Berkeley Parents Network: College Preparatory School

Berkeley Parents Network

College Preparatory School

Berkeley Parents Network > Reviews > K-12 Schools > College Preparatory School

Website for College Preparatory School: www.college-prep.org/

June 2007

Re: CPS vs. Head Royce

My daughter just finished her freshman year at CPS and has been very, very happy there. She also was accepted at Head Royce and has friends there.The friends that she has made are all very kind, bright and motivated young people. There is an intensity in the academic area, but she seems to thrive on that (although, I must admit that there were a few moments of high drama during exam, term paper time). She joined the CPS softball team, having never played softball before in her life and that was a great experience too. Since we are not a Head Royce family, it's hard to compare. The word seems to be that Head Royce is a bit more ''social'' - but, as I said, my daughter is quite social at CPS and happy there. I've also heard that there is a bit of cliquishness at Head Royce between the kids who have been there for middle school and/or elementary and the kids who come in at the high school level, but don't have any direct experience of this. This was very important for my daughter, who wanted to go to a high school where everyone was starting fresh. As for where both schools draw from, I would guess that there are just about as many students from your area at CPS as there are at Head Royce. The Rockridge BART station and College Avenue bus lines are a very short walk. Finally, I have found the parent community to be a nice one. There certainly isn't the same camaraderie between families that there was in elementary school, but I have felt welcomed by the parent community. Good luck! Ann

I can't speak to Head-Royce, but CPS is an incredible school. Our son just finished his sophomore year there, and we are so pleased and impressed by everything at the school. The student body is a rich mix of personalities and backgrounds from all over the East Bay (many from North Berkeley and the Oakland hills), and the most insightful and engaged group of teenagers I have ever seen. The faculty is terrific and committed. The culture is healthy -- the school encourages cooperation, not competition, and the kids are generally nice to each other. The counseling/advising team really watches for issues and supports kids who hit a rough patch. The facilities are good, except for the absence of sports fields (Head-Royce is far better in that regard). CPS uses facilities elsewhere (e.g., fields at Merritt for soccer and lacrosse), which works out fine but means teams get home later from practices than they would if playing on-site. Rockridge BART is a 15 min. walk away, and I think there is a CPS shuttle to get kids in the morning. The parents at CPS include many successful professionals, and some are quite affluent. But many CPS families are not, and the culture is decidedly NOT snobby. (There are not a lot of seniors driving new BMWs there, as there are at some other schools.) We feel incredibly lucky that our son has the opportunity to learn and grow at a place like CPS. Happy CPS parent

April 2007

Re: Private high school for N.Berkeley kids?
We live in N Berkeley and my older son is a sophmore at CPS. He really likes CPS and the school is a good fit for him. CPS's strength is academics, but they have a good arts program. We've been to some very impressive student music and drama performances. I've seen art shows of student work that were also amazing. My son isn't an artist per se, but he's been taking stagecraft this year and is really enjoying it. While they do have sports teams, yes there is a field and they use other facilities, I don't think the sports programs have the strength of the arts and music programs. Kids at CPS come from every where, not just Oakland. There are other kids who live in N Berkeley, some come from Marin, Walnut Creek, Moraga, etc. Kids pick a common place to meet to get together, meet on Shattuck to go to a movie, etc. Sometimes they will go together for burritos or pizza on College Av after school. As a full time working parents (and I do a lot of business travel) we really appreciate it that the CPS teachers and administration have their act together and we spend no time dealing with school issues. CPS Parent

November 2006

We are now looking for private high schools. I have read the old postings. I would appreciate any info concerning amout of homework per night at Head Royce, CPS, Bentley High, and Lick in the high school. Also, I have heard some of the schools are extremely stressful to the poiont of making the kids unhappy or depressed. Any input would be greatly appreciated.
Thankful Parent

My son is a sophomore at CPS, a school that he really likes. I don't think it's a 'pressure cooker' school, though it's definitely an academic high school, which is what he wanted. He has homework every night, though he's able to get some of it done during his free periods during the day. Neither one of us considers the homework load unreasonable. CPS is conscious of the well being of their students and regularly considers whether the homework load is appropriate. There are no-homework weekends designated throughout the year. A point to consider is that my son does not participate in after school sports (his choice), a competitive athlete with a busy training schedule might have a different view of the homework. The best way to decide if a school is a good fit is to schedule a visit. After his visit day, my son chose CPS as his first choice school.
CPS Parent

October 2006

Anyone had any experience with College Preparatory School on Broadway, Oakland ? What is the homework load? victoria

My son is a sophomore at CPS, and both he and I love it. Although it has a reputation for being very academic, we have not found the homework load to be bad. The school has a real community feeling, inclusive of parents and all students. All students are very welcoming of one another, regardless of eccentricities. The administration and teachers are very accessible. It's a wonderful place.
anonymous

CPS is a fantastic school. Small classes, great (for the most part) teachers, and a beautiful (if somewhat small) campus. Opinions on the homework load vary. If your child went to an ''academic'' middle school, s/he may find the load less than what s/he was used to (at least in freshman year); others can find it daunting. The school does offer a summer program for incoming freshman who may need some extra help getting up to speed. Go to an open house and talk to the kids who will be there, and you'll get a sense of how good a fit it might be for you and your child.

