Mercy High School

I have heard different things about Mercy but being my age now and personal life experience. In terms of opinions, it works for some, not for others just like any other school. My first child attended SI as we live in the city. SI had nice people working there but the experience isn't nearly as cozy and kind as Mercy when applying. They have a gorgeous mansion on campus where they host some of their events and even have wonderful art studio stop where they have classes. We were interviewed by the art teacher. Everybody was so kind and down-to-Earth. Because I have a child that goes to school in the East Bay it won't work for us in the morning. The entire admissions experience was incredibly pleasant even meeting the security guard. I attended parochial school until high school. There is a certain self esteem achieved by single schools that is often talked and written about even by women who are in high ranking political offices of whom attended. Everybody at this school is wonderful. Also they have tons of activities for students. I have toured many schools over time it is rare to find a school with a gymnastics team. They also have the girls combine some classes and activities with the boys at Serra, so appropriate interaction with the male peers. I feel heartbroken that we can't attend Mercy, I have heard of people that transferred and regretted it. It certainly has the small student body so that the students will get attention they need. By constant Lowell high school, a magnet school has more than 2600 students. Thank you Mercy for welcoming us and for all the introductory events. Your students are wonderful young ladies.

Mercy Burlingame used to be an amazing school. However, when Mercy SF closed and the Covid-19 Pandemic hit, Mercy B went downhill. Mercy B feared they would be shutting down next, and as such, have been doing everything to stay open.

Bullying is the norm. Never physical, but it usually ranged from cyberbullying to making fun of girls in the open, in front of teachers, who simply don't care. In a previous review, it was mentioned that Mercy is hostile toward LGBT students. I would say it's quite the opposite. Girls who are into boys are silently judged and won't have a place at Mercy because they're straight; some feel pressured to date girls. Mercy will be welcoming and accepting only if you're LGBT+. When Mercy is going to talk about equality, equality should mean everybody, including heterosexual students.

Girls bring drugs, marijuana, and vape pens to smoke in the bathroom together. Just this year, there were multiple incidents of girls getting sent to the hospital in the middle of the school day because they were having seizures from a drug overdose, or "greening out" after smoking marijuana. The administration is well aware of this but does nothing because they think it will hurt their reputation. If Mercy cared more about its students and less about its image, incidents like this could be avoided.

Mercy receives so much money, but it's never used to fix school facilities, fund activities, extra-curriculars, etc. The bathrooms are run down, the toilets and sinks break down every week, and some of the stalls don't have locks on them. The transportation to get your daughter to a game or sports practice is an issue. Mercy relies on the parents or daughter to drive, instead of chartering a bus or shuttle to take all the students. Most private schools in the Bay Area charter or have buses to transport students to activities. Mercy is in the process of building a gym, but I doubt it will do anything to attract more girls to the school. How many high schools have a gym these days? All of them.

Mercy markets itself as doing activities with the brother and sister schools, but it is very misleading as the Tri-School program has practically dissolved. While girls can take classes at Serra and/or Notre Dame, participate in Tri-School Productions (Theatre program), very few girls are given the opportunity to even partake in such activities. Similar to sports practices, Mercy students who want to participate in a Tri-School event must drive themselves to the event. Serra and Notre Dame actually have bus and shuttle services for many of these activities.

In 2022 alone, 16 teachers and staff members left the school. Many good teachers leave Mercy due to low pay, a bad work environment, and better paying jobs. Mercy is so desperate they are even looking for a permanent substitute teacher. There are a handful of really great teachers who don't get the recognition they deserve. They are a positive force in the school and deserve so much more for the work they do. There is also a lack of classes to choose from. And there is a program called AMES, which claims to be a class for girls with, as they call, learning "differences." In reality, the girls in the program are in it to get top grades. The vast majority do not have learning disabilities, rather parents who are making sure their daughter is on honor roll all four years.

There are plenty of other great high schools to send your daughter to in the Bay Area. Unfortunately, Mercy is no longer one of them. The school is no longer stable; at this point, there is no way of changing it for the better. Maximum enrollment is 500 girls, while about 362 girls actually attend. I would not be surprised if Mercy closes in the next 5-10 years. A complete waste of money. Shame on the principal and new staff for turning this school upside down.

Went with my girlfriend to help her decorate her parking spot and got told off by Barry from security where he used lots of colorful language and a few slurs while telling me to move my car away from the fire lane.

This school claims they want you to succeed but in my third year of being there they hired a new dean that made multiple girls leave the school and the girls who left were also bi-racial. The faculty was also very judgmental, they have this persona of being "very welcoming" but it's a trap. Depressing environment, and most girls who go and leave mercy end up with depression. Also my junior year they forced me off the Kairos trip and a lot of girls from my class were upset even one girl stood up for me saying "why are you doing this to her?", they express how important this religious trip is but kick me off because of a permission slip form, although my dad was on the phone saying he is on the way with the form and already paid for the trip. Also if you aren't adware of this, if you have multiple Cs or a D they will send you straight to community college no chance of trying to improve grades or opportunities to change for the better. The counselors do not care about you either, and the faculty doesn't really acknowledge students or care about there mental health unless they favor you (favoritism). The chemistry teacher is awful as well she sets you up for failure her name is ms. Lafarge. If you are a bi-racial or come from a cultural background I would not go here. Very toxic environment and waste of money.

This school is so welcoming. You can feel the love that the administration has for these girls. The students are very friendly and seem so happy. We are soon to be members of this fine school with our daughter attending. Go class of 2021.

Best school in the area! Equipped my daughters for college and they truly supported us while in school and during the college applications!

Mercy High School in Burlingame shouldn't be confused with Mercy High in San Francisco! Same name, both all girls catholic high schools, but two different schools.

The campus is beautiful! The famed Kohl mansion at the school has been the site of many Hollywood movies. It is rented out on weekends as the place to get married which means the grounds keepers are always keeping the place in tip top shape.

Tuition is $20k per year and each year they only accept 125 students. They host six different honor societies and have a very active academic and athletic programs. The Sisters of Mercy founded the school and are still present.

Best Kept Secret on the Pennisula- My daughter loves this school, teachers, classes, sports- every little thing about it! GO MERCY!!

Only one complaint! This fine school does not have a Gymnasium! My daughter is a dedicated athlete and wanted to attend Mercy but once she found out they did not have a Gymnasium she decided not to attend. I would highly recommend that they consider adding a Gymnasium to their campus. When talking to the girls who are dedicated to athletics they all say that this was the deciding factor for them to not attend Mercy which actually had been their first choice of schools.

I graduated from Mercy in 2011, and I have to say I had a pretty good experience, but I did wish that I went to a public school. I did not get the full "high school experience" that my college peers talk about all the time, and I regret that. However, I did create friendships at Mercy that I know I will have for the rest of my life. The academics were challenging for me, and many times I questioned whether I wanted to transfer.

I did like Mercy for the most part when I attended, but my younger sister still goes there and Mercy has definitely changed. The school only really cares about it's appearance and reputation; I remember getting detention for wearing the wrong pair of socks once.

Many of the teachers that I had and loved Mercy have now left and gone to other schools. The only good academic departments they have at the school is their English and History department.

The administration never listens to any of their students, or parents advice, especially if it is any criticism towards the school. Many times my mother has written questions and concerns about the school and either does not get a reply, or simply gets an email back that states something along the lines of "Thank you for your inquiry, blah blah blah."

I would have recommended Mercy to future students and their parents, but now that all this change has happened I honestly would not recommend this school to anyone.