The College Preparatory School (CPS or College Prep) is a four-year

private Private or privates may refer to: Music * " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...

high school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...

Oakland Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third largest city overall in the Bay A ...

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

. The school's motto is ''Mens Conscia Recti'', a

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

phrase adapted from

Virgil Publius Vergilius Maro (; traditional dates 15 October 7021 September 19 BC), usually called Virgil or Vergil ( ) in English, was an ancient Roman poet of the Augustan period. He composed three of the most famous poems in Latin literature: t ...

's ''

Aeneid The ''Aeneid'' ( ; la, Aenē̆is or ) is a Latin Epic poetry, epic poem, written by Virgil between 29 and 19 BC, that tells the legendary story of Aeneas, a Troy, Trojan who fled the Trojan_War#Sack_of_Troy, fall of Troy and travelled to ...

'' that means "a mind aware of what is right".

History

College Prep founder Jenks at Groundbreaking

Founded in 1960, College Prep's first campus was located in a house in the Claremont neighborhood of Oakland/Berkeley. The school was founded by Mary Harley Jenks, former head of the Bentley School and Ruth Willis. Miss Jenks, the first Head of School, envisioned a school that valued "high standards of scholarship and conduct."''Becoming A Real School 1960-1990 : The Story of The College Preparatory School'' by Robert Baldwin, Jr. Berkeley, California: Regent Press, 2004. In 1983 College Prep moved to its current campus on Broadway. College Prep has received accolades for its academic excellence. A 2007 ''

Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' is an American business-focused, international daily newspaper based in New York City, with international editions also available in Chinese and Japanese. The ''Journal'', along with its Asian editions, is published ...

'' article ranked College Prep as the sixth best high school in the United States. In 2010, ''

Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also re ...

'' magazine ranked College Prep as the seventeenth best private school in the United States."America's Best Prep Schools"
''Forbes'', 29 April 2010 In 2016,

niche.com Niche.com, formerly known as College Prowler, is an American company headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, that runs a ranking and review site. The company was founded by Luke Skurman in 2002 as a Publishing, publisher of print guidebooks ...

ranked College Prep the fourteenth best private school in the nation. For 2020, niche.com ranked College Prep the fourth best private school in the nation. College Prep's Heads of School have been Mary Harley Jenks (1960-1969), Robert Baldwin, Jr. (1969-1990), Clint Wilkins (1990-1994), Janet Schwartz (1994-1999), Murray Cohen (1999-2011), and Monique DeVane (2011–present).

Campus

At the current campus, a large central courtyard serves as the center of daily activity to create intimacy and a sense of community between students and faculty. Major projects have been the Scott MacPherson Stapleton World Languages and Cultures Building (created and dedicated in 2011), a new campus master plan (completed in 2014), and in 2020 the school began work on the Hill Project, a new array of buildings on the upper left of campus. In addition, during the COVID-19 pandemic they leased space at a nearby training center named Seneca and began to host some classes there. As of January 2022, the Hill Project has been completed, and the Seneca campus lease has ended.

Curriculum

English

In the first two years of English at College Prep, students are sorted into classes that all read similar (or the same) books and have no specific focus. In student's Junior and Senior years, however, they are allowed to select seminars with specific focuses (for example Russian literature). In order to facilitate discussion, classes are conducted at

Harkness table The Harkness table, Harkness method, or Harkness discussion is a teaching and learning method involving students seated in a large, oval configuration to discuss ideas in an encouraging, open-minded environment with only occasional or minimal t ...

s: oval, wooden tables popularized by

philanthropist Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives, for the Public good (economics), public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private goo ...

Edward Harkness Edward Stephen Harkness (January 22, 1874 – January 29, 1940) was an American philanthropist. Given privately and through his family's Commonwealth Fund, Harkness' gifts to private hospitals, art museums, and educational institutions in the Nort ...

. Harkness believed that the tables encouraged students to actively participate in discussion, and that they constituted a "revolution" in liberal arts education.Christophe G. Courchesne
"'A Suggestion of a Fundamental Nature': Imagining a Legal Education of Solely Electives Taught as Discussions"
''Rutgers Law Record'' 29, no. 21 (2005): 26.

