University High School in Tucson, Arizona

“I am a currently attending freshman at UHS, and let me tell you, it is a huge change!! I have to keep telling myself that I only have to make it through one more week, and then I'll know everything there is to know about how the school works, and every week I am wrong. Most (nearly all) of the teachers are very kind and understanding and willing to help. Some are simply overloaded with too much stress. The campus is nice (nothing spectacular) but the fine arts are amazing!!”
This review was posted by a student.

“I am a parent who had 2 sons attend University High...I consider the Education they received and their College preparedness excellent!”
This review was posted by a parent.

“University High School is the best school to meet my children's needs. I have had three attend. The faculty are great at working with the student's unique learning styles. There are a wide rage of extracurricular activities available. It has been described as a community of learners. Almost every graduate goes to college.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“I'm another UHS grad. It's a truly great opportunity. It's true that some of the teachers are less than excellent - which will remain the case until teaching is valued more and those who would love to teach are paid enough to afford to live on the salary. For the most part, the students' intellectual equals are college professors if they are teachers. There are those outstanding, motivated teachers who make their classes amazing, too, though. The real benefit is in the students around you. Every student is extremely bright. I went to an Ivy League school after UHS, and was the only one I knew who was unimpressed by my college classmates. Their SAT scores were lower than my high school classmates' and they had fewer sports championships. My friends were diverse both racially and economically, regardless of the supposed racial breakdown of the school. I am grateful I chose UHS.”
This review was posted by a student.

“Best high school education I have ever experienced and heard of, the teachers are outstanding and the students are truly dedicated to learning and pushing themselves to their fullest.”
This review was posted by a student.

“This is a excellent school. Some of the other reviewers say that the teachers do not care, or the students are mainly white and do not accept those of different backgrounds. I believe that this is not completely true. Of course at EVERY SCHOOL there will be a teacher that isnt as good as the others. Majority of these teachers are some of the best educators I have met, in these classes, the students are mature enough to talk about mature topics, be worldly aware and focused on their life ahead. And looking down on people? There are many minorities, i personally am a minority, and NO ONE has ever looked down at me because of it. I have friends who are brazillian, hispanic, african american, european, indian, etc. As a mature group of students I do not see the level of racial slurs and such as that of other campuses.”
This review was posted by a student.

“I have mixed feelings about UHS. Great opportunities to strive there; then again I see the flip side too. Some teachers think the kids made it into UHS they should know everything so they teach very little. You have your teachers that really teach & love to watch their student flourish. Elite group of students that get into UHS if that was true my child should not have made it into UHS, we re not from middle/upper class as one poster expressed that the UHS students were from. I believe UHS has a tendency to add undue pressure to students especially the freshman. High school is a great change & with some of the pressure that is added it can make the change rather overwhelming. Not all the UHS students are extremely motivated or bright. There are students there for a lack of a better word of normal intelligence.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“I have to agree that there are, unfortunately, a number of uninspired teachers. About half of them are smart, dedicated, and devoted to teaching students something more than they'd receive in a conventional classroom. The other half range from 'mediocre' to 'flat-out angry.' UHS does not handle 504 plans well. My chronically-ill child was promised all kinds of assistance that never materialized. His illness was treated as more of a behavioral issue than an actual disease, as if it was his fault that he was sick or at the doctor's office so often. We didn't ask for compassion; just for compliance with the 504 plan. We received neither.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“This school can prepare you for college and increase your chances of getting a scholarship, but in other aspects it's not a great school. In a school district where 30% of the students are white, UHS is 60% white; 'minorities' are only 40% of the student body while the district is 70% non-white. Most of the students are smart and work hard, but so are people at many schools. It seems to me that many in UHS look down on people that don't share their background, and they don't understand the great opportunities that have allowed them to get to this school. Not everyone in this school, but many people nonetheless, are here because they come from a relatively stable, supportive, middle- to upper-class background. It seems that going to this school gives you the opportunity to meet a certain kind of people, and I think it's important to experience more.”
This review was posted by a student.

“I am deeply, profoundly glad this choice is available to my son! In a city/state that otherwise seems to put a VERY low priority on quality of education, this place provides continuous challenge and stimulation to a bright kid. While time management and sleep deprivation are a problem, especially if the kid does anything extracurricular, it's worth it for sure. If your child takes and passes all the AP (College level) classes offered, he/she will finish with the first year of college pretty much in the bag, and with maybe several scholarship offers too. The staff seem very committed to helping their students succeed and thrive... won-derful! Thank you, thank you, thank you UHS, you all rock!!!!!”
This review was posted by a parent.

“UHS is successful because it enrolls bright and extremely motivated students. Sadly, this pool of talent is badly served by many of the school s faculty. To achieve real greatness, UHS needs to hold every member of its teaching staff to the same high standards expected of its students. Unfortunately, that is not the case. Many of the faculty members are mediocre and uninspired. They resemble plow horses trying to teach thoroughbreds to race. Most students learn early on that their peers can often provide more assistance than most of their teachers will offer them. The real tragedy rests in the missed opportunites that a first class faculty could provide.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“I, too, graduated this past May - and look back upon my experience at UHS with a certain fondness. Amazing teachers, a supportive Administrative staff, and incredibly unique friends - UHS leaves little to be desired. There's always someone to turn to for emotional support, and although the homework load does sap time out of your schedule, you learn to work around it or work with it. And rarely is the homework, busywork. The arts, although occasionally forgotten, are not neglected. Both music and drama are absolutely wonderful, with large scale productions, and competitions on alternating years. Though I sporadically participated in various clubs, the clubs are very solid. Few clubs are 'sit-around-and-do-nothing' clubs, most require as much passion as the classes - from console gaming to break dancing. Rincon and UHS get along quite well. I received College credit for most of my AP's. Perfect for those serious about getting somewhere with their education.”
This review was posted by a student.

