Student
Avoid this school:
1.- Toxic atmosphere: The school is very elitist and the overall vibe is one of materialism and appearance-keeping above everything else. Lots of bullying and favoritism toward wealthy kids.
Your wealth will determine your status within the community, and your kid will learn to think this way. I used to feel a lot of pressure to own expensive brands and show off how privileged I was.
2.- No international focus: English is barely used, and poorly taught. An international student would struggle unless they are fluent in Spanish. The institution does not adopt IB or any other international standard. The main selling point of this school is the contacts you will make as part of their community, and these contacts are almost exclusively Mexican so even this won't add much value unless you are Mexican or plan to stay in Mexico for long.
3.- Low Academic standards: Academic level is quite low for what you pay. I enrolled after studying elementary and middle school at the American School of Querétaro and I immediately and effortlessly became top of my class when I arrived at Cumbres.
4.- A history of corruption and sexual abuse: The Catholic organization behind the school (The Legionaries of Christ) is infamous for allowing the sexual abuse of students for decades. Their former leader (Father Marcel Maciel) was exposed as a tyrannical leader, a sexual predator, and a crook. The movie "Obediencia Perfecta" (Perfect Obedience) is based on this case, it is horrendous to watch. When Maciel finally got excommunicated by the Vatican, the institution had no other choice but to own up to it and try to distance itself from his crimes. They pretended they had no knowledge of his actions, but that is highly unlikely given how cynical and widespread Maciel's crimes were. When I studied there, Maciel was presented as a saint to us. It was a cult of personality. We had to memorize details of his life, his birthday was a holiday and we would refer to him as "Our Father". And this cult-like following went on even amidst the scandal, several years after the first accusations of pedophilia.
5.- Focus on exploiting your wallet: This Legionaries of Christ institution is obsessed with making money. Their stated mission of "guiding the rich towards salvation" has turned them into one of the most wealthy Catholic institutions in the world. They justify the mission by saying that influencing the wealthy will eventually spill over into the wider society. In reality, it is simply a convenient way to justify their focus on wealthy families that they can take advantage of. Their true mission is to fill their pockets by charging very high fees while delivering low academic standards.
6.- Better alternatives: Avoid the Legion like the plague. If you want high academic standards then the American School Foundation or Tecnológico de Monterrey are better options. If you want Catholic education the Jesuits have much better academic standards and morals.
1 other review for Cumbres International School Lomas - (Reviews aren't verified )
Student
Because the teachers are very bias, they don't treat students they don't like well, meaning there's so much favouritism and only favoured ones succeed. Catholicism is shoved in your face all the time, with extreme doctrines that mislead you, leading me to hate said religion. The hypocrisy is evident as well as there's nothing international abt this school. We speak in spanish all the time, with bad quality english teachers and little to no opportunity of thinking about a university outside of CDMX, let alone Mexico as a whole. The environment is toxic and bullies/ "mean girls" dominate the school, teachers can't control their classes. My years here have been the worst. No talk of international exams, like IB or IGCSE's, meaning no remote connection to the European Syllabus.