History

The first three years of history have a preset focus. Freshmen take Asian Worlds where they look at the history of India and China from its founding to the modern day. Sophomores take Atlantic Worlds which explores the development of the European and American history from the conclusion of the crusades through the end of the Enlightenment. Juniors take American Worlds to learn about the history of the United States as a nation, in part building off of the work the previous year in Atlantic Worlds. In their Senior year, students take seminars similar to those in English.

Mathematics

College Prep follows an

integrated curriculum Integrative learning is a learning theory describing a movement toward integrated lessons helping students make connections across curricula. This higher education concept is distinct from the elementary and high school "integrated curriculum" mo ...

that combines numerous topics and strands of mathematics throughout the year. Despite the integrated format, each section does maintain a concentration on a core mathematical field; Math I (

algebra Algebra () is one of the broad areas of mathematics. Roughly speaking, algebra is the study of mathematical symbols and the rules for manipulating these symbols in formulas; it is a unifying thread of almost all of mathematics. Elementary a ...

), Math II (

geometry Geometry (; ) is, with arithmetic, one of the oldest branches of mathematics. It is concerned with properties of space such as the distance, shape, size, and relative position of figures. A mathematician who works in the field of geometry is c ...

), Math III (

trigonometry Trigonometry () is a branch of mathematics that studies relationships between side lengths and angles of triangles. The field emerged in the Hellenistic world during the 3rd century BC from applications of geometry to astronomical studies. T ...

), Math IV (

applied mathematics Applied mathematics is the application of mathematical methods by different fields such as physics, engineering, medicine, biology, finance, business, computer science, and industry. Thus, applied mathematics is a combination of mathematical s ...

and

analysis Analysis ( : analyses) is the process of breaking a complex topic or substance into smaller parts in order to gain a better understanding of it. The technique has been applied in the study of mathematics and logic since before Aristotle (38 ...

), Math V ( AB & BC

calculus Calculus, originally called infinitesimal calculus or "the calculus of infinitesimals", is the mathematical study of continuous change, in the same way that geometry is the study of shape, and algebra is the study of generalizations of arithm ...

), and Math VI (

multivariable calculus Multivariable calculus (also known as multivariate calculus) is the extension of calculus in one variable to calculus with functions of several variables: the differentiation and integration of functions involving several variables, rather th ...

)."Math"
'The College Preparatory School", no date.'' In addition there are advanced classes for each of the math classes. Math classes are assigned based on skill entering the school and students in multiple different grades in one class is quite common. At the start of the year, freshmen take a placement exam, where they are placed into either Math I, Math II, or Math III (very rarely are they placed higher).

Science

College Prep's science program establishes a foundation in scientific principles by requiring interdisciplinary study. While most

public high school State schools (in England, Wales, Australia and New Zealand) or public schools (Scottish English and North American English) are generally primary or secondary schools that educate all students without charge. They are funded in whole or in pa ...

s teach introductory

biology Biology is the scientific study of life. It is a natural science with a broad scope but has several unifying themes that tie it together as a single, coherent field. For instance, all organisms are made up of cells that process hereditary i ...

courses to freshmen, College Prep follows the

Physics First Physics First is an educational program in the United States, that teaches a basic physics course in the ninth grade (usually 15-year-olds), rather than the biology course which is more standard in public schools. This course relies on the limited ...

model of teaching basic concepts of

physics Physics is the natural science that studies matter, its fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge which r ...

to Freshmen within an integrated

laboratory A laboratory (; ; colloquially lab) is a facility that provides controlled conditions in which scientific or technological research, experiments, and measurement may be performed. Laboratory services are provided in a variety of settings: physicia ...

format. After completing courses in

chemistry Chemistry is the science, scientific study of the properties and behavior of matter. It is a natural science that covers the Chemical element, elements that make up matter to the chemical compound, compounds made of atoms, molecules and ions ...

(Sophomores) and biology (Juniors), students often elect to take

Advanced Placement Advanced Placement (AP) is a program in the United States and Canada created by the College Board which offers college-level curricula and examinations to high school students. American colleges and universities may grant placement and course ...

Physics Physics is the natural science that studies matter, its fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge which r ...

Chemistry Chemistry is the science, scientific study of the properties and behavior of matter. It is a natural science that covers the Chemical element, elements that make up matter to the chemical compound, compounds made of atoms, molecules and ions ...

