Harvard-Westlake School

High school in Los Angeles, California, US

Harvard-Westlake School

Location

Los Angeles County

California

United States

Information
Type| Independent, day, college preparatory
Motto| Possunt Quia Posse Videntur
(They can because they think they can)
Religious affiliation(s)| Nonsectarian
Established| Harvard School for Boys: 1900; 125 years ago (1900)
Westlake School for Girls: 1904; 121 years ago (1904)
Fully Merged as Harvard-Westlake: 1991; 34 years ago (1991)
Founder| Grenville C. Emery
President| Richard B. Commons
Headmaster| Laura D. Ross
Teaching staff| 212.0 (FTE) (2015–16)[1]
Grades| 7–12
Gender| Co-educational
Enrollment| 1,598 (2015–16)[1]
Student to teacher ratio| 7.5∶1 (2015–16)[1]
Campus| Large City
Color(s)|  Red
Black
White
Athletics conference| CIF Southern Section
Mission League
Nickname| Wolverines
Accreditation| WASC, NAIS, CAIS
2013 SAT average| 688 verbal/critical reading
703 math
707 writing[4]
Newspaper| The Chronicle
Yearbook| Vox Populi
Endowment| $148 million (2022)[2]
School fees| New Students: $2,500
Bus Service (optional): $3,300–$3,600
Books, Meals, Activities: $2,500–$3,500
Tuition| $49,700 (2024-25)[3]
Website| www.hw.com
Middle School

Address

700 North Faring Road

Los Angeles

California

United States

Information
Grades| 7–9
Enrollment| 727 (2015–16)[1]
Campus size| 12 acres (49,000 m2)

The former Administration Building, Middle School (demolished summer 2008)
Upper School

Address

3700 Coldwater Canyon Avenue

Studio City

California

United States

Information
Grades| 10–12
Enrollment| 871 (2015–16)[1]
Campus size| 22 acres (89,000 m2)

Ted Slavin Field, Upper School

Harvard-Westlake School is an independent, co-educational university preparatory day school in Los Angeles, California, with about 1,600 students in grades seven through twelve. The school has two campuses: the middle school campus in Holmby Hills and the high school (the "Upper School") in Studio City.[5] It was previously a member of the G30 Schools group.[6] It is not affiliated with Harvard University. The school has been recognized by The Schools Index as one of the top 150 schools in the world and among the top 20 in North America.[7]

## History

[edit]

### Harvard School for Boys

[edit]

The Harvard School for Boys was established in 1900 by Grenville C. Emery as a military academy on the site of a barley field at the corner of Western Avenue and Sixteenth Street (now Venice Boulevard) in Los Angeles.[8][9] Emery was originally from Boston, and around 1900 he asked Harvard University for permission to use its name for his secondary school; it was granted by university president Charles W. Eliot.[10][9] In 1911, it secured endorsement from the Episcopal Church and became a non-profit organization. In 1937, the school moved to its campus at the former Hollywood Country Club on Coldwater Canyon in Studio City after receiving a $25,000 ($547,000 today) loan from aviation pioneer Donald Douglas.[9] In the late 1960s and early 1970s, the Harvard School gradually discontinued both boarding and its standing as a military academy, while expanding its enrollment, courses, classes, teachers, and curriculum.[11]

### Westlake School for Girls

[edit]

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 elementary and secondary education. It was named for nearby Westlake Park, now known as MacArthur Park.[9] At the time, the school was a for-profit alternative to the older non-profit Marlborough School.

In 1927, it moved to its current campus on North Faring Road in Holmby Hills, California.[9] The school was purchased by Sydney Temple, whose daughter, Helen Temple Dickinson, was headmistress until 1966, when Westlake became a non-profit institution. The Temple family owned the school until 1977, with Dickinson serving in an ex officio capacity. In 1968, Westlake became exclusively a secondary school.[11]

### Merger

[edit]

As both schools continued to grow towards in late 1980s, and as the schools' reputations and desirability depended less on gender exclusivity, the trustees of both Harvard and Westlake agreed to a merger in 1989. The two institutions had long been de facto sister schools and interacted socially. Highly controversial at the time, complete integration and coeducation began in the fall of 1991.[11]

### Cheating scandal

[edit]

In 2008, six sophomores were expelled and more than a dozen other students faced suspensions for cheating.[12][13]

## Campuses

[edit]

The school is split between two campuses: grades 7–9, the Middle School, at the former Westlake campus in Holmby Hills and grades 10–12, the Upper School, at the former Harvard campus in Studio City.[14]

A four-year renovation of the Middle School campus, completed in September 2008, replaced the administration building,[15] the library, and the instrumental music building with a new library, science center, and administration office. The project also added the Bing Performing Arts Center, which has a two-level, 800-seat theater, a black box theater, and a dance studio.[citation needed]

