Archbishop Riordan High School, San Francisco

• Location: San Francisco, USA,
• Founded: 1949
• Number of students: about 1150,
• Language of instruction: English,
• Type of study: blended.

Archbishop Riordan High School is a Catholic high school that upholds Marian traditions and focuses on preparing students in grades 9-12. The institution offers state-of-the-art curricula with a wide range of Advanced Placement (AP) subjects in two tracks: engineering and biomedical sciences.

The school opened its doors in 1949, immediately receiving its current name. For many years, it accepted only boys, but in 2020 it announced the first admission of girls and its transition to a co-educational format.

The spirit of Marianism, on which the traditions of the institution are based, is in line with the Golden Rule, according to which students become scholars who embrace the diversity of everything in the world, embody mutual respect and lead by example. In order for the students of Archbishop Riordan High School to acquire these skills, teachers are tasked with cultivating five main qualities in them: faith, integral quality education, service to family and society, justice, and adaptation.

Despite the maintenance of Catholic, Marian traditions, the institution keeps up with the times, having modern views on education: children are not limited in the use of gadgets in the learning process, they are provided with many opportunities to develop their interests and hobbies, and the subjects that are taught at school fully meet the requirements of in-demand, highly paid and important professions.

Since 1994, the Resource Specialist Program (RSP) has supported students with diagnosed mild to moderate learning disabilities by helping them succeed in a rigorous system of college preparation, post-high school academic careers. For nearly three decades, the program has been a national model for students with special needs. 

In addition to developing individualized strategies for academic success, the program uniquely teaches students how to advocate for their interests in the classroom, among their peers, and in the community. Getting support at school is just one aspect of life at Archbishop Riordan High School, which is filled with sports, active activities, community service opportunities, and friendships. 

The school has high school students: 9 to 12. The academic program is implemented only at this level and has two additional profiles: "Engineering" and "Biomedical Sciences".

Over the past seven years, Archbishop Riordan High School has undergone fundamental changes. In August 2020, it became a coeducational school and then renovated every part of the campus, from gyms, auditoriums to bathrooms and residence corridors.  Entering the 2023-24 school year with a new strategic plan, the institution expects enrollment of 1150 students, which will be a record figure in history. The Student Life Enhancement Project will complete the renovation of all classrooms this year, leading to the renovation of athletic facilities – a vital improvement for the 74-year-old campus.

Archbishop Riordan High School is the only high school in San Francisco to have its own marching band. The program of the music community includes marching, concert, jazz and pop bands.  

Most musicians pick up instruments in their first year, being enrolled in an instrumental music ensemble. They move to an intermediate orchestra in their sophomore year, join a marching orchestra in their second semester. The orchestra program is one of the few high school music programs that accepts students with no musical experience.

The band participates in the Northern California Band Association (NCBA) along with many other bands from across the Gulf. It performs in the Small School Division, is one of the largest bands in its division, with about 90 members. Musicians appear in every San Francisco city parade: Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Chinese New Year, St. Patrick's Day, and more.    In 2010 and 2012, the band was invited to perform as part of the San Francisco Giants Victory Parade on Market Street. They also headlined the 2013 America's Cup in San Francisco, the Super Bowl 50, the New Year's Eve parades in Rome (2017) and London (2019).

The comfortable residence offers students accommodation in double rooms, fully furnished for each resident: bunk beds, personal workplaces with storage areas for stationery, textbooks, clothes. Bathrooms and many other areas in the residential building are shared:

• Large kitchen with appliances for cooking, storing food, snacks, dining and socializing,
• Study room for collective and individual work,
• Two floors of living rooms,
• Lounge area with TV, ping pong table, board games,
• Free laundry,
• Free WiFi, unlimited cable TV.

Thanks to the modern kitchen space, students receive ready-made portions for breakfast and dinner every day, and have the opportunity to prepare a snack on their own. Students spend their lunch time in the study building, where there is a cafeteria offering soups, hot dishes, salads and much more.

Weekends start every Friday after the end of lessons. Students have the opportunity to take part in a wide range of clubs and activities – more than 30 themed events take place on campus regularly. From sightseeing in San Francisco, attending professional sporting events, watching movies in the cinema and walking through shopping malls to volunteering, performing with music and theater clubs, and research projects, everything at the school is implemented in order to unleash the potential and talents of each student.

Playgrounds, halls for group and individual sports classes have been created on the grounds. Archbishop Riordan High School has 12 sports and about 40 teams, which are educated under the guidance of 14 professional specialists. Sports are divided into seasonal: winter, autumn, spring, some also provide for the separation of students by gender - teams for girls and boys have been created.

