Ursuline Academy

85 Lowder Street

Dedham, MA 02026

23 Reviews

School District
Grade

7-12
Type

private

Find Homes for Sale in this School Zone

Reviews

Submitted by parent on November 19, 2024

Caveat emptor. Looks great on the surface, but much of the support evaporates once your student is enrolled. Our child was a transfer student who experienced multiple disquieting interactions with faculty who seemed more focused on shaming her than investing in her growth and development.
Submitted by parent on October 24, 2024

Our daughter entered Ursuline Academy last year when she was in 7th grade, now in 8th grade.We are very happy with Ursuline! From our daughter's perspective, she has loved the sense of community and the welcoming atmosphere. The school encourages such a strong sense of sisterhood and friendship among the girls. Our daughter is academically challenged and enjoys her teachers who are very engaging and dedicated to what they are doing as educators. As a parent it is heartwarming to pick up a child from school who is happy with her school environment. As parents we are also very impressed with the staff and what they are doing to academically challenge the girls.There is a strong focus on growth that is in clear view to us as parents.The school itself runs beautifully. Communication to and with parents is strong. Clearly a dynamic environment where it seems they are always working on ways to improve things. The campus is nestled in a wooded area which lends itself to a peaceful and safe atmosphere.Very nice academic and sports facilities.Fields and tennis courts are impressive as well.If you are looking for an all-girls Catholic school for your daughter that has a strong history and a stable, promising future, Ursuline Academy is an excellent choice.
Submitted by parent on October 10, 2024

My daughter is currently in 8th grade at Ursuline Academy and is thriving. We have found the community to be amazing- great parent involvement and the teachers really care that the kids do well and excel.
Submitted by parent on August 10, 2021

Ursuline Academy has given our daughter the opportunity to be the best version of herself academically, as well as athletically. During these formative years, it was important that we could rely on a school that assisted us, as parents, in building confidence in our daughter and helping her to achieve excellence to the best of her ability. Ursuline keeps our daughter engaged in her studies, and allows for a great experience on the field or on stage. She has made wonderful friendships that expand beyond the walls of the school. I highly recommend Ursuline Academy to help get the best out of your daughter!
Submitted by parent on April 07, 2021

Ursuline Academy is the worst! It was a very expensive disappointment. Some of the teachers are terrible. The math department needs a complete overhaul. The middle school foreign language teacher is mean! She had a student come to her class alone and proceeded to scream at her. The teacher is still there. The bullying, depression and anxiety is at an all time high at Ursuline. The teachers give work to give work.
Submitted by other on February 11, 2021

I wish I could give this school zero stars. It is the most toxic environment. Do not let your daughter come here. She will develop depression.
Submitted by parent on October 20, 2019

Ursuline has been a nurturing, academically challenging environment where my two daughters have felt safe pushing intellectual boundaries. The environment is collaborative both among the students and among students and faculty. Our daughters definitely feel empowered and appreciate the work they are doing will prepare them for college.
Submitted by parent on October 18, 2019

Our daughter's experience at Ursuline has been excellent. She is completely ready to graduate and succeed in college.
Submitted by other on November 23, 2018

The school is very expensive for what you get. They only want the perfect student.
Submitted by parent on November 14, 2018

Poor. Strangely joyless place. They seem to relish overworking the girls without encouraging s love of learning
Submitted by parent on September 17, 2018

Excellent. We're happy that we chose Ursuline for our daughter.
Submitted by parent on September 12, 2018

Fantastic and everything we wanted for our daughter!!
Submitted by parent on January 10, 2018

We've had an awful experience at this school. The 7th grade girls are mixed in with the older girls. There is a lot of vaping and behavior the younger girls should not be exposed to. The leadership is poor. Guidance is unhelpful. There is no sense of a middle school experience. Also, the Big Sister/Little Sister program that they rave about does not really exist. My daughter's big sister ignores her, as do the big sisters of her friends. We regret choosing this school.
Submitted by other on November 15, 2016

