Notre Dame Preparatory School

Notre Dame Prep is not a friendly place. If you child did not go to Marist or Holy Family, please pause before committing to NDP. If they tell you that your child will be nurtured and that their students are very welcoming, this is not the case at all. The admitting department is very friendly - look beyond this. The athletic department is deplorable - coaches and staff are unprofessional and allowed to behave without bounds. NDP is not worth the money academically - class sizes can be quite large, some teachers are not great, and they cancel core classes from year to year depending on interest (i.e. AP Physics). Students act very privileged and love to form cliques and go out of their way to make others feel left out. Not a Christian atmosphere. Having attended a Catholic high school myself, I expected better from NDP.
—Submitted by a parent

I love Marist Academy K-5, Mr Frank is an EXCELLENT teacher and I wish there were more teachers like him, but I am deeply disappointed with the middle and higher school. For outside kids transferring into the higher schools The administration leads you to believe that they care about your child and want whats best for the child, but that isn't true, it comes down to an interview and test scores without ever really getting to know the child!! All along they keep telling you, oh we look at all types of factors but that isn't true! It is very disappointing to think one thing and learn another...
—Submitted by a parent

sounds like if you have money your in and if not, oh well we dont want you. After reading these reviews I am going to pass on ND for my two daughters!
—Submitted by a parent

I disagree completely with the poster who said that NDP has a bias toward the Marist Academy kids. My daughter transferred to this school her senior year. I was apprehensive as she didn't know anyone, but I could not believe how quickly she was accepted by the students and staff. She made a ton of friends and excelled in her studies. The classes were tough and motivated her to try harder. I think she finally learned how to write papers due to her AP English teacher's efforts. I can't say enough about the student body--the thing that stood out in my mind, at NDP it is cool to be smart. I would recommend Notre Dame Prep to anyone looking for a private school education.
—Submitted by a parent

It seems that most of the good reviews for NDP embody what the school really is: a big advertisment of "what they have to offer". The attitude of the students, staff, and administration is that once you've registered for the school, they don't need to put up the smokescreen anymore because they've "already got you". It's always about the money or the trophy with them. NDP's academics are basically slapping an IB sticker on everything they assign, and bias toward the MA kids is apparent. The entire school is comprised of cliques, and it's extremely hard to mingle with more than one of them. The school is incredibly "exclusive" in that they don't care about your child unless you donate money for them to buy a new building or an addition to a sports team. Notre Dame Prep is not worth the time, money, or aggravation.

I am currently a junior at NDP, and I sincerely couldn't be more happy. There are so many positive aspects of the school. The main focus is academics, in which we rank highest among all Catholic schools in Michigan. The education I am receiving is unparalleled to any area school. There are so many opportunities for advancement within the school curriculum. Some classes are harder than others, but all classes are academically challenging. A parent below seemed to suggest the school does little to help struggling students, yet nothing could be farther from the truth. Tutoring by fellow students is done every week by members of the National Honors Society in the Media Center, and teachers, at least in my experience, have ALWAYS been accommodating when I needed assistance in their classes. Our beautiful landscaping (which is done by a former student's company) reflects the positivity of the atmosphere inside.
—Submitted by a student

I am the parent of a sophomore student and couldn't be happier. The school is a great balance of academics, athletics, arts and extra-curricular activities. The environment is very welcoming, the families nice and the teachers and coaches will do anything to help a student be successful. I highly recommend that parents check it out.
—Submitted by a parent

Our son just finished his freshman year at NDP and we're glad we chose this school over Brother Rice or Shrine. The school is the right size (about 800 students), is challenging academically, and offers fantastic facilities for athletics and the arts. We consider this experience an investment in our son's future. When you consider the Class of 2009 earned nearly $12million in scholarship money to some of the best universities in the country, it's an investment we can't afford not to make. We Are.....N D !!!
—Submitted by a parent

Notre Dame Prep is a great school that gives it's students the proper tools that they need to succeed in college. As a freshman in college I found my college courses to be easier than the classes that I had previously taken at Notre Dame Prep. It is definitely a preparatory school and I'm very thankful that I had the opportunity to attend this prestigous school.
—Submitted by a student

And outstanding academic environment on a beautiful campus with great facilities. Has added the International Baccalaureate Program to its already impressive academics.
—Submitted by a parent

When the school became NDP it was small, intimate and supported the students. However if your child is experiencing any academic difficulties there is little to no support. I had a great feel for the school with my first 2 kids, it was wonderful. I had to pull my youngest and there was very little empathy for his situation. I gave up using my time and checkbook to keep him afloat. He will graduate this year with a good feeling about himself as a person, not the loser kid in class, and he has had the same level of classes and teaching in the public setting.
—Submitted by a parent

Good place if you are rich. Mostly spoiled brats here. Religion is used as a cover for everything. What a joke!
—Submitted by a parent

The education provided at NDP is one that is likely lesser than on of a public school in the oakland county area. I made the move to private education in seventh grade, and until i reached high school it seemed worth it. Money from fundraisers is used to support building renovations and outrageous landscaping to lure new students to the campus instead of a much-needed increase in teacher salaries and better pieces of educational equipment for classrooms (books, labaratory equipment, etc).

The academics at this school are excellent. Offering around 20 AP classes so the kids can get a jump start on college credits. The teachers challenge the kids which is something some parents don't understand, but it is necessary. There are 3-4 types of bands, and 4 choirs. Art classes ranging from beginning painting, drawing, and pottery, to AP Art History. They offer countless clubs my son was only in varsity club, and national honor society, but there are others such as sadd, optimist, pro-life, and robotics. Sports are a good activity there but most programs are still growing. Overall its a good school with strict disciple and high standards.
—Submitted by a parent

Academically, this school was pretty good. There were a quite a few good teachers, but some who were very inexperienced and hard to learn with as well. This school was by no means a pleasant learning environment. While this school boasts a good Catholic status, various forms of bullying go unnoticed or unattended. I have known kids who end up hatful and full of resentment after being sent to this school, and efforts are not taken to make improvements for this matter.
—Submitted by a former student

This school is awesome for academics, you can actually get college credits to end up skipping a semester or even 2 for college.
—Submitted by a student