c'26 student here…read more
Academics are questionable. Grade inflation is prominent everywhere, which is a good thing if you're into having high grades, but you aren't necessarily prepared for college with the course material. Teacher quality is typically on the lower side, though a few teachers do focus on teaching rigorously. Despite being an MIT EA admit, I question whether that's the school to commit to, given how little I've been prepared over my last 4 years.
School events are hastily created and expensive, and there are very few organizations, even fewer with proper organization (which is just what happens when you put students in charge of something). The main issue is a lack of school pride, which leads to few organizations, as students typically do not participate in any.
The general staff are kind, though. The office administration is helpful, and most teachers (evidently noted by grade inflation) genuinely want you to succeed. Most staff are approachable. Some teachers (most notably music) are pretty hostile, however, often trying to get the better of students or stir up issues.
Fights are relatively common, and tension is heavy among students. Security does their job well, although some officers are questionable about their closeness to female students.
closeness
Our sports teams are fine. If you're interested in football, the football team here is decent for their division. If you're interested in performing arts, don't expect much--there's very low participation in musical arts, both choir and wind ensemble (which are very likely to fizzle out by the '28-'29 year completely). Dance and art are the only two relevant arts. However, they're still relatively underrepresented (~2 levels of classes for visual art [no pathway] and ~3 separate dance courses [2 levels and Dance Co.]). If you're interested in acting, tough luck. There are no drama courses.
No relevant STEM pathways, aside from biology, especially for those interested in engineering or chemistry. School lunch has improved drastically in the last few years, though (it's free!).
The campus is in pretty poor shape, with few renovations to buildings. The art/music building is deteriorating. Common issues (such as those related to the bathrooms) are still prevalent here, although they're present in most schools.
Would give 1 star, but the staff are fairly friendly, and it's easy to be valedictorian if you put in even an ounce of effort (which is nice to flex, though it shows how little students here prioritize education, which further harms educational pathways).
Do not recommend--Los Altos, Nogales, Rowland, and Glen A. Wilson are down the corner, and your child will be a lot happier there.
