Stepping onto the Aragon campus for the first time, eighth grade “shadowers” recently began the process of choosing a high school that will best prepare them over the next four years. While there is a lot of online information available what do these numbers actually reveal about the school itself?
Recently on Oct 6, Oct. 20, and Oct. 28, students in Leadership’s buddies program introduced incoming freshman to the daily culture of Aragon. For many potential students, strength in academics is one of the first qualities they look for in a school and a dominant factor in their ultimate decision.
“I looked up online how Aragon ranked in the school district before I shadowed here,” says Sarah Brennan, a student at Saint Matthews Catholic School. “I heard that it was one of the top schools in the district, so I was expecting it to be really awesome.”
In Newsweek’s 2015 report of the top 500 high schools in the nation, Aragon was ranked No. 100, comparably higher than other schools in the district.
National recognition and prestige for its high performance distinguishes Aragon for Brennan and others like her, even inspiring students to transfer to Aragon after having been enrolled in nearby schools.
Junior Briana Johnson, who transferred to Aragon before the start of freshman year, says, “I was originally going to go to Hillsdale since I live near there, but I transferred to Aragon because I heard the classes were better.”
Upon their arrival, many students believe that Aragon satisfies these expectations with demanding courses and teachers that encourage high performance from every student. Kingston Ko, a junior who transferred to Aragon from Riordan High School in San Francisco during his sophomore year, says, “In the city, the teachers sometimes don’t care, but here, they do care about how you do. They help out a lot … They want the best for you.”
However, Aragon offers much more than challenging curricula. Bayside Stem Academy student Nicholas Finke says, “Aragon actually exceeded my expectations. It’s a lot more diverse, and it’s more impressive than I thought it would be … There are classes that I didn’t know Aragon had.”
Aragon offers a broad spectrum of elective classes, some of which are not offered at other schools, including ceramics and engineering. Although strong and intensive courses are important in preparing students for college or future jobs, electives, clubs, and sports can go a long way to help define the high school experience. The freedom for students to choose their electives and extracurriculars is what can make the Aragon experience stand out.
But ratings of a school’s academics, such as by Newsweek’s list, may not always be the final indicator of the quality of one’s high school experience. Aragon has a lot to offer beyond the standard curriculum of classwork, but it is ultimately up to the student to take advantage of these opportunities.
Sophomore Jonathan Laluce transferred to Aragon from San Mateo High School, noting that Aragon’s music department played an influencing role in his decision. He says, “I knew [Aragon’s music department] would be a little more advanced, at least for me because at San Mateo, we only had one orchestra, and that consisted of people who have played for a while and beginners.”
Adam Jacobs, Co-head of Aragon’s math department and math teacher, concludes, “I would tell a shadower that any school that they go to is what they make of it. How much participation they want to put into it and how much effort they put into it, that this could be an awesome school for anybody. In any kind of academic or social environment that it’s what they make of it. But I think there are a lot of options here and a lot of choices here for any kind of student. I would like to think that we have lots of different activities, and things to get involved in for anybody. I think that is what makes our school one of the best.”
