Chadwick’s Upper School students consistently earn the highest AP and SAT averages in the South Bay.
At Chadwick, you'll gain unparalleled preparation for success in college — and in life. Our track record for placing 100 percent of our graduates in four-year colleges stems from a commitment to personalizing the process, ensuring that you find the very best academic and personal fit for your college experience.
If you want to not just learn things, but actually become a better thinker and learner, you should come to Chadwick.
Learning is dynamic at Chadwick, with courses designed to encourage classroom inquiry, sharing of ideas, mentorship and thoughtful debate. Rather than just being lectured to, Upper School students are active participants in their classrooms, going beyond the mastery of knowledge to expand their capacity for independent thinking.
Upper School Academics
Upper School Curriculum (Grades 9-12)
Upper School Graduation Requirements:
- English: 4 years (taken every semester)
- History: 3 years
- Mathematics: 3 years (or at least through Algebra 2)
- Global Language: Completion of Level III
- Science: 3 years of science (including PCB2)
- Arts: 1.5 years (see those departments for details)
- Physical Education: Participation every year
- Outdoor Education: Participation each year
Explore the Upper School curriculum more fully.
STEM in the Upper School
Upper School Science Teacher
Why should students immerse themselves in the STEM subjects? The easy answer is that STEM skills are needed in fields as diverse as business and marine biology, and these skills open the doors to many of the world’s premier employers.
In the Upper School, the STEM program expands in both academic content and connectivity across curricula and communities. Chadwick science students take an integrated approach to high-school physics, chemistry and biology, covering all three curricula by the end of 10th grade.
Students are empowered to make cross-curricular connections, while core content paves the way for AP and interdisciplinary courses in grades eleven and twelve. Those courses are listed below, including online "MSON" or "GOA" opportunities beyond the traditional classroom.
Most Chadwick math students complete Calculus by the end of senior year, building a strong foundation for STEM majors in college and beyond. Alternative paths are available for students who prefer a more or less advanced approach, including AP Calculus AB, AP Calculus BC and post-AP Multivariable Calculus.
With the guidance of our Innovation and Design Department Chair and STEM faculty members, selected students gain invaluable real-world experience through mentor-mentee relationships and internships at renowned institutions, including LIGO at Caltech, Space Radiation Lab at Caltech, USC ISI, Cabrillo Marine Aquarium and USC's Keck School of Medicine.
Our math program emphasizes problem-solving based on both procedural fluency and conceptual understanding. Students learn to think independently and solve problems without following a recipe.
| STEM AP COURSES: | |
|---|---|
| 1. | AP Biology |
| 2. | AP Calculus AB |
| 3. | AP Calculus BC |
| 4. | AP Chemistry |
| 5. | AP Computer Science A |
| 6. | AP Computer Science Principles |
| 7. | AP Environmental Science |
| 8. | AP Physics 1 |
| 9. | AP Physics C |
| 10. | AP Statistics |
| 11. |
Post AP
|
| STEM Electives: | |
|---|---|
| Student interest determines which electives will run each year. | |
| 1. | Brain and Behavior |
| 2. | Computer Graphics |
| 3. | Forensics |
| 4. | Marine Biology |
| 5. | Robotics Engineering |
| 6. | STEM Research and Innovation |
| 7. |
Online offerings include:
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Discover how Chadwick's enriching coursework unfolds in the Upper School.