HIGH SCHOOL PROFILE 2025–26
OUR SACRED HEART
MISSION
Convent & Stuart Hall educates mind, heart and body, animating a zeal for discovery, inspiring a passion for justice and nurturing the strength to transform.
STRATEGIC VISION
The school’s strategic thinking and planning centers on aiming at the best for each student — academically, personally and in community. We have devised an immersive environment — inspired by compassionate, talented adults and kind, intelligent peers — where learning is inspired through a pedagogy of space, where curriculum transcends textbooks and the use of technology augments intelligence.
DR. ANN MARIE KREJCAREK President
RACHEL
SIMPSON Head of Convent High School and Chief Academic Officer
TONY FARRELL
Head
of Stuart Hall High School
OUR FOUNDATIONAL STORY
In 1800, in the wake of the French Revolution, St. Madeleine Sophie Barat founded the Society of the Religious of the Sacred Heart and articulated her vision for a Sacred Heart education:
...that education within the schools would be profound enough to inspire people to rebuild, renew and transform society, wherever they lived.
In support of this vision, Convent & Stuart Hall develops in students an ethical and global lens within a purpose-fueled educational model that inspires them to be in service to the world.
THE HEART OF SAN FRANCISCO
Founded in 1887 as the first Sacred Heart School west of the Rockies, Schools of the Sacred Heart San Francisco opened in twin Victorians on Bush Street and moved twice more to accommodate a growing student body. In 1938, the school found a permanent home at 2222 Broadway with a generous gift from Maud Flood to the Religious of the Sacred Heart declaring her wish that her home be “devoted to some useful and worthy purpose.” Nearly 60 years later in 1999, the school acquired the Morning Star Building at the corner of Pine and Octavia streets. The Morning Star Building holds significant importance in the history and culture of San Francisco’s Japantown. Convent & Stuart Hall continues to embrace the spirit of generosity and remembrance rooted in the origin of our San Francisco campuses.
SPIRITUAL GROWTH
Convent & Stuart Hall is an expansive and inclusive educational community — an independent Catholic school for people of all faiths that seeks to cultivate in each student an ongoing relationship with something greater than oneself.
With an education in mind and heart, students learn to engage and navigate the world within them and the world around them. Developing a sense of reflective interiority is a hallmark of our education, and each student is invested in the development of their core person and purpose. Through weekly reflections, chapels and assemblies, as well as within their Religion, Theology & Spirituality courses, students learn to ask and respond to life’s “big questions” and know how to navigate their world’s most pressing issues reflectively, ethically and purposefully.
COR UNUM: Equity, Justice and Belonging
Rooted in the Society of the Religious of the Sacred Heart’s foundational principle of “one heart, one mind” (cor unum et anima una), we work with our students to create a diverse and inclusive culture of conversation and inspire them to foster relationships founded on courage, openness and mutual respect.
Through interactions inspired by deep intellectual sympathy, curiosity and shared humanity, we foster an environment where innately human differences are recognized, honored and celebrated.
The Cor Unum Voices Speaker Series
In our commitment to elevating and centering diverse voices, we host an annual “Cor Unum Voices” speaker series recognizing exceptional authors, historians and thought leaders. In the Spring of 2024, Cor Unum speakers Minh Le, Pico Iyer and Maxine Hong Kingston guided our exploration and learning on the theme of Asian and Asian American Literature. In December of 2024, we hosted Jennifer De Leon for one week as a vibrant and energetic Author-in-Residence. In the Spring of 2025, Eboo Patel visited campus for an immersive day with students and faculty, sharing his work on pluralism.
Past years’ speakers include extraordinary authors Jason Reynolds, Luis Urrea, Juana Martinez-Neal, Tommy Orange, Angeline Boulley and Kevin Noble Maillard, historian Annette Gordon-Reed, and philosopher/author Teju Cole, among many others.
GLOBAL PLATFORMS
The global education program at Convent & Stuart Hall prepares students to be responsible and educated global citizens by providing students with opportunities to develop the mindset and skills they need to engage actively and ethically in a global community.
