Private School
French American International School and International High School
- grade A+Overall Grade
- Private
- PK, K-12
- San Francisco, CA
- Rating 3.85 out of 5 97 reviews
French American International School and International High School Reviews
Rating 3.85 out of 5 97 reviews
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I have been going to French American since I was four years old and I've had an amazing experience. There are great teachers who are always there to help you learn and provide external resources. The same goes for the high school which helps us a lot with academic needs such as learning accommodations and college counselors who have helped countless people get into amazing colleges (domestic and international). I think like any school it has its flaws which I would say would be school culture and diversity. The school is working on it but struggles with diversity with a very little population of students of color. The school does, however, create seminars about race and the importance of racial awareness and activism.
The school is also so focused on academics that it forgets about school culture which has become rather weak.
But in general, it is a wonderful school that is really strong academically and cares for its students and their needs, always looking out for the students.
The school is also so focused on academics that it forgets about school culture which has become rather weak.
But in general, it is a wonderful school that is really strong academically and cares for its students and their needs, always looking out for the students.
I love the community and feel very welcome here at IHS. The teachers are always there to support students and the students are super friendly!
Ironically, mostly everyone's least favorite class is french. It's not engaging, and the school does not teach it well. There is a cramped space for the middle schoolers. nothing gets done when there is no room to work. extracurriculars are weak, if not non-existent. classes are uninspired and the lessons are dull and stupid. it is a poorly managed school where the only thing that gets updated is the wallpaper and the recess equipment (which only half the school uses). with a miniscule amount of children per grade, you'd think the teachers would engage more with the students one on one. But the only time a teacher and student talk in private is when one is yelling at the other in the hallway. Study hall is nothing but an excuse to watch youtube and harass teachers. Overall this a bad school where kids learn nothing of value and beg to be transferred by the 5th grade.
DO NOT SEND YOUR KID HERE. I do not know a single student who attends this school and says that they like it. Even the best teachers here cannot compare to the worst teachers at my new school. The teachers do not care about the students, are unprepared and unenthusiastic in both the middle school and high school. This school sucks the joy out of learning through the intense work overload and boring lessons. Through the IB, students are required to TEACH THEMSELVES high level material and complete large projects without any guidance from the teachers. The list goes on of why I will never ever send my kids here. But just know that going to International makes a kid hate learning and school.
Middle School is the worst. It’s being badly mismanaged. The school's understanding of education is so backward and punitive. The school doesn’t care about or respect students’ basic rights or wellbeing. The overall environment is oppressive and dystopian.
Overall, I got into an amazing college so I'm happy. But as a black student, I had a less than favorable experience. Good luck to you all!
International High School is an incredible school offering the full IB Diploma to all of its students. At the heart of San Francisco's civic center, it has incredible and rigorous arts programs that draw aspiring artists of all types from all over the city. As a private school, its cost significantly hampers diversity.
Overall, great student body and teachers. Classes really push students to think analytically, especially in math and english. However, the French Bac is definetly overshadowed by the IB, but in comparing work load, the amount of work in the French Bac seems excessive. As a student, I had extreme levels of stress and felt that we got little recognition or reward for the amount of work we put into our academics. Aside from that, great extra curricular and service opportunities though the faculty does a poor job in encouraging its students to join early on. They also give pretty much no standardized testing prep. Aside from all these downsides, I feel that both the IB and the French Bac offer an unmatched curriculum. The student body is diverse, accepting, little to no bullying. Everyone is extremely friendly as ihs puts a lot of emphasis on its student body being very accepting.
This School is some hot trash. Teachers are totally unmotivated, curriculum is so outdated, and there is a ton of bias among teachers in regards to some students. This school hires teachers who are completely unqualified. For some unknown reason, they allow the kids with parents who have money and are completely insane to stay in the school and terrorize other students
I love that everyone’s least favorite class is French class. The teachers don’t care about their students, nor does the administrators.
Regardless of the course you take (IB or BAC), the school is academically excellent. They offer a large range of courses that would be hard to find elsewhere (like Arabic, global politics, economics, and many others). Socially, there is a unique experience of the French aspect, thus the school attracts a large amount of European (and sometimes other) immigrants as well as the children of immigrants. Because of this ethnically and culturally it is very diverse however racially it can be a little bit less (although still very good as compared to several other Bay Area private school). In terms of social dynamics, as a newcomer in freshman, I always felt welcome and the community is very kind and welcoming. However, the main fault of the school is the facility; it is very small we struggle to find space for classes/people/sports/anything. This being said, recently plans were revealed to build a new building for High School, which would effectively solve most of these issues.
International High School (IHS) is a wonderful school that prepares students for university through the rigorous International Baccalaureate/French Baccalaureate curriculum. The teachers and faculty are very supportive and always try to help the students in any way they can. Although some of the facilities are not state of the art, the school makes it up with their challenging yet rewarding curriculum. Additionally, the college counselors at the school really help students find the right schools that fit for them and they are also very helpful throughout the college application process in general. In addition to that, International High School has an amazing global travel program where students can choose to go to places such as Burma, China/Tibet, Galapagos, etc. International High School of San Francisco is the perfect school for any student who is wants to push themselves academically, has a passion for theatre or sports, and have a strong desire to travel.
International really prepares you for college. The IB program and French Bac really challenges students, but in the end it is all worth it. The sports program is not really good, most of the kids there do not look to play sports, but there are a few. All the coaches love the sports there and are not just casual sports fans, they have a good background in sports. This school is also a great way to learn another language and if you already know one it is a great way to master that language.
Inconsistent policies, workload, odd environment with faculty. I survived and learned well how to do so (navigating bureaucracy and skirting rules where I could — good skills for the real world I imagine), but my friends either stopped caring or were so burned out at the end.
Hit or miss. Some excellent teachers (though many left my last year), some going through the motions. They talk a good game, but when it comes down to it, there isn’t much consistency.
The classes are really variable in terms of how good they are, and all the good teachers are leaving. I'm a junior—our IB classes are two years long—and all six of my teachers are leaving this year.
If you are an artist or an avid sports player, this school is perfect. It is full of creative energy wherever you go. The academics are extremely rigorous, whether you take the IB, or the BAC. You must know this is not like any other school. But, you learn to think beyond the box (very cliché but it's true), and to apply your knowledge to something you have no idea about. In other words, it is not about memorization, but about critical thinking. Plus, Hayes Valley has suchhhhhh good food!