Class of 86. I came from SF public schools, a minority, into sports (soccer). I could have…read morebenefited from affirmative action, but didn't need it. As it was a feeder school at the time (not sure now), many students coming in were top of their class (I was) and later (shockingly) found themselves middle of the pack at Lowell. It didn't affect me, but I realize that for many, that can be rough. If you can't handle that pressure or simply don't want the competition, maybe its not for you. I wasn't a studyaholic like many others at Lowell were (you don't have to be), I wasn't a study nerd. I wasn't in the back lawn crowd either (which were the more popular kids) ... I was very into sports and led a very healthy high-school life, with numerous friends and social activity. I did my fair share of late night cramming, though, I had to in order to keep up the grades. I was very responsible with homework, always on time (or ahead of time) and in good form. I was never the smartest kid in the class, but hard work kept me near the top, which is where I wanted to be. That was a life lesson that would serve me well, throughout my career and to this day. I never needed a tutor nor help from parents, I just assumed my responsibility and did my work. In the end, I had good grades going in and got good grades going out. Top 5% of my class. Looking back, I have nothing to complain about. Competitive ... yes, but so is life. My memories of Lowell are summed by, great school, hard, but manageable if you are bright, hard working and responsible. If I had to do it again, I would.

afraid and scary! i do not want to go to lowell because it's to scary! lowell cardinal mascot looks…read morelike a goku!

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.

Balanced Review: Incredible People, Severely Neglected Campus…read more The Good: Phenomenal Staff and Life-Changing SupportMy time here was defined by incredible people who genuinely care about students. Teachers like Mr. Hass, Ms. Nuval, and Mx. Dickinson were fantastic, helping me build wonderful memories and lifelong friendships. Furthermore, the specialized support I received here truly shaped who I am today. Working with Kris Langley and Dan Pearlstone at Vibe Speech Therapy during 7th and 8th grade--including their Minecraft socialization group--completely broke me out of my shell. While I heavily disliked going to the sessions as a middle schooler, looking back as a young adult, their creative and patient approaches gave me the real-world confidence to later handle a public-facing job out on Alcatraz. The Bad: Systemic Facility Neglect and Safety HazardsUnfortunately, the physical campus suffers from a complete lack of proper maintenance by SFUSD. The interior conditions are deeply concerning: peeling flooring, a dirty cafeteria, severe understaffing, and a lack of security that contributes to frequent student fights. Basic restroom hygiene is a major issue, and the auditorium has been neglected for years with broken seating and broken stage lighting. The Advocacy: Forcing Change The exterior recently suffered from major safety and accessibility hazards, including missing sewer grates, missing pipe covers, a heavily rusted gate separating Aptos Park, and a badly damaged sidewalk. Because the district ignored these issues, I took action and filed formal ADA and Williams complaints. After months of bureaucratic back-and-forth, I finally forced the district to rectify these hazards. I am glad I can now use my voice to keep the exterior safe, accessible, and up to fire code by constantly pushing the district to do its job.

Omg this middle school is so good I had ms.clay she is the best. But in the locker rooms, no…read moreprivacy for showering? Bruh. But everything else was good

Pretty amazing place, if you can get in -- and afford it…read more Amazing head of school, Eric Temple. Bright, motivated young people, each with his/her own talent. If you want your kid around other movers and shakers, pick Lick.

My daughter graduated in 1999. Twelve Years on, and we still miss being Lick parents, and our…read moredaughter, through her Stanford and Harvard years, still hangs out with her Lick pals... The place has the highest median SAT scores in the state, but not the highest average, because they keep about 25% of the slots for students with "different talents". The mottos tell it all: "Head, Heart and Hands" and "A Private School with a Public Purpose"... EVERY student takes a shop class every semester, and that only makes them better students, and humans.

So..I'm currently an 8th grader right now,and I got to say is not that bad.6th and 7th grade we…read morehave a lot of trouble makers.But then suddenly in 8th grade they became more mature. Now your middle school experience depends on 3 factor -the teacher you going to have -friend -the kind of student in your class The staff is nice and all I guess,to be honest I don't really talk to them.If you came to this school for education then Hahahaha pls go to another school m8te.Depend on what teacher you will get,you either will learn something or don't learn at all.8th grade is the best year since more people have become more mature and not a**hole. BEST TEACHER? Mr.tom and mr.lamborn is the two class I been to and feel a community in the classroom.basically they are the cool and good teacher that try to understand The situation and listen to the student have what to say.Mr.kornow and mr.Doyle are good teacher too. Electives(some may change) -journalism(exclusive to 8th grader) -art -computer -drama (exclusive to 7th grader) -mandarin -Spanish -music(band and orchestra) And other class I may forgot Since I'm in journalism class base on what I recorded, most people like computer class. COOL THING WE DO IN PE -biking -wave board (kind of like skate board) -judo for Doyle class only -circus trick? -kick boxing I thought this some pretty cool stuff we get to do. So how is marina school? Meh,is not as bad as you think.

One of the biggest problems with this school is that some teachers seem to think they can treat…read morestudents however they want and then hide behind the excuse of "being strict." There is a huge difference between being strict and making students feel embarrassed, singled out, or disrespected. What makes it even worse is that when students try to speak up about how they are being treated, their concerns are often brushed off. Instead of listening and trying to understand why a student feels uncomfortable, people immediately defend the teacher and say they're just doing their job. This sends the message that teachers can say or do whatever they want without being held accountable. A school should be a place where students feel safe, respected, and supported. Unfortunately, it often feels like student concerns are ignored while teachers are automatically believed, no matter what happened. Respect goes both ways, and if schools expect students to treat teachers with respect, then teachers should be held to the same standard. Overall, this school needs to do a better job of listening to students and taking their concerns seriously instead of dismissing them as complaints about "strict" teachers.