, and

Environmental Science Environmental science is an interdisciplinary academic field that integrates physics, biology, and geography (including ecology, chemistry, plant science, zoology, mineralogy, oceanography, limnology, soil science, geology and physical geograp ...

courses. Elective classes are offered in

astronomy Astronomy () is a natural science that studies astronomical object, celestial objects and phenomena. It uses mathematics, physics, and chemistry in order to explain their origin and chronology of the Universe, evolution. Objects of interest ...

, science ethics,

animal behavior Ethology is the scientific study of animal behaviour, usually with a focus on behaviour under natural conditions, and viewing behaviour as an evolutionarily adaptive trait. Behaviourism as a term also describes the scientific and objective ...

, and

organic chemistry Organic chemistry is a subdiscipline within chemistry involving the scientific study of the structure, properties, and reactions of organic compounds and organic materials, i.e., matter in its various forms that contain carbon atoms.Clayden, J.; ...

."Science"
''The College Preparatory School'', no date.

World languages

College Prep offers four-year programs in French, Spanish, Mandarin Chinese, and Latin. Students are placed into level 1, 2, or 3 when they arrive depending on skill level and after level 3 they are allowed to take seminars. Seminar levels of all world language classes are

preparatory."World Languages"
'The College Preparatory School'', no date. Students are required to take three years of one language or two years of two languages each. College Prep's Latin curriculum places emphasis on ancient Roman literature and history. All Latin students take the

National Latin Exam The National Latin Exam is a test given to Latin students. Sponsored by the U.S.-based American Classical League and the National Junior Classical League, the exam was given in 2012 to over 136,000 students in the U.S., Australia, Canada, China, ...

annually.

Honors and AP

Students are not distinguished between enrollment in

honors Honour (or honor in American English) is the quality of being honorable. Honor or Honour may also refer to: People * Honor (given name), a unisex given name * Brian Honour (born 1964), English footballer and manager * Gareth Honor (born 1979) ...

and standard courses, as all classes are taught at the honors level, and are designated as such by the

University of California The University of California (UC) is a public land-grant research university system in the U.S. state of California. The system is composed of the campuses at Berkeley, Davis, Irvine, Los Angeles, Merced, Riverside, San Diego, San Francisco, ...

. Students'

grade point average Grading in education is the process of applying standardized measurements for varying levels of achievements in a course. Grades can be assigned as letters (usually A through F), as a range (for example, 1 to 6), as a percentage, or as a numbe ...

s are calculated on an unweighted 4.0 scale. Students are required to take three years of core curricular classes and an extra year of

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

."Academics"
''The College Preparatory School'', no date. Many formal AP classes are not offered but students are given extracurricular preparation if they are interested.

Arts

College Prep students are required to fulfill the

Visual and Performing Arts education requirement by completing two semesters of arts classes within two disciplines. The Arts department therefore offers courses in

visual arts The visual arts are art forms such as painting, drawing, printmaking, sculpture, ceramics, photography, video, filmmaking, design, crafts and architecture. Many artistic disciplines such as performing arts, conceptual art, and textile arts al ...

, drama, music and dance. The Visual Arts department teaches foundation- and advanced-level classes on creative and technical skills in drawing and design. The drama program is centered around its Acting class and conducts two major drama productions each year, and is supported by stagecraft, drama tech, and digital video production classes."Drama"
'The College Preparatory School'', no date. Students in the music program often perform in instrumental ensembles, performing both standard and "pop" repertoire. The school also has a dedicated

chorus Chorus may refer to: Music * Chorus (song) or refrain, line or lines that are repeated in music or in verse * Chorus effect, the perception of similar sounds from multiple sources as a single, richer sound * Chorus form, song in which all verse ...

and vocal ensemble. Many students participate in the non-audition Chorus class, but advanced singers can audition for an Advanced Vocal Ensemble. Members of the A.V.E. are regularly selected to perform in the prestigious National Honor Choir organized by the

American Choral Directors Association The American Choral Directors Association (ACDA), headquartered in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, is a non-profit organization with the stated purpose of promoting excellence in the field of choral music. Its membership comprises approximately 22,000 c ...

."2009 National Honor Choir Concerts"
''American Choral Directors Association'', 7 March 2009. Dance classes are offered at all levels, and students perform in high school dance festivals, senior centers, and in theaters throughout the

Bay Area The San Francisco Bay Area, often referred to as simply the Bay Area, is a populous region surrounding the San Francisco, San Pablo, and Suisun Bay estuaries in Northern California. The Bay Area is defined by the Association of Bay Area Gov ...

