
K-2 teachers offer resources to help parents promote a grateful mindset
A Quick Look at Our High School
Pinewood’s high school profile is a quick snapshot of key information that includes: school and curriculum overviews; student academic performance; SAT, AP testing, and National Merit recognition statistics; an overview of the athletic program and extra-curricular activities; and college admission and placement data for the last three years.
"Pinewood offers an academically challenging curriculum as well as the extra curricular activities students need built into their school day."
– Pinewood Parent
Pinewood School, founded in 1959, is an independent, coeducational, nondenominational college preparatory day school serving grades K–12. Upper Campus enrollment in Los Altos Hills (grades 7–12) is 300 students; K–6 enrollment, at two separate campuses in Los Altos, is 290 students.
The student teacher ratio at Upper Campus is approximately 7 to 1 and the maximum class size is eighteen students. Upper Campus faculty includes forty-four full-time and four part-time teachers, thirty-three of whom hold advanced degrees. Pinewood is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.
Los Altos Hills and Los Altos are located in the heart of Silicon Valley. Drawing from communities throughout the San Francisco Peninsula and greater San Jose, our student body is comprised of students from diverse cultural, religious, socioeconomic and ethnic backgrounds who seek rigorous academics and support a high standard of behavior. Pinewood provides a nurturing environment where every student is encouraged to become a well-rounded individual, an insightful learner and critical thinker, a self-motivated student, a clear communicator and a respectful member of any community. 100% of Pinewood graduates attend college.
Pinewood’s curriculum is college preparatory; six academic courses per semester are required of most students. For those students enrolled in three or more AP classes, the minimum requirement is five academic classes per semester. Exceptions may be made for students taking college courses in addition to their Pinewood course work, or for those students who enter after grade nine. Graduation requirements are:
• English: Literature | 4 years | 12 units | |||||||
• English: Writing* | 1.5 years | 6 units | |||||||
• Mathematics | 3 years | 9 units | |||||||
• Lab Science | 3 years | 9 units | |||||||
• Social Studies | 3 years | 9 units | |||||||
• World Language | 3 years | 9 units | |||||||
• Physical Education | 2 years | 2 units | |||||||
• Visual and Performing Arts | 1.5 years | 4.5 units | |||||||
• Computer Science | .5 years | 1.5 units | |||||||
• Upper Division Electives | 2 courses | ||||||||
• Community Service | 20 hours per year |
* Students may test out of the last semester of writing by scoring 3 or higher on the AP English Language exam.
Pinewood is committed to providing Advanced Placement and Honors level courses to all eligible students. Eligibility for enrollment in AP and Honors courses is determined by teacher recommendation and/or department consent. The maximum number of AP classes in which students may enroll is limited to five (5) for seniors, and four (4) for juniors. Regardless of grade level, Pinewood counsels students as to the appropriateness of taking advanced classes with respect to individual needs and abilities. AP World History and, on occasion, AP Statistics may be offered to qualified sophomores.
Honors Courses
American Literature
Precalculus
French 4
Spanish 4
United States History**
Chemistry
Biology 1 and 2***
AP Courses
English Language*
English Literature
Calculus AB
Calculus BC
Statistics
French Language
Spanish Language
Studio Art: Drawing
Studio Art: 2D Design
Art History
Modern World History
United States History
United States Government
Chemistry
Physics C
Computer Science Principles
* All juniors take AP English Language.
**US History Honors is part of the two-year Pinewood Scholars Program which also includes two seminar classes and a senior capstone project.
*** Biology Honors is the first half of a two-year sequence for AP Biology. All students who wish to take AP Biology must complete the full two-year curriculum. Pinewood does not offer a one-year stand-alone AP Biology course.
All sophomores and juniors enrolled in AP classes are expected to take the corresponding AP Exams; juniors will be counseled on an individual basis as to the appropriateness of taking the AP English Language exam. Seniors may opt out of taking an AP Exam with the approval of the college counselor, the AP course teacher, the student’s parents, and a member of the administration. Due to the COVID-19 protocols in place for 2020-21, all students enrolled in AP classes may opt out of taking the exam in Spring 2021.
