Harvard west Lake School

Harvard-Westlake School is an independent, co-educational university preparatory day school consisting of two campuses located in Los Angeles, California, with approximately 1,600 students enrolled in grades seven through 12. Its two predecessor organizations began as for-profit schools before turning non-profit and eventually merging. It is not affiliated with Harvard University despite being named after it.

Harvard west Lake School History

The Harvard School for Boys was established in 1900 by Grenville C. Emery as a military academy, on the site of a barley field located at the corner of Western Avenue and Sixteenth Street (now Venice Boulevard) in Los Angeles, California. Emery was originally from Boston, and around 1900 he wrote to Harvard University to ask permission to use the Harvard name for his new secondary school and received permission from the university’s then-President, Charles W. Eliot.

In 1911, it secured an endorsement from the Episcopal Church, becoming a non-profit organization. In 1937, the school moved to its present-day campus at the former Hollywood Country Club on Coldwater Canyon in Studio City after receiving a $25,000 ($436,000 in current dollar terms) loan from aviation pioneer Donald Douglas.

The Westlake School for Girls was established in 1904 by Jessica Smith Vance and Frederica de Laguna in what is now downtown Los Angeles, California, as an exclusively female institution offering both elementary and secondary education. It was so-named because it was near Westlake Park, now known as MacArthur Park. At the time, the school was a for-profit alternative to the already-established Marlborough School, which had been established as a non-profit before the turn of the century.

As both schools continued to grow in size towards the late 1980s, and as gender exclusivity became less of a factor both in the schools’ reputations and desirability, the trustees of both Harvard and Westlake effectuated a merger in 1989. The two institutions had long been de facto sister schools and interacted socially. Complete integration and coeducation began in 1991.

Harvard west Lake Image

Harvard west Lake School Tuition

Tuition and Fees for 2019-2020

Tuition	$39,700
New Student Fee	$2,000
Bus Service (optional)	$2,550-2,750*
Other Estimated Costs	$2,500-$3,500**

*Middle School and Upper School service. Upper School receives a 50% fee credit subsidy.
**Books, meals, activities, etc. Typical, but subject to variation.

Harvard-Westlake offers the following payment plans for families.

Annual: pay in one installment, due on July 1, 2019.
Semiannual: pay in two installments, due on July 1, 2019, and January 1, 2020.
Quarterly: pay in four installments, due on July 1, 2019; October 1, 2019; January 1, 2020; and April 1, 2020.
Monthly: pay in 10 monthly installments, commencing July 1, 2019, and concluding April 1, 2020.

Harvard west Lake School Baseball

VARSITY BASEBALL RESULTS

’18-’19 OVERALL RECORD

WIN – LOSS – TIE

23 – 5 – 1

WINNING PERCENTAGE

82%

’18-’19 LEAGUE RECORD

WIN – LOSS – TIE

14 – 3 – 1

WINNING PERCENTAGE

82%

PROGRAM HEAD

JARED HALPERT

Baseball Program Head

Harvard west Lake School Basketball

VARSITY BASKETBALL RESULTS

’18-’19 OVERALL RECORD

WIN – LOSS

21 – 9

WINNING PERCENTAGE

70%

’18-’19 LEAGUE RECORD

WIN – LOSS

6 – 2

WINNING PERCENTAGE

75%

PROGRAM HEAD

DAVID REBIBO

Boys Basketball Program Head

Harvard west Lake School Ranking

In 2002, Worth magazine ranked Harvard-Westlake number 34 out of thousands of secondary institutions across the country in sending children to top colleges and universities.
In 2008, Harvard-Westlake was ranked one of America’s 25 best independent schools according to www.prepreview.com, an education ranking aggregator.
In 2008, Los Angeles magazine named Harvard-Westlake as one of the most elite prep schools in the Greater Los Angeles area
In 2010, Forbes magazine ranked Harvard-Westlake 12th among the country’s top prep schools.
In 2018, Niche ranked Harvard-Westlake 2nd nationally among private schools.

