Archbishop Mitty High School

5000 Mitty Way

San Jose, CA 95129

22 Reviews

School District
Grade

9-12
Type

private

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Reviews

Submitted by parent on September 23, 2023

The administration at this school is awful. I had two children attend but actively discouraged my youngest to even apply. They talk about themselves as progressive, fosteringsocial-emotional learning in students as part of Dr Denise Pope's Challenge Success idea but in reality they care deeply about being champions in sports demeaning students along the way (as in ghosting female athletes, blaming their hormones when they complain about the coaches' abusive behavior, exactly how misogynistic men would treat women). Students whose families are big donors can get away with pretty much anything but if a student is struggling they will advise them to leave or worse, expel so as not to reflect badly on the school. I had high hopes for the new head of school Latanya Hilton, an obviously smart woman of color hired when the hashtag #exposemitty was trending with familiar stories I have heard from my children who attended the school. Ms Hilton had a very minimal role disappointingly talking to parents and students (I was hoping she would address the events around George Floyd's death at the time and the general ambiance in the country, an opportunity she decided not to take in a very white administration at a California high school). I would recommend parents look eslewhere especially if their children are not star athletes in the San Jose/Cupertino area. Some of my children's teachers were great, even amazing but I do believe a decent academic experience can be found elsewhere where the admin team does behave in a way they talk about working with children.
Submitted by other on September 12, 2022

If your child is the mature, well-rounded type, Mitty is probably going to be a really good school. Our Athletics programs are run pretty professionally, the Student Activities/Government is very passionate, performing arts are pretty strong and our teachers for math and science are pretty good for the honors/APs and at least acceptable for non-honors and religion. People here are outgoing and kind.With that being said the school is far from perfect. Almost everybody screws around on their iPads. People regularly go on their iPad to get homework done, watch youtube, and/or surf around on the internet in and out of class. I can't say that this is very conducive to a productive learning environment, or teaches kids to manage their time. I wasn't a very mature person in Freshman year, so I got a little addicted to youtube as a coping mechanism for high school stress and loneliness. iPad's weren't good for me, and if your child likes Video Games/Social Media it won't be good for him/her either. However, this system made transitioning to online education during the pandemic very easy, since it meant that most teachers/students were already very comfortable with doing their work online. If you do intend on doing well on STEM competitions like the AMC or F=MA Mitty is not the best place to do it. The Math club and Physics Club are not good places to either gain skills or find community. The Coding Club does have a fairly engaging environment but it is run pretty unprofessionally. If your child wants to do well in these competitions and/or find other like minded competition kids he'll have to go to a program outside of school.The three big clubs Mitty is known for are MAP (Mitty advocacy project), Speech and Debate, and Robotics. I didn't participate in any of these clubs, so I can't say much. What I can say for certain is this:- If your child is already very interested and passionate about advocacy, he/she will probably get a good position in MAP and do good work. If not, he probably won't do anything. -Speech and Debate generally seems pretty good. There were some people who just screwed around, but those who put in the work seem to learn a lot and probably got good training from the coaches. -If you get a good position in Robotics, you'll be able to learn and apply your skills at a high level, and gain a lot of leadership skills. If not, you won't do much. However it's the best and maybe the only way to properly connect with STEM kids in the school.
Submitted by parent on April 19, 2020

Academics at the school are solid but the administration is mediocre. The Dean is like a failed police officer. Running the school like a prison is not a good representation of learning. There is a police presence at every event. Bringing drug dogs on campus and monitoring kids going to the bathroom is a sad way to run a school. Learning in a environment where fear is the culture is not a good way to teach and mentor. Sadly this school has lost it's way.
Submitted by other on February 28, 2020

Sadly, I think this once-decent school has lost its way.
Submitted by other on December 08, 2018

Shadowing there was such an amazing experience. The teachers are very helpful and are very kind to the shadows. In terms of daily life, the students have a lot of time to catch up on work during the day, given that they have a considerable amount of homework. Also, I attended the Christmas rally. I got a sense of community, of family. The school gave gifts to deserving students during the rally and throughout the day. For example, a student and her sister used to play the ukulele with each other, but since the sister went off to college, the sister took the ukulele. The school and her friends chipped in to give her a ukulele so she will be reminded of her sister whenever she plays it. Overall, this is a great choice for incoming high schoolers.
Submitted by parent on June 13, 2017

