Notre Dame High School

I disagree with the totally negative reviews of this school. While EVERY school has its problems, you can't entirely blame the school for them. It is a good school with countless opportunities for teenagers who choose to take advantage of them. If someone thinks it's "overrated" then they are free to go elsewhere. As Catholic high schools go, it is reasonably priced and offers a great education for students who are willing to show up and do the work. As my son graduates from Notre Dame this year, I look back on the last 4 years and feel he got as much from it as he put into it. He got a good education, got into a good college and seemed happy during those 4 years. We would choose ND again in a minute.
—Submitted by a parent

Terrible school, very overrated. Expensive for a poor quality of education. Bullying is not addressed as well.
—Submitted by a parent

As the parent of two Notre Dame graduates, I would have to say that the great majority of the teaching staff is outstanding! I caution any parent however that the campus ministry program needs more administrative supervision. It is a tremendous responsibility to guide students in their spiritual life and a tragedy when this responsibility is disregarded. This situation is really a sad blemish on an otherwise fantastic school.
—Submitted by a parent

The children who work hard do well on their SAT's and that is from personal experience. She is applying to very competitive colleges. I live in a town with a GREAT reputation for the school system but chose ND. She has been very happy.
—Submitted by a parent

My daughter is a junior at Notre Dame. We are thrilled with this school!! Faculty is fabulous---always available to the students. They truly want the students to succeed. It has a very warm, caring environment. The guidance counselors are a tremendous help with the college search. The athletic coaches are great. We could not have made a better choice of schools for our daughter, whom by the way, absolutely loves Notre Dame.
—Submitted by a parent

My son is a freshman at Notre Dame. I have read the other reviews and so far I have to disagree with the negative ones. This school has done so much to assist the incoming freshman with getting acclamated and in trying to disuade their fears of a new environment. When I went to a catholic high school, none of this was done. I am envious and would love to be a teenager again. My son has nothing but great things to say thus far. School is what you make of it. If you do not participate then you will be unhappy. The same goes for life.. If you stay home and complain that noone includes you, then you will not be included. Besides being a christian environment, the size of the school being small, provides the students more opportunity than if they were in a large schoolmore students.
—Submitted by a parent

Notre Dame HS is overhyped. The curriculum is OK but no better than the public schools in the area. At the price they charge its not a great value. Its a friendly enough environment for the students but the average SAT scores are nothing to write home about.
—Submitted by a parent

Notre Dame is a very, very, very competative school athletically and theatrically. If either are your reasons for attending this school, look elsewhere. (I say that out of personal experience.) The academics are nothing special, either- nearby public school students have ranked higher on the SATs that most students here.
—Submitted by a student

I am a recent graduate of Notre Dame High School and have nothing negative to say about the school. I went to my public high school freshman year and transferred to Notre Dame where I was welcomed into a loving and caring environment. The relationships I developed with my teachers and peers could not be matched. As a current college student, I found that Notre Dame made my transition from high school to college easier than those around me. It prepared me for the work and gave me the tools I need to be a better student. Notre Dame has taught me everything I need to know to continue my life and I would recommend this school to anyone.
—Submitted by a student

Notre Dame High school is an outsanding high school. There is a solid comittment to the students and to comunity service. The students are well prepared for going on to college and are taught to be solid citizens and to giveback to the community.
—Submitted by a parent

As an alumnus from the class of 2006 (and a graduate of a prestigious university), I look back on my high school years as 4 years of pure excitement, joy and love. I was given the opportunity by so many dedicated teachers to experiment and find what interested me. I made friends that, despite living several hours away, are still my closest friends. I was given the tools I needed to succeed: in academics (Mrs. McGraw's DBQ writing boot camp taught me to think both analytically and linguistically.), in confidence (learning to conquer stage fright by singing in quartets in Madrigal with Mr. G) and in personal connections (learning everyone's story on Kairos). While I refuse to believe high school is the peak of my life, it certainly was some of the happiest times thus far.

As a former student and now a parent, I would regard Notre Dame HS as being slightly higher than a votech scool in preparing students for college. Notre Dame does not prepare students for top, Ivy Leagues status schools. My peers who went to their local public shoolc recieved a far superior education than I.
—Submitted by a parent

Notre Dame HS is not what it claims to be -- a Catholic Christian establishment. My friends who attend this school all share the same comment regarding the overall environment of the school. They all say that the Christian aspects that are supposed to be there are almost nonexistant. The school seems to be more focused in molding 'worldly wise' students rather than focusing upon imparting values and morals.

I had one child graduate from this school. Two of my children are currently attending Notre Dame. I wish I was a teenager again so that I could go to this school. It is fantastic. The school has such a warm and friendly atmosphere, great classes and teachers, and wonderful extracurricular activities.
—Submitted by a parent

I would definately send my futre children to a school like this. I am currently a student in the 12 grade and I have had an awesome experience there. most of the teachers are understanding and fun. the facility is great. I played football and I did great. the coaches help on not just a team level but an individual level. the people I met there were great and I feel that when I arrived there I entered as a child and left an adult. It has been the best four years of my life. the only bad experience I had was that they 'got rid of' our favorite vice principle, Mr witherspoon. he related to every student and never scolded. he treated us all as individuals and we all miss him. other than that it has been great.
—Submitted by tcav, a student

I have had two children graduate from Notre Dame with a third currently a senior. I would highly recommend this school to anyone who is interested in college preparatory classes and outstanding extracirricular activities.
—Submitted by a parent