the SI "tradition" of prioritizing connections. Parents deserve to know the truth before they pay that application fee.

Beautiful school for girls and the environment is so peaceful and welcoming. I will recommend this…read moreto anyone who wants to put their beautiful little girl in a all girl school to get hands on the learning experience.

Alyson recently completed her 100th day of kindergarten at KDBS. She loves the school - her…read morefriends, the teachers and the faculty. Every morning the head of the school greets the girls and their parents as they arrive. All faculty and staff greet and make you feel so welcome. The campus is beautiful and the programs are wonderful. We utilize the after school care and most days, Alyson doesn't want to leave! They have art projects, computer time, and sign-ups for tech class. For an extra fee, the girls can take classes such as karate, golf, drama, dance, yoga, hip-hop, foreign languages, guitar, piano, ceramics, etc. Impressive academics - I went to the parent-teacher conference recently and was blown away by the type of things Alyson is learning in kindergarten. I wasn't learning that kind of stuff until 1st or 2nd grade! But the good thing is, Alyson has never felt pressured, she actually loves going to school every day and is thriving at KDBS. There are plenty of opportunities for the parents to get involved such as the holiday singalongs and Grandparents/Special Friends day. While these are good opportunities to meet the faculty and other parents, there is no pressure to participate. Picking a school for your child is a complicated, stressful process and just because KDBS is great for our child, doesn't mean it'll be great for yours, but I would recommend to any parent of a girl to check KDBS out.

UHS has stellar teachers and offers a supportive environment for high school students. The school…read morepushes students hard on the college-prep route. Advanced Placement courses and tough courses all-around. They get you in to college and make sure you do well there. Top notch school. Very greatful for having gone there. They recently added a new building at 3220 Sacramento Street which houses Ceramic and Art Studios, a film lab, offices, and much more. They are in the process of renovating their lower campus on Washington Street and have already completed a new library on Jackson. A new theater was added in 2001.

I was spoiled by my four years here and received an education that is on par with (if not superior…read moreto) that of many universities. Make no mistake the coursework here pushes students hard, but the opportunities here are endless and display an incredible diversity of passions and talents. During my time at UHS, I played on the varsity tennis and badminton teams, played intramural sports, performed in the spring musical, wrote for the school newspaper, founded a club, sang in the chorus, took a photo class...oh and I took a few academic classes in between. The kinds of classes I took included AP US History, Mandarin Chinese, Literature of the Vietnam War, Western Civilization, Calculus, and the list goes on. My only regret? Not studying harder and pushing myself to try more new things. You can be an artist or a businessman. You can explore the sciences or delve into the literature of your favorite foreign language. It really is as much as you want to make of it. The faculty is top notch, with credentials from outstanding academic institutions and more importantly, a great ability to encourage the students to WANT to learn. And let me save the best for last. The students. The people. Ambitious, talented, and bound to do amazing things. Yes, I sound like a propaganda tool. But I cannot say enough about this school. Alumni events connect me to a wide array of grads in locations and industries far and wide. If you are considering sending your child here, you are doing them a great service. Don't let the finances deter you - the education is first rate and financial aid is available to those who qualify.

I have a daughter just ending her Sophomore year at SHCP. She came from a smaller, more elite "all…read moregirls" school in SF. The transition to a much larger and co-ed environment has been seamless. SHC has all the benefits of a much larger school, but with the sense of community of a smaller school. The dePaul program has provided a smaller cohort within the school to be a member of, that allows you to feel like you belong from day one. Each kid seems to find their own, or a few groups to be part of from guitar club, to cross country, and from debate to the major sports teams. She has loved helping the tennis team have the most success the team has ever had in the school's history - yes, even beating SI! The friendly rivalry between SI & SHC is great, but I believe SHC now has the edge in most respects! The benefits of SHC include the size and scale to have a big high school experience, supporting school teams, finding the right level of challenge in just about every class; the only truly racially diverse school in the city, surprisingly open-minded attitude to embracing all religions and atheists; a great campus with lots of space outdoors for the kids to hang out at lunchtime and the walk between two campus's to catch up with friends between classes; the most fantastic school library in the city - in every respect; a fantastic theater and great arts/music program, and so much more. I had never even considered the school until I dropped in on the Open House on a whim and I was sooooo happy when my daughter chose SHC over the 5 independent school places she was also offered. Two years in we have no regrets! It's a school that encourages every individual kid to thrive and be the best version of themselves that they can be - allowing huge levels of independence whilst offering support and an invisible safety net should they start to need it. I'd strongly recommend including it on your list of potential high schools to consider.

