Monta Vista High School

This school is over hype. Many families can afford private one on one tutoring for their high school students. This school is not responsible for their steller students. The students along with good parents are responsible at 80%. The staff really have nothing to do with it . Too bad these high schools in the local area got good ratings and the property value are getting way too high. . It has nothing to do with the schools, but the type of students that move into the area. This school cannot turn around those students that are incline to learn. I want the truth to be told. Most of the Asians in this school are Chinese, korea, Japanese, but Chinese being the higher percentage due to population size. The other large group of Asians are South Asians which are Indians. And about 10% of these students here are just born smart.
—Submitted by a student

Monta Vista High is one of the top schools in the nation, ranked as among the top on usnews website. I wasn't so sure what to expect when i entered as a freshman, but after four years, it's amazing to see how much ive grown as an individual. ppl here are very respectful and open and willing to work with you, and the teachers are also willing to help you if you ask them for it. academically, it can get a little stressful, but when i asked former monta vista alums about it, they said that mv really helped prepare them for college. everyone here has something special about them, so it's hard to stand out but it also makes for an interesting campus. it is possible to take hard classes, have extracurriculars, and enjoy high school life - football games, dances, prom - i know a lot of ppl who do all of those things. all the departments are well-organized, so you'll be kept busy all four years, with ppl to meet wherever you look. there are a lot of clubs on campus - something i didn't realize until junior year, so you can always find friends who have the same interests as you. bullying/drugs/sex/violence/racism is NOT a problem at this school at all - never seen any of that here.
—Submitted by a student

I will try to be as objective as possible in this review for potential. I'm a freshman student and I really enjoy my time at Monta Vista. It's a challenging school, there's no doubt about that, and if your child is not getting As or better in most of their subjects, Monta Vista is not the school for them. Of course, it's not really all about intelligence though. To really excel here, your child needs to be dedicated or hard-working. If you aren't prepared to put in the effort, there's absolutely no point sending your child here. The teachers are very dedicated, nearly every single one has an afterschool club or lunchtime club, dedicated to helping students understand everything; which is definitely necessary, I spend nearly 3-4 hours on homework every day, excluding the extra-curricular clubs I do. I will say this, allegations of racism and bullying is really not true. Everybody here is so open and so friendly with everyone, simply because they haven't got the time to waste on making someones life difficult. They're much more likely to be studying!' However, with around 600 students in every year, the campus is loud and noisy, and it can be difficult to get the personal touch.
—Submitted by a student

Monta vista kids/families spent too much time talking about how bad other schools are.....every Monta Vista student (does not matter if they are A or a D student)have this one thing in common......send your child to a private school where your child will learn to respect people if you are not happy with your school but NOT Monta vista....
—Submitted by a parent

Reading these reviews are shocking, I never felt miserable and stressed. I took my share of AP and honor classes, took math+science each year. I had time for music, dance, reading and volunteering. Stress was occasional, usually around finals week. I had fun with friends outside of school. It's academically rigorous, but not too so. Obviously if you're a failure who can't handle the pressures of learning, you're better off going to Fremont or Cupertino High. I didn't see any racism, maybe those crying foul mistook contempt from their peers for not trying harder as racism. I got into UCLA, majoring in Anthropology/Archaeology. Doing museum and field work over the summer. So much for a high school that only churns out doctors and engineers. It was my Humanities teacher who inspired me to go into the humanities instead of science too. Parents, if your child is bright enough, send them to MV. High school isn't forever, focus on the future. I was well prepared for college, courses were a breeze thanks to MV. The only thing I was unprepared for was the widespread drinking, drugs and sex on campus. But that just reinforces how disciplined and secure the environment at MV is.

This is a continue of my last post: (i am new to monta vista and last attended cupertino high) I feel that this school is to focused in books and lacks a lot of knowlege to become someone like a lawyer, president, ceo, arts, actor, a lot of fields in science, real estate, business, doctors and these type of professions require more then getting A's high schools. an many more but this school does help one become a engineer, computer science, physics major. Away from education The schools enviroment is horrible! Sure there is no problems like drugs, bulling or violence, but one should understand that these problems do happen in real life and that hiding children from these issues are not going to help them bring up their full potential because in the future one may run into these issues. In this school I have made no friensds because lot d the students here are way to worries about their grades and many are not fun to talk with. Friends I have made are new students that just entered monta vista and they agree too about the enviroment. Personaly I like the enviromen better because I found nice people who share the same hobby as me and are dedicated, but this may not happen to others
—Submitted by a student

There is something known as "White Flight" going on in this school, as in caucasian families leaving because of the overwhelming amount of asian families and the pressure culturally that asians put on their children. Being asian myself, all i can say is this school is not a good place for teenagers that are not academically inclined. I always felt stupid going to the school and had a terrible time in math classes as people would scoff at my literal failing of math tests. I've retained absolutely nothing from Monta Vista, and now go to an art college because i'm a failure at every other subject.
—Submitted by a student

I go to Monta Vista and I LOVE IT. Sure, say that we're all nerds, you're stereotyping us because you don't go to our school. Although mostly everyone here strives to do well academically, we do know how to have "fun." Academics are a great reason to go to Monta Vista though, my teachers work really hard to help, and though some classes are challenging you learn a lot. You can go to any teacher for help and they will go out of their way to make sure you do the best you can. There is pressure, but in my opinion that just pushes you to succeed. You choose who you hang out with, so don't make competitive friends. We have a lot of BULL SPIRIT *and* we're going to college. Monta Vista is worth it.
—Submitted by a student

This school has fantastic school spirit, and a nice environment, but all the students are incredibly bigoted and convinced that MV is better than any other school because of their high API score, which is incredibly closed-minded. Also, their drama department is terrible because they learn out a textbook and spend more time reading then they do acting and expressing themselves.

