| Date | Who | Comments |
| 8/14/2012 | parent | Principal has excellent rapport with students, faculty, staff, parents. Knows most students by name. A parent himself, he understands the pressures families and kids face. He is very frank about challenging the notions of success in our competitive culture. Most teachers are excellent, though like at any school there are a few duds. But many go the extra mile for their students, especially the extracurricular advisors. Mills has terrific extracurricular programs like Model UN, Mock Trial, Robotics, FHA-HERO, Quiz Kids. As an active volunteer, I have met some of the friendliest, nicest, well-mannered young people at Mills. Student and parent communities are VERY welcoming. My kids transferred in but quickly made friends. I was readily accepted by PTO (not at all clique-ish, like many parent groups). My kids and I have really enjoyed experiencing another facet of California's diversity. (Our middle school was about 50% Hispanic/Latino, Mills is majority Asian.) Many people say Mills is "too hard" or "too competitive." Not so. My kids came from a middle school that is in program improvement and excelled at Mills, which is a welcoming, challenging and nurturing environment. |
| 8/13/2012 | parent | The Principal is fantastic. As a parent of middle schoolers, he understands first hand the challenges parents are going through - such as balancing homework load with family time, sports, and other extracurricullar activities. The teachers are also excellent. Most going the extra mile to make sure that their students learn and enjoy learning. The school is academically challenging, but not overly competitive. The students are warm and friendly. The students are not in the least "clique-ish". Parent involvement is a bit low, but that is cultural since many parents are immigrants from countries where "parent involvement" is not the norm. That said there is an extremely dedicated group of parents who work with the faculty and administration to to make Mills the best high school. |
| 10/3/2009 | parent | Mills is the best in the district in academics (; We rock in most sports. school spirit is off the charts! 2012 (; |
| 10/2/2009 | parent | I feel I'm a part of everything they do, we're like family(= |
| 10/1/2009 | student | It Has won many 'most distinguished school' awards, and it is extremely spirited. |
| 9/30/2009 | parent | the environment of the entire school is nice and the teachers are cheerful. |
| 9/29/2009 | student | Mills has given me the tools to succeed in life, the confidence to achieve and the ability to excel. |
| 9/28/2009 | student | I love Mills High School because it is a welcoming place, and I have all my friends with me |
| 9/27/2009 | student | Most people look at high school as stupid, boring, and a waste of time, but as far as my high school experience goes, it was amazing. Mills high school has amazing teachers, people you can trust, and i made so many friends that i stil have. Everything was also at peace when i was there, there was no bullies no nothing. Now that i have graduated from mills high school, i miss it sometimes! |
| 9/27/2009 | student | Everyone is super nice, of course!! |
| 9/27/2009 | student | Great Academics as well as the nice enviornment. |
| 9/26/2009 | student | It's a great school with an awsome communtiy. We have tons of events. We're the best rated school for being the most spiritful in the county of San Mateo. There's never any violence going on during the school year. Overall, it's a great school, and that's why it's my favorite school. |
| 9/25/2009 | parent | As a parent, I see these young kids being prepared realistically for their futures....with hard work comes success. Go Vikings. |
| 9/25/2009 | parent | Best academics, many 5.0 students, many students who go on to good colleges, and universities: one of my son's is an alumni who received a D1 basketball scholarship after attending junior college first! Many improvements have been made to the facility, and the staff is excellent. |
| 9/25/2009 | parent | I think Mills High School is a great school. The teachers and counselors are great with the children. They put the time and effort in this kid day in and out. |
| 9/25/2009 | student | I love mills because it's a very nice scenic area, and very heartwarming. And the spirit is just awesome hehe |
| 9/25/2009 | parent | it has great API and SAT scores! The people and spirit are awesome! |
| 9/24/2009 | student | Class of 2010! <3 great environment and people and teachers and staff that care. |
| 9/24/2009 | parent | what's NOT to brag? we got the highest API score in SMHSD ! :) |
| 9/24/2009 | parent | It's an awsome pace to be, and the education is great! |
| 9/24/2009 | parent | Mills a great place! Everyone is nice and the teachers are fantastic. Everyone has a lot of school spirit and we are a CALIFORNIA DISTINGUISHED SCHOOL |
| 9/24/2009 | parent | Everyone in really nice and welcoming. The teachers are great and so are the students! We're spirited and I look forward to going to school everyday! |
| 9/24/2009 | student | The student, faculty, and staff are supportive, friendly, and very helpful! There are less clique barriers and we are very unified and school spirited. The teachers are very sweet and go out of their way to help students succeed in their classes. Plus, we have awesome school colors: red and gold. GO VIKINGS. class of 2010 *woot woot!* |
| 9/24/2009 | student | Mills High School provides an environment where students are not only happy, thriving, and successful, but have some of the best test scores in the state. |
| 9/24/2009 | student | Amazing teachers and counslers welcome you to school everyday. I feel the excitement to meet my fellow students who have great school spirit! |
| 9/24/2009 | parent | I love mills high school because it has a great curriculum and great students! Also, everyone is always spirited! :) |
| 9/24/2009 | parent | It has the nicest teachers and students. its a very welcoming place where education exceeds its limit. |
| 9/24/2009 | student | I love Mills! And so does she. He does too. And that girl over there. With that guy, who also loves Mills. We love Mills! Great academics, great students, great teachers. Mills for the win! |
| 9/24/2009 | parent | It is a great school..Amazing academics and hard working students and staff |
| 9/24/2009 | student | Students and teachers both have high standards when it comes to the curriculum. Students are all very diligent, hard-workers and the teachers are just as diligent and hard-working to provide their students with the best education possible. |
| 9/24/2009 | parent | We may not be the top ranked in sports and other activities, but we all are super smart, and we have awesome school spirit that has taken years to build, and it keeps getting better and better. GO CLASS OF 2010!!! |