My son had a horrible time here, specifically Mr. Nathan Villanueva made him feel unwelcome the…read moreentire four years he attended.

My son went to school here. It's an amazing school. The Principal, teachers and PTA are all…read moreoutstanding. When my son was there, Principal Rosina Tong was very caring and knew all of the students in the specials needs classrooms. She was very active in all of the events, classes, IEP meetings etc. She really cares about the students and the school is so blessed to have her. I went to middle school right next door at Giannini and Sunset used to be John O'Connell when I was in school. They've since relocated somewhere else and I'm so glad that Sunset is now in it's place because it's such a great school. The school is small but it is a very special school. I was hoping my little girl would be able to attend this school but we moved up north during covid. We have returned back to the city and are now at a different elementary school with SFUSD due to the lottery. I'm hoping we can get in next school year. I definitely recommend this school. We loved our time there.

Okay I went here and things changed a LOT…read more This place is wonderfully blessed with tons of caring teachers and staff. Makes me wish I was a kid again!

Extremely dissapointed. please consider another catholic education for your child. After a school…read moreyear of dealing with rude and disrespectful parents which obviously do not practice the roman catholic doctrine in their home, I see no real value in having to pay full tuiton cost where the school staff and teachers do not have any organized control or any outlined safeguards at this school. Make sure you visit other catholic schools before registering here. Good Luck!

What's bad to say about this school?....nothing. The teachers here are spectacular because they try…read moreto make their kids strive to reach their academic goals. After school they are there to help you and answer any questions about the subject and about anything else. Everyone here is your family, teachers and staff. We have mass every Friday, to celebrate our life and beliefs, which students participate in. What can I do but to give this school an A+

Every school is different and every boy has different needs. Stuart Hall High School is a…read morerelatively new school having just graduated its 10th graduating class. The school fills a void left behind when a couple of other San Francisco boys high schools went co-ed. Times have changed and supporting a large single sex population in high school is difficult. For those who remember St. Ignatius back in the '80s, Stuart Hall resembles a smaller version of that school. In fact, many graduates of SI now send their sons to "The Hall". Additionally the school is led by a graduate of St. Ignatius. The school does have some co-ed classes with its sister school, Convent of the Sacred Heart and holds many events together including a sophomore service project in Costa Rica. The school has updated state of the art facilities, but more importantly the school size of 55 students per year allows the school to support each young man as they encounter normal teenage issues and situations. Additionally as boys and girls are different socially at this age, the most important factor is that it allows the boys to thrive at non-academic activities such as Editor of the School Paper and Class President as well as academic activities within the classroom. My son personally did not choose to go to my alma mater because he wanted to set his own course and he was thoroughly impressed by the attention of the math teacher, K, Harrington, who took the time to write him a personal note after his visiting the school and sitting in on classes. About 25% of the students each year come from Stuart Hall elementary school. Boys from that school do have an opportunity to gain admission through an optional early decision process. The remaining students come from a wide variety of schools ranging from parochial to public to independent learning and from a wide range of geographies. Most importantly the teachers provide a great role model for the young men who will make mistakes and allow them to fail gracefully while helping to stand back up and proceed with decorum and life lessons. Like every school there will be issues, just in a smaller environment. The school sends graduates to the usual 4-year universities both local (cal/stanford) as well as the East Coast. Athletically the school participates in the BCL and has fielded state championship caliber teams in baseball, basketball and golf. Languages offered include Mandarin, French, Spanish, and Latin.

Stuart Hall High is a Catholic All Boys High School, and is the continuation school for Stuart Hall…read morefor Boys (K-8th). It is part of the four schools that make up Sacred Heart's collection of San Francisco schools, the other two are girl schools Sacred Heart (K-8th) and Convent of the Sacred Heart High. Stuart Hall High and Riordan are the only two all boys high schools in San Francisco. In the bay area you also have Serra in San Mateo, Bellarmine in San Jose, and De La Salle in Concord. The campus, class and student body size is small, but the impact on your son's education is great! Definitely worth checking out.