Archbishop Spalding High School

My son is a freshman at Spalding. He is one that never enjoyed going to school even though he has always done well academically. Now, his demeanor and attitude towards school has changed. He absolutely loves Spalding! Our mornings for the first time are great. The school holds the students to the highest standards when it comes to academics. Students are held accountable. The administration and staff communicate well with the parents and students. They also encourage their students to be involved with sports or the other many extra activities that are offered. The Catholic faith and beliefs are not only taught, but are incorporated in the daily structure of the school. There is much truth to the school motto, that they are all, "One in Christ." Thank you, Archbishop Spalding High School,
—Submitted by a parent

In terms of academics, I think Spalding is lacking. They have a range of levels in classes, but I was only really academically challenged starting senior year. Since then, involvement in AP classes have increased the difficulty and volume of my workload. Teachers in general are average. Most of the AP teachers are good, though. The english, math, and history departments are the comparatively the strongest, while the science department is very weak. Foreign language is largely Spanish, with single teachers for french and latin. Sports are stressed, but the Music department is amazingly dedicated, with many talented students. Unfortunately, the administration doesn't seem to recognize this as the facilities and budget provided to the music department are embarrassingly poor, while the sports teams recently got a new football field, track, gym, and workout room. Unfortunately, the archdiocese seems to control quite a bit of Spalding's policies, although it doesn't contribute much to the school monetarily. This results in daily religion classes and school-wide masses - all without any clear moral improvement to the student body. Religion is definitely the school's biggest downside.
—Submitted by a student

Freshman year was my first year at Spalding and my first year in Maryland. I found friends very quickly even though I am on the quiet side. The big plus for me was that a Spalding has a wide range of kids that differ personality wise. You will not have any trouble finding your group that shares the same interests as you. There are also a ton of clubs here and sports to choose from. Plus, Spalding kids are very friendly and accepting of people. The only downside is the strictness of the administration here, and sometimes it can be a little annoying. If you are coming from a public school, this may take some getting used to. The other thing you should know is that there is no air conditioning here, so if it is 90+ degrees outside, they will close the school or let you out early...which is nice at times. The other thing is that Spalding is a very Catholic school and teaches conservative values in Religion class, but there is a good amount of liberals here too. Spalding kids also tend to be more from upper class families. But I guess the real reason that I like Spalding so much, is that I found it easy to make friends here.
—Submitted by a student

Spalding has a great academic, athletic and religious life environment. The faculty and staff go out of their way to help the students in any way possible. The majority of the students are good hearted and well rounded. Great school!

While Spalding is definitely a private school, there is high rate of diversity, more so than other private schools. Spalding's academics are very much suited to the class you are taking (e.g. all the kids in the class are on the same level.) Spalding has a wealth of clubs and sports programs, so there is something for everyone to get involved in. Some complain about the tuition and the rules, but Spalding is very much a laid back school and there are really not a lot of rules to abide by. Some public school transfers complain about the rules and the structure, but they say that is 'just because there aren't drug busts or fights.' I would recommend Spalding to any student that wants to be challenged athletically, academically, and has a desire for interaction with other students and a large group of friends.
—Submitted by a student

We sent all three of our children to Spalding and have never regretted it. All three blossomed into well rounded, productive individuals who went on to fine universities with scholarships. Many of the other comments mention the athletic program as being great. It is but one area where Spalding excels. Their music program is TOP NOTCH and the 'unsung hero' of the school. Spalding may not be perfect but it's a far cry from the public school environment of today. Discipline is firm but fair and reasonable. Your child will get out of this school what they put into it.
—Submitted by a parent

I am a student at spalding and am very upset with the school. Although the school has decent sports programs, they are very political. Spalding is a very strict school and worries too much about unneccessary things. Also, there is a big issue with the transition from a public school to spalding. It is very difficult and i have heard numerous complaints from those type of students.

This school was AMAZING. Great teachers, great curriculum, and being that it was a high school, the kids were as nice and well mannered as they _can_ be. I hope to send my kids here.
—Submitted by a student

As the parent of a Spalding graduate as well as of a current student, I have experienced three different high schools with my children. I think that the academics at Spalding are very good. I have a daughter who graduated in 2005 who received several academic scholarship offers from colleges. She is excelling in college because of her excellent preparation in high school. She claims that the writing instruction expecially was top-notch at Spalding and has really helped her in her college classes. The teachers at Spalding are more accessible than at Public Schools for extra help and they know who the students are. The sports programs are really excellent especially now due to the addition of several freshman teams. Socially it's probably only average due to students coming from several far flung areas. It's sometimes difficult to find your niche.
—Submitted by a parent

During my time at Spalding, I did enjoy the social environment. The academics at the school were sub-par, despite being named a Blue Ribbon School at the time. At Spalding, I was a straight 'A', honors athlete that transferred after sophomore year. The transfer to an Anne Arundel County public school really opened my eyes to the weak academic environment. I feel as though the program combined with tuition would make the school less than desirable to any parent.
—Submitted by a former student

I have a daughter in 10th grade here. The school itself is pretty strict. There is a strict dress code. There are not many opportunities for getting together. When I was in high school, we had five or six dances. Those dances were important to the students. Spalding only has two for freshmen and sophmores, three for juniors, and three for seniors. I am not as pleased with this school as I would like. Some of the teachers are very rude. I wish that my daughter shadowed at Severn School so she would not have to go through the transferring process. I am very dissapointed. One of the only pros is the sports program. They have a very nice sports program. Spalding is basically a public school that you have to pay for and buy a uniform for.
—Submitted by a parent

My son is a senior and I have been very pleased with the school. The academic standards are high. Sports programs are great. In general, for a Catholic School, it was more liberal than I would have liked. I would like the school to be harder on the dress code, especially of girls.
—Submitted by a parent

I am actually a student here! Currently I am a junior and Spalding is a great school! From the teachers to the students the quality of life is here is awesome! Although, like every high school, there are minor problems that arise during the school year, the adminstration, faculty, and students work hard to mutually solve the problems.