Notre Dame High School of Belmont shouldn't be confused with Notre Dame High School of San Jose. Both are Catholic all girl high schools, and both share a common early history. Notre Dame High of Belmont is on the same campus as Notre Dame Elementary and Notre Dame de Namur University. I'm sure the pressure for the high school to go co-ed is on, but the school really does a great job of raising confident women who are well prepared for college. While I do wish the school would post their college acceptances on their website. read more

So happy we picked this school for our daughter! The admission process was smooth and every time I had questions, they were addressed right away. Thank you Debbie Anderson! :) All the staff are friendly and the teachers are well educated, kind and engaging. School is all about empowering our young girls and helping them advocate for themselves - great life skills. The parents are wonderful and we have really been enjoying the social events at the school. read more

The teachers and staff were incredible in creating a curriculum when COVID hit. And they continue to be the bright spot of the school with their continuous support and care of the students. It's this personal connection that makes the education highly valuable for our daughter. As we wrapped up 2021 and come into 2022, we are seeing the renewed strength of the NDB community and look forward to seeing this continue to grow and thrive under the leadership of the new Head of School. read more

What a tremendous experience our daughter has had over the past 4 years at Notre Dame Belmont HS. Her growth has really been a beautiful thing to watch and seeing how NDB continues to innovate to create a thoughtful and safe, "girl powered" learning environment has been fantastic. NDB's staff and faculty are so welcoming to the students and parents with a wonderful blend of warmth, caring and instilling a sense of community in all of us. It does take a village and NDB strives to inspire all of us to get involved. Absolutely recommend NDB! read more

My daughter interviewed many schools on the Peninsula before we chose Notre Dame of Belmont. The school under M. Osmond was fantastic. The rigorous academics were supported with study hours on campus worked into the school day. The teachers were caring and credentialed. Even though I was not very involved in the school, I felt the invitations to a variety of events facilitated a friendly, inclusive atmosphere. The best part of the all girls school, we felt is the young women really rise to their best in academics without distractions, and drama of co-educational system. My daughter just graduated 2021 and she got into a great university. The matriculation into top universities is solid. We feel our daughter is well prepared for college. read more

I can thankfully write this now that my younger sibling has graduated from Notre Dame but the school has gone downhill since then. The sudden exodus of teachers leaving or being fired a few years ago, they had brought in teachers who think they are high and mighty to think their word and field trips are absolute no matter how it conflicts with other students or other teacher's curriculum. The new principal has brought nothing but bad rep to the school to the point where the carpets were all torn out throughout the school since the principal's dog would shit and piss on everything so it was easier to clean on hardwood floors. The students have no decency to have an honor code and expect to be entitled to everything even when half of the senior class is suspended for drug and alcohol involved post-prom with most parents knowing what was happening. All of the decent teachers left have either given up on making the school a better learning environment or are retiring due to old age. To say that it became a prison for a learning environment is a sugar coating the fact that teachers are in fear of telling the principal off due to the risk of expulsion or blacklisted in the private school community. I would hope that the school gets their act together because this is an absolute shame to see the school go into ruins due to the rift between those who have money, those who have scholarship/financial aid, and an environment that can't keep their business under wraps from the public. read more

I have two children currently attending Notre Dame and both girls are thriving... one heavily involved in performing arts and the other in sports. Highly recommend!!! read more

Notre Dame Belmont does not foster a warm environment. The girls are not strong and independent but rather very insecure and unstable. The school is not inclusive by any means. You can find better education along the peninsula. It appears the tuition is to maintain the landscape and image of the school, as well as faculty pay. If you want your daughter to get a strong, well rounded foundation, Notre Dame Belmont is not the place. Grades are padded. The girls can't answer basic questions but they can sure give you great make-up tips! I recommend going to other schools as this place is toxic. read more

NDB is off to a great year! The administration and the teachers are wonderful. The support and guidance they give the girls is amazing! I feel blessed to be part of this community. read more

This school is amazing! The administration is incredible at communication and the teachers are caring towards the girls and exceptional at teaching. My daughter loves it here! The food is fantastic also. We have had a much more positive experience than at another school our son attended. We are so thankful that we decided to send our daughter to Notre Dame Belmont. Well worth the money. read more

Our daughter just started at NDB and we are thrilled with her positivity and love of the school in this first month. The application and admissions process were wonderful. The admissions team was very helpful at all steps of the process and we have an overwhelmingly positive experience. So far every teacher, staff and volunteer has been so welcoming and helpful. We are so glad we made the choice for our daughter to attend Notre Dame High School. read more

