This blog provides a detailed comparison between Harvard-Westlake School, a prestigious private institution, and Whitney High School, a top public magnet school in California, covering their academics, demographics, admissions processes, extracurricular offerings, and college placements. Understanding these differences will help you determine which school best aligns with your child’s academic ambitions, personal interests, and family financial considerations. Scroll down to access detailed comparisons, insightful findings, and actionable recommendations to guide your school selection process confidently.

📌 Basic Introduction

Harvard-Westlake School (Private):

• Co-ed private school serving grades 7–12, founded in 1900, originally named after Harvard University.
• Two campuses: Middle School (Los Angeles) and Upper School (Studio City).
• Tuition: Approx. $52,500/year (20% receive financial aid averaging 72% of costs).

Whitney High School (Public Magnet):

• Public magnet school (Grades 7–12) in Cerritos, CA, established for academically advanced students.
• Tuition-free education serving students selected from ABC Unified School District based on academic performance and assessment tests.

Key Difference:

Private schools like Harvard-Westlake often offer more personalized attention and resources due to smaller classes and higher budgets, whereas public magnets like Whitney High School provide rigorous academics at no cost, with admissions based purely on merit.

📌 Student Demographic

Harvard-Westlake School:

• Enrollment: 1,620 total (Middle: 745, Upper: 875).
• Demographics: 62% students of color, from 175+ zip codes.
• Languages: 65+ spoken at home.
• Student-to-teacher ratio: 8:1.

Whitney High School:

• Enrollment: 1,026 total.
• Demographics: 62.8% Asian, 16.3% Filipino, 11% Hispanic, 3.9% White, diverse socioeconomic backgrounds (30% disadvantaged).
• Student-to-teacher ratio: approximately 25:1.

Finding:

Harvard-Westlake offers greater diversity in geographic and socioeconomic backgrounds due to selective outreach and financial aid resources. Whitney predominantly serves a locally-based Asian-majority population, highlighting the typical demographic profile of academically-focused public magnets in Southern California.

📌 Admission Process

Harvard-Westlake School:

• Entry points mainly at 7th and 9th grades.
• Holistic review including essays, ISEE test scores, recommendations, and interviews.
• Highly competitive with limited seats (215 seats at 7th, 90 at 9th).

Whitney High School:

• Eligibility: Only students living in ABC Unified School District or children of district employees.
• Assessments: Placement tests (70% weight) in Math and Reading, plus Writing Assessment (30% weight).
• Qualification: Students scoring at or above the 75th percentile qualify for admission.
• Selection: Top 20 students per middle school area, plus top 2 students per elementary school admitted.

Aspect	Harvard-Westlake School (Private)	Whitney High School (Public)
Type	Independent, co-educational, day school	Public, co-educational, magnet school
Grades	7–12	7–12
Tuition	$52,500 (2025–26)	Free (public school)
Financial Aid	Available; 20% of students receive aid	Not applicable
Application Process	Multi-step with interviews, essays, and recommendations	Assessment-based with district-administered tests
Selectivity	Highly competitive; holistic review	Highly competitive; based on assessment scores
Admission Criteria	Academic performance, test scores, interviews, essays	Assessment scores in writing, reading and math placement tests
Application Window	September–January	Fall semester
Enrollment Confirmation	One week after offer notification	Within five days of offer

Finding:

Harvard-Westlake emphasizes holistic evaluations, considering personality, extracurricular activities, and academics. Whitney High School relies entirely on academic merit, highlighting a key distinction between private schools’ broad evaluation criteria and public magnets’ purely academic-based selection.

📌 Academic Performance

Harvard-Westlake School:

• Offers 300+ courses with 14 AP options and 43 Honors. The number of AP courses has decreased 11 from 2022.
• AP pass rate: 96%; Average SAT: 1463; Average ACT: 33.
• Around 60% start AP courses by 9th grade.
• 47% students get a GPA over 4.0.

Whitney High School:

• 16 AP courses.
• AP pass rate: 98%; Average SAT: 1397; Average ACT: 31.7.
• 100% graduation rate.
• 24% students get a GPA over 4.0.

Finding:

Both schools exhibit exceptional academic performance. Harvard-Westlake students tend to have a higher overall GPA and standardized test scores, and benefit from broader curriculum choices, including early AP course opportunities. Whitney High School demonstrates outstanding academic rigor with remarkable AP exam results and a perfect graduation rate, especially notable for a tuition-free public institution.