My son just started CPS in September. It is a fantastic place. The curriculum is interesting and challenging, the culture friendly, the kids engaged and diverse, and the teachers committed. All the kids are very bright, so your bright kid will in all likelihood just be average there. If he/she (you?) needs to have straight A's to feel worthy, prepare for a shock. But what an environment to learn! There is a lot of homework, but manageable -- if your child is able to stay organized and use time well. We feel lucky to be there.
So far so good

The amount of homework depends on how compulsive your child is about studying. Our two boys did not study more than several hours a night for most of the time. The homework increases over the first three years and the junior year is the most demanding. One kid did a lot of sports and the other one was on the debate team and traveled a lot. Their grades were slightly below the average GPA. They both got National Merit Scholar awards for being in the top 2% of the students who were tested for the PSAT and so did 85% of the students in their class. They were well prepared for college and have much better grades-- practically straight A's.
Judy

April 2006

Can someone please comment on the academic pressures of CPS in Oakland? My daughter is a straight A student, bright in math and science, and loves sports. We want to understand how much homework the kids have on average each night, whether it is possible to juggle sports and homework (how frequent are deadlines/ assignments?), and what the social environment is like (lots of cliques? lots of bookworms?). She's looking for nice friendly people who are bright and mature but not obsessed with academics to the exclusion of sports and fun on weekends. Any comparisons to other high schools in the area (Head Royce, Bentley) would be very much appreciated.
Concerned Parent

My daughter is in her third year at CPS (attended public shool through middle school), and she loves it. I'd say it is a really good fit for her, but it's certainly not for everybody. We love the small classes (average about 15 kids), highly involved teachers, range of student clubs, active parent group, and committment to a well-rounded education. Every student is required to take several classes in the arts in order to graduate, and most take more than the minimum. They also have a variety of community service opportunities. Most kids at CPS are engaged in both academics and something extra-curricular (sports, music, drama, debate...), so they are pretty busy. The homework load is definitely heavy, but that seems true for her public school friends who are on the ''academic track'', too. Like other high schools, sports involvement is a big time committment, with practice and/or games just about every day during the season. Have you looked at the CPS web site? http://www.college-prep.org/ Click on the Programs tab, then Athletics (or any other area of interest) to see more specifics.

As for ''cliques'', I guess that's hard for me to say as a parent. There are certainly ''groups'' of kids who enjoy each other's company, but I imagine that's true anywhere.

I highly recommend you schedule a visit, when your daughter can spend several hours with a current student. You can also contact me via e-mail if you'd like to chat more about it. rk

My daughter graduated from CPS last year. She had a very good experience there and played sports all three seasons for three of her four years there. She had lots of homework but managed it pretty well. She got some of it done during the school day (free period) but did have quite a bit at night. Sometimes it was overwhelming but overall it balanced out. It really depends on the kid and their ability to organize and prioritize. It is certainly possible to juggle sports and homework - all the kids who play sports there do it. There are cliques but they tend to be based on interest groups (the drama tech group, teams, dance kids, music kids etc.) I thought the kids there were nice. They are definitely focused on academics - they wouldn't be there otherwise.

If you are interested in the school, ask to speak w/ some current parents. You have good questions and should be able to get direct answers. I can't comment on other high schools except to say that we didn't send our son there - it wasn't the right fit for him. He would not have thrived w/ the academic pressure.
Ellen

i was a cps student 90-94. it sounds like your daughter would do very well there. there was a lot of pressure, but in retrospect i think most was self-generated among the students.
anon

March 2005

Hi! This is a response to the parent who requested feedback about CPS vs. Marin.

If you are in the East Bay of course the commute is better to CPS: The Rockridge Bart Station is right down the street, lots of kids take the BART and walk up the one long block uphill to the school (the parent association makes discoued tickets available to families). Driving, it is right of highway 24.

It is hard to say which school is better for which child and which family. A school that is best for one may not be best for another based on any number of criteria including values. I have 2 daughters at CPS, a freshman and a senior. After a 4 year experience there I have to say that it has been a good place for my senior, she has consistently said that none of the kids are mean. My experience with the kids has been that they are a very polite, well behaved bunch. They are all bright but not arrogant and stuffy about it. My senior has consistently not spent more than about 2 hours a night on homework, she is organized and does use her free periods at school to get some work done. The exceptions are special projects and final exams. Through the years she has also done basketball at school, been in a school play, and done art, sewing, hip hop and ballet outside of school. She is not that academic a kid but she gets her work done. CPS is a nice place with some very nice people, both kids and adults.

