I transferred to this school from outside of the DFW area, so I had no idea what the school was like aside from what I learned online and in my campus visit. Well, it turned out to be a complete waste of time and money, as the curriculum is sub-par, the teachers are unimpressive, and the student body is made up of incompetent, superficial slackers. The culture one will find at the so-called "college preparatory" school is one in which excellence and hard work is discouraged and mediocrity is applauded. Additionally, the staff places much more of an emphasis on Catholicism than on academics, which, while acceptable in K-8 religious schools, is unthinkable in any true college-prep environment.
I realized JPII wouldn't be quite as challenging as my previous school, which is a competitive and well-respected academy, but I was convinced that it would be fine because I would be able to more easily reach the top of my class and take more advanced classes to amp up my transcript for college applications, while still earning higher marks than I would have at a more competitive school. The classes turned out to be way worse than I expected; if I EVER had homework, it was only busywork, which was a complete waste of my time and contributed in no way to my education.
Also, I felt that it would be easier to make friends as a new student in the seemingly friendly community at JPII, as opposed to one at, say, Ursuline Academy, where the girls have a reputation for being catty and clique-ish. Let me tell you- I was wrong! Everyone in the school is fake and self-consumed, and students simply do NOT speak to anyone outside of their cliques. And even though I earned much higher grades this year (for MUCH less effort) and in supposedly harder classes than before, they were nowhere near worth the sacrifice I made in being immersed in such an unimpressive and "slacker" culture.
Take my advice- either save your money for college (which, by the way, JPII does nothing to prepare you for or even help you get a leg up on admissions into- the majority of graduates go on to the University of Arkansas) and take AP classes in public schools, or make the investment in a school with a better reputation among colleges and a truly rigorous curriculum, such as Ursuline or Jesuit, and actually get something out of your four years in high school. You should also know that if you plan on attending JPII and transferring to one of these other options if you don't like it, you will NOT get any refund on your tuition at all, even if you decide to transfer before the school year even starts. This is because the administration has noticed how many students transfer out, and they will make no money if students could leave with any of their money back.
Oh, and one more thing: I realize another important factor in choosing a high school for most families is location, and being in Plano gives JPII a huge advantage for many people in this respect. Personally, I live 5 minutes away, which ended up being the deciding factor between the school and Ursuline, which is 30 minutes away not counting rush-hour traffic. But parents, the time you save in commuting time is nowhere near worth the sacrifices you will make in choosing this school. If you truly care about your child's education, do NOT send them to this waste of a school. read more