This comparison clearly highlights the strength of private education’s individualized and accelerated academic pathways at Harvard-Westlake, and the equally impressive achievement of Whitney’s focused, merit-based educational system.

Download detailed school profiles

Harvard-Westlake School

Gretchen Whitney High School

📌 Sports Highlights

Harvard-Westlake School:

• over 90 sports teams, 65% student participation rate. Over 200 CIF, regional, and state championships.
• Notable Achievements: Multiple state championships, particularly in boys’ and girls’ basketball (latest in 2024); individual state titles in swimming, track & field, and golf.
• Strong Sports: Basketball, Swimming, Track & Field, Golf—reflecting Harvard-Westlake’s athletic excellence and strong sports tradition.

Whitney High School:

• 12 CIF sports teams with a competitive regional presence.
• Historic Achievement:In March 2025, Whitney High School’s girls’ basketball team clinched their first-ever CIF Division IV state championship, defeating Half Moon Bay 48–40.
• Emphasizes participation but offers fewer teams and resources compared to Harvard-Westlake.

Finding:

Harvard-Westlake offers more extensive athletic programs, resources, and achievements, reflecting typical private-school advantages such as higher funding and a broader selection of sports teams. Whitney High School, despite having fewer teams and resources, maintains competitive athletic participation and has recently achieved notable success, exemplified by their girls’ basketball team’s historic CIF Division IV state championship in 2025.

📌 Arts Highlights

Harvard-Westlake School:

• Offers 50+ arts classes annually, including theatre, dance, music, film, and extensive visual arts courses.
• Hosts over 40 annual performances (concerts, plays, recitals), providing extensive participation opportunities.
• Recognized nationally for excellence in visual and performing arts:
  • Regularly produces Presidential Scholars in the Arts and YoungArts national award winners.
  • Consistently achieves numerous honors (Gold Key, Silver Key, Honorable Mention) in prestigious competitions such as the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, with 52 student awards in 2021-2022 alone.
  • Features advanced instrumental music ensembles such as the Jazz Explorers and Studio Jazz Band, alongside a highly respected choral program with national and international performances.

Whitney High School:

• Offers a solid, traditional arts curriculum including band, orchestra, theater, ceramics, and film production.
• Encourages active student participation with fewer specialized arts events and competitions, reflecting typical public-school resource allocation.

Finding:

Harvard-Westlake invests heavily in arts, creating abundant, professionally guided opportunities, whereas Whitney supports a strong but more modest arts program typical of public schools.

📌 Matriculation Highlights (Class of 2024)

Harvard-Westlake School:

• Senior Class Size: 283
• Ivy League enrollments: 54 (19%) students (Harvard: 14, Yale: 6, Cornell: 13).
• Other prestigious placements: UChicago (16), Stanford & MIT (5), UC Berkeley (12), total UC placements (27, ~10%).
• High representation in Top-20 and liberal arts colleges.

Whitney High School:

• Senior Class Size: 176
• Strong UC placements: 60 (34%) students enrolled across UC campuses.
• Significant enrollments in CSU (32 students), private out-of-state (19), community colleges (25), and private in-state (14).

Finding:

Harvard-Westlake has exceptional Ivy League and elite private university matriculation, reflecting private schools’ dedicated college counseling resources. Whitney High emphasizes successful admissions into California’s leading public universities (UC/CSU), indicating public magnet schools’ strength in statewide college pathways.

📌 Student & Parent Reviews

Harvard-Westlake School:

“The teachers genuinely care about our personal growth and are always ready to give extra support.”

“I love how accessible my teachers are—they’re always responsive and engaged.”

“Academics here are outstanding, but the school could definitely improve in addressing students’ mental health.”

Whitney High School:

“Teachers here are incredibly committed and make challenging AP classes manageable and rewarding.”

“Whitney’s faculty is a big reason for our high AP scores—they’re supportive and knowledgeable.”

“Because classes are larger, it can sometimes be tough to get individualized attention compared to private schools.”