I've sent two children to this school, and I can't say enough wonderful things about it. There are so many opportunities for students to get involved, but it is up to the students to look for them; they can't be passive. With the appropriate documentation given to them, the school was helpful to my child with a learning difference, and she felt the workload prepared her for college. My second child is stronger academically, and there were enough challenging classes available to her. The school fosters a very safe, positive, and supportive environment. The tuition is very expensive, but if a family could make it work, the investment is worth it.
Submitted by other on March 15, 2017

If your child is not into sports or religion this is not a good place to be. Most teachers are of low quality. If you bring this to the attention of administration, you become the bad guy.
Submitted by student on May 07, 2016

Archbishop Mitty High School has something for everyone in all subjects, whether it be sports, academics, or the arts, and the school just really allows for growth together as a community and as individuals.
Submitted by other on April 11, 2016

Unfortunately the quality of teachers for most subjects is very poor. The counselors are just not helpful and I see that public school counselors are doing much better handling many more kids. Though the school claims to prepare students for college, i do not see any indication so far! I'm very disappointed and strongly encourage parents to stay away from this school. It is a complete waste of money.
Submitted by other on September 28, 2015

As a former student at Mitty High School, I was deeply disappointed with my experience. If I had to do it over again, I would have chosen another school. Furthermore, for the price I would never send my child there. The administration is solely focused on athletics and those athletes that can bring them titles. If you are not a stellar athlete, it is difficult to find your niche. Mitty does not foster an environment where students explore extracurricular activities such as dance, theater or student government. Students are expected to be GREAT by the time they enter the school freshman year or expect to get lost in the shuffle. There is little room for growth of ones talents or to even find what a student may be good at. I was deeply disappointed in my experience. Fortunately for me I was able to find my niche in college, student government, which has led to a very rewarding career in politics twelve years later. There is also much focus on money and whose rich parents donate to the school to get their name on a building. As a Catholic institution, I expected more emphasis on faith based initiatives. I did have some rewarding experiences and met some amazing people; however, if I could do it again - Presentation High School would've been my choice.
Submitted by other on September 12, 2015

I cannot say enough good things about Archbishop Mitty. Mitty allows for kids to be well rounded (which most colleges are looking for). They have phenomenal leadership opportunities, theater program, mock trial team, sports programs, and just about every club you can imagine. The teachers are wonderful and the kids are well prepared for college. While academics are important, Mitty goes above and beyond to make sure that there is more to your kids high school experience. The social and business skills that are taught at this school are assets and will be used for the rest of a graduates life. I highly recommend Archbishop Mitty!
Submitted by parent on March 25, 2015

I'm so happy with Mitty that it provides almost all necessary that my son needs. Academically, it has excellent teachers from English literature to social studies, with regular class or honor class, so both normal students and talented students are happy. Starting from 10th grade, it provides many AP classes with great teachers and enough spaces. Some AP courses and honor classes are very challenging, so students need to be prepared. Fortunately, their counselors are always available in time for recommendations. Mitty also provides a lot of great clubs. My son is very happy to be in two clubs. At Mitty, students are encouraged to manage their time wisely and recommended sleeping early to reduce pressure. Mitty students are very excited about their sports teams. Every day, I saw my child is so happy with great progress from academic, to social communication, to sports, to spirits, I told myself that my son and I made a right decision to choose this school, to have my son continue delivering excellences.
Submitted by parent on July 17, 2014

Like many Catholic learning institutions, Mitty has fallen prey to apathy and a lackluster effort to develop faith formation programs and growth opportunities for the students. With one notable exception, the religion faculty is less than inspiring. The campus ministry program holds little priority on a campus where sports teams and athletic competition drive the culture of student life. Many of the enrichment opportunities at the school are available by lottery only, thereby offering some students multiple opportunities and other students none. The administration is too worried about stepping on toes to step up and address some of these participation limitations for students. I won't send another child to this school.
Submitted by parent on June 23, 2014