. The dance program focuses on modern dance with an emphasis on African American choreographers, and teaches the techniques of

Lester Horton Lester Iradell Horton (23 January 1906 – 2 November 1953) was an American dancer, choreographer, and teacher. Early years and education Lester Iradell Horton was born in Indianapolis, Indiana on 23 January 1906. His parents were Iradell and Poll ...

José Limón José Arcadio Limón (January 12, 1908 – December 2, 1972) was a dancer and choreographer from Mexico and who developed what is now known as 'Limón technique'. In the 1940s, he founded the José Limón Dance Company (now the Limón Dan ...

Martha Graham Martha Graham (May 11, 1894 – April 1, 1991) was an American modern dancer and choreographer. Her style, the Graham technique, reshaped American dance and is still taught worldwide. Graham danced and taught for over seventy years. She wa ...

Katherine Dunham Katherine Mary Dunham (June 22, 1909 – May 21, 2006) was an American dancer, choreographer, anthropologist, and social activist. Dunham had one of the most successful dance careers of the 20th century, and directed her own dance company for ma ...

, and

Alvin Ailey Alvin Ailey Jr. (January 5, 1931 – December 1, 1989) was an American dancer, director, choreographer, and activist who founded the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (AAADT). He created AAADT and its affiliated Alvin Ailey American Dance Cente ...

. Guest choreographers regularly visit the school to teach students. Dance is highly popular at College Prep, and the program usually has around 70 dancers at one time."Dance"
'The College Preparatory School'', no date.

Student life

Clubs

On-campus clubs usually meet weekly. Though each has a faculty advisor, they are mainly student facilitated. Clubs range from hobbies and interests (Volleyball Club, Creative Writing Club), to activism and social justice (Taiwan Club, Black Student Union, CPS Against Human Trafficking), to politics (Leftist Club, Political Action Club) to academia (Science Olympiad, Math Squad, Latin Club).

Community service

College Prep students participate in service efforts as a class, wherein Sophomores and Seniors are involved in maintenance projects at

Point Reyes Point Reyes (, meaning "Point of the Kings") is a prominent cape and popular Northern California tourist destination on the Pacific coast. Located in Marin County, it is approximately west-northwest of San Francisco. The term is often applied ...

, and Juniors cooperate with

Rebuilding Together Rebuilding Together is an American non-profit organization with the goal of preserving affordable homeownership and revitalizing neighborhoods through free home repairs and modifications for neighbors in need. Rebuilding Together has rehabbed mo ...

to assist in various projects around the Bay Area. Students also do outside of school community service such as cooking for men's and women's shelters in

. Schoolwide participation in

Oxfam Oxfam is a British-founded confederation of 21 independent charitable organizations focusing on the alleviation of global poverty, founded in 1942 and led by Oxfam International. History Founded at 17 Broad Street, Oxford, as the Oxford Co ...

and

Amnesty International Amnesty International (also referred to as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization focused on human rights, with its headquarters in the United Kingdom. The organization says it has more than ten million members and sup ...

is common."Service and Community Based Learning"
''The College Preparatory School'', no date.

The Radar

The school has a student-run newspaper called The Radar. The Radar regularly publishes students' art and article submissions to its website and in its newsletters to the student body, which includes the regular "Humans of CPS" and "Artist of The Week" features. The Radar's website i
cpsradar.com

Technology

In an attempt to combine technology and student life, the school operates three full-service

computer lab A computer lab is a space where computer services are provided to a defined community. These are typically public libraries and academic institutions. Generally, users must follow a certain user policy to retain access to the computers. This usu ...

s and four classrooms fully equipped with laptop computers."Technology"
''The College Preparatory School'', no date. Each faculty member is provided a laptop and each incoming student is provided an Apple MacBook Pro laptop. The program is financed by a supplementary "technology fee" to the tuition. Families may opt out of the school-purchase plan if they purchase their own equipment. When students graduate, the computers belong to them."One-to-One Student Laptop Program"
''The College Preparatory School'', no date. CPS Schedule is a student created app, supporting only with iOS and macOS and enables tracking of easily customized school schedules. The app is integrated with other programs such as the Clubs Calendar.

