Stanford Online High School

Stanford Online High School
Location
Stanford University Redwood City, California United States
Information
Type	Independent College-preperatory Online
Established	2006
Founder	Raymond Ravaglia
CEEB code	054127
Head of School	Tomohiro Hoshi
Faculty	90[1]
Grades	7–12
Enrollment	986[1]
Student to teacher ratio	12:1[1]
Color(s)	Red and White[2]
Mascot	Pixel
Accreditation	WASC
Newspaper	OHS Observer
Affiliations	NAIS, CAIS, CIS
Website	ohs.stanford.edu

Stanford Online High School, also known as Stanford OHS, SOHS, or OHS and formerly known as EPGY Online High School, is an online independent school located within Stanford University for academically talented students worldwide. It operates as a six-year school, serving students in grades 7–12. The current Head of School is Tomohiro Hoshi.^[3]

Stanford OHS was formerly a part of the wider offerings of the Education Program for Gifted Youth (EPGY), a collection of gifted education programs within Stanford University. With the restructuring of the program into Stanford Pre-Collegiate Studies, Stanford OHS became fully independent in its administration from the other components of the program.

Stanford OHS is accredited through the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.^[4]

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^[5][6] to help develop the school.

Formally called "The Education Program for Gifted Youth Online High School at Stanford University," it was typically referred to as "EPGY OHS," "Stanford EPGY OHS," or simply "OHS." The school was officially established on September 7, 2006, with students in grades 10–12. The school accepted thirty students for its inaugural year and projected an eventual enrollment of up to 600 full-time equivalent students.

In 2006, Stanford OHS received official accreditation from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. In 2008, the school was approved as an online education provider by the University of California and the California State University systems.^[7] 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 7–8. In January 2015, Stanford OHS became the first online school to become accredited by the California Association of Independent Schools (CAIS).^[8] In 2022, Stanford OHS is granted membership to the Council of International Schools (CIS).^[9]

Until the 2014–15 school year, Stanford OHS used Saba Centra in order to host its classes. However, in for the 2014–15 school year, it switched to Adobe Connect and has used the platform ever since. Stanford OHS uses Canvas as its Learning Management System.

Stanford OHS offers classes in nine major subjects: Core, English, Humanities, History, Languages, Math, Computer Science, Economics, and Science. The school distinguishes itself by offering a wide variety of university-level courses, often at the post-AP level, but ceased to offer AP courses starting in the 2024–25 school year.

In seminar courses, web-based video conferencing technology is employed.^[10] Concurrent video feeds enable each student to see their classmates and instructors during the seminar, maximizing interaction and engagement.^[11] Seminar classes are usually hosted once or twice a week depending on the course.

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 in every subject. Usually, classes have a mix of students in different grade levels.^[12]

The four courses offered in the Core sequence cover subjects in science, history of science, political theory, and philosophy.^[13] 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 the Core sequence typically follows the students' placement in English courses due to the strong writing components of each Core course.

Core courses for 7th and 8th grade are optional, while core courses for 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th grade are required for a Stanford OHS diploma.

• Logos, Cosmos, and Doubt (LCD), an optional 7th grade core course, is an interdisciplinary philosophy course focusing on philosophy of cosmology and logic.
• Human Nature and Society (HNS) an optional 8th grade core course, is a core philosophy course examining human nature
• Methodology of Science: Biology (MSB), usually taken in 9th grade, introduces students to scientific reasoning, statistical analysis, and philosophical thinking using biology for context.
• History and Philosophy of Science (HSC), usually taken in 10th grade, focuses on teaching basic philosophical problems, and the methods used to test the resulting explanations. The main focuses of this course are philosophy of science and history of science.
• Democracy, Freedom, and the Rule of Law (DFRL), usually taken in 11th grade, is a course where students study changing conceptions of how political states should be organized. The main focus of this course is political philosophy.
• Critical Reading and Argumentation (CRA), usually taken in 12th grade, is a course which focuses on philosophical thinking about modes of reasoning, philosophical discussions of religious concepts, the nature and limits of knowledge, the nature and content of ethics, and the mind's relation to the world.

Stanford OHS offers three levels of enrollment, determined by the number of courses a student is enrolled in each academic year.^[14]

The three options are known as full-time for students taking 4–5 courses, part-time for students taking 2–3 courses, and single course for students taking 1 course (or 2 semester-long courses). Students may be only be offered certain enrollment options, which is known as restricted admission, or may be offered all types of enrollment options, which is known as full admission. Students can also elect to select their preferred enrollment level in their application.

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. However, college counseling is only available to full-time students.^[15]

Admission at Stanford OHS is selective. As of the 2024–25 school year, the application requires prior academic records, two essays, five short questions, two recommendation forms, one sample of a student's analytical writing, a parent questionnaire, and various other information.^[16] Submitting a standardized test score is optional for all applicants.^[17] Students can apply to any or all of the three enrollment levels, and all applicants are considered for each of the three enrollment levels.^[18] The application process is the same for each applicant regardless of desired enrollment or grade level. Applicants to grades 7–8 (middle school) follow the same application process and requirements as those applying to grades 9–12 (high school).

Stanford OHS does not admit students mid-year, and only admits students to the start of each academic year in the fall. It is rare for graduating seniors (full-time 12th grade students) to be admitted while intending to graduate that year.^[19] Applicants for full-time 12th grade are typically asked to consider repeating 11th grade to satisfy Stanford OHS graduation requirements. Applicants to 12th grade for part-time or single course enrollment are not subject to graduation requirements at Stanford OHS, and so may be admitted under a restricted admission status.^[18]

Tuition costs at Stanford OHS vary by enrollment level each year.

For the 2024–2025 school year, tuition at Stanford OHS is hold at $5,970 for single course enrollment, $17,910 for part-time enrollment (2–3 courses), and $29,850 for full-time enrollment (4–5 courses).^[20]

Financial aid is available, and awarded to students based on financial need. Stanford OHS operates on a need-blind admissions process for both domestic and international students, with its commitment to ensuring that both continuing and newly admitted students can attend, regardless of their financial situation. In the 2023-2024 school year, Stanford OHS allocated over $2.5 million in financial aid and Malone Scholarships. This substantial financial aid effort resulted in more than half of the beneficiaries receiving financial aid awards covering 75% or more of their tuition costs, whether they were enrolled full-time, part-time, or in single courses.^[21]

The range of financial aid awards varies from 10% to 100% of tuition costs. These awards are determined based on the individual financial needs of the family and the availability of funds. To be considered for financial aid, families must complete a separate financial aid application.^[22]

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• Stanford OHS website
• Education Program for Gifted Youth at Stanford University