I had a few good teachers and enjoyed participating on one sports team (the others were poor and coaches were constantly leaving/being fired). Many of my favorite teachers have left and the replacements are inexperienced (although most are trying their best). The college counseling is poor as there is one college counsellor (for all the students) who does not have the ability to help each student as much as they need. The administration is terrible and although I am sure they are nice women, they are overly strict, make stupid rules in the name of the schools "public image," and are unwilling to meet with concerned students to discuss issues. I was a very strong student (4.4 gpa upon graduation) and took advantage of as many honors and AP classes as possible (although there were many advanced classes that I was not allowed to take for reasons that were unclear to me). There were also a few classes I really wanted to take but the school ended up canceling the courses due to low enrollment. I don't think this is something that would've happened at a larger public School. I enjoyed my advanced courses and tried to make the most of the courses offered, but if you are not an extremely motivated student, you will take regular classes that would be just as effective as at a public school. Junior and senior year, girls are forced to complete a big community service project that is unnecessary and a massive waste of time (but i'm sure they look great on the school instagram and website). This big project takes time away from the girl's ability to work on college applications and focus on classes that actually matter. In general, the admin and teachers prioritize the schools image and bringing in new students over the mental health and care of current students. It was not my choice to attend NDB and I regretted not transferring everyday. There are benefits to a single gender education but the countless negatives of NDB outweigh any possible benefit. Even after meeting some awesome friends (albeit we bonded over a mutual hate and frustration for the school) I still left with a bitter taste in my mouth and will not look back on my high school experience with much nostalgia or many positive  experiences. In general, I had some positive experiences but left feeling underprepared for college, wishing I had gone to a different school, and thinking there is no way the school is worth the every growing tuition. read more

I am really giving this place 10 stars. I would if i could, this is from a Parent's point of view. From day one, I was impressed with Cathy Lewis, the admissions director at Nortre Dame. After a few months at our local public school it was evident that my daughter was not the right fit for the school. Don't get me wrong i live in one of the best school districts in the US. But for my family it wasn't the right fit. I immediately started my research into other local high schools, private and public. Unlike other schools who rushed into talking to me about test scores, Cathy was more concerned about the overall well being of my daughter. She was so nice when we met with her and really connected with my daughter. All the staff at Notre Dame have been very friendly and nice and they all seem to enjoy what they do. It really shows in their demeanor. I am truly blessed and honored to have my daughter be part of such a wonderful community and would highly recommend this school to anyone interested. read more

The school keeps the girls physically safe and offers some college prep curriculum, but that's about it. Counseling services (college and personal) are limited. There aren't many extracurriculars probably because the school is so small. Administration is reactive and weak. We've had family/health issues and administrators have been either just okay or altogether non-responsive. Teachers have been the best part, knowledgable and caring. The Athletics Department and coaches have also been terrific. If you're an alumni or from one of the feeder schools, then NDB works as it offers an all-girls Catholic education; however, public schools in the area and other private schools seem stronger and more dynamic. read more

I graduated from NDB in 2004, and had two younger sisters graduate after me. Between the three of us, we got heavily involved in sports, trischool band, the musicals, journalism and ASB. I don't think any of us regret going there, and we all had very different (and positive) experiences. Yes, the academics are challenging. But shouldn't they be? Learning how to budget time for academics, sports and a social life is a skill I used in college and now in post graduate studies. The homework load at NDB isn't too much- the teachers know you are only human. None of the teachers want to see you fail, and if you feel like you are being overloaded with work, a simple conversation with a teacher or a counselor can go a long way. I truly feel sorry for anyone that felt ND teachers didn't care about their learning, because I do not understand how that could be the case. If you ask for help, it is always there. The bottom line is this- high school is not going to be perfect all the time. No high school is a utopia. No matter where you go, there are going to be academic and social struggles. But if you are at NDB, you can be sure that those difficult times you are going through won't go unnoticed by the faculty. You will not slip through the cracks at this school. I have never regretted going there, and will always be proud to be a Notre Dame Tiger. read more

The girls here are taught respect, but do not bring it to the real world.

Took hike and passed by the school campus. It's right next door to Notre Dame college. It's a very nice campus and looks well kept.

