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Can someone please give me names of some college prep high schools in the Los Angeles County area? Maybe there is a website that lists all of the prep schools?

By Erin (Erin) on Thursday, May 29, 2003 - 10:58 am: Edit

Harvard-Westlake and Crossroads are both well known private schools in that area, but- particularly Crossroads, I think- are not so much college prep as really good fine arts schools. I could be wrong about that though, because I don't live in the LA area.

By Thedad (Thedad) on Thursday, May 29, 2003 - 11:15 am: Edit

Harvard-Westlake is particularly demanding...one of those schools like Lakeside, in Seattle, that's nationally known among admissions officers. I respect HW *a lot* but would never send my D there even if I could afford it because it's virtually impossible to have a serious EC that's not based at the school.

Crossroads has a stunning theater department but is uneven academically...some departments being very good and others...otherwise.

I'm not aware of a website that has all the private schools though I found one once through Google that had many of them. Search "Private Schools Los Angeles" and see what turns up.

By Troy (Troy) on Thursday, May 29, 2003 - 12:23 pm: Edit

Loyola, Polytechnic School, St. Francis, Flintridge Prep, Notre Dame,Alemany, St Francis, Flintridge Prep, and Village Christian are some of the schools scattered throughout the area.

Personally, I would have to say Poly is the best prep school in the area (no bias here ). With total enrollment of around 340, Poly's placement statistics are amazing considering how deep the academic talent pool is in southern california...you can check out how totally sweet the class of 2000 was (and the other graduating classes since '99).

http://www.polytechnic.org/alumni/collegealpha.html

By Kat (Kat) on Thursday, May 29, 2003 - 09:14 pm: Edit

thanks a lot for the replies, I'm specifically interested in college prep schools w/out religious affiliation, not just private schools. I'm familiar with Harvard Westlake, Viewpoint, Crossroads and such however I was under the impression that college prep schools are somehow different from these private schools. Could someone please explain the difference b/w really good private schools like HW and prep schools? and if anyone can give me more names of these prep schools i would appreciate it.

By Kat (Kat) on Thursday, May 29, 2003 - 09:16 pm: Edit

Also, what's EC?

By Mom60 (Mom60) on Thursday, May 29, 2003 - 10:03 pm: Edit

There is Chadwick in Palos Verdes. I would say that any high quality private school would be considered a prep school. They prepare all there students to attend college. They offer guidance throughout the process. My child attended one for 9th grade. Her comment was that you had to make no decisions on your own they are all made for you. In a public high school you are usually on your own. For example in a prep school 10th graders automatically take the PSAT in a public if you or your parent doesn't sign you up it doesn't happen.

By Thedad (Thedad) on Thursday, May 29, 2003 - 11:31 pm: Edit

EC = Extra-Curricular activity.

By Thedad (Thedad) on Thursday, May 29, 2003 - 11:59 pm: Edit

Well, at D's public school, not only sophomores but freshmen are encouraged to sign up for the PSAT. It's not done for you but it's easily facilitated.

Other Westside prep schools: Windward, Wildwood, Mirman (small and exceedingly smart & insanely driven), Archer (girls only), Marlboro (girls only).

By Thedad (Thedad) on Friday, May 30, 2003 - 12:02 am: Edit

There are others that I'm blanking on at the moment: tell you what, look on the "schools" page on www.santamonicahomes.net

Any resemblance between the writing style on that web site and that of thedad is certainly one hell of a coincidence.

By Erin (Erin) on Saturday, May 31, 2003 - 01:47 am: Edit

What about Thatcher? It's not exactly in the LA area, but southern California...

By May_1 (May_1) on Saturday, May 31, 2003 - 09:47 pm: Edit

There is also the Brentwood School and Webb. Some good publics include Bravo Med. Magnet, Whitney, LACES, Palos Verdes Peninsula, etc...

By Chiangkaishrek (Chiangkaishrek) on Sunday, June 01, 2003 - 07:00 am: Edit

Erin,

Man,..you took the word out from my mouth.

I was going to recommend to Kat Thatcher Academy. True, it's not in the Los Angeles vicnity. It's located in Ojai, Calif, ...some good 1-2 hour drive away from downtown LA area.
Thatcher is equivalent to Phillips Academy in Massachusetts, Choate in Conn, and Sidewell Friends in DC area.

If LA in particular, I heard that Harvard-Westlake Academy is the best in terms of non-religious affiliation.

In terms of great public high school equivalent to Harvard-Westlake, Palos Verdes High School is great. My friend went there, and lots of the graduates are now at Harvard, Cornell, Northwestern, Duke, Yale, Georgetown, Stanford. The trend is like this EVERY year.

By Jlq3d3 (Jlq3d3) on Sunday, June 01, 2003 - 01:36 pm: Edit

Some well-known ones in LA are Harvard Westlake, which is competitive to get in to but a very good school at that. Winward, Buckley, Crossroads, Chadwick, Marlborogh (very good all girls school near my house), and some others.

By Gianscolere (Gianscolere) on Monday, June 02, 2003 - 04:24 pm: Edit

I agree. Thacher is a great school...visit the website at www.thacher.org !