Advising

In their Freshman year, students are put into a CAP (compass advising program) advisory group aimed at helping ease the transition to High School. Senior mentors in CAP help freshmen facilitate their transition into high school. After that, students are put in another advisory which they stay with for the remainder of their High School experience. The second advisory groups are aimed more at helping students with any troubles they might have than a rigorous curriculum. College Prep also offers counseling and health education programs conducted by a full-time health educator and counselor, a trained

child psychologist Developmental psychology is the scientific study of how and why humans grow, change, and adapt across the course of their lives. Originally concerned with infants and children, the field has expanded to include adolescence, adult developmen ...

, who provides comprehensive support to students and conducts a mandatory health program for sophomores intended to introduce them to health topics and encourage them to make healthful choices."Advising & Counseling"
''The College Preparatory School'', no date.

Retreats

The school organizes a number of special retreats for each class. Freshman retreat is conducted at the Headlands campus of the Yosemite Institute, north of the

Golden Gate Bridge The Golden Gate Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the Golden Gate, the strait connecting San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean. The structure links the U.S. city of San Francisco, California—the northern tip of the San Francisco Pen ...

, and is designed to help students adjust to high school. Sophomores retreat on the

American River , name_etymology = , image = American River CA.jpg , image_size = 300 , image_caption = The American River at Folsom , map = Americanrivermap.png , map_size = 300 , map_caption ...

and participate in a

whitewater rafting Rafting and whitewater rafting are recreational outdoor activities which use an inflatable raft to navigate a river or other body of water. This is often done on whitewater or different degrees of rough water. Dealing with risk is often a ...

trip. Junior retreat is an exercise in leadership training and involves extensive group discussion and activities on an outdoor

ropes course A ropes course is a challenging outdoor personal development and team building activity which usually consists of high and/or low elements. Low elements take place on the ground or above the ground. High elements are usually constructed in tre ...

. Seniors discuss the transition from high school to college, providing an informal setting to say goodbye before graduation."Retreat Program"
''The College Preparatory School'', no date.

Intraterm

An Intraterm period takes place in the week before spring break, and consists of special courses (such as

pottery Pottery is the process and the products of forming vessels and other objects with clay and other ceramic materials, which are fired at high temperatures to give them a hard and durable form. Major types include earthenware, stoneware and por ...

Dungeons & Dragons ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (commonly abbreviated as ''D&D'' or ''DnD'') is a fantasy tabletop role-playing game (RPG) originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. The game was first published in 1974 by TSR (company)#Tactical Studies Rules ...

), field studies (examples include trips to New Orleans and Area 51), and internships offered to students outside of the regular curriculum. Juniors may opt out of Intraterm classes or trips in order to visit colleges. Annual participation in Intraterm is a graduation requirement."Intraterm"
''The College Preparatory School'', no date.

College counseling

College Prep has an intensive and individualized counseling process for

college admissions University admission or college admission is the process through which students enter tertiary education at universities and colleges. Systems vary widely from country to country, and sometimes from institution to institution. In many countries, ...

- two counselors are staffed full-time, and students begin regularly meeting with their assigned counselor beginning in the middle of their Junior year. Individual meetings take place weekly, and students are required to attend periodic workshops regarding the admissions process."College Counseling"
''The College Preparatory School'', no date.

Diversity

A Director of Equity and Belonging facilitates discussion of

diversity Diversity, diversify, or diverse may refer to: Business *Diversity (business), the inclusion of people of different identities (ethnicity, gender, age) in the workforce *Diversity marketing, marketing communication targeting diverse customers * ...

among faculty, staff, and students. A delegation of students attend the yearly conference for People of Color in Independent Schools and stage regular events such as forums, guest speakers, and classroom discussions. The mission of the Office of Equity and Belonging is to teach bias management, cultural competency, and servant leadership."Equity and Belonging"
''The College Preparatory School'', 2021 Students also lead affinity spaces on campus, including the Asian American Association, Black Student Union, Feminist Union, Gender and Sexuality Awareness Club, Jewish Club, LatinX Club, Muslim Student Association, South Asian Alliance, and Students with Interracial Lives."Clubs"
''The College Preparatory School'', 2021 The Student Equity Action Team is a coalition of student leaders across affinity clubs that organizes events like Community, Pride, and Spirit Day. No Place for Hate Coalition and

Showing Up for Racial Justice Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ) is a network organizing white people for racial and economic justice. SURJ was founded in 2009 amidst the backlash to election of Barack Obama as the first black President of the United States. SURJ seeks t ...

are student organizations that focus on training bias management, allyship, and facilitation skills."Clubs"
''The College Preparatory School'', 2021

Speech and debate

Public Forum Debate

In the 2020-2021 season College Prep's public forum team earned seven bids to the national Tournament of Champions, a JV team came in second place at the Western Novice & JV National Championship, and a team went undefeated in the qualification tournament for the

National Speech and Debate Tournament Extemporaneous Speaking (Extemp, or EXT) is a speech delivery style/speaking style, and a term that identifies a specific forensic competition. The competition is a speech event based on research and original analysis, done with a limited-prepar ...

