Northwood High School

No words to describe about Northwood High School Academic Performance. It is simply Astonishing and two thumbs up.
--Submitted by a parent

I am a junior. Although the instruction and counseling are decent and the material not too challenging, the workload is overwhelming. It would easily rival (or outrival) that of Asian countries. For so much work, the test scores are still not as impressive as Uni High. Also, the honors students are arrogant and intolerant. An elitist attitude prevails, and the honors students ridicule the non-honors students. Basically, they are ardent believers of survival of the fittest. Worse yet, the school is rigidly structured, limiting opportunities for non-honors students but maximizing those for honors students. There is also a lot of ethnic tension between different groups of Asian students.Furthermore, the students are hostile towards conservative politics. So if you are a non-honors/conservative student, expect to be utterly suppressed.
--Submitted by a student

I'm currently a freshman at NHS, and it is the best experience I could ever ask for. I'm taking both honors and non-honors classes, but the teachers genuinely want to prepare you for a sucessful future. There are tons of clubs to choose from during lunch, and the campus is breathtaking. We have 45 minutes twice a week to ask teachers questions, which is very helpful. I hope this helps!
--Submitted by a student

The school is absolutely breathtaking; building designs, academics (education received), teachers, and even the people roaming the campus. Northwood is a great school where the competition to achieve perfection is well sought throughout each student. Even as its birth since 1999, it has climbed up the ranks and is now situated to be 7th in the top ten best schools in Orange County. Northwood High is a multicultural high school where top-notch students expand their learning in a competitive environment as well as mature and discover their identity through elective classes such arts (visual, performing), business and technology courses, world languages, science/history/social science courses that go beyond core subjects (Horticulture, Psychology, Economics, Anatomy/Physiology, etc), as well as English courses exceed the core subject (Journalism, NHS Howler Newspaper, Speech and Debate, Broadcast Communications, etc), and also our vast range of award-winning sports. Northwood provides an elite education as well as a community filled with students that are motivated, highly determined, welcoming, and admirable.
--Submitted by a student

I'm currently a sophomore at NHS and I love this school. My parents and I moved to Irvine the summer before freshman year and we chose between Northwood High and Uni. I decided I wasn't up for the pressure of Uni and chose Northwood - I'm so glad I did. Though I was new, I quickly made friends. I found that the students were a lot more friendly than those in the city I previously lived in. The academics are stellar at this school. The teachers I had during freshman year were some of the best I've ever had, and the teachers I have right now are awesome too. Northwood High even has 45 minutes twice a week to ask teachers if you need help on anything. However, Northwood High isn't totally academic-focused and also has great extracurriculars. The music programs are great and they offer a ton of clubs, sports, etc. for you to join. I have no regrets about coming here. If you're searching for a good school for your kids look no further!
--Submitted by a student

Northwood promotes a very different curriculum which can provide your child with a great education. However the school prefers to polarize its students into two groups: The honors and the regular students. If your child is placed in the lower bracket, good luck. Most of the teacher's teach the curriculum as if the student was in the honors classes. Also the math program as Northwood high school is atrocious. The books focus on concepts, but they have very little in the way of actual problems, so it is challenging for students to learn the basics and practice the basics. The Integrated science program also has serious issues. On paper, it sounds like a great idea. Students explore the various fields of science so they can see what they are interested. In reality, majority of students are confused because they do not learn enough of any one concept. So if your child is really smart and is part of the Gate program, they will probably benefit from the difficult course load. If you consider your child normal, your child will find the school very challenging and become frustrated with courses. I gave it a ranking of 3 starts: 5 for advanced students, 1 for normal students.

We've had three very different children who have attended Northwood High School, and it is an awesome place for each of them! Academics, athletics, and arts all excel at Northwood! If you are looking for a wonderful place to send your children, look no further.
--Submitted by a parent

I have gone to school here for 4 years, and this school is an amazing school compared to all previous schools I have attended. It is a safe environment, and offers everyone a chance to pursue whatever passion they hold. Attend this school, it will be worth it in the long run.
--Submitted by a student

The advisement program breaks a large school (over 2,000) into a smaller and more intimate community.

Grammy winning music program and superb academics.
--Submitted by a parent