Duchesne Academy of the Sacred

It is an amazing school. My daughter loves going there. Even at PreK level they do science projects, learn about different countries of the world. They learn amazing facts. It has a great curriculum!
—Submitted by a parent

Attended this school for 7 years. In summary, Duchesne is dominated by the wealthy of River Oaks and the better parts of Memorial etc. Based on my experience, I can say that the Popular group consists of children from the wealthy families who donate to the school and assist in fundraising and charity through the efforts of house mothers who are wealthy enough not to work and therefore spend their sole efforts on the benefit of their child. About 1/3 of any class will live a life of ostracism. As there are no boys and little time for outside activity due to the overwhelming amount of homework, many of the girls become overweight. The nuns and administration cater to the wealthier families, which is self-evident in the special treatment of these children. Girls from less affluent families will benefit from a good education, but their self-esteems may just go out the window. There is prevalent bullying and definite tight knit clicks. If a child here is not a part of the right click, their lives as Duchesne may well be very difficult, as was my experience. As a final word of advice, if you are not from a wealthy and influential family this most likely is not the right school for you.

I am going to be a senior at Duchesne next year. I've been at Duchesne for several years now and have mixed feelings. My rating is based off of my experience in the HS. Don't send your child here if she isn't prepared to work for 4+ hours every night on homework and sacrifice much of her social life. Duchesne is strong academically but does not cater to students' mental well-being. Teachers have been in the school so long that they seem to think their class is the only one that exists. I go into school every day exhausted and with a cup of coffee in my hand. Advanced and AP classes (like AP biology which I took) add hours of homework to an already heavy workload. It does pay off though- most girls in AP biology received a 4 or 5 on their exam. Duchesne has excellent english and history curriculums, but to be frank, their math program is depressingly bad. Overall, I think Duchesne made me a better student but I am going to not have an advantage over kids that have a much higher GPA. I made a 1990 on the SAT and have a 3.3 GPA- my lower GPA doesn't line up with my pretty high test scores. Enter with caution! Duchesne is crazy.

I am a former student. I attended HS at DASH. If I had to rate the academics alone, it would get five stars. The English classes I had at DASH were better than my college English classes. I loved most of my teachers and even went to plays and events outside of school with them. However, the social atmosphere can only be described as toxic. Many, many students had psychological disorders by the end of their tenure at DASH. Most common were eating disorders, depression and anxiety disorders. The pressure to compete, both academically an socially are intense. Now, it has been over 5 years since I graduated, so things may have changed, but I urge all parents to carefully consider if their child can deal with the environment. I have such mixed feelings about my time there- the classes are so helpful, college classes were easy compared to DASH classes- but I was left feeling anxious and insecure from the pressure. It took counseling for me to regain my confidence and for me to move forward in life. However, the stress did do one thing for me- it made me discover that I want to be a therapist and that is what I am studying in grad school now.

ok so i am going into 6th and i must say that duchesne is hard bu it is worth it if u want a good collage great teachers fun with friends and sometimes i would like to drop out but then i say i need a good collage so i just forget it i am a student

What I realize that many above have not written is the amount of work that you receive! Yes I love the enviornment, but teachers assign work as if that was your only class. I am currently taking 3 adv courses, and I regret going to this school because I have no social life or time to do my hobbies.
—Submitted by a student

Duchesne has an amazing atmosphere. The girls are very happy and the teachers and staff are wonderful. My daughter is in lower school and this is her first year at DASH. She is so excited about going to school everyday...Now that is what I am excited about.
—Submitted by a parent

I'm a 'lifer' (been at Duchesne since Pre-K) and I'm currently a junior. Duchesne is a great school and has an amazing atmosphere. There's alot of social awareness apportunities at DASH as well. It is also not as religious as some might think. Juniors and seniors get to pick their religion classes from a wide variety including a class on World Religions, Peacemaking, Social Justice, etc. Different opinions are very welcome at Duchesne.
—Submitted by a student

Duchesne is a wonderful school.
—Submitted by a parent

duchesne is my all time favorite school. good learning eviorment! would definityly recommend it
—Submitted by a student

My daughter has attended this all-girl, Catholic school pre-k through 7th & is entering 8th. Topnotch teachers, superior academics, cutting edge technology: smartboards, individual laptops starting in middle school. They provide a nurturing environment that fosters strong, confident girls. While the school is Catholic affiliated and Catholic in its religious focus, girls from every religious background are welcome and thrive here. If you want your daughter to attend an all-girl's school that will embue them with the finest education and allow them to excel to their fullest academic potential in an academically challenging environment, then you can do no better than this school.
—Submitted by a parent

This is a great school. It's very well run and organized.
—Submitted by a parent

I would recommend this school for girls who want to achieve in a nurturing, well-rounded, inspirational environment. The Lower School provides the warmth, enrichment and parent presence that makes all the girls feel secure yet chalenged. The school is increasingly academically chanllenging and begins a required laptop program in the 6th grade. There are drama and sports opportunitites and the only thing which could improve is the instrument/band program, which is nonexistent. Parent involvement is quite high and you're never made to feel unwelcome.
—Submitted by a parent

The academic programs are top notch as are the nurturing and spiritual elements of the school. wonderful environment.
—Submitted by a parent

My daughter started at DASH (as Duchesne Academy is known) in kindergarten and is now entering 4th grade, so most of my comments are specific to the lower school. Of all the private schools we looked at in the Houston area, DASH seemed the most balanced. There is a very strong focus on academics, but not to the exclusion of all else. All of the families, and hence all of the students, have strong family values that really limits the cliques that other schools might experience. The teachers and the faculty are very good at building in the girls a joy of learning. Best of all, my daughter absolutely loves the school, her teachers, and her friends. It is great having a daughter that really enjoys her school. That, I think, is typical of a Duchesne student. We are confident that middle and upper school is the same.
—Submitted by a parent