. In addition, at the 2021 national Tournament of Champions, a team placed 8th in the country, making it to the quarterfinal round of Gold Public Forum.

Competitive Speech

College Prep's speech team earned five bids to the national Tournament of Champions in the 2020-2021 season and sent several competitors to qualification tournaments for the Tournament of Champions, National Individual Events Tournament of Champions, Extemp Tournament of Champions, California State Championship, and

. In the 2020-2021 season one competitor in Extemporaneous Speech qualified for all five championship tournaments including a double qualification to the

. In past years several speech competitors made it to championship tournaments as well. In the 2021 season students placed in the semifinal round of the California State Championship, and quarterfinal rounds of national championships.

Policy Debate

College Prep has a competitive

Policy Debate Policy debate is an American form of debate competition in which teams of two usually advocate for and against a resolution that typically calls for policy change by the United States federal government. It is also referred to as cross-examinat ...

team, which has reached elimination rounds at numerous national tournaments, including winning the national Tournament of Champions in 2003 and reaching the final round of the

in 2004 and 2012."National Winners"
'National Forensic League Rostrum'', September 2004. In 2014, a novice CPS policy debate team won the Western Novice & JV National Championship. Alumni of the College Prep debate program have gone on to win the prestigious Rex Copeland Award for the top-ranked college policy debate team in the country as well as reach late elimination rounds of the

National Debate Tournament The National Debate Tournament is one of the national championships for collegiate policy debate in the United States. The tournament is sponsored by the American Forensic Association with the Ford Motor Company Fund. History of the NDT Th ...

."Copeland Award for Top First Round At-Large Team"
'National Debate Tournament – American Forensic Association'', no date.

Lincoln-Douglas Debate

College Prep's former Lincoln-Douglas debate team used to regularly compete at the Tournament of Champions, the National Speech and Debate Tournament, and the California State Championship. In 2008, a College Prep lincoln-douglas debater placed third in the California State Championship."State Tournament"
'California High School Speech Association"''

California Round Robin

College Prep hosts an annual round-robin policy debate tournament known as the "California Round Robin" every February, where top policy, lincoln-douglass, and public forum debate teams in the country are invited to participate. Rounds are held on the school campus and in conference rooms provided by the Oakland office of the

Reed Smith Reed Smith LLP is a global law firm headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with more than 1,500 lawyers in 30 offices throughout the United States, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. History Reed Smith was founded in Pittsburgh in 1877 by P ...

law firm."Pine Crest, Glenbrook North in California Round Robin Exhibition Round"
'Victory Briefs Daily'', 21 February 2007. The California Round Robin is unique from traditional tournaments in that the school invites experts on the year's

resolution Resolution(s) may refer to: Common meanings * Resolution (debate), the statement which is debated in policy debate * Resolution (law), a written motion adopted by a deliberative body * New Year's resolution, a commitment that an individual mak ...

to judge the final rounds. Because the final round is held the night before the popular California Invitational tournament at

UC Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public university, public land-grant university, land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of Californi ...

, it is usually well attended by the invitational's competitors.

Julia Burke Foundation

The debate team is supported by an endowment from the Julia Burke Foundation, and the foundation offers a scholarship to both the "Debater of the Year" at College Prep and the Julia Burke Flame for Excellence scholarship at the national policy debate Tournament of Champions.

Athletics

College Prep has a variety of interscholastic teams. Because of the school's small size, and the school policy of exempting students from Physical Education classes during a semester of participation, the percentage of students who join sports teams is exceptionally high: 65% of Prep students play team sports."Athletics"
''The College Preparatory School'', no date. The school's mascot is the Cougar, and the school colors are blue, maroon, and white. College Prep is one of ten schools in the

Bay Counties League - East The Bay Area Conference is a school athletic conference located in the San Francisco Bay Area. The league is a member of the North Coast Section, one of ten sections that comprise the California Interscholastic Federation. Leagues The athletic ...

