University High School news

University High School has received 129 applications from students seeking to enter as freshmen and 8 from students wishing to transfer into the sophomore year.

Dr. Brad Huff, Head of School, has notified 110 of the incoming freshmen that they are fully accepted, pending successful completion of the full year of algebra 1 required for admission to UHS. All have provided evidence of successful participation in choral and/or instrumental groups in middle school.

Eighteen applicants for grade 9 have been accepted on the condition that they complete algebra 1B or both algebra 1A and 1B in summer school with a grade of C or better. Many area middle schools are teaching the traditional elementary algebra or algebra 1 course over two years. Since the freshman mathematics course at University High School is second year algebra, incoming students must have completed the whole of algebra 1.

Students applying to enter UHS as sophomores are required to pass Latin I and Musicianship I in summer school to be on track with students who attended UHS as freshmen.

"These applicants are very strong," according to Huff, "and the numbers are up again this year, as they have been each year since we opened four year ago."

Students still interested in applying to UHS for 2004-05 are encouraged to do so. They will be put on a waiting list and notified on a first come, first served basis.

Huff also announced that the UHS Academic Decathlon team placed ninth overall in the California State Finals. The UHS students, representing a student body of 351, were up against teams from schools of 3,000 plus students. The winning school, El Camino Real High School, is a magnet school of 4,000 students.

Many schools that foster highly competitive Academic Decathlon teams put Academic Decathlon classes in the daily schedule, so they can prepare for the competitions as part of their regular day - every day.

At UHS the students prepare for AD outside of regular classes. They are expected to attend classes and keep up with assignments.

The success of the UHS team this year, the first year of a senior class, can be attributed to the team members' motivation and dedication, to the inspiration and experience of their coach, Sean Canfield, and to the overall strength of the UHS curriculum.