Buildings on the Upper School campus include: the Munger Science Center and computer lab; the Rugby building which houses the English department, 300-seat theater, costume shop, and drama lab; the Seaver building, home to the foreign language and history departments as well as administrative offices and the visitor lobby; Chalmers, which houses the performing arts and math departments, book store, cafeteria, sandwich window, and student lounge; Kutler, which houses the Brendan Kutler Center for Interdisciplinary Studies and Independent Research[16][17] and the Feldman-Horn visual arts studios, dark room, video labs, and gallery.[18]

Saint Saviour's Chapel

The athletic facilities include Taper Gymnasium, used for volleyball and basketball as well as final exams; Hamilton Gymnasium, the older gymnasium still used for team practices and final exams; Copses Family Pool, an Olympic-size facility; and Ted Slavin Field for football, soccer, track & field, lacrosse, and field hockey.[19] The school also maintains an off-campus baseball facility, the O'Malley Family Field, in Encino, California.[20]

The Upper School campus has the three-story Seeley G. Mudd Library, renovated in summer 2023, and Saint Saviour's Chapel, a vestige from the days of Harvard School for Boys' Episcopal.[21]

In 2017, Harvard Westlake spent more than $40 million to buy Weddington Golf & Tennis, a 16-acre country club located less than a mile from the Upper School campus, with plans to build an athletics center on the location.[22]

Tuition for the 2024–2025 school year is $49,700, with a new student fee of $2,500. Other expenses—which include books, meals, and class activities—typically average $2,500 to $3,500— with an additional $3,000 to $3,600 for those who take advantage of the school's comprehensive bus service.[23]

Harvard-Westlake provided $14 million in financial aid in 2023.[24] That year, about 20% of the student body received financial aid, which averaged $33,500 for each student that received financial aid.[25]

## Academic achievement

[edit]

For the HW Class of 2019, average SATs were 716 (verbal) and 745 (math). Among the 292 seniors, there were 27 National Merit Semifinalists.[26] For the 2019–2020 school year, Niche ranked Harvard-Westlake the best private high school in Los Angeles, the 2nd-best private high school in California, and the 6th-best private school in the United States.[27]

## Athletics

[edit]

Harvard-Westlake fields 22 varsity teams in the California Interscholastic Federation Southern Section, as well as teams on the junior varsity, club, and junior high levels. 60% of HW students participate in interscholastic sports.

## Notable alumni

[edit]

For a more comprehensive list, see List of Harvard-Westlake School alumni.

## Notable faculty

[edit]

* Amy Alcott (born 1956) – golfer
* Caitlin Flanagan (born 1961) – writer and social critic
* Ethan Katz (born 1983) – pitching coach for the Chicago White Sox
* Ashton Kutcher (born 1978) – actor

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d e "Search for Private Schools – School Detail for HARVARD-WESTLAKE SCHOOL". National Center for Education Statistics. Institute of Education Sciences. Retrieved January 28, 2019.
2. ^ Sherwood, Will (January 19, 2022). "Profitable Nonprofit: Inside Harvard-Westlake's Tax Records". The Harvard-Westlake Chronicle. Retrieved April 8, 2025.
3. ^ "Tuition information". hw.com. Retrieved December 20, 2024.
4. ^ "School Profile" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on January 11, 2014. Retrieved January 11, 2013.
5. ^ "Our Campuses". Retrieved May 5, 2018.
6. ^ "Move over G8—this is G20 > Harvard Westlake Chronicle". Archived from the original on October 28, 2007. Retrieved May 19, 2007.
7. ^ "The Schools Index". www.schools-index.com. Retrieved December 1, 2024.
8. ^ Cooper, Suzanne Tarbell; Lynch, Don; Kurtz, John G. (August 19, 2018). West Adams. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 9780738559209 - via Google Books.
9. ^ a b c d e "Harvard Westlake creates employee friendly environment". Los Angeles Daily News. April 29, 2013.
10. ^ Lowe, Janet (October 30, 2000). Damn Right!: Behind the Scenes with Berkshire Hathaway Billionaire Charlie Munger. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 9780471244738 - via Google Books.
11. ^ a b c "Harvard Westlake History". Archived from the original on April 26, 2007. Retrieved May 19, 2007.
12. ^ Rivera, Carla (February 27, 2008). "Scandal rocks private school". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 29, 2017.
13. ^ William-Ross, Linsday (February 27, 2008). "Harvard-Westlake Students Expelled for Cheating". LAist. Archived from the original on August 22, 2015. Retrieved March 29, 2017.
14. ^ "Harvard-Westlake School". Retrieved May 19, 2007.
15. ^ "Harvard-Westlake School Middle School Modernization Project > MSMP Home". Archived from the original on May 18, 