. The school has won twenty-one League titles since 2010, namely: * 7 NCS Championships * 12 NCS Second Place Finishes * 64 League Championships * 5 League Sportsmanship Awards (by vote of the schools in the BCL East) * Sent 90 student-athletes on to play at the collegiate level As a separate component of the school's modernization and expansion project, the Board also negotiated the unrestricted use of the Tom Bates Fields, an athletic compound adjacent to the

Golden Gate Fields Golden Gate Fields is an American horse racing track straddling both Albany, California and Berkeley, California along the shoreline of the San Francisco Bay adjacent to the Eastshore Freeway in the San Francisco Bay Area. With the closing of t ...

, for use by College Prep athletics."Strategic Plan"
''The College Preparatory School'', no date.

Tuition and endowment

Tuition for the 2020-2021 school year is $48,300.The College Preparatory School: Tuitions and Fees
/ref> In 2019-2020, 24 percent of the student body received need-based grants. College Prep's endowment is currently $19 million, or about $52,000 per student.

Test scores

The mean

SAT Reasoning Test The SAT ( ) is a standardized test widely used for college admissions in the United States. Since its debut in 1926, its name and scoring have changed several times; originally called the Scholastic Aptitude Test, it was later called the Schol ...

scores for the College Prep Class of 2020 were 736 (evidence-based reading and writing) and 747 (math; on scales of 200–800). Of the Class of 2020, 42% received National Merit Recognition, compared to approximately 5% of students nationwide. In 2019-20, 155 students took 349 Advanced Placement exams, with 82% of the scores being fours or fives.

Notable alumni

* Alice Buckley (2011), member of the

Montana House of Representatives The Montana House of Representatives is, with the Montana Senate, one of the two houses of the Montana Legislature. Composed of 100 members, the House elects its leadership every two years. Composition of the House :''67th Legislature – 2021� ...

Johanna Fateman Johanna Rachel Fateman (born May 16, 1974) is an American writer, songwriter, musician, and record producer. She is a member of the post-punk rock band Le Tigre and founded the band MEN with Le Tigre bandmate JD Samson. Early life and education ...

(1992), artist and member of rock band

Le Tigre Le Tigre (, ; French for "The Tiger") is an American electronic rock band formed by Kathleen Hanna (of Bikini Kill), Johanna Fateman and Sadie Benning in 1998 in New York City. Benning left in 2000 and was replaced by JD Samson for the rest ...

Kat Foster Kat Foster is an American actress known for her role as Steph Woodcock on Til Death''. Early life and education Foster was born in Oakland, California and graduated from The College Preparatory School. A classically-trained dramatic actress, ...

(1996), actress *

Miranda July Miranda July (born Miranda Jennifer Grossinger; February 15, 1974) is an American film director, screenwriter, singer, actress and author. Her body of work includes film, fiction, monologue, digital presentations and live performance art. She w ...

(1992),

performance art Performance art is an artwork or art exhibition created through actions executed by the artist or other participants. It may be witnessed live or through documentation, spontaneously developed or written, and is traditionally presented to a pu ...

ist, writer, and

filmmaker Filmmaking (film production) is the process by which a motion picture is produced. Filmmaking involves a number of complex and discrete stages, starting with an initial story, idea, or commission. It then continues through screenwriting, castin ...

Ethan Chorin Ethan Chorin is a Middle East and Africa-focused scholar and entrepreneur. He is known as a leading analyst of Libyan affairs, and for his applied development work in the Middle East and Africa in the area of environmental science and healthcare. ...

(1987), Middle East and Africa-focused scholar and entrepreneur, known as a leading analyst of Libyan affairs, and for his applied development work in the Middle East and Africa. * Jennifer Rothman (1987), an American legal scholar. * David Marchick (1984), former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State and director of intergovernmental affairs in the

Office of the United States Trade Representative The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) is an agency of the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government responsible for developing and promoting Trade policy of the United States, American trade ...

under the

Clinton Administration Bill Clinton's tenure as the 42nd president of the United States began with his first inauguration on January 20, 1993, and ended on January 20, 2001. Clinton, a Democrat from Arkansas, took office following a decisive election victory over Re ...

