Mater Dei High School

I'm in my Freshman year, Mater Dei is an amazing school, I' not catholic but I'm still involved in it's sports, and academics. I'm aiming for all honors classes next year, this year I'm in Honors Algebra II / Trig and a couple other classes. My religion class is challenging due to me not being a catholic, but I love Mater Dei, all my cousins went here, and I'm proud to be a Mater Dei Monarch!
—Submitted by a student

Teachers at MDHS have no degree, no credential, and no Bible teaching, only Religous
—Submitted by a parent

I have a freshman who is loving Mater Dei. She is not involved in any clubs yet, there are so many choices. The faculty, staff and students all band together to make everyone feel at home and make high school a fun and 'want to be there' place. Excellent expectations put on the students-no slacking in the freshman classes. Great communication between teacher and student.
—Submitted by a parent

My son is just finishing his freshman year at Mater Dei. Overall, we have been pleased with his rigorous coursework and caring teachers. Mater Dei does a great job recognizing academic achievement. The athletics are competitive, but that was no surprise. Our son still had a great experience in the two sports he participated in this year despite the favoritism and recruiting that goes on.
—Submitted by a parent

School has a great campus, teachers are interested in their students and want them to do their best. All of the schools in OC should try and duplicate for their is a future with the student's diploma.
—Submitted by a parent

I loved Mater Dei and I am grateful for my experiences there. I did not attend private school for elementary or middle school and entered only knowing four people, but quickly made friends. I was a two sport athlete and benefited from the excellent coaching and caliber of the teams. I was able to receive a full scholarship to my top school choice. I graduated with over a 4.0, so I did not actually need athletics to gain access to college. My AP and honors classes prepared me well. I now have a 3.9 gpa as I enter my junior year at UCLA as a science major. I have the option to graduate a year early due to the AP credits I received at MD. I often think that some of my classes at Mater Dei were harder than classes here. I would highly recommend this school to others!
—Submitted by a student

I graduated from MDHS with a 3.85 GPA. I participated in no sports (I went to 1 football game in 4 years) & was active in AP & Honors classes, arts & music, took Latin & was enrolled in a program to help lower income families. By no means, was I a stereotypical MD student. I had a wonderful experience & a few of my teachers still have lasting impacts on who I am today. These teachers fostered my natural abilities & helped me cultivate an open mind which was so beneficial in college. Many of my college schoolmates went into shock that first semester with the amount of writing & work that needed to be done for GE classes - it was the same routine & discipline that was expected of me at MD, so I easily graduated from college a year early with hard work & a 3.5 GPA.
—Submitted by a student

This school is good overall they have the best teachers and the absolute worst I've ever seen at the same time. Sports are king and definitely rule all decisions I've seen. The academics are excellent. My concern is the unforgiving, unmoving discipline policy that is sometimes 100% unfair. They can suspend a kid with no proof of anything and nobody will return your calls of protest. So if you have a kid who can't walk the straight line 100% of the time- watch out. They discipline severly and permanently for looking at someone wrong.
—Submitted by a parent

This school has an inattentive, apathetic administration. I was disappointed in the lack of professionalism and apathy of about a third of my teachers. On the other hand, the school's renovations are very nice, and some teachers make going to class enjoyable. Based on the cost of tuition and the quality of the education I received from this school, I definitely would not recommend attending.
—Submitted by a student

Attended MDHS myself, as a result of my education I was able to enter my freshman year at UCLA with enough credits to become a 'sophomore' within 1 semester. The opportunities for involvement (no, I was not in any sports team or a cheerleader) and advancement were numerous, diverse, and plentiful. As with all schools, the degree with which students benefit from opportunities equates to the degree in which they take advantage of them. However, I'm not aware of a school that isn't. Initially as a freshman I was fearful of those, but quickly learned that the stereotypes I held were my own prejudices and all high school kids regardless of background share the same insecurities but simply manifest them differently.
—Submitted by a former student

School that only cares about sports.
—Submitted by a student

I attend MD and I think that it is a great high school. I wouldn't want to go anywhere else. The sports program is great and so is the academic programs. The students at MD have a lot of school spirit. I haven't seen any other school with as much school spirit as we do. Everyone here is so nice, the teachers and the students. It's kind of like have a second family. I feel like I belong here. When I came in my freshman year, I felt very welcomed. The pep rallies are great. The teachers, students, and parents are very involved in the school activities. The academic courses are quite challenging but I find that good. I'm always learning new things and the teachers are always inspiring me to do better. MD is a great school! I love it here!
—Submitted by a student

This school is only good for athletes. Academically it is sub-par. My daughter who is now in college is having to take remedial English courses to overcome the MD shortcomings. She graduated with a 3.4 GPA yet she was never encouraged to take AP courses. For the money, it is not an academically sound education. One daughter had to take another language course. We thought our kids would be given a better opportunity to get into one of the better colleges, but she was not accepted at anything better than a state university. On the positive side, MD gives students a great environment. There is a great deal of school pride. But I don't think that is enough to justify the cost.
—Submitted by J.M., a parent

Mater Dei High School is a wonderful Catholic school with a strong academic curriculum. It offers all the core subjects as well as a vast array of extracurricular activities. Mater Dei teachers are very devoted to teaching. Additionally, students are disciplined and given red slips if they misbehave or are out of line. Overall, I believe Mater Dei provides a quality education which gets one ready for college and above.
—Submitted by a former student

This school is really great
—Submitted by a parent

Great school for athletes and motivated kids. Strict discipline for those who need it.
—Submitted by a parent

I believe this is one of the best catholic high schools in the nation! My two sons both attended school here and loved it! They got a great education and were both very involved in football! They are a Good program and the school is great!
—Submitted by a parent

Extremely high quality in academics and sports programs. High percentage goes to college and many goes to highly rated private colleges and UC schools. Parents are encouraged to volunteer as well as students to the school activities, and students are required to do 80 hours of community service in order to graduate. Every year, they hold a Special Olympics which is run by the students themselves. I highly recommend it. Unfortunately, also expensive.
—Submitted by a former student

Mdhs was 4 of the greatest years of my life. The teachers were great, I learned so much and at the same time I had a lot of fun. Academecally mdhs prepared me for everything that I am experiencing now. College is actually easier then being at mdhs. I was a student athlete at mdhs and I still am at the collegiant level. I learned how to work hard in and out of the class room because that is what is expected from you at mdhs. The parents I think are the ones that make everything possible at this school. Every dance, dinner, lunch, and atheletic event is made possible because of the parents. They are so involved in everything that we do. Mater dei high school is school with a lot of pride and I am still proud to say that I am a monarch.
—Submitted by a former student

Academics for the most part are very, very good. The school really focuses on getting your student into the college he/she chooses. There is great comradere. Teaching of the Bible and emphasizing it's standards is poor. I expected much more.
—Submitted by Christine H, a parent