Eastside College Preparatory School | |
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Address | |
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1041 Myrtle Street East Palo Alto , CA 94303 United States | |
Coordinates | 37°27′49″N 122°07′56″W / 37.463626°N 122.132178°W |
Information | |
Established | 1996 |
Principal | Chris Bischof |
Grades | 9th–12th |
Gender | coeducational |
Campus type | suburban |
Eastside College Preparatory School is a private high school in East Palo Alto, California, with a focus on readying first-generation students from low-income families to attend and succeed in 4-year colleges. It includes boarding facilities.
Eastside College Preparatory School is independent and private, supported entirely by donations and grants; as of June 2009 [update] it had approximately $80 million in property and cash endowments. [1] Students are on full scholarships. [2] The principal is Chris Bischof. [3]
The school has a year-round calendar. Classes include several offerings in partnership with Foothill College, for which students can earn college credits. [4] Teachers oversee a "Friday Night Homework" session for all students with unfinished assignments. [3] Seniors complete a 25-page research thesis along with a 30-minute presentation. [3] Starting in sophomore year, students take a college prep class and junior year students may tour colleges both on the East Coast and in Southern California. [4] Many internships are available to graduates. [5] An alumni team supports students' progress in college and as they transition to professional careers. [4] The campus is open until 10:00 pm and on weekends. [1] [4]
Enrollment is currently 265. [6] The school maintains a 99% college acceptance rate and 69% college completion rate, which is six time higher than the national average for first-generation college students. [7]
Eastside College Preparatory School is shortened to "ECP" which is what students call it. From a student perspective Eastside is a great school but can be challenging and work demanding.
The school was founded in 1996 by Bischof and Helen Kim, the vice principal, who met while students at Stanford University. [3] It began with eight students who were taught at a picnic table in an East Palo Alto park, [1] [3] moving the next year to a house, [1] then to offices, and finally to 1.6 acres of donated land where it was first housed in temporary buildings. [3] The first class of eight all graduated in 2000, at which time enrollment was 70. [8] The campus has grown to almost 6 acres. [1]
Mathematics teacher Marianne Chowning-Dray received a Presidential Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2015. [9]
Eastside College Preparatory School has athletics programs in basketball, [8] [10] soccer, volleyball, cross country, and track and field. [11] The school newspaper is The Eastside Panther. [12] The National Association for Urban Debate Leagues launched its Silicon Valley league in 2014 at Eastside and at Overfelt High School in East San Jose. [13]