These policies are designed to encourage qualified students to challenge themselves by attempting higher level work.
GPA is weighted and calculated for all courses taken at Pinewood (courses taken elsewhere are NOT calculated in GPA). College prep classes receive 1.5 units per semester; PE and non-college prep classes receive 0.5 units per semester. Honors and AP courses receive an additional grade point in GPA calculation. Two-hour final exams are required in every college prep class and the exam grade accounts for 20% of the semester course grade. Final Exams were not given in Spring 2020, and will again be canceled for Semester 1 of 2020-21.
Grade | % | pts | H/AP |
A | 93-100 | 4.00 | 5.00 |
A- | 90-92 | 3.70 | 4.70 |
B+ | 87-89 | 3.30 | 4.30 |
B | 83-86 | 3.00 | 4.00 |
B- | 80-82 | 2.70 | 3.70 |
C+ | 77-79 | 2.30 | 3.30 |
C | 73-76 | 2.00 | 3.00 |
C- | 70-72 | 1.70 | 2.70 |
D+ | 67-69 | 1.30 | 2.30 |
D | 63-66 | 1.00 | 2.00 |
D- | 60-62 | 0.70 | 1.70 |
F | 0-59 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
Prior to the COVID-19 lockdown in March 2020, only a small percentage of the Class of 2021 had taken either the ACT or SAT. With most colleges and universities being test optional for 2021–22, combined with the continued restrictions and general unavailability of testing in California, only a few Pinewood students plan to take either the ACT or the SAT this fall. Consequently we believe providing test scores for the Class of 2021 presents an inaccurate picture. The following are SAT and ACT test results for the Classes of 2020 and 2019 as of June of their senior years.
SAT: Class of 2020
(41 of 53 Seniors as of June 2020)
ERW | Math | Total | |
Range | 530-800 | 540-800 | 1070-1560 |
Mid 50% | 660-730 | 630-770 | 1280-1480 |
Mean | 692 | 688 | 1380 |
SAT: Class of 2019
(30 of 42 Seniors as of June 2019)
ERW | Math | Total | |
Range | 530-800 | 550-800 | 1010-1560 |
Mid 50% | 660-730 | 640-750 | 1340-1460 |
Mean | 690 | 683 | 1374 |
ACT: Class of 2020
(26 of 53 Juniors as of June 2020)
English | Math | Reading | Science | Comp | |
Range | 23-36 | 17-35 | 24-36 | 20-36 | 21-36 |
Mid 50% | 32-35 | 27-32 | 31-35 | 27-33 | 30-34 |
Mean | 33 | 28 | 32 | 30 | 31 |
ACT: Class of 2019
(25 of 42 Seniors as of June 2019)
English | Math | Reading | Science | Comp | |
Range | 25-36 | 20-36 | 16-36 | 20-36 | 21-36 |
Mid 50% | 30-35 | 28-33 | 32-35 | 28-33 | 30-33 |
Mean | 32 | 30 | 33 | 31 | 31 |
Pinewood students are encouraged to pursue individual talents and interests through extracurricular activities and athletic participation. The high school athletic program includes girls’ and boys’ basketball, soccer, tennis, cross-country, swimming, track and field, and golf; boys’ baseball; and girls’ softball and volleyball. School-sponsored activities include Interact, yearbook, journalism, drama, speech and debate, choir, robotics, special interest clubs, service clubs, and honor societies.
Approximately 98% of each class enrolls at a four-year college or university following graduation from Pinewood. The remaining 2% enroll at two-year community colleges with the intention of completing their education at a four-year institution. Pinewood graduates in the Classes of 2016, 2017, and 2018 were admitted to the following colleges and universities.