Herbert Hoover Middle School is one of the best middle schools I've attended. Some of the…read morecounselors, teachers and students were very nice. I had the confidence and support I need to help me succeed in my classes. Can't believe it has already been 9 years since I've graduated from Hoover. Mrs. Thomas and Mr. Lauderback were one of the best teachers I've known. They gave students assignments in a way that made learning an easy and interesting experience. Mr. Koppes is the best music teacher I've had, he really knows his stuff when it came to music. Mr. Austin taught a science class and a computer class, I was in his 7th period computer class in the 6th grade. Mr. Kujawa and Ms. Mannion were one of the best history teachers. I was in Mr. Kujawa's social studies class for summer session 2000 and 2001. Mr. Cunningham and Mr. Lee were also one of the best teachers. To most students, they thought of Mr. Cunningham as a strict teacher. He is strict in a sense that he wants to make it possible for his students to do well in their science classes in high school. Thank you Mr. Cunningham for the motivation that helped me learn and understand science. I really learned a lot while I was at Hoover even though my grades never averaged a 4.00. My hardworking efforts in working hard pass every class and be listed on the "B" Honor Roll really paid off! Mr. Stannard and Mr. Domer are no longer there. I wonder if Mr. Koppes, Mr. Austin, Mr. Kujawa, Ms. Mannion, Ms. Kelley, Mr. Lee, Mr. Cunningham, Mr. Lauderback, Mr. Comito, Ms. Lee and Mr. Jue are still there. Even as an alumni of Herbert Hoover Middle School (Hawks), one thing I'll always have with me are the good times I've had while attending middle school at Hoover. This is certainly one of the best 3 years of my life. Walking down Taraval St was practically an after school ritual everyday. I walk down Taraval St to catch L line or to 19th Ave to catch the 28! I am thankful to be able to attend Hoover because it's also a very good school here in San Francisco.

I don't recommend this school, I learned nothing from it due to low quality teachers who taught…read morezero skills, all those were just flashbacks, nothing new

Lincoln has a good reputation for being chill with a school body of high-achieving kids. It's a…read morelarge high school with over 2,200 students. We were lucky to have principal Shari Balisi Manalang who won Principal of the Year in 2024 and kept the ship steady. I'll miss her a lot. My son had a few incredible and dedicated teachers including Ms. Yu (Chinese); Mr. Yip (English and an alumnus of Lincoln); Mr. Glasser (American History); Mr. Goncalves (CompSci) and Mr. Ruelas (World History & Econ). We were fortunate to be assigned counselors Devin Walker and Ian Enriquez who make sure you have the A-G requirements to apply to UC and CSU schools and resolve issues as they come. While we had a couple of serious speed bumps during my son's tenure, they got resolved. My advice is to strongly advocate for your child. Overall, if you're proactive and involved, administration is appreciative and most teachers are enthusiastic when you ask, "What can my son be doing better and how can I help?" There's always a lot going on at Lincoln with lots of clubs and sports ("Go Mustangs!") as well as theater arts and dance. I know we'll miss this school. It's a jewel of the SFUSD. Fun fact: Harvard Constitutional Law Scholar Lawrence Tribe, BD Wong ("Law & Order SVU"); Barbara Eden ("I Dream of Jeannie") and sculptor Richard Serra are among notable alumni. If you're looking at high schools and want your child to have a well-rounded education and not just grind, put ALHS at the top of your list.

To update my recent review, I recently toured Lincoln for our younger child. The new principal and…read moreher new staff seem excellent -- very sharp, professional, experienced, and motivated. She told us they're attracting lots of interest in teaching positions and have no teacher vacancies. It was an inspiring tour. Good luck with your decisions! Other great schools we're considering are Lowell and Gateway High.

We are a new Waldorf family and my son's a 9th grader. What an amazing experience WaldorfHS has…read morebeen for us. When we visited last year, I felt the curriculum and opportunities(foreign exchange, class trips) sounded wonderful but still wasn't sure how my son would fit in- as the school is smaller. However- the school's been fantastic on all fronts- including the social aspect. Though smaller, there's a welcoming & friendly vibe between all students. I think my kid has MORE friends than he would at a much larger school where he'd hang with the same 2 or 3 kids daily. Teachers care about the kids and "see" my kid for who he is. The academics are amazing & yet the workload isn't overwhelming. Meaningful project assignments & plenty of available support from teachers when needed. HW load comparable to most privates- but not excessive. He has plenty of downtime & isn't staying up until 11pm doing HW. I'd absolutely recommend this school & SF Waldorf HS school has surpassed expectations.

After the response from Waldorf it's sad to see how there were no promises or accountability…read morepresented about the IEP concerns. I have also talked to some staff who have said they were extremely glad I was standing up for others and who were also thinking about leaving which is very depressing to hear from people who wish the best for young people. I also hope Mr Jackson(and his dad), Ms.Gressel, Ms.Yamamoto, Ms Baldwin, Ms Aranda and the mandarin teachers are all doing well they are unfortunately the only good memories I have of that school