🚩 Bullet Points Summary of Key Differences:

• Cost: Harvard-Westlake tuition is approximately $52,500/year, while Whitney High School offers a tuition-free public magnet education.
• Admissions: Harvard-Westlake uses a holistic admissions process involving interviews, essays, recommendations, and standardized tests. Whitney High School admits students solely based on academic merit determined through standardized assessments.
• Class Sizes: Harvard-Westlake maintains smaller class sizes (avg. 16), enabling personalized attention, compared to Whitney’s larger classes (avg. 25+).
• Extracurricular Opportunities: Harvard-Westlake offers extensive, resource-rich extracurricular programs with broad arts, athletics, and club offerings. Whitney provides strong participation opportunities but with fewer resources and specialized options.
• College Placement: Harvard-Westlake excels in placements at Ivy League and other elite private universities, while Whitney High demonstrates particular strength in admissions to the UC system and California state universities.
• Math and STEM Programs: Harvard-Westlake offers accelerated math pathways beginning significantly earlier (Precalculus as early as 9th grade), advanced electives, and a robust computer science curriculum. Whitney emphasizes structured, rigorous coursework aligned with Common Core, providing consistent academic rigor and advanced courses primarily in upper grades.

🚩 Comprehensive Math and STEM Offerings Comparison

Harvard-Westlake School Math Pathway:

• Accelerated Progress: Students at Harvard-Westlake can reach Precalculus as early as 9th grade, significantly ahead of typical math sequences. This allows them to progress to AP Calculus by 10th grade, and advanced courses such as Multivariable Calculus, Linear Algebra, and advanced Statistics by 11th or 12th grade.
• Typical Accelerated Sequence: 7th: Algebra I → 8th: Geometry Honors → 9th: Algebra II Honors (or Precalculus for fastest track) → 10th: AP Calculus AB/BC → 11th/12th: Multivariable Calculus, Linear Algebra, Statistics, or independent study.
• Curricular Flexibility: Harvard-Westlake provides extensive flexibility for early advancement, enabling mathematically talented students to deeply explore advanced math before college.
• STEM Strength in Computer Science: Offers comprehensive Computer Science courses, including programming, algorithms, and data structures, complementing their accelerated math curriculum.

Gretchen Whitney High School Math Pathway:

• Structured and Rigorous Curriculum: Whitney High School follows a structured mathematics curriculum aligned with Common Core standards and AP requirements, emphasizing strong foundational skills, critical thinking, and practical reasoning.
  • Typical Course Progression: Integrated Math I
  • Integrated Math II
  • Integrated Math III
  • Pre-Calculus/Trigonometry Honors
  • AP Calculus AB/BC
  • AP Statistics
  • Quantitative Reasoning with Advanced Math Topics (QRAT)
• Instructional Approach: Teachers employ varied instructional strategies, collaborative learning, and technological tools to enhance engagement and learning.
• Acceleration Opportunities: Specific details on acceleration pathways are not explicitly outlined, but students consistently have access to advanced math courses in upper grades, ensuring strong college readiness.

🔍 Comparative Findings & Insights:

• Math Progression Pace: Harvard-Westlake provides accelerated math options starting significantly earlier, typically placing their advanced students about two years ahead of Whitney’s structured progression, enabling earlier exposure to college-level math.
• Curriculum Flexibility and Depth: Harvard-Westlake offers a wider range and deeper selection of advanced mathematics electives, such as Linear Algebra and Multivariable Calculus. Whitney provides a rigorous, standardized approach with fewer specialized advanced courses.
• Preparation for STEM-Focused Universities: Harvard-Westlake’s accelerated curriculum and extensive STEM offerings strongly benefit students targeting highly selective STEM majors and elite institutions. Whitney, while more structured, ensures robust foundational mathematics preparation suitable for broader academic and career goals.
• Public vs. Private School Context: Differences highlight Harvard-Westlake’s private-school advantage in personalized pacing, broader elective offerings, and greater curricular flexibility. Whitney, as a public magnet, excels in maintaining consistently rigorous academic standards within a standardized curricular framework.

🏅 Conclusion & Recommendation for Parents:

Choosing between Harvard-Westlake and Whitney High School depends significantly on your child’s academic ambitions, extracurricular interests, and family financial considerations.

• Harvard-Westlake is optimal if seeking personalized education, broad resources, extensive extracurricular activities, and enhanced elite college admissions support—benefits commonly associated with private education.
• Whitney High School is ideal for academically motivated students aiming for a rigorous, tuition-free education, particularly suited for those targeting UC system and other strong public universities.

Ultimately, both schools offer extraordinary educational quality; understanding their differences can guide you in selecting the best fit for your child’s needs and aspirations.

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