“I graduated this past May, and I loved every bit of my four years there. Some teachers did leave something to be desired, but I would have been bored at any other school; at UHS I found a club that fit my interests and that I was active in for four years, I was active in the orchestra, and I was with people who were on my intellectual level and who could help me move forward rather than holding me back. There is still plenty of creativity among the faculty and students there, and I had a blast. Even Rincon's football team has improved, and I got to see some of my UHS friends play on it. And the Parents' Association and various booster clubs did a great job at staying involved. It's for people who are intellectually well above average, and that's how it should stay.”
This review was posted by a former student.

“U.H.S. can be a viable learning experience, but only with the right perspective. Please realize that there are diverse brands of 'smart' in the world and that academia encompasses a sliver of these, not necessarily the majority. If students (and teachers) incorporate this simple philosophy into studies at U.H.S., the synthesis of intelligence and common sense might make something (someone?) wonderful.”
This review was posted by a former student.

“Best high school in tucson. Great teachers and students. I like their academic programs that help students achive great score on sat, therrfore, better college.”
This review was posted by a former student.

“Wonderful academics! The teachers and students are very supportive. It is possible to recieve college credit after attending this school.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“This is a great school for high achieving students who are VERY competitive. The parents are not too friendly but you child will recieve a great education and probably a scholarship for college!”
This review was posted by a parent.

“In my 2, going on 3 years at UHS I have loved it. The diversity the school offers creates a great atmosphere and opens us up to all cultures. For the most part the teachers are very excepting and open to all the students and also respect their fellow co-workers. The fact that we (the students) are given the chance to study with other students who are talented and push themselves is very captivating, something I never would have been able to experience at any other school.”
This review was posted by a student.

“This is my second year here are UHS and I love it! While it is true that sometimes we can be overwhelmed with homework, it's nothing we can't do. It is a great school that I would glady reccomend to anyone!”
This review was posted by a student.

“This school has lost several great teachers over the years due to leadership or lack of it. Too much lecturing is going on, not enough creativity. Many of the most creative and most qualified teachers have left. They must have been bored here, like my own child. This is turning into the magnet school for the Advanced Placement program. What a pity. This school has declined since my oldest child attended 10 years ago. It used to be a powerhouse, but is now just struggling to maintain.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“I thought this school taught me a lot about myself and my academic career. I learned how to become a productive person in the world and how to use my lessons learned here in the outside world. Even to this day, currently being in a different school and state, I compare all my other schools to this one.”
This review was posted by a former student.

“Academics are very important at UHS, and they give students a lot of good stuff. I like UHS. It's really nice, but my son hates it because he says the people are very boring. Music and art programs are decent same with sports.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“This school needs more diversity. It needs its own location other than Rincon's facilities. This school cannot be compared to other public schools because it is not open to the public...you have to test to get in.”
This review was posted by a student.

“I went to high school here. It was a great college prep school. A lot of AP class offerings. Major clubs were chess and Spanish clubs. No football.”
This review was posted by a former student.

“Wonderful academics that provide students the opportunity to prepare themselves for college. Students often have an incredibly easy freshman year in college because UHS prepares them so well. They obtain an incredible work ethic and learn so much at this school. The teachers are incredible. The teachers know how to relate to the students so well and push them so much. This school is unique in that all of the classes offered are either honors or AP. Teachers prepare the students for the AP exams and most students have many college credits by the time they graduate. A wonderful school that any hard-working and motivated student will succeed at and grow to love.”
This review was posted by a student.

“University High School in Tucson is by far, one of the most college preparatory and prestigous public schools I have seen in a long time. Its 19 AP classes and/or all honors core classes, mixed with numerous extracurriculars give another name for enrichment. I have observed students who graduate from it guaranteed with some college to go to, and for many years a fractional amount has ever not gotten any type of scholarship. It is a lot of hard work, but students learn so much, and grow as well-rounded, disciplined, hard-working, prodigous individuals. What I find fascinating is that the students who attend actually worry about missing school, even when they are sick. They still manage social activity while busy with lists of task to be done for school and extrcurricular stuff.”
This review was posted by a student.

“I would have to differ on the review comment that students would do 'good' wherever they were placed. While they might do OK, the learning environment certainly determines whether they are challenged and therefore excel. University High meets those needs with administration, teachers, and students that work together and challenge each other to meet the highest of standards.”
This review was posted by a parent.

“The students are really neat because they go through screenings and are the top 1.5 percent of the city, but the teachers don't go through screenings like the students and aren't the best in the city. The administration at the moment is really selfish. In an article in the newspaper recently they took the credit for how good the students did on standerdized tests. The truth is, these students would do good in any environment you would put them in.”
This review was posted by a .