Aliso Niguel High School

PLENTY of AP, Honor, and Acc. classes and a unique choice of a 7-class schedule, which is a plus for big achievers. Band program is great, orchestra gets the complete short end of the stick with funding (orchestra room is a TRAILER!!), but there are many EXCEEDINGLY talented musicians in the top orchestras, although bottom level ones stink. Some teachers are EXCELLENT and AP/Honors/Acc. classes are more than challenging for even the brightest. Students, for the most part, are extremely clique-y, cold, and generally un-including. HUGE division between MEGA achievers and drop-outs. Huge division with 'popular", "normal", "nerdy", and "asian" cliques. Extremely hard to make MEANINGFUL friendships. LOTS of exclusion, and the "popular" people are extremely rude and mean and obnoxious in every way imaginable, almost unbearably so. SOME teachers are horrendously mean and grade very unfairly, leaving some students with almost no control over their own grade. (this is coming from a top-honors student) The 2 stars are for the good teachers and amazing academics. Also, lots of trailers, ugly old campus and all materials used are underabundant, old, and falling apart. BEWARE.
—Submitted by a student

I moved to the area because of the school's reputation. I should have done more research. Stay very, very far away unless you can afford private school. It might have once been a good school but not now. I promised my children we would not move again until they graduated from high school, but I should have broken that promise for their own good. They have each made life-long, good friends, but they had to work very hard in college to make up for everything they did not learn. And, yes, the bullying is a problem. My son recently told me about an incident where someone bloodied his nose simply because he didn't like him. Nothing was done. Glad we are out of there now. Stay away.
—Submitted by a parent

Both my sons went through Aliso Niguel High School. While some teachers were good, many were not. If your kid is already academically motivated, she or he mighut lazyt do very, very well. If not, though, they wil probably just be processed through, like mine. One was a special ed student, and the school failed him miserably. The school failed to stop bullying, and it was sometimes extreme. My other son was gifted but lazy, and no teacher tried to connect with him and help him. He, too,was bullied (and sometiems because of his brother), and no one even tried to help him. Not my idea of excellence. On standardized testing, parents of special ed kids are encouraged to refuse to have their kids tested to avoid the impact on school scores.
—Submitted by a parent

A great school with a whole body of dedicated quality teachers!! My son is doing well in this school. He has very good friendship with his classmates, he doesn't want to go to any other school except attending this school. But as a parent, i have a feeling, since it is a big school, for any sports, your kids have to be very competitive to get into the school team. This is my only regret for my son.
—Submitted by a parent

Aliso Niguel is one of the most competitive schools in the district, in terms of academics. The staff is extremely dedicated while the students are challenged for the most part with the rigorous coursework and curriculum ANHS has to offer. My daughter is currently a junior at Aliso and I can certainly say she has been challenged with the accelerated and AP curriculum. In addition, the school has the highest AP pass rate in the district, an impressive 85% while also maintaining a 90th percentile pass rate on the California Exit Exam, making Aliso Niguel a great school with excellent staff, facilities, and academics! The principal, Mr. Salter, seems to be very dedicated, constantly sending emails and phone calls home to update parents on school events.
—Submitted by a parent

My child is a junior at Aliso Niguel and has been with the Capo district since 6th grade. We love it! Principal Salter cares about the school & students, he emails & calls parents regularly. And has a coffee house chat for parents on Saturdays. The school is demanding and staff has high expectations of students. If you want your child to attend a safe, challenging school with caring teachers & a principal you will adore, then ANHS is the school for you.
—Submitted by a parent

Aliso is definately a great school. I am now in my senior year and have had a good experience all the way through. We have a principal who cares deeply about students succeeding and receiving the proper education for college. When it comes to academics, no other high school near Aliso even comes close. However, sports are another story. We definately have one of the weakest sports programs in OC, although it is starting to get better. If academics is your main focus, definately come to Aliso. If sports is, then I would recommend another school.
—Submitted by a student

Great teachers, facilities, and extra curricular activities/electives. Aliso offers plenty of opportunities, arts, and sports for students to participate in. With the highest AP test pass rate in the district, the Advanced Placement courses at Aliso are extremely demanding. Students will be adequately prepared for college and beyond spending 4 years at this outstanding school!
—Submitted by a student

Currently I'm a sophomore at Aliso, and while many honors or ap classes have some of the most dedicated teachers around, the normal classes get the short end of the stick. The teachers of regular classes for the most part see no problem in letting students fall asleep, talk in class, and generally just goof off instead of paying attention to the insanely easy curriculum. Another problem is massive overcrowding, with the hallways being nearly impossible to navigate during passing periods. However, if a student does try, I firmly believe ANHS can offer a very high quality education that will prepare them for college or a career (ROP)
—Submitted by a student

