Stanford University Online High School


Stanford Online High School, formerly known as EPGY Online High School, is a private independent school for academically talented students located within Stanford University. It operates as a six-year school, serving students in grades 7-12. The current Head of School is Tomohiro Hoshi.
Stanford OHS used to be part of the wider offerings of the Education Program for Gifted Youth. With the restructuring of EPGY into Stanford Pre-Collegiate Studies, Stanford OHS became fully separate in its administration from the other components of the program. Stanford OHS is accredited through the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.

History

In April 2005, EPGY Executive Director, Raymond Ravaglia, proposed the idea of expanding its online course offerings into a full-fledged online school. This informal proposal, made to the Malone Family Foundation of Englewood, Colorado, was well received and the Foundation requested a full proposal. Over Summer 2005, Ravaglia fleshed out his ideas into a full-blown design for an online school for gifted students.
In January 2006, EPGY received a substantial gift from the Foundation to develop the school.
Formally called "The Education Program for Gifted Youth Online High School at Stanford University," it was typically referred to as the EPGY OHS or Stanford EPGY Online High School, often just "OHS." The school officially commenced on September 7, 2006, with students in grades 10-12. The school accepted thirty students for the inaugural year and projected an eventual enrollment of up to 600 full-time equivalent students. In 2006 Stanford Online High School received official accreditation from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. The school was approved as an online provider by the University of California in 2008. Ninth grade was added for the 2008-09 academic year, and with the 2009-10 school year, supported by an additional gift from the Malone Family Foundation, it was able to add a middle-school component for students in grades seven and eight. In January, 2015, Stanford OHS became the first online school to be accredited by CAIS.
Until the 2014-15 school year, OHS used Saba Centra in order to host its classes, but switched to Adobe Connect for the 2014-15 year and has used this platform since then.

Academics

Stanford OHS offers classes in nine major subjects: English, Humanities, Laboratory Sciences, Mathematics, History, Computer Science, Foreign Languages, Wellness, and the Core Sequence. Of these nine, the first seven disciplines offer both honors and Advanced Placement classes. Stanford OHS also offers university level classes in English, Laboratory Sciences, and Mathematics.

Seminar classes

In seminar courses, web-based video conferencing technology is employed. Concurrent video feeds enable each student to see their classmates and instructors during the seminar, maximizing interaction and engagement.

Placement by ability

At Stanford OHS students are placed in course levels by their individual ability, not by grade level. Each student's schedule is individualized, allowing them to be challenged at every level.

Core Sequence

The four courses offered in the Core Sequence cover subjects in science, history of science, political theory, and philosophy. The four-year interdisciplinary Core Sequence focuses on critical thinking, and oral and written argumentation. Placement in these courses is correlated with grade level, but not restricted for students who place higher. Placement in Core typically follows the students' placement in English courses due to the strong writing components of each Core course.
There are two optional 7th and 8th grade classes
Stanford OHS offers three levels of enrollment, determined by the number of courses a student is enrolled in each academic year. All enrolled students receive an official transcript for courses taken at the school regardless of their enrollment level, and are welcome to participate in Student Life activities online and in-person. College Counseling is only available to full-time students.
The Stanford OHS community includes 50+ student-led clubs and circles which are unofficial clubs and a student newspaper. The school offers a fully functional student government composed of class representatives, board chairs, and executive senate members. In addition, the school provides
academic advising, college counseling, wellness counseling, and opportunities to connect with instructors.
Select school clubs include:
Stanford OHS offers a variety of in-person events, sponsored by the school or hosted by current families. Stanford OHS hosts an annual winter formal, spring festival, graduation weekend, and high school prom at Stanford University campus. Stanford OHS has also hosted a homecoming dance every year since 2015, which has historically been held in Boston on the same weekend of the MIT Splash! event. In-person events hosted by families are known as meetups, the purpose of which is social interaction between students in different cities around the world. Students also have the opportunity to travel on educational trips with instructors. Past trips have included the Galapagos Islands, London, and Rome.

Summer Residential Program

Each August, Stanford OHS hosts the Summer@Stanford optional residential summer program, open only to students enrolled at the school. The middle school program is 1 week long, and the high school program is 2 weeks long, and both middle- and high school students stay in Stanford University residence halls for the duration of the program. The Summer@Stanford program is open to both returning and new students each year, giving students a chance to connect in person while engaging in a hands-on and enriching academic program.

Application and admissions

As of 2019, the application requires two essays, two recommendation forms, a standardized test score, one student written work sample, a parent questionnaire, and various other items. The standardized tests accepted by Stanford OHS are: the Middle & Upper SSAT, Middle & Upper ISEE, PSAT 8/9, PSAT, PreACT 8/9, PreACT, SAT, and ACT. Students can apply as full-time students, part-time students, and single-course students, and the application process is the same for each applicant regardless of desired enrollment level.

Tuition

Tuition costs at Stanford OHS are determined by enrollment level each year. For the 2019-2020 school year, the tuition at Stanford OHS is $4,980 for single course enrollment, $15,050 for part-time enrollment, and $24,220 for full-time enrollment.