As one of over 150 Sacred Heart schools around the globe, Convent & Stuart Hall emphasizes experiential learning as an essential component of the curriculum. Students are invited to participate in international and U.S. exchange programs for linguistic or cultural immersion for one to four weeks. In the last few years (2023–2025), students have gone on exchange to the following Sacred Heart school locations:
⊲ New York City, New York (91st Street)
⊲ Princeton, New Jersey
⊲ Sydney, Australia
⊲ Nantes, France
⊲ Barcelona, Spain
⊲ Madrid, Spain
⊲ Pamplona, Spain
⊲ Hamburg, Germany
⊲ Kilgraston, Scotland
⊲ Hørsholm (Copenhagen), Denmark
Through global exchange opportunities, students step out of their comfort zone and discover what it means to be a high school student in other parts of the world. In the 2025–2026 school year, there are multiple trips planned, including:
⊲ President’s Annual Sophomore Class Trip: Costa Rica
⊲ Art and Global Politics: Copenhagen
⊲ Spanish Language Program: Colombia
⊲ French Language Program: Paris
⊲ Art and Culture: Mexico City
⊲ History and Culture: Italy
⊲ Science and Culture: Europe (England/France)
⊲ Cor Unum and Culture: China
⊲ Cor Unum and Culture: Japan
STUDENT BODY PROFILE
The 2025–26 enrollment at the high school is:
481 students
248 at Convent
233 at Stuart Hall
Each community member at Convent & Stuart Hall is invited to live fully into their gifts — intellectually, spiritually, physically and personally — within an inclusive and welcoming culture.
Financial Assistance
In our desire to create a student body that is inclusive of the Bay Area, we have committed over 15.3 million dollars in financial assistance to our K–12 families. This affirms our continuing charge that our education is attainable for every student.
47% of our high school students receive need-based financial assistance. Tuition awards have ranged from 14% to 98% of tuition cost.
47 of high school students receive need-based financial assistance
47%
FACULTY
Our faculty embody our Sacred Heart values, both as experts in their fields and as creative instructors. Committed to excellence and the school’s mission, they create strong student-teacher bonds that enhance education. Among our globally diverse educators, 90% hold advanced degrees, and all are dedicated to working alongside students to inspire each student’s educational journey.
Academic Advising to College Counseling
Throughout the four distinct years of high school, a structure of academic guidance is in place to support each student’s academic experience and co-curricular engagement. The Chief Academic Officer and the Director of Admissions and Academic Guidance oversee this four-year system, ensuring that each student is appropriately challenged, championed and supported by the faculty.
GRADES 9 AND 10 ACADEMIC GUIDANCE
In the ninth and tenth grades, students will have a Grade Chair correlated with their year. The Grade Chair relationship helps students navigate the foundational years of their high school program. The partnership with their Grade Chair enables them to design and continually evaluate a plan of study that supports their intellectual and personal development.
GRADES 11 AND 12 ACADEMIC GUIDANCE TO COLLEGE COUNSELING
In the eleventh and twelfth grades, students are fully engaged in our college counseling program, which includes classes and workshops during the academic day. In the fall of junior year, division heads act as the students’ academic advisor. From the spring of junior year and throughout their senior year, students are matched with one of the College Counseling Department’s four full-time college counselors who serve as a guide through the college application process toward college admission.
OUR CURRICULUM
“Convent & Stuart Hall’s emphasis on strong communication skills, critical thinking, intellectual growth and a rigorous academic curriculum will benefit these students long after they graduate.”
GARY L. ROSS Vice President for Admission and Financial Aid Colgate University
The high school curriculum at Convent & Stuart Hall engages and challenges the whole person — in mind, heart and body. The freshman and sophomore years provide a foundation of inquiry, discovery and critical reasoning. Students work on advancing written and presentational communication skills across the humanities, mathematics, sciences, languages and the arts.
In their junior and senior years, students have the option of the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) or Advanced Placement, Honors, and College Preparatory courses. For specific course offerings, please see page 16.
INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE DIPLOMA PROGRAMME
The IBDP is a two-year elective course of study offered optionally to all juniors and seniors. The IBDP’s mission “to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people” aligns directly with Convent & Stuart Hall’s commitment to challenge and educate students in mind, heart and body. The school implemented the IBDP as a curricular offering in the 2016–17 school year. Students enrolled in the IBDP take IBDP courses exclusively.