February 2003

My 8th grade daughter has applied to CPS and Marin Academy for next year, IF she is accepted at either or both, we need some feedback from both satisfied and dissatisfied families. Not only about academics, but stress, social life, diversity (not only racial), and practical issues such as transportation (we live in Albany). Any feedback would be great! rk

Had a kid at both--CPS, the bastion of overwork and competition; Marin Academy, much gentler, albeit academic (but not as zealous as CPS). My older daughter was miserable at CPS; my younger daughter loves Marin. CPS is way too rigorous and prides itself on it. And, no, my older daughter was no academic slouch; she got into Brown and Tufts, opted for Tufts, and steadily maintains about a 3.7 GPA. Some parents and peers (at CPS) had a judgement about her picking Tufts over Brown, by the way. Marin is just way more sane and measured in its approac Been there

We don't have children at either school, but I've compiled a lot of opinions and observations from others, as we're looking at these schools now ourselves. Overall, both are excellent.

CPS is more academic, more intellectual. MA is more artsy, more creative. Kids at CPS are very engaged in what they're learning and debate is big there. Debate comes out of the classroom to influence conversations about current events at lunch, etc. MA has a block schedule. This allows for more classroom participation and the school is more student centered as well, leading to lengthy student moderated class discussions. While good in many respects, this can also lead to wasted time and less knowledge being absorbed as people do like to hear themselves talk...At CPS the teachers are more in control and lecture the students. The shorter class periods are intense and jam-packed. Competition for grades is intense as everyone is highly motivated. The kids at CPS are smarter (compare the SAT scores). Kids at MA feel the school is their school and it is designed to meet their needs and desires. It's looser, less structured, perhaps more accepting of learning differences. The teachers are closer to the students and take them on outings like bike trips, etc.

CPS offers Latin, MA doesn't. I hear the Spanish at MA is the hardest around. MA's theater is much nicer. CPS kids are more articulate. MA has a stronger head of school. CPS has an unusual math program that would either be great or a disaster. MA is stronger at several sports and has a pool and a great soccer field. It's usually sunny in San Rafael and a bit chilly in the trees at CPS. CPS is smaller (330 vs. 400 students). I get the impression that because the campus is organized the way it is students from different classes get to know one another. AT MA I hear the freshmen are all clustered at the lower building and they don't get to know the upper classmen as well.

Which would we choose? If we had the luxury of a decision, I don't really know yet! Opinions gratefully accepted. Devon

October 2002

I'm wondering about The College Preparatory School, a private high school on Broadway in Oakland, near Highway 24. Has anyone sent their children there and liked it/disliked it? How good a school is it? Thanks for any information. Amy

To the person who asked about CPS: CPS is one of the best private high schools in the area-- probably one of the two best. My daughter is a freshman there. We chose the school because the academics are excellent, but also because when we visited, and when my daughter visited classes there, it was apparent that the students were happy and very excited about what they were doing. [My advice: this was not true at every school we visited-- look for places where the kids are happy and happy about what they are learning.] I found when I investigated that kids who graduate from CPS go to great schools, but they also have made good close friends at CPS that they tend to keep for a very long time. The teachers at CPS have a light course load so that they can be available to the kids, and they really are-- and the kids talk to their teachers 1-on-1 a lot because of this. I was very worried about snobbery, and have found none. So far both my daughter and I are very happy with the school. The disadvantage-- it is SO expensive. Anonymous

Here are some pros and cons regarding CPS high school:

The pros:

- Caring Administration and Staff
- Some very good to excellent teachers
- An environment that takes learning seriously

The cons:

-intense, bordering on anxious, parent and student population regarding performance and college selection--can make it hard around exams and college application/acceptance time
-little economic diversity
-some not-so-great teachers, as well

My first-born felt stressed-out by all of the academic zealousness around her at CPS. She is a very motivated child and didn't benefit from what she considered an intense environment academically. She also didn't feel very supported by some staffs, peers, and fellow-students' parents when she opted to go to Tufts University over Brown University--she is a very happy sophomore at Tufts and is glad that she didn't go to any of the other schools that she got into--Brown, Swarthmore, Bryn Mawr, etc.

My younger child is a freshman at Marin Academy, and while MA takes academics seriously, as well, and sends students on to every bit as prestigious colleges/universities as CPS, the culture there is more low-key. In retrospect, my oldest would have benefitted by more ''laid-backness''--maybe, this is the culture at a lot of schools, but, all of her friends at Berkeley High who went on to top-notch West coast and East coast schools didn't feel this kind of extreme pressure while applying to schools. Maybe, there was greater diffusion of information of who was applying to what school at Berkeley High, and, therefore, less scrutiny of one's academic performance and college acceptance.

My daughter felt burned out by CPS, and deferred enrollment one semester to Tufts. She recharged in those three months and is now a happy, unstressed soph. at Tufts who maintains a 3.79 GP

Happy It's Over

To the Parent Who Wants Info on CPS,
My son is about to graduate from CPS. Although it has its limitations, it is a very good school for the right student. My son is not a 4.0 student who wants to attend Harvard. He is a well rounded person who will work work when it is required of him. He is active in sports and has a social life. I think the important thing is to figure out with your child where they want to attend school and why.

A child who is not prepared for the rigors of CPS may have problems if they blame themselves for setbacks or are uncomfortable asking for help. CPS is a wonderful school for the right student. Most of the teachers are interesting. They demand a lot from their students and they give a lot back. It is an intellectually challenging school but not unkind or snobby.
I.

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