My child is doing excellent there, and I am very happy to live in Aliso Viejo.
—Submitted by a parent

I have two kids that attend(ed) ANHS - one is now at a top ranked UC and the other is a junior. They both have received an excellent education. Those that have posted that were unhappy appear to be those involved in sports and other outside activities. From what I have seen, the school encourages and recognizes sports and extra curricular but places the most emphasis on academic and learning to be be contributing members of the society. The principal is passionate about supporting the students and helping them be successful. The PTA offers opportunities for involvement and also provides excellent programs on teen issues. This is an excellent school.
—Submitted by a parent

We have a 9th & 10th graders at the school. Principal Salter cares about the safety of all the students. He is more concerned about the welfare of these young adults than some parents and regretfully, has been unfairly criticized for his upholding policies. The PTSA's involvement in activities & parental education is top-notch. The ROP office and programs have been invaluable. If students can apply themselves to get the most out of their education at ANHS and leverage all the resources there(guidance, faculty, ROP, etc), we will have many, many world-changing Wolverines we can proudly call our own. Go Aliso Niguel!
—Submitted by a parent

We had 2 boys graduating from ANHS. One of them just this past month. This is an outstanding High School. If you are willing to work hard and take advantage of the multitude of academic opportunities, you will be well prepared for college. ANHS sends graduates to many of the top universities and institutions in the country, from West Point to Stanford. The athletic program is equally outstanding. This is one impressive school.
—Submitted by a parent

Too political. Music and athletic departments at each others throats. Technology not updated. My son graduated very disappointed with the culture at the 'hot school'. My daughter will not attend this school.
—Submitted by a parent

Currently I am a sophomore at Aliso Niguel. Generally speaking, it has the possibilty of being a great school, but the student must take initiative in choosing their academic classes. The AP classes, which I am taking, offer absolutely wonderful teachers who try their hardest to engage the students intellectually. Conversely, the regular classes seem to get the raw end of the deal. The class always seems to get held back; people talk at the same time as the teacher or get confused because the teachers don't command as much respect, and, frankly, haven't earned it. If one takes the most challenging courses, one can get an amazing education.
—Submitted by a student

I have two kids attending Aliso, senior and a freshman, overall this is a grade A high school with great teachers, coaches and students. Sports are a big part of the environment at the school and have help place it on the map in southern California.
—Submitted by a parent

I have two sons that graduated from Aliso Niguel and a daughter who is currently attending. I'm proud to say that I believe my children have gotten an excellent education here. Especially in their junior and senior years, they had many outstanding, caring teachers. For college bound students, the number of AP classes is greater than any of the schools my friends' children attend. While it is a large school, there are many activities for kids to participate in to help them feel like they belong. The school is large enough that whatever you do, there are many other kids doing it with you, whether it be sports, music, clubs or dance. Lastly, Mr. Salter, the principal is outstanding as both a principal and a person. He really goes the 'extra mile' to connect with students wherever he can and he really cares about their well-being.
—Submitted by a parent

I have an 1 son attending ANHS (Junior). Academically the school is very competitive compared to friends course loads and work expectations at rival schools. If anything, I'd like to see less of a work load as there is little time for social activities ourside of academic and athletic load. Sports programs are available to boys and girls in a wide range of athletic events. Arts are prevalent on campus. Administration cares and strongly welcomes parental involvement. School today anywhere requires this. Extensive volunteer opportunities for parents. Students are involved heavily in community service programs proving that there is more than one side to the 'picture' of Aliso Niguel. I would not look for another high school opportunity for my son outside of ANHS. He is challenged, and like any student is aware of the less attractive side of student life -and that is not unique to Aliso Niguel.
—Submitted by a parent

My daughter has attended this high school for one year. She is currently in her sophmore year. We have found the academics extremely challenging. They are a variety of AP classes offerred. Their AP classes are quite full, indicating a strong and competitve environment. The teachers she has had are more than qualified to teach their subjects. Several of the teachers teach with so much passion that it would make me want to go back to school. The amount of homework for the advance classes are quite exhasting, but that is to be expected from the AP classes. These are definitely taught with college credit in mind. All the teachers have been available for conferences. There is little to no turnover with theiir academic teachers. The Principal, Dr. Salter, is the main reason we chose to attend this school. He has morals and work ethic you would expect at private catholic
—Submitted by Tina, a parent

Very overpopulated school. Walking around hallways for the students was extremely difficult. Music and art were excellent programs. Athletics were available but only to selected individuals.
—Submitted by a former student