From a parents stand point, the Academics in addition to the AP and Honors classes was a plus. This high school provided my daughter with a well rounded education and prepared her very well for her next step into a four year private college. The extracurricular activities were numerous and had a place for a student to excel whether in Sports, Mock Trial, Ambassadors, etc. The overall high school experience was a very positive one for my daughter. Of course, it helped that this was my daughter's first choice for High School. Angie M. Class of 2012 read more

Hopefully their staff is more sensitive to the students feelings and don't discount students abilities as they did with my daughter some years back. Telling her that going to university would be "a waste of the universities time"! My daughter thankfully had enough self respect and went on to graduate from UCSC with a degree in biology and is now a director in a major credit card company. Shame on Ms. Kota! Shame on Notre Dame who employs bitter teachers such as she was! read more

Another amazing year at Notre Dame! Our daughter is now a rising junior and was blessed with strong teachers and solid academics. So pleased that our daughter is part of the Notre Dame community. read more

It's only fair that I give the disclaimer that my graduating class at NDB was especially awful, as was my personal experience at this school, though I have heard experiences and opinions similar to my own from other girls from a wide range of graduating classes (see Missy H's review...she hits the nail pretty squarely on the head). For a typical teenage girl--curious, creative, and eagerly exploring the abundant possibilities of a burgeoning independent young-adult self-- this place was rife with drama and negative reinforcement, and held a strong preference for a limited archetype that many girls did not (and need not) fit. For a school that claims to foster well-rounded & outstanding women, Notre Dame didn't seem to have very many shapes to choose from in it's rather out-dated cookie cutter. On the other hand, the social environment at this school did an excellent job of suppressing the light of girls who were shining just a little bit too brightly, and steering those who were struggling even further off course. For the premium that my parents paid for this school, the overall quality of education and the environment created by the school's policies and practices were seriously lacking. My experience at Notre Dame exposed me to degrees of cruel and manipulative behavior that I had never experienced before or since, both from peers and members of the faculty. Most of the adults seemed to be either clueless or apathetic towards this. The probability of being punished for wearing the wrong socks far surpassed the likelihood of suffering any consequences for socially abusing your peers. One religious studies teacher began her classes with 'Vent' sessions, where girls were encouraged to share their grudges and gripes towards other students with the class. This daily ritual was typically used to proliferate rumors and mar reputations, rather than to find solutions and consider more mature, compassionate, and effective solutions to conflicts. Girls at this age are characteristically socially impressionable, as their social and moral values are still developing and the opinions of their peers and mentors carry significant weight. In my experience, this was not a place of tolerance, support, or well-balanced guidance through what can be a challenging and frequently overwhelming phase of life. The school was not adequately equipped with adults capable of gracefully dealing with and providing guidance to teenage girls and their parents in a kind, wise, or empowering way. The typical course of action for acting out, the usual teenage cry for help, was punishment, including suspensions and expulsions for comparatively petty infractions. As for the academics at Notre Dame, with the exception of a few very excellent teachers, the school was not worth its inflated cost. An excellent student would leave public school AP classes just as competitively qualified for a prestigious University, and other private schools were far superior in this capacity. On the other end of the spectrum, students who were struggling seemed to be left by the wayside, or criticized rather than supported through their challenges. Another token of food for thought for parents considering the Notre Dame way...sheltering your daughters from boys is not necessarily a good thing. Too many of my classmates more than made up for the lack of exposure at parties, and lacking the insight gained by having healthy friendships with boys, made bad decisions when it came to relationships and sexual conduct. Having compared stories with many girls from many classes, this seems to be sort of a legacy at Notre Dame. If you do decide to brave the potentially treacherous waters of Notre Dame, be prepared--if your experience is anything like mine was, you'll need to have well-defined goals and values and rock-solid self esteem (or the camouflaging abilities of a chameleon), and your chances of surviving entirely intact are far greater if you're well-versed in the social nuances of cut-throat clickiness! read more