; currently Managing Director and Global Head of Regulatory Affairs of the

Carlyle Group The Carlyle Group is a multinational private equity, alternative asset management and financial services corporation based in the United States with $376 billion of assets under management. It specializes in private equity, real assets, and pri ...

* Yonatan Neril (1999), global sustainability advocate, founder and director of the Jerusalem-based Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development *

Chelsea Peretti Chelsea Vanessa Peretti (born February 20, 1978) is an American comedian, actress, television writer, singer, and songwriter. She is best known for portraying Gina Linetti in the comedy series '' Brooklyn Nine-Nine'' and writing for '' Parks and ...

(1996), actor, comedian *

Jonah Peretti Jonah H. Peretti (born January 1, 1974) is an Internet entrepreneur, a co-founder and the CEO of BuzzFeed, co-founder of ''The Huffington Post'', and developer of reblogging under the project "Reblog". Education and early career Peretti was b ...

(1992), founder of

BuzzFeed BuzzFeed, Inc. is an American Internet media, news and entertainment company with a focus on digital media. Based in New York City, BuzzFeed was founded in 2006 by Jonah Peretti and John S. Johnson III to focus on tracking viral content. Ken ...

Sarah Rafanelli Sarah Elizabeth Rafanelli (born June 7, 1972) is an American retired soccer forward and former member of the United States women's national soccer team. Early life Rafanelli was born in Santa Clara, California to parents, Mark and Pam Rafanelli ...

(1990), American retired

soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...

forward and former member of the

United States women's national soccer team The United States women's national soccer team (USWNT) represents the United States in international women's Association football, soccer. The team is the most successful in international women's soccer, winning four FIFA Women's World Cup, Wom ...

Romesh Ratnesar Romesh Ratnesar (born June 11, 1975) is an American journalist and author. He is the Deputy Editor of Bloomberg Businessweek

(1992), World Editor and member of senior editorial staff at ''

TIME Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, to ...

'' magazine *

Justin Rosenstein Justin Michael Rosenstein (born in May 13, 1983) is an American software programmer and entrepreneur. He co-founded the collaboration software company Asana in 2008. Early life Rosenstein grew up in San Francisco Bay Area and attended The Coll ...

(2001), former

Facebook Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin M ...

and

Google Google LLC () is an American multinational technology company focusing on search engine technology, online advertising, cloud computing, computer software, quantum computing, e-commerce, artificial intelligence, and consumer electronics. ...

software engineer, co-creator of

Asana An asana is a body posture, originally and still a general term for a sitting meditation pose,Verse 46, chapter II, "Patanjali Yoga sutras" by Swami Prabhavananda, published by the Sri Ramakrishna Math p. 111 and later extended in hatha yoga ...

with Facebook co-founder

Dustin Moskovitz Dustin Aaron Moskovitz (; born May 22, 1984) is an American Internet entrepreneur who co-founded Facebook, Inc. (now known as Meta) with Mark Zuckerberg, Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum and Chris Hughes. In 2008, he left Facebook to co-found A ...

Chris Tashima Christopher Inadomi Tashima (born March 24, 1960) is a Japanese American actor and director. He is co-founder of the entertainment company Cedar Grove Productions and Artistic Director of its Asian American theatre company, Cedar Grove OnStage. T ...

(1978),

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

–winning filmmaker and actor *

Cher Wang Cher (; born Cherilyn Sarkisian; May 20, 1946) is an American singer, actress and television personality. Often referred to by the media as the "Goddess of Pop", she has been described as embodying female autonomy in a male-dominated industr ...

(1977), billionaire founder of

smartphone A smartphone is a portable computer device that combines mobile telephone and computing functions into one unit. They are distinguished from feature phones by their stronger hardware capabilities and extensive mobile operating systems, whic ...

company

HTC HTC Corporation ( zh, t=宏達國際電子股份有限公司, s=宏达国际电子股份有限公司, p=Hóngdá Guójì Diànzǐ Gǔfèn Yǒuxiàn Gōngsī, first=t) or High Tech Computer Corporation, (literally ''Hongda International Electron ...

(High Tech Computer Corporation)"With Smartphones, Cher Wang Made Her Own Fortune"
''New York Times'', 26 October 2008.

References

External links

*
Parent reviews

Niche School reviews

Private School reviews
{{DEFAULTSORT:College Preparatory School 1960 establishments in California Bay Counties League East Educational institutions established in 1960 High schools in Oakland, California Private high schools in California Private preparatory schools in California