Harvard west Lake School Alumni

Jonathan Ahdout, actor
Elisa Albert, author
Dorothy Arzner, film director
Jillian Banks, musician
Candice Bergen, actress
Peter Bergman, actor
Steve Bing, film producer, philanthropist
Sir Ian Blair, Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis, London
Brennan Boesch, MLB player
Autumn Burke, California State Assemblymember
Jessica Capshaw, actress
Mindy Cohn, actress
Jarron Collins, NBA player
Jason Collins, NBA player
Lily Collins, actress, model, host
Jamie Lee Curtis, actress
Gray Davis, Governor of California
Emily Deschanel, actress and model
Dominique Dunne, actress
Breck Eisner, tv and film director
Douglas Fairbanks Jr., actor
Beanie Feldstein, actress
Ayda Field, actress
Jack Flaherty, MLB player for the St. Louis Cardinals
Bridget Fonda, actress
Max Fried, MLB baseball player for the Atlanta Braves
Eric Garcetti, Los Angeles Mayor
Scott Garson, basketball coach, College of Idaho
Jean Paul Getty, Businessman
Lucas Giolito, MLB player for the Chicago White Sox
Russell Goldsmith, attorney, Chairman and CEO of the City National Bank
Jake Gyllenhaal, actor
Maggie Gyllenhaal, actress
Julia Hahn, Breitbart News reporter, special assistant to President Trump
H. R. Haldeman, White House Chief of Staff (1969-73)
Mark Harmon, actor, NCIS
Evan Harris, British Member of Parliament
Alex Israel, multimedia artist, writer, and eyewear designer
Jon Jaques, professional basketball player, assistant basketball coach (Cornell University)

Harvard-Westlake School Reviews

121 reviews

Excellent

82
Very Good

30
Average

5
Poor

2
Terrible

2

All Categories

I think that Harvard-Westlake was a very interesting way to spend my middle and high school years. It was very rigorous but I feel that it prepared me for college better than anyone I know, and I believe I learned a lot of skills that will help me for the rest of my life. It was difficult at the time, but I cannot imagine my life any other way.

It’s been a year since my daughter transferred into HW upper school from a different school. It was a difficult decision for her to leave the comfort of her friends to enter a more rigorous school. But she is a competitor and HW provides the tools to take scholars with similar drive to a higher level of learning. The faculty is superb. Her teachers constantly engage her and her dean is always there to make sure she is happy while helping her to reach her educational goals. She has joined some great clubs and met some outstanding friends. I’m sure this school may not be right for everyone. From my perspective, if your child wants to challenge himself or herself educationally, this is an excellent school.

Parent
11 days ago
Overall Experience

Harvard west Lake School Fees

For the 2018-19 academic year, the annual tuition was$38,400, the new student fee was $2,000, optional bus service was $2,450-2,550, and other costs such as books, meals, and activities were estimated to be$2,500-3,500. Harvard-Westlake provided $11 million in financial aid in 2018.

Harvard west Lake School Admissions

IMPORTANT ADMISSION DATES AND DEADLINES

Please check back later in the Spring for information regarding admission for fall 2020.

Past Important Dates:

November 19, 2018, at 11:59 p.m. PST
Deadline for applicants to seventh and ninth grades to submit application and application fee for a guaranteed on-campus interview

January 18, 2019, at 11:59 p.m. PST
Admission application deadline, the financial aid application deadline

March 8, 2019, at 5:00 p.m. PST
Admission decision notification for ninth, tenth, and eleventh grades

March 15, 2019, at 5:00 p.m. PST
Admission decision notification for seventh grade

Non-Discrimination Policy
Harvard-Westlake School is committed to building and sustaining a community that is free from discrimination of any kind. Harvard-Westlake does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, or national or ethnic origin in its admission process or in the administration of any school program or policy.

Harvard west Lake School Programs

CURRICULUM GUIDE KEY
Below is an example of the two lines that precede a course description in which the
course title, terms offered, grade-level information, course number, and meeting
schedule are given. Understanding each component will help you choose the right
courses to build your schedule.

Public Speaking M7300-1 | M7300-2
Two identical semesters — Grades 8 and 9 — Meets 3 periods per cycle

Grade-Level Information

Only students in the grades stated in the “Grade-Level Information” field who have
satisfied the prerequisites, if any, are eligible to enroll in a course.
Course Number.

The course number is provided to the right of the course title. Most course
numbers begin with an “M” or “U.” (The exceptions are course numbers assigned
to interscholastic sports teams, which begin with a number.) A course number that
begins with the letter “M” is available to students studying on the middle school
campus; a course number that begins with the letter “U” is available to students
on the upper school campus. Some courses are offered on both campuses. In these
cases, the course title is repeated with two course numbers listed, one with “M”
and one with “U.” Your courses must all be on the same campus, so ensure that
every course you request begins with either an “M” (if you are in grade 7, 8, or 9)
or a “U” (if you are in grade 10, 11, or 12).