"Pinewood offers an academically challenging curriculum as well as the extracurricular activities students need built into their school day."
– Pinewood Parent
School Profile
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.
High School Profile Snapshot
- The School + Faculty
- The Community + the Students
- The Curriculum + Graduation Requirements
- Schedule
- Honors + Advanced Placement Courses
- Advanced Placement Test Results for May 2022
- AP Scholar Awards
- Notes on GPA + AP/Honors Courses
- Class Ranking
- Grading + GPA Calculation
- Class of 2023
- GPA for the Class of 2023
- SAT + ACT Test Statistics
- Athletics + Extracurricular Activities
- Community Service
The School + Faculty
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 300 students. The student teacher ratio at Upper Campus is approximately seven to one and the maximum class size is 18 students. Upper Campus faculty includes 44 full-time and four part-time teachers, 33 of whom hold advanced degrees. Pinewood is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.
The Community + the Students
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 a culture of learning and who 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.
The Curriculum + Graduation Requirements
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 year | 1.5 units | |||||||
• Upper Division Electives | min. 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.
Schedule
Honors + Advanced Placement Courses
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.
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.
*** Honors Biology 2: Advanced Topics is a senior year AP equivalent honors course. All students who wish to take Honors Biology 2 must complete Honors Biology 1 in junior year.
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 Semester 2 of 2019–20 and all of 2020–21, all students enrolled in AP classes were given the option to opt out of taking exams in the spring of 2020 and 2021.
Advanced Placement Test Results for May 2022
AP Scholar Awards
Notes on GPA + AP/Honors Courses
- All AP and Honors courses receive an additional point when calculating GPA.
- Enrollment in AP or Honors classes is determined by teacher recommendation. All students receive guidance with regards to their individual curriculum paths.
- Pinewood students are allowed to take AP or Honors courses beginning in the tenth grade.
- AP course enrollment is capped at five classes per year for seniors and four classes per year for juniors.
These policies are designed to encourage qualified students to challenge themselves by attempting higher level work.
Class Ranking
Grading + GPA Calculation
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 were again canceled for all 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 |
Class of 2023
GPA for the Class of 2023
SAT + ACT Test Statistics
Pinewood advised the Classes of 2023 and 2022 as of June of their respective junior and senior years. Since the start of the pandemic and the introduction of the test optional policy on the part of most colleges and universities, the number of Pinewood students taking the SAT and/or ACT are far smaller than pre-pandemic levels. Our ACT numbers remain too small to provide a valuable measure of assessment.
SAT: Class of 2023
(24 of 50 Juniors as of June 2022)
ERW | Math | Total | |
Range | 500-780 | 510-790 | 1010-1560 |
Mid 50% | 680-720 | 640-740 | 1330-1460 |
Mean | 690 | 680 | 1370 |
SAT: Class of 2022
(36 of 55 Seniors as of June 2022)
ERW | Math | Total | |
Range | 510-800 | 510-800 | 1060-1600 |
Mid 50% | 600-720 | 600-730 | 1180-1460 |
Mean | 658 | 656 | 1313 |
Athletics + Extracurricular Activities
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.
Community Service
College Admissions + Placement
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 2019, 2020, and 2021 were admitted to the following colleges and universities.
AMDA College of the Performing Arts
American University
Arizona State University
Baylor University
Beacon College
Belmont University °
Berklee College of Music °
Boise State University
Bond University (Australia) *
Boston College Boston University °
Brandeis University °
Brigham Young University
Provo °
Hawaii *°
Idaho *
Brown University *
Brunel University (UK)
Bryn Mawr College
California Lutheran University
Cal Poly Pomona
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo *°
California State University
Chico °
Fullerton *
Los Angeles
Northridge
Sacramento °
San Marcos
Capilano University (Canada) *
Carleton College
Carnegie Mellon University *
Case Western Reserve University °
Chapman University *
College of Charleston
College of William and Mary
Colorado College *
Cornell University °
Dennison University *
DePaul University
Drew University
Duke University *°
Edinburgh College (UK)
Ecole Hôtelière de Lausanne (Switzerland) *
Elon University
Embrey-Riddle Aeronautical University
Emerson College *
Emory University *
Fordham University *
Furman University *
Georgetown University
Georgia Institute of Technology
Gettysburg College *
Gonzaga University
Haverford College °
Hobart and William Smith Colleges *
Hofstra University °
Illinois Institute of Technology
Imperial College London (UK) *
Indiana University °
Ithaca College
Johns Hopkins University *°
Johnson & Wales University
Kings College London (UK)
Lake Forest College
Lehigh University *
Leiden University College (Netherlands)
Lewis & Clark College
Loughborough University (UK)
Loyola Marymount University *°
Loyola University Chicago °
Maryland Institute College of Art °
Marymount Manhattan College
McGill University (Canada)
Miami University–Oxford
Michigan State University
Missouri University of Science & Technology
Montana State University
Mount Holyoke College
New York University *°
Northeastern University *°
Northwestern University
Oberlin College °
Occidental College °
Oregon State University °
Pace University
Pennsylvania State University
Pepperdine University °
Pitzer College *°
Pomona College °
Pratt University
Purdue University *°
Reed College
Rice University *°
Rochester Institute of Technology °
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
Royal Holloway University of London (UK)
Saint Mary's College of California
San Diego State University
Santa Clara University *°
Savannah College of Art and Design
School of the Art Institute of Chicago *
Sciences Po–UC Berkeley Dual Degree °
Scripps College °
Seattle University °
Skidmore College
Southern Methodist University °
Southern Virginia University
St. Lawrence University °
St. Olaf University °
Stanford University °
Syracuse University
Texas Christian University *
The George Washington University °
The Ohio State University
The University of Arizona
The University of Edinburgh (UK)
The University of Sheffield (UK)
The University of Texas, Austin °
The University of the Arts °
Trinity College °
Tufts University *°
Tulane University *
United States Military Academy–Westpoint
University of Amsterdam (Netherlands) °
University of Bath (UK) °
University of Bristol (UK)
University of British Colombia (Canada)
University College London (UK)
University of California
Berkeley *°
Davis
Irvine
Los Angeles °
Meced °
Riverside
San Diego *°
Santa Barbara
Santa Cruz °
University of Colorado, Boulder
University of Connecticut
University of Denver *
University of Georgia
University of Hartford
University of Houston
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign °
University of Iowa
University of Massachusetts
University of Miami
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor °
University of Minnesota
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
University of Oregon *°
University of Pennsylvania °
University of Pittsburgh
University of Portland *
University of Puget Sound °
University of Rochester °
University of San Diego °
University of San Francisco
University of Southern California *°
University of St. Andrews (UK) °
University of the Pacific
University of Tampa
University of Toronto (Canada)
University of Utah *°
University of Vermont
University of Virginia
University of Washington *°
University of Wisconsin, Madison *
Utah State University °
Utah Valley University
Vassar College
Villanova University °
Wake Forest University °
Washington State University
Washington University in St. Louis *°
Wellesley College
Wesleyan University
Western Washington University
Westmont College
Whitman College
Whittier College
Williams College
Yale University *°
* Indicates where one or more students from the Class of 2021 matriculated
° Colleges/universities currently attended by 2019 and 2020 graduates