Amherst College °
Arizona State University
Babson College °
Bard College
Bates College
Baylor University
Belmont University *
Bentley University
Boston College
Boston University °
Brandeis University °
Brigham Young University
Provo *°
Hawaii
Idaho *
California Institute of Technology °
California Lutheran University
Cal Poly Pomona
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo °
California State University
Bakersfield
Channel Islands
Chico
Dominguez Hills
Long Beach
Monterey Bay
Sacramento *
San Marcos °
Carleton College °
Carnegie Mellon University °
Case Western Reserve University Chapman University *°
Clark University
Clemson University
Colgate University
Colorado School of Mines
Colorado State University
Connecticut College °
Cornell University °
Dartmouth College *
Drexel University
Duke University *°
Elon University °
Emerson College
Fordham University
Georgetown University °
George Fox University
Georgia Institute of Technology
Gettysburg College °
Gonzaga University
Gordon College
Harvard University °
Haverford College *
Hobart and William Smith Colleges °
Hofstra University
Humboldt State University
Indiana University °
Iowa State University
Ithaca College
James Madison University
John Hopkins University *
Juniata College
Lafayette College
Lehigh University *
Lewis and Clark College °
Linfield College
Loyola Marymount University °
Loyola University
Chicago °
Manhattan College
Marist College °
Marymount Manhattan College
Massachusett's College of Pharmacy °
McGill University °
Miami University
Missouri University of Science & Technology
Montana State University
Muhlenberg College
New York University *°
Northeastern University *°
Northern Arizona University °
Northwestern University *
Oberlin College *
Occidental College *
Oregon Institute of Technology
Oregon State University *
Pace University
Pennsylvania State University
Point Loma Nazarene University
Portland State University
Purdue University *°
Queen’s University
Reed College
Regis University
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Rhode Island School of Design °
Rice University °
Rochester Institute of Technology
Roosevelt University
Saint Mary’s College of California *°
San Diego State University
San Francisco State University
San Jose State University °
Santa Clara University *°
Sarah Lawrence College
Seattle University *°
Seton Hall University
Simon Fraser University
Skidmore College °
Sonoma State University
Southern Methodist University *°
Southern Virginia University
St. Edward’s University
St. John’s University
St. Lawrence University *
Stanford University °
Stevens Institute of Technology
Stonehill College
Suffolk University
Swarthmore College °
Syracuse University
Texas A&M University
Texas Christian University *°
Texas State University
The George Washington University*
The King's College
The Ohio State University
The University of Alabama
The University of Arizona *
The University of Edinburgh *
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of Tampa
The University of Texas, Austin *
Trinity College *
Trinity University
Tufts University *°
Tulane University Union College
University of California
Berkeley °
Davis
Irvine *
Los Angeles °
Merced *
Riverside °
San Diego *°
Santa Barbara *°
Santa Cruz °
University of Chicago °
University of Colorado, Boulder *° University of Denver °
University of Kansas
University of Kentucky
University of La Verne
University fo Massachusetts, Amherst University of Miami
University of Michigan *
University of Minnesota
University of Mississippi
University of Nebraska, Lincoln °
University of New Hampshire, Durham
University of Oregon °
University of Pennsylvania *°
University of Portland *
University of Puget Sound *
University of Redlands °
University of Richmond
University of Rochester
University of San Diego
University of San Francisco °
University of South Carolina University of Southern California *°
University of Toronto
University of Utah *°
University of Vermont
University of Virginia °
University of Washington °
University of Wisconsin, Madison
Utah State University *°
Utah Valley University *°
Villanova University *
Wake Forest University *°
Washington State University
Washington University in St. Louis *°
Wesleyan University
Western Washington University °
Westminster College
Westmont College
Whitman College
Whittier College
Willamette University
Williams College °
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
* indicates where one or more students from the Class of 2018 matriculated
° colleges/universities currently attended by 2016 and 2017 graduates
On this episode of Cultivated Three parents share why Pinewood was the clear choice for their students, and for their families.
K-2 teachers offer resources to help parents promote a grateful mindset
Upper Campus students in the Pinewood Scholars Program engage with real-world issues through podcasting
Recent Pinewood alumna aids as translator on medical service trip to Guatemala
Rising senior Sarah Feng for the Los Altos Town Crier
Students at Pinewood are encouraged to inquire, engage, and be aspirational. These six seniors represent an entire class of graduates who exemplify that truth.