A signature component of the IBDP is the Extended Essay. Students are challenged to think globally and learn how to revise and refine their writing as they pursue research by selecting their essay topic, crafting research questions, performing research and writing their essays under the supervision of a faculty member. Examples of these wide-ranging Extended Essay topics are sampled here:
JOAQUIN V. ’25
Subject Area: Environmental Systems and Societies
Research Question: To what extent are shade-grown coffee farming systems in Colombia more sustainable than sun-grown farming systems?
NANDIKA B. ’25
Subject Area: History
Research Question: To what extent did the differences in religious ideology between the Muslim League and the Indian National Congress lead to the First Kashmir War from 1947 to 1948?
JOSH T. ’25
Subject Area: Music
Research Question: How did John Coltrane’s unorthodox harmony and improvisation techniques challenge conventional jazz compositional methods of the mid-20th century?
2025–26
COURSE OFFERINGS
ENGLISH
FRESHMAN SOPHOMORE
English I / English I with Honors
HISTORY & SOCIAL
FRESHMAN
World History
SOPHOMORE
AP Art History
AP U.S. History
U.S. History
History IB HL/SL: Topics in Early Modern World History
History IB SL/HL: Topics in Modern World History
Global Politics IB SL, HL
World Religions IB SL
Clashing Ideologies: The Cold War
The Modern Middle East
The Evolution of Protest in the 20th Century
Global Economies
AP U.S. Government and Politics
AP Comparative Government
AP European History
English
English
History IB HL/SL: Topics in Early Modern World History
History IB SL/HL: Topics in Modern World History
Global Politics IB SL, HL
World Religions IB SL
Clashing Ideologies: The Cold War
The Modern Middle East
The Evolution of Protest in the 20th Century
Global Economies
AP U.S. Government and Politics
AP Comparative Government
AP European History
MATHEMATICS
FRESHMAN SOPHOMORE
Algebra I
Algebra II / Honors Algebra II
Geometry / Honors Geometry
LABORATORY SCIENCE
Algebra II / Honors Algebra II
Geometry / Honors Geometry
Precalculus / Honors Precalculus
AP Statistics
Introduction to Coding
Algebra II / Honors Algebra II
AP Calculus AB, BC
Calculus
Mathematics Analysis IB SL, HL
Mathematics Applications IB SL, HL
Precalculus / Honors Precalculus
AP Statistics
AP Computer Science A
Computer Science IB SL, HL
AP Calculus AB, BC
AP Statistics
Calculus
Mathematics Analysis IB SL, HL
Mathematics Applications IB SL, HL
Precalculus / Honors Precalculus
AP Computer Science A
Computer Science IB SL, HL
Physics / Honors Physics
AP Physics C: Mechanics FRESHMAN
Chemistry / Honors Chemistry
AP Biology
AP Chemistry
Biology
Biology IB SL, HL
Chemistry IB SL, HL
Environmental Systems & Societies IB HL
Physics IB SL, HL
Sports, Exercise, and Health
Science IB SL
AP Physics C: Mechanics
AP Biology
AP Chemistry
Astronomy
Biology IB SL, HL
Chemistry IB SL, HL
Environmental Systems & Societies IB HL
Human Biology
Sports, Exercise, and Health Science IB SL
Physics IB SL, HL
SL = Standard Level HL = Higher Level
MODERN & CLASSICAL LANGUAGE
FRESHMAN SOPHOMORE JUNIOR SENIOR
French, Spanish, Chinese and Latin are each offered at all levels: I, II, III, IV, IB SL, IB HL, AP
RELIGION, THEOLOGY, & SPIRITUALITY
FRESHMAN SOPHOMORE
Religious Traditions & Texts
Ethics & Moral Decision Making
VISUAL & PERFORMING ARTS
Leading the Mind, Body & Spirit through Sport
Beyond Science and Religion: Mysticism in the Ancient, Medieval, and Modern Era
World Religions IB SL Theory of Knowledge I
Leading the Mind, Body & Spirit through Sport
Beyond Science and Religion: Mysticism in the Ancient, Medieval, and Modern Era
World Religions IB SL
Theory of Knowledge II Sacred Heart Goals Seminar
Art Foundations I: Traditional Media Instrumental Music
Vocal Music
Vocal Music
INTER-DEPARTMENTAL ELECTIVES FRESHMAN
Visual Arts IB SL, HL Instrumental Music Music IB SL, HL
SUMMER FORWARD CREDIT
Including Algebra, Biology, Introduction to Coding, Geometry, History, Visual Arts, Theology, et al. as appropriate
Advanced Art Portfolio I, II
AP 2D Art & Design
AP Drawing
Visual Arts IB SL, HL
Instrumental Music
Music IB SL, HL
STUDENT PATHWAYS
Each student’s pathway in the curriculum is a unique expression of individual interests and strengths. Here are examples which show the variety of elective options available and the ways in which students may fulfill graduation requirements and also stretch their academic interests.