Academically challenging. I know it is tough, but consider it tough love. Some of the kids may not like it right now, but when they grow up, they will thank their high school for teaching them how to make it in real life.
—Submitted by a parent

Having had 3 children pass through Monta Vista all doing very well scholastically, I must say none of them enjoyed the high school experience. All complained of Liberal teachers blatantly pushing their Political views no matter what the subject. Principal leadership is extremely weak, allowing student protests (taping mouths shut and not speaking) for Gay Rights? while suspending kids for being kids. Found the boys athletic department extremely weak especially the coaching.I That being said 2 have gone on to do quite well in college.
—Submitted by a parent

With one child attending Monta Vista, I must say how much it reminds me (for better and worse) of the elite private high school I attended only safer, more flexible and with more resources as befits its large student body. Really, that s the only real comparison that can be made Competitive Top Class College Prep, with all the upsides (and yes, downsides) that go along with that. Given the difficulty of getting a child enrolled in MVHS and the price premium of living in this section of Cupertino, can there honestly be any parents who accidentally discovered that their scholastically average, hoping-to-squeeze-by-on-athletics student wasn t a good fit? It s time to get real. And as to the students' No. Cal politics, (not that this stands out in particular) with a lifetime ahead to become cynical and conservative, may their optimism reign for as long as it can.
—Submitted by a parent

It's a physically safe place with a fair amount of great teachers, but the crux of MVHS is this: It's a four year marathon of work, grades and work. Everyone around you is motivated, which is wonderful in its own way, but the problem is that it's difficult to feel accomplished among peers that succeed so often. What good is being better than the national and state average if 'excellence' is the school's norm? It's remarkably easy to feel overwhelmed and inferior in that environment. Of course, you can say that school is for learning and a little stress is expected from all students; it helps prepare them for the 'real world.' You could say, 'You only have one childhood, so why not spend it preparing for the future?' It's a dog eat dog world. I just hope there's still something left of us kids at the end of the
—Submitted by a student

Monta Vista is the definition of academic pressure. Prepare to self study and compete a lot. Everyone is a nerd, even the jocks. On the other hand, the only gang fights are between FBLA and DECA.
—Submitted by a student

A lot of people say this is a great school...but I've been in this school for just two years and I'm sick of it. The stress level is so high here and the true effort that is put into learning is not valued. A small percentage of the staff is actually passionate about what they teach and supportive and encouraging of their students. There are very limited options in terms of AP/Honors courses, and if you take them, for many of them, there is a lot of self-studying. Students value the grade more than learning, and it's not their fault....that's what they've been forced to view school. At MV, teachers always say just do your best, but a lot of them don't value the true effort that a student is putting in and they do not reciprocate that by helping them.
—Submitted by a student

I go to this school. It's a very competitive school with a good atmosphere for learning. Fights break out close to never. I have never witnessed a fight in Monta Vista in my life!
—Submitted by a student

I am a parent who does not see anything that might give my child in this school except numbers ( grades ), stress and anxiety. The AP classes that she wanted to take were not available. The classes are taught by the teachers lacking inspiration. Grades are good, but the school is not inviting and welcoming. Oh, and the ethnic groups tend to create cliques and known to cause additional unwelcoming feeling For just a student who wants to enjoy her high school years, study, and explore future possibilities this school is not a best choice because classes are there but educational advisors support is not. If we had another choice we probably would reconsider to attend another school but we live very close to MV and this convenience is too good to change anything I am a parent with a daughter in 11th grade.
—Submitted by a parent

This is the High school my sons go to and the Counselors are great,so is the staffand the classes are excellant.My oldest son is getting great grades,as far as my 11th grader ,he just needs to learn organizational skills and become more motivated. It really is a great school,they have a learning skills class that I reccomend,amongst others(like Slvan classes you don't have to pay for,hope this helps its in Cupertino,California.bfn Cheryl
—Submitted by a parent

Although MV has a reputation for it's accelerated education, I truly can say that it's classes are like any other schools. Some teachers are great, but others are not. Often resulting in students having to study on their own, in order to get a sufficient amount of knowledge. The students at this school believe that they are superior to others from different schools. This of course only adds unnecessary stress to their fellow classmates who are there just to get the most out of high school, not to brag and boast about a victory against another school in a competition of any kind. The lack of people who aren't quite as intelligent deprives MV students from the experience of having to help someone else out. It also is he reason for the higher acedemic marks. Therefore, this school isn't any more incredible than many other high schools in the area.
—Submitted by a student

As a former student, I'd have to say MV is a great school with a large number of class offerings. I've taken both regular and honor/AP classes and if I could redo my classes, I'd skip the regular and go straight honor/AP classes. Some of the teachers there are truly wonderful. At MV, you're given the opportunity to think critically, to discuss openly and to speak publicly. There were a good amount of lab work in science classes, a lot of skits and creative opportunities in language classes and not much of lessons in life (chillin' with friends, alcohol, sex, violence, drugs, socializing, partying, relationships). But that's okay. We get our dose of reality in college. It takes a while to adjust but most of us do. Work itself is always dreaded but without work, how do we get anywhere as adults?