| 9/21/2009 | parent | Mills has a bunch of really awesome teachers, nice students, and overall, has a great atmosphere that welcomes everyone! |
| 10/28/2008 | parent | As the parent of a graduate and a current student, i would like to correct the misconception that mills is only for the 4-year college bound. The student newspaper publishes a list of where the seniors are going to college, and i'd say at least half are going to the local community college. Also, the district mandates the plan. Called the academic core, that makes sure kids take courses that would prepare them for community college. I agree there aren't enough vocational classes -- unfortunately, thanks to no child left behind, all teachers have to be 'highly qualified,' so some of the rop (vocational) teachers no longer qualify because they may not have teaching degrees. (And you can't blame the local school administration for nclb -- that's federal legislation.) |
| 8/14/2008 | parent | Mills is not the school for your child if by 8th grade your child does not know what they want to do with their future. Mills is worried about making sure your student takes all the classes to get into a 4 year college. Your child will be frowned upon if they decide another route such as a trade or junior college. The counselors do not have time for students who do not wish to attend college. There are not enough classes offered (they took away most foreign languages) and offer Chinese, Japanese and Spanish. Not very many electives are offered. So unless your child is an over achiever and plans on attending a 4 year college preferably a university I would consider elsewhere. |
| 9/9/2007 | other | Please be aware that this is a voluntary response and as such you are more likely to find reviews by people who have very strong opinions, either good or bad, about the school. As you can see from the reviews some are disgruntled and others are very satisfied. Take them with a grain of salt. |
| 7/30/2007 | former student | As a graduate of Mills High School and now parent of a future freshman in another state and school, I can say you are very lucky to be a Viking. Mills helped me achieve my goals and desires by setting standards by which I had to live. I have lived across the world, fought for our country, and now have the life that I am proud of. Don't let others keep you from your dreams. Enjoy High School and do challenge yourself to be the best you can be. |
| 1/24/2007 | parent | Mills is a very good school. It is our first year at High School and my child has no complaints. The teachers use school loop and keep the kids and parents updated on homework. I receive emails back right away from the teachers when I have questions. Overall we are very happy and glad we live in Millbrae. |
| 12/8/2006 | parent | Mills is terrible! If you are concerned about where to bring your child, do you research -Mills is not the place to go. We have found the teaching faculty to be insensitive, lazy, and arrogant. They are only concerned about collecting their pay. The the pto is very active, but the teachers do not nurture the students. Mills is not recommended. |
| 11/29/2006 | parent | Mills high school isn't really what its cracked up to be. The students are excellent, humble, quiet in nature, sometimes too timid. Students are under so much stress, by the non-supportive teaching staff and trying to keep up with the academic expectations. We do not recommend this high school to anyone who cares about their child's academics, nuturing growth and confidence. Parents beware! |
| 8/24/2006 | parent | Mills is a good school if your child is an over achiever or if your child needs special help. If you child is in the middle forget it. Mills only cares about who going to what college. The counselors don't really care what your child is in they dont have the time to help. There are no electives offered for students. Overall its alright. |
| 4/6/2006 | former student | Mills has a lot of diversity. The teachers want the students excell in every course they enroll in. |
| 12/14/2005 | former student | Good high school overall. A lot of overachievers though. |
| 9/20/2005 | former student | Mills is suppose to be one of the best high schools in the county, but in reality it is not, there are only a handfull of teachers who do truly care about their students and want them to learn. The rest slack and are lazy. I go to uc berkeley, and I feel that I was never prepared at all after attending mills. I am definately sending my kids to private school. Also, they are taking away important things like athletics and trying to make it a purely academic, 7 period school. Ridiculous. |
| 8/19/2005 | teacher | I am also a teacher at Mills. We just got a new principal (Chris Moore) that is caring, competent and effective. The change in leadership was palpable and immediate, leading to a more student-centered approach. We have very high standards for students, but it's also a place where a majority of teachers volunteer to mentor students, make themselves available to students all hours of the day in person or via email, and attend their piano recitals. Mills is truly a place where students can succeed, and the vast majority of the faculty and leadership team are completely committed to helping them becoming lifelong learners. It's a pleasure to be a teacher at Mills. |
| 8/16/2005 | teacher | I am a teacher at Mills. Unless your child is self-sufficient and good at taking tests, Mills isn't the school for your child. With the exception of the Dean and one of the assistant principals, never once have I seen the Principal talk to kids during lunch or brunch (unless it was to tell them to pick up trash). I leave meetings feeling frustrated because of conservative and apathetic views of the leadership team. The students do not get any personalization from them with the exception with a few teachers. Send your child to Mills if you want your child to experience what it feels like being pushed through the Mills Factory and not getting much else out of their high school experience. |
| 4/11/2005 | parent | Mills is a wonderful High School, that I would recommend to anyone looking for a wonderful learning environment for their kids. No need to pay private school tuition, when your kids can attend Mills H.S. |
| 8/26/2004 | parent | My twin sons are in their second year at Mills High School but I could tell from our first meeting with teachers and counselors that this was going to be a place they were going to suceed. This school has goals, focus and a plan to have all their students learn and become independent adults. The thing that impresses me most is that they have expectations from their students. They don't seem to have the policy of passing a student even if they are failing. My sons' first year was tough but they learned so much and are well prepared for this coming year. I have complete confidence in this school to teach my children well so they can suceed in the real world. |