Sweet little school but there is something amiss.... The homework load is frightening, insane really. The substantial benefit of private or Catholic schools is that teachers can teach, without the handcuffing of bloated policy, mandated tests and uninspiring curriculum. BUT, I often wonder if the administration oversees the daily grind at all...The homework in the Theology classes is staggering. Essays, Theology vocab, and gobs and gobs of reading. My son attends another Catholic school and it's soooo different. Theology is his favorite class, very discussion based, and the tests are designed to 'test' if a kid has slowed down and put some thought into life ,(awesome!). If I had to do it again I'd look elsewhere. In general, I feel the girls are not terribly happy, the workload is a grind, and the spirit is lukewarm for sure. I have four children in different private and Catholic schools, and Ursuline despite its value price ($19 in 2016) is far and away missing the 'whole' student thing.
Submitted by parent on August 13, 2015

My daughters have had a wonderful experience at UA. Yes the academics are strong but even more important is the character development which takes place here. All these years , UA has stayed true to it's mission and the results are obvious. Show me a UA grad and I will show you a strong woman who makes good choices.Isn't that what life is all about?
Submitted by student on July 29, 2015

Ursuline Academy is a great choice of school at which to pursue your future. Not only does it have extremely strong academics, but the school is also committed to developing the whole person, making girls into confident, capable leaders.Academically speaking, Ursuline provides a challenging curriculum which prepares the girls for college, evidenced by the 100% matriculation rate to four-year colleges. There are course placement options, however, to help girls learn according to their individual ability. All classes are college preparatory, and honors and Advanced Placement programs are offered as well. The 12:1 student-faculty ratio provides an environment in which girls can easily get help from any member of the faculty if she is struggling.With 37 extracurricular clubs/teams offered as well as 14 sports programs (all with multiple levels of teams), girls are encouraged to bring their inside out. Every girl will find something she is passionate about at the Academy, and is encouraged to take those passions as far as she can: a few years ago two students founded an a cappella group which has been fully embraced by the school.The athletic teams at Ursuline have done very well, and the programs grow each year. The Arts program at Ursuline has also been growing each year. Members of the Speech Team have gone to nationals for two years in a row, the Choral Group has been invited to perform at the Providnce Bruins for multiple years in a row now, and the Drama program involves about a third of the school. Overall, Ursuline Academy is an independent school in the Boston area which provides an academically rigorous environment while also forming young women to be athletes, artists, and leaders. There is a financial aid program available to make it an opportunity for all girls, and it would be a great investment in your/your daughter's future by giving the gift of an Ursuline education.
Submitted by other on July 23, 2015

I had a great experience at UA and found myself very well prepared for college. I worked hard and it paid off and I appreciate the support I got from my teachers. The community is amazing and the all girl school environment provided a place where I came out of my shell. I miss Ursuline, the friends I made there and the teachers that challenged and supported me.
Submitted by other on June 02, 2015

Ursuline. Wow. This school is awful. It has brought me nothing but pain. I am only a freshman right now and I have been going here for 3 years, of which I deeply regret. This school causes me lack of sleep, depression, stress levels through the roof, and much much more anguish. I can't believe that Ursuline has the world thinking that they are such a great school when in reality the students are tortured. Sending your daughter here would cause pain for not only her, but also you because you have to watch her suffer through the agonizing 6 years here and no one wants that. Ursuline also has midterms and finals that cause the girls to want to literally die. No one wants to watch their child suffer so I recommend to you never sending your daughter, grand daughter, niece, god daughter, or anyone else to this school. EVER.
Submitted by other on May 04, 2015

I graduated from this school a few years ago. While it provided me with an excellent academic preparation for college, it left me and many of my friends with mental scarring that has yet to leave us, though we are all finishing college now. Ursuline gives the phrase, "pressure cooker" a whole new meaning. Many of the students were under constant stress due to the impossible expectations placed by both parents and teachers. 5+ hours of homework a night was a standard, and in order to appeal to colleges, counselors would force students to participate in at least one school club and one extracurricular. A culture of self-harm was rampant during my time here, and I knew of many girls who attended therapy to help cope with the extreme anxiety they suffered. This school will teach you how to write a great essay and will make you like a great candidate on paper when applying to college, but it's a hostile environment. If you care about getting her into a top-rate university more than your daughter's mental well-being, definitely send her here.
Submitted by parent on April 01, 2015

My daughter was at UA for four years. At first I was impressed by the school's reputation but I quickly learned that it wasn't justified - what made the school great were the kids that went there. With a couple of exceptions, the teachers were mediocre or just plain poor. There was no instructional leadership and no mentoring or curriculum pacing for junior teachers. Lots of teachers were mean and unaccommodating, and the guidance department was unhelpful. I would not recommend UA to any prospective family. There are plenty of better options.