Some of the sports are:

• Soccer
• Cross-country,
• Tennis
• Golf
• Yachting
• Basketball
• Soccer
• Struggle
• Baseball
• Swimming.

Themed clubs are a great opportunity to be in a circle of like-minded people, do interesting things and develop skills! Community topics cover areas such as:

• Chess
• Cosmos
• Anime
• Dramatic Art,
• Ecology
• Fishing
• UN.

The Riordan Band is the school's music group, performing at rallies, football and basketball games, parades, and events locally and internationally. It consists of students who are part of a jazz band, a marching orchestra, and a drum line. Participation in the Riordan Band contributes to the development of not only an ear for music, but also social and personal skills, gives a sense of commitment to social life.

• Accreditations from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), Western Catholic Education Association (WCEA), Association of Boarding Schools (TABS),
• Small classes with an 11:1 student-to-teacher ratio,
• The multinational student body is represented by 18 countries,
• Highly qualified teachers: 51% of them have a master's degree, 80% have teaching experience from 5 to 15 years,
• 13 Advanced STEAM Courses Available to Learn,
• Nationally recognized Learning Support Program.

Archbishop Riordan High School is located in a prime location, with easy access to downtown San Francisco, the Pacific Ocean, several shopping malls, university campuses, and many social events. The school's grounds are directly across the street from the City College of San Francisco, where students can take courses and earn credits for their academic future.

For almost 75 years, the institution has been operating in the vibrant Ingleside neighborhood of San Francisco. The campus combines classical architecture with state-of-the-art facilities inside, which allows students to have the best experience of studying here. Important infrastructure facilities include:

• Academic classrooms with interactive equipment,
• Specialized laboratories with kits for experiments, research, project activities,
• Theater hall with 1000 seats,
• Football field,
• Gym with play areas for team, individual education,
• Cafeteria. 

The academic year consists of several semesters, during which the students attend classes from Monday to Friday, rest on weekends, national and international holidays, as well as during holidays. Academic classes are held in the morning, followed by additional meetings with teachers as needed, campus and off-site activities.

An approximate list of additional costs:

• Applying
• Registration fee,
• Accommodation, meals,
• Additional academic support,
• Some events, club activities,
• Personal spending.

The registration procedure for studying at Archbishop Riordan High School consists of several stages:

• Submission of the completed application, required documents,
• Payment of entrance fees,
• Receiving a response from the admissions committee with the admission decision,
• Confirmation of the desire to enter the school by a letter of reply,
• Arrival at the campus to complete registration documents, check into the residence, and start studying.

New students are admitted to the program on a first-come, first-served basis and provided that all entry requirements are met.

To date, the number of graduates includes more than 10,000 specialists who have continued their studies and started their careers around the world.

Some of the universities that high school students choose for further academic development are:

• Johns Hopkins University,
• Georgetown University,
• Arizona State University,
• UC Berkley University,
• Perdue University,
• University of Hawaii,
• University of San Francisco,
• University of Washington.

Applicants wishing to enroll at Archbishop Riordan High School must provide:

• Personal documents: passport, health insurance, visa or residence permit,
• Academic reports for the last two academic years, scorecards, exam results, if any,
• An assessment by a specialist psychologist carried out within the last three years,
• Motivation letter,
• Certificate confirming the level of English proficiency. The school accepts all internationally recognized tests, including IELTS, TOEFL, Duolingo, PTE. The level of knowledge must be at least B2, since all lessons are conducted in English.

The school's financial aid program aims to help families of students who are struggling to pay their tuition. You can get support based on needs, it is implemented through donations.

Through partnerships with local organizations, the institution offers:

• Achieve – Scholarships for a four-year high school course to low-income, low-income students. The program provides students with extensive academic support, mentorship, summer internships, cultural and social events. Achieve's ultimate goal is for all students to go to college, graduate from it, and become successful citizens who will give back to society,
• Archdiocese of San Francisco Scholarships – Awarded to families who provide a clergy recommendation form from their pastor. They do not have to be Catholic to apply, but they must be active members of a church of any denomination,
• Bay Scholars is a non-profit networking center that exists to empower promising low-income students to have access to a good education. Awards are determined based on financial need and family size, can be renewed for four years if the student is in good standing,
• Boys Hope Girls Hope – Boys Hope Girls Hope Academy in San Francisco helps needy motivated children reach their full potential by providing after-school academic support and tutoring, ministry education, finding the right college,
• Michael and Sally Meyer Family Foundation Scholarships for Law Enforcement – four scholarships worth up to $4,000 each to eighth-grade applicants whose parents are currently law enforcement officers.

• Guardianship services during the studies
• Student supervision