As a parent of the student, I'll hit the key points. 1. Administration can be inflexible. Especially to high achieving students (in terms of allowing external courses or attending events not sponsored by the school). They like students sticking to Mitty offering and not branch out. 2. Teaching quality can vary greatly from great to downright poor. Variation between the teaching quality and grading standards from one class (and hence, a teacher) to the next (all at the same level of course, APs or honors) can be shockingly high; Students frequently discuss how it's unquestionably harder to score higher grades with some teachers than others. 3. A positive surprise (in today's world). The values of the student pool is very good (generally speaking). And this is not a trivial one. 4. Too many free slots and little guidence from school on effective usage. 5. If your child's focus is academics, there are likely better private schools out there. If you're into sports, go for it! 6. Library is a joke. 7. Counselors have little time to spare (I thought this was a private school) In summary, you won't regret it. But will certainly question if 16k+ a year could have been better spent.
Submitted by parent on April 22, 2014

My son is a student at Mitty. He is not a sport kid and still loves the school. Mitty is so much more than its excellent athletics. It has amazing academics and an award winning theater program. The music department has incredible dedicated teachers with opportunities to perform and compete. My son is planning on applying to top tier and ivy league schools and scored amazing on SATs because of his teachers commitment to excellence. He has received so much from this school. They have helped him develop as a person with retreats and community service. Archbishop Mitty is an amazing experience for any kid.
Submitted by parent on September 10, 2013

Mitty's sports program has an exceptional reputation, however their programs are not any better or different than what one would find at a top tier public school or an average private school. The theater program is a bit above average, but if you're looking for a theater magnet school, Lincoln High School is a better option. Grades are grossly inflated to offset low test scores. The curriculum is far inferior to other high schools in the area, as most money and emphasis is allocated for the sports and theater programs. Most students end up at CSUs despite high GPAs due to poor test scores. If you want your child to go to a top university and do well, I would not recommend sending your child here.
Submitted by student on September 08, 2013

I am a Junior at Archbishop Mitty so my opinion is a little biased, however, I have to say that going to Mitty has been one of my best decisions. I love my classes, my teachers, and my fellow classmates. Everyone is extremely respectful, my freshman year, a senior GAVE me lunch money when I was short a dollar for lunch. Our athletics program is simply amazing and in addition our school spirit is simply unmatched. We have tremendous turnouts to all of our events and even during spirit week. I read a review that said that our new Ipad program is harmful, however, being one of the last classes that remembers what it was like before Ipads, I can say that the Ipad program had definitely improved our academic program. We don't have to lug books from class to class and we have an unmatched note taking/homework doing device anywhere we go. We are definitely not "forced" to use the ipads as books, everyone is aware that if you prefer, you may order your own hard copy book and bring it to class. Overall, I love Mitty. I would not be the same focused, driven, and confident person I am today with out Mitty.
Submitted by parent on August 19, 2013

Hyper focuses on athletics and absolutely a school for extroverts. If you want your child to try something new, it's impossible because at Mitty you are expected to be great. That's the saddest thing. Academics seem good, and I think the pace will prepare them for college, BUT the off periods I think are too frequent and perhaps not appropriate for 14-16 year olds. 2 stars because of the price.
Submitted by parent on June 02, 2013

I felt for many kids and their parents in Mitty. Many of freshmen struggled or dropped from honor / advanced classes all around my child. Many of them were depressed and acted out often. Of course, it puts parents in hell. I am very sure that teachers and school knew about that. Here is my assessment why many children are not doing well in Mitty: 1. overall, less instruction hours compare to public high schools 2. many of teachers are sports coaches 3. distraction from i-Pad, which school forced to children to use as a textbook. However, we (parents) all know, except the school administrators, how harmful i-Pad to our children. I strongly suggest you that do research before you choose Mitty to avoid hardship as many Mitty families went through.
Submitted by parent on May 02, 2013

Mitty is a joke. Presents itself as a college prep school, but its a joke. Unless your child is a sport superstar or would make it academically without teacher support your child will be just another number. Most students go to California State University (CSU) or University of California schools (UC). Entrance requirements are GPA's and SAT's. So why spend $15K for something you get at a public school? Teachers are iffy and many are coaches (ie. sports influence).