Marin Academy
- Private
- SAN RAFAEL, CA
Private School
Marin Academy Reviews
Rating 4.23 out of 5 111 reviews
Incredible experience for our two daughters. Both are now happy and extremely well adjusted at colleges of their choice after having the opportunity to play sports, participate in music/advanced bands, modern dance, and leadership. MA truly changed their lives in wonderful ways!
Marin Academy's focus on experiential learning has been the highlight of education. Throughout my four years, I have taken many field trips. This year, I went to the SFMoMA for my art class and on a hike for my leadership class for an immersive lesson on how to make podcasts.
Marin Academy has been a fantastic environment for all three of my children. They all have different interests and strengths and have all thrived - academically, in the arts and in sports.
Great high school the teachers are great the people are very welcoming. The school has a nice vibe as well.
My oldest daughter is a ninth grade student at MA. She absolutely loves her teachers and the academic program has ignited in her a love of learning. The course offerings are incredible--things you won't find at other high schools taught in a highly student centered way.
Great school. The teachers are super helpful and intelligent, and the kids are nice. There is definitely a feeling of wealth, but that it to be expected at a private school.
I went to MA and has an amazing experience. I loved the emphasis on social engagement/justice, real world learning, and community (especially my teachers!), and doing MA theater. As much as I loved my time at MA I think I appreciated it even more, if that's possible, after I graduated and went to college and saw how well prepared I was academically and in being comfortable going to professors' office hours and leading clubs in college.
A highly competitive and rigorous college preparatory school with top notch educators. MA prepares students for college and life beyond higher education. MA encourages intellectual curiosity and develops independent thinkers.
We've had a great experience at MA. My kid is happy, challenged (in a healthy way), and has been able to discover his interests and follow them whole heartedly. The school is visionary and forward thinking and is filled with kind, bright, and caring students, faculty, and administrators.
Very happy with our experience at Marin Academy. My child finds the school's innovating approach to teaching stimulating and energizing. She loves the interactive and project-based learning opportunities. Faculty and staff are engaged, passionate, accessible, and supportive. The student community is warm, diverse, and inclusive. The kids look out for each other. We are so grateful for MA!
As a current junior at Marin Academy, I can confidently say that I love this school. MA is not only an amazing school academically, but also is such a happy and supportive environment. Students here are so well-rounded - I think MA really prides itself on that. Everyone seems to be involved in some way, whether it's arts, sports, or clubs, people here are motivated to do their best 100% of the time. MA definitely has a work-hard play-hard mindset too, as the classes and social life are both intense. Freshman year I was so worried about making friends and transitioning into a new school environment. While definitely challenging, the MA administration does everything they can to make you feel comfortable. Teachers here want you to succeed, and will do what they can to help you do so. As for socially, everyone is in the same boat, and its so important to remember that. You will find your people, everyone does. I see why it's gotten so competitive, it's really a great place.
My son had a great experience attending MA. He went on to a great college. He was able to explore his love of theater arts and found his love of water polo and music. He also experienced many different mini-course and outings. Overall, this was an outstanding school with supportive staff and teachers that really care.
The first thing you notices is the sheer amount of wealth concentrated in a such a small student body, especially if you're on financial aid. The 'Marin bubble' is very much a real thing here. It's easy to forget most every other student can't be afforded the multi-million dollar Marin Academy experience.
MA just barely started to address the rampant racism thanks to pressure from students of color. Students need to be held accountable for their behavior. Plenty just don't understand that they can't have everything their way. They can't/don't want to see that their actions hurt their peers of color and other marginalized communities. It 100% relies on the money of the people that need to understand they're a part of the problem. That's MA's biggest issue.
Marin Academy's offered me a quality education supported by quality teaching staff. I didn't experience any racism at MA, but a fair warning to any prospective student that it could very much be a part of their time here.
MA just barely started to address the rampant racism thanks to pressure from students of color. Students need to be held accountable for their behavior. Plenty just don't understand that they can't have everything their way. They can't/don't want to see that their actions hurt their peers of color and other marginalized communities. It 100% relies on the money of the people that need to understand they're a part of the problem. That's MA's biggest issue.
Marin Academy's offered me a quality education supported by quality teaching staff. I didn't experience any racism at MA, but a fair warning to any prospective student that it could very much be a part of their time here.
The academic experience at Marin Academy is truly unmatched (our teachers are EXXTRAORDINARY and incredible accessible), but our student community can definitely work to be friendlier.
I love the community at Marin Academy. All of the teachers know the students on a personal level and help the students excel in each subject. I look forward to going to school every day, and there are no classes that I dread. However, MA has a lot of room for improvement in its athletics program overall.
I have loved my experience at MA! The teachers are all super friendly and they all love teaching so much that it rubs off on the students. Their passion for the subject that they teach does not go unnoticed. I have definitely grown as a student as a person at MA. The arts (music, theatre and visual arts) are all amazing and there are so many talented people here. I have attended so many music concerts to cheer on my friends as well as just to hear the talent that my classmates have to share. I do wish that there were a little bit less cliques within the student body but for the most part all of the students are friendly and outgoing with everyone. Sports teams are super fun to be apart of (both as a player and a viewer). Sports teams are a community that becomes a family and overall, the athletic program at MA is stellar. MA just built a new science building and it is so high tech and modern. I love it!
Uneven teachers, so no real grade-wide curriculum, checked-out head of school. Real eye-opener when I sent my other two through Branson, with ubiquitously very good to excellent teachers and stellar, well-funded art and music, even though MA likes to lay claim to its being the "artsy" school in Marin. If your kid's not an extrovert, they will be overlooked academically, even if they end up graduating Phi Beta Kappa, Summa Cum Laude from one of the top colleges in the country and becoming a top-notch surgeon, which my kid did. School feels like it's run like a co-op, meaning the teachers tend to police themselves, so good luck if your child's Honors Pre-Calc teacher doesn't know past Algebra II and calls up the students to do and explain math problems. The treasures of this school are Lindsay in the attendance office and Bijani MIzell (English Dept.).
I am currently a parent of a senior at Marin Academy. I would not recommend this school. The head master is pretty much absent. They do not promote a fair environment and favoritism and cliches run high. This school has slipped over the years and the is not worth the 48k tuition. You'd be better off moving to an area with a good public school.
My experience at MA was overall amazing — the teachers, coaches, and arts programs are all excellent. My teachers pushed me to think deeply and act with empathy. I can't say enough good things about the school and the community I've built with my classmates!
As a parent with two MA grads over 9 years I can say the school is slipping in quality. Administration is disconnected from the students and becoming more so each year. Some great teachers, but over all, this is a chaotic place with inconsistent policies, social bullying, and a huge gap between what they say and what they do. Do your homework, there is a lot to know behind the curtain!