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.

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.

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.

Mr jang (Joaquin Jang) is an awful counselor. he does not deserve to be working with children. Rude…read moreand dismissive, disrespectful to students, an absolute pathetic excuse for an "educational and mental health authority". Parents BEWARE!

Don't. Just don't…read more This school has been an incredibly disappointing experience, largely because of its staff and counseling department. The counselors offer little to no support and often seem unprepared or unwilling to help students who genuinely and obviously need guidance. Instead of providing clear advice or solutions, they dismiss concerns or pass students around without actually addressing the problem or even probably asking to help. The staff overall come across as unprofessional and disconnected, making students feel unheard and unsupported. A school should be a place where students feel guided and encouraged, but this one fails badly in that responsibility. Serious changes are needed in how staff and counselors do their jobs if the school expects to truly support its students. Bullying gets absolutely dismissed, horrible disrespectful teachers with no passion in educating students. Genuinely disappointing considering it is so called a great school. I often find myself wondering if staff here are even licensed or suitable, makes me question if they were in desperate need of staffing and just hired anyone on the spot. If anything i'd give this school an outstanding award for knowing how to completely fail their students.

I am writing this review as a parent of two Lowell kids, so if you are a parent wondering whether…read moreyou should put Lowell as your first high school choice, read on... As far as academics is concerned, it is an EXCELLENT school. You learn, all right. There is plenty of homework. Teachers don't just drill the information; they make sure that the students learn. The down side of this is that it is not easy getting As, so when college application time comes around, the Bs and Cs won't cut it for elite schools. Of course, on the other hand, if your student got the As, then the doors are wide open for Ivy League and every top university available. Many Lowell alumni have gone that way. Reflecting on this, regardless of where your child goes to college, this quality of education can't be bought. After going through Lowell, your student will be ready for any college, period - Ivy League or CCSF. As far as extracurriculars, there is plenty, from sports, to arts, to robotics...EVERYTHING. My son is doing archery this semester. Cool, huh? As far as parent involvement, this is top notch. The reason Lowell continues to do well despite massive budget cuts is the PTSA. God bless them! There are resources of all kinds, from college help, to mental and physical health (A nurse is available much of the time, people...where else can you have one in SFUSD?) Some people complain that the school is overrated and the environment is competitive. To them, I say that if your kid is an underachiever, then don't force the issue. To succeed in Lowell, your student must want to be a winner. The teachers are super nice and super helpful. I can go as far as confirming it because I was a former student of one of the teachers there. They are the best. Final word: It is the best free education available in San Francisco if you really want it.

it's a great school, but I feel the woman I spoke to in the office this morning was not very…read morefriendly. I have no idea what the problem was when I was just calling about my daughter since I was worried she was not responding to any of my messages, which she normally does. so many kids going missing these days it's hard not to worry, especially if your kid is not informing you when they get to school which they normally do. This is not the first time this woman has had this behavior with me. I've let it go a few times, but it definitely should be corrected. it's not necessary.

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.

I don't know if the word negro is a joke within books being produced out loudly. If this is about a…read morebook, teaching or not, the word negro shouldn't be replaced with anything else or misused. This truly misguides student who are not Black and encourages them even more to think that word is okay while being used in school books and teaching context.

I'm a student in college, and I went to this middle school around 2013. Unfortunately I'm writing…read morethis review because I still have ptsd from my experiences with this school (i wish i was joking). There was one teacher who scarred me for life due to how he teaches. I was terrible at mathematics and I'd constantly get yelled at. I remember getting to the point where I'd try faking being sick so I wouldn't have to go to school to face this teacher, not only that, but I'd try GETTING sick just so i don't have to deal with that teacher. I cried to my parents about this incident yet the staff did not let me transfer out to a different class. My anxiety had gotten so bad that the rest of that year with him was absolutely terrible and I'd go in for counseling. Unfortunately they did nothing (shocker, isn't it?). A 7th grader should not have to deal with TRAUMA from any adult! I also recall a bullying incident that happened in 8th grade where a kid hit another kid with a baseball bat and there was little to no consequence. Not sure how things are now, but seeing the recent reviews.. it seems its just gotten worse. I highly advise you to not take your child here for education, unless you want their anxiety to skyrocket, get PTSD, and have them solely focus on ways to ditch school rather than look forward to going to school. SFUSD needs to do better.

12 years and this is the best place I've ever taught and learned. Solid academics, arts, sports,…read moreand services, this is a place where everybody can grow and thrive. Teachers proudly send their own kids to school here. Lesssgo hawks

I sub here from time to time and the staff is very friendly!…read more I've also worked with some of the students and they are all so sweet and welcoming! Of course, I am not always here so, I can not say too much about the academics. But I've interacted with a few of the teachers and they seem to be passionate about what they do. Which is crucial for their careers.

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

Our son is graduating from WPLS this summer after starting in kindergarten--and we couldn't be more…read moregrateful for this school. WPLS has given him more than strong academics: he's made lifelong friends and grown into a confident, kind young person. The teachers truly care, and in the past few years, the new principal has brought such positive energy and improvement. There's a strong sense of community here--families are involved, and every child is known and supported. We're excited to see the school continuing to grow. If you're looking for a nurturing, values-based K-8 school, WPLS is a gem!

This is a great K-8 private school. Affordable and top notch…read more My 2 sons went there and both got into top SF high schools. They said freshman year was like a repeat of 8th grade because they were so well prepared. The Lutheran Church that runs it is pretty mainstream and a nice place for a church home. Both the church and school are hidden gems. I recommend them.

As a student of this school the teachers are nice and the the place is clean the place is just over…read moreall really great. There is also barely any bully and actively there is no bullying. However the lower level boys bathroom is dirty due to kids peeing but missing the toilet or urinal

I pick up my niece here once in a while when needed. Love that they have the conveniency of a…read more'drive-thru' to pick up your child. lol. Since there aren't enough parking to park and run in and pick up your kid.

As a parent of four children who have attended Saint Cecilia School, I can speak to the lasting…read moreimpact this school has on families and students. Two of my children are now in college, one is in high school, and my youngest continues as a current student here. What impresses me most is the exceptional foundational academic preparation my children received. The skills and knowledge they gained at Saint Cecilia continue to serve them well in their educational journeys and beyond. Actually, my oldest college son said to me recently that if he lived in San Francisco and had children, he would send them to Saint Cecilia, wow. Beyond academics, Saint Cecilia creates a community where families belong. From cheering at CYO games to participating in beloved traditions like the annual crab feed, there's always something that brings everyone together. The school doesn't just educate your children; it invites your entire family to become part of the SC family.

I can't say enough good things about this school -- it truly feels like family. I went here myself,…read moreand now seeing the next generation experience the same sense of belonging and purpose makes it even more special. What sets this school apart is how it blends tradition, community, and service in such a natural, meaningful way. The teachers genuinely care, the faith-based foundation is strong, while valuing diversity and making those who aren't Catholic feel welcome. St. Cecilia students grow up grounded, confident, and kind. You'll see the impact in the friendships too -- lifelong bonds that bring alumni families back year after year. There's something rare and real about that kind of continuity in a big city like San Francisco. If you're looking for a place where your child will be known, supported, and part of something lasting -- this is it.