STANFORD UNIVERSITY
UC BERKELEY
UNIVERSITY
ATHLETICS
Athletics play a significant role in many of our students’ high school experiences. Our diverse programs, spanning all four seasons, aim to foster camaraderie among students through competitive engagement. Through this engagement, our Athletics Department is deeply committed to not only the physical aspect of the sport but the true value of humility, accountability and work ethic, oftentimes teaching lessons that extend beyond the game. At Convent & Stuart Hall our goal is for students to acquire lifelong leadership skills no matter one’s skill level; therefore, we offer opportunities to represent the school at the Varsity, Junior Varsity, and Frosh-Soph levels.
Sports Offered
⊲ Badminton
⊲ Baseball
⊲ Basketball
⊲ Beach Volleyball
⊲ Cross Country
⊲ Fencing
⊲ Field Hockey
⊲ Football
⊲ Golf
Lacrosse
Sailing
Soccer
Swimming
Tennis
Track & Field
Volleyball
Wrestling
Performance Lab
Convent & Stuart Hall recognizes that holistic learning is beneficial to the personal growth of our students. By encompassing both health and community through athletics, students are given the resources to begin shaping self-awareness, empathy and balance. The versatile Performance Lab supplements our main gyms, serving teams and individuals, guided by a full-time Strength and Conditioning Coach for conditioning, wellness and equipment maintenance.
THE ARTS
Arts education is essential for our students to freely and creatively express themselves. Visual or performing arts is a core requirement for our freshmen and sophomores. Students can elect to continue their studies throughout their junior and senior years in our various programs encompassing drama, music (vocal and instrumental), and visual arts offered at both the IBDP and college prep course levels.
Visual Arts
The Visual Arts Department fosters creativity through diverse media such as studio practice, collaborative thinking, portfolio development, critique, exhibitions and installations. The program evaluates students’ creative growth through formative and performative standards, supported by an Artist-in-Residence initiative where students work alongside professionals.
Performing Arts
The Performing Arts Department cultivates instrumental, vocal or theatrical mastery, promoting empathy, self-discovery and compositional appreciation through performance and analysis. This holistic approach nurtures artistic talent and understanding across all disciplines.
SERVICE
Service is foundational to the Convent & Stuart Hall mission. Throughout our students’ high school tenure, they are encouraged to partake in service, with emphasis on cultivating projects aligning with their interests and dedication to global, national or local causes. Service comes in varied forms, from championing youth voting rights to merging sports passion with coaching for equitable access, or maybe fostering education through reading and math tutoring. Our goal is for students to see the benefits beyond high school and continue to make a difference by giving to others.
STUDENT CLUBS
At Convent & Stuart Hall, students have the opportunity to form new organizations and are encouraged to expand their interests. The clubs may reflect personal pursuits or offer a completely new experience. Most students find themselves participating in more than one club or activity.