Save your money! What a huge disappointment our experience has been :( If you're looking for a college prep HS, I think NDB will fall far behind your expectations. I'll try to be brief. My daughter and us were very excited about her attending the school. Freshman year went well. However, after Ms. Gleason (NDB principle for 30+ years) retired about 2 years ago, things have went steadily down hill. From an academic perspective, there was a mass exodus of teachers - the really good ones. My daughter (currently a senior) who is an A/B student has struggled with the school to get into some of the AP classes. They pitch that they are here to help, support and encourage the girls to get into these classes, but we've found that it's an uphill battle if you are less than an A student. Some teachers are good, others are not. This past summer 6 teachers who have taught AP classes to seniors left. The replacements were new teachers who have haven not taught AP classes and have not taught seniors. It resulted in us getting tutoring classes for my daughter. So on top of paying tuition, we pay for tutoring. College Counseling - what a joke! I have friends whose kids attend Harker, Serra, Bellarmine and Sequoia Union HS. NDB falls far behind in comparison. NDB promised us a college/academic counselor who would mentor and guide our daughter from her freshman year up to her senior year. Well, that counselor left the school and there was no replacement. My daughter's college counselor is not only managing 140+ seniors but is also the academic counselor for half the student population. On top of that, she's only been college counseling for 2 years. We did not expect hand holding but we did expect guidance, help, communication about essays, college process, personal statement pointers, review, ..etc. Once again, because NDB was not providing us with enough guidance, we hired a college counselor. This may be OK if you're not paying private HS tuition but to pay $25K/per year AND hire a college counselor is appalling and inexcusable. Meetings with seniors are scarce; maybe twice (once in private, another as a group). In our daughter's junior year, NDB had only one college prep meeting for the parents. Communication about fast approaching college deadlines is non-existent and often they are late (as in after the deadline have passed). The school does not hold College fairs or workshops. Students are encouraged to attend those held at other schools (Serra, Avalon, Mitty). For comparison sake, Sequoia Union HS has a college night offered to freshmans - 9th graders! AND They take them on college tours - also in 9th grade. Extra curriculars - my daughter put in a lot of effort and time to be chosen to get into the elite and highly sought after Ambassador Club. For two years, she attended all the required events, put in the extra hours (often on the weekend and after-school), wrote speeches on why she really wants to be a part of it - and was never chosen. In fact, they chose the girls who were popular and who did NOT attend the mandatory events. And last but not least - Socially, NDB is very cliques. Girls are huddled in groups. There is little diversity. You either fit in or you don't. And if you happen to have a fall out with one group, you are disregarded and ignored from ALL the other groups because these groups don't want to offend that group. So Lunch is like a scene from prison. Gangs hang out together and no gang wants to welcome a non-gang member to avoid upsetting the other gangs. The counselors are aware of this and don't do anything about it. This is happening in a CATHOLIC high school, whose mission is to promote catholic values. In conclusion, the school has not met our expectations but it may meet yours. Good Luck! read more

I absolutely loved my time at Notre Dame. Hate to say it but the class of 2009 was known as being cruel and nasty (for example, after losing Aquacades to the junior class they decided to riot and chant not very lady like words. cars were egged, threats were made, the underclassmen didn't feel safe) (of course not everyone in that class was horrid). So I would not agree with Missy's review... The faculty genuinely care about the girls. They want the students to succeed. Sure, the administration could do with some modernizing and a few teachers are a wee bit stuck in their ways, but you get that at any school. What you don't get at every school is the feeling of sisterhood that Notre Dame is capable of instilling in it's students. YES high school is tough socially speaking, but looking back I can only focus on the happy memories made and the wonderful people I was lucky enough to spend time with. And academically speaking, Notre Dame more than prepared me for college. I was uber prepared if you will. The AP classes were astounding at Notre Dame. Hurley, Hegarty, Martin-Spencer, Fleig, VK, Gurney...such amazing teachers. They know their subjects and know HOW to properly teach and communicate with students. I cannot imagine a better high school experience. It's not "typical" but Notre Dame can be just delightfully magical. The student council and ASB is incredible, the sports teams have such spirit, they need a drama department ASAP but choir is noteworthy and dance is only getting better with time. read more

Great school. Great education. It was in the cards that I was to attend ND and my brother go to Serra. Now that I am older and wiser I appreciate the education I received here. An all girls school can be a catty overload but also can be worth it in the end. read more

i am a parent of a child who was educated k thru 12 in the catholic education system. she selected Notre Dame as her high school ,though she had been accepted into other high schools. we both feel she had an excellent experience with prepared,caring ,dedicated and interested teachers-interested in all phases of the girls lives. my daughter is now a freshman in college ,once again having a wide variety of choices for college ,she is out of state in a jesuit college;her take on her education was that she was totally prepared to move into the college world which meant tons of writing,accountable and responsible for time management ,action,choices and she works on campus. would we recommend Notre Dame? in a heartbeat. catherine c read more