Current Clubs Offered
Art & Pottery Club
Baking For Change
Black Student Union (BSU)
C-Pop & Clothing for a Cause
Car Club
Chess Club
Coding Club
Convent Fitness Club
Cooking Club
Creative Arts Club
Cubs Elections
Cultural Connections Club
Earth Art & Architecture Club
Eco Club
Entertainment Club
Fashion Sustainability Club
Finance Club
Gardening Club
Global Women’s Rights Club
Health & Fitness Club
(Strength Club)
History Discussion Society
Irish Club
Jewelry Club
Jewish Life Club
Latin Club
Literary Magazine
Lyric Poetry Club
Meditation And Yoga Club
Mock Trial Club
Model UN
Music Production Club
Outdoors Club
People Of Color Student Union (POCSU)
Pickleball Club
Political Engagement Club
Project Glimmer Club
Red Cross Club
Run For Fun Club
SMSF Tutorial Program
Social Justice Literary Club
Sports Broadcasting Club
Sports Medicine Club (Sportsmed)
Stitches For Seals
Students In Action (SIA)
Tabletop Game Club
Teen HEAL
The Arts Club
The Book Club
The Broadview
The Giving Library
The Investment Club
The Roundtable
UNICEF Club
Veteran Appreciation Club
Volunteer Club
Women In Business
Yearbook & Photography Club
COLLEGE ACCEPTANCES
44%
Enrolled at a Most Selective College
American University
Amherst College
Austin Community College District
Babson College
Barnard College
Bates College
Bellarmine University
Belmont University
Berklee College of Music
Boston College
Boston University
Bowdoin College
Brandeis University
Brown University
Bucknell University
California College of the Arts
California Polytechnic State University
San Luis Obispo
California State Polytechnic University Pomona
California State University Long Beach
California State University Monterey Bay
California State University Northridge
Carnegie Mellon University
Chapman University
City College of San Francisco
Colby College
Colgate University
College of San Mateo
College of the Holy Cross
Colorado College
Colorado School of Mines
Colorado State University
Columbia University
Cornell University
Cuesta College
Dartmouth College
Denison University
DePaul University
Drexel University
Duke University
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (Daytona Beach)
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (Prescott)
Fairfield University
Fordham University
George Washington University
Georgetown University
Gonzaga University
Grinnell College
Hartwick College
Harvard University
Harvey Mudd College
Haverford College
Hofstra University
Howard University
Indiana University (Bloomington)
Jacksonville University
Kenyon College
Lehigh University
Lewis & Clark College
Linfield University
Louisiana State University
Loyola Marymount University
Loyola University Chicago
Loyola University New Orleans
Macalester College
Marquette University
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
McGill University
Michigan State University
Middlebury College
Morehouse College
New Mexico Tech
New York University
Northeastern University
Northwestern University
NYU Shanghai
Occidental College
Olin College of Engineering
Parsons School of Design at The New School
Penn State University
Pepperdine University
Pitzer College
Pomona College
Pratt Institute
Reed College
Rice University
Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University
Saint Mary’s College of California
San Diego State University
San Francisco State University
San Jose State University
Santa Barbara City College
Santa Clara University
Sarah Lawrence College
Savannah College of Art and Design
School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Sciences Po Paris
Scripps College
Seattle University
Skidmore College
Smith College
Sonoma State University
Southern Methodist University
St. John’s University
Stanford University
Stevens Institute of Technology
Swarthmore College
Syracuse University
Temple University, Japan Campus
Texas Christian University
The New School
The University of Edinburgh
Trinity College
Tufts University
Tulane University of Louisiana
United States Military Academy at West Point
United States Naval Academy
Universidad CEU San Pablo
Universidad de Navarra
University College London
University of Arizona
University of British Columbia
University of California (Berkeley)
University of California (Davis)
University of California Irvine
University of California Los Angeles
University of California Merced
University of California Riverside
University of California San Diego
University of California Santa Barbara
University of California Santa Cruz
University of Chicago
University of Colorado Boulder
University of Denver
University of Florida
University of Georgia
University of Glasgow
University of Hawaii at Manoa
University of La Verne
University of Miami
University of Michigan
University of Notre Dame
University of Oklahoma
University of Oregon
University of Pennsylvania
University of Portland
University of Richmond
University of Rochester
University of San Diego
University of San Francisco
University of Southern California
University of St Andrews
University of Toronto
University of Utah
University of Vermont
University of Virginia
University of Washington
University of Wisconsin
Vanderbilt University
Villanova University
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Wake Forest University
Washington and Lee University
Washington University in St. Louis
Wellesley College
Western University
Western Washington University
Westminster College
Whittier College
Willamette University
Williams College
Xavier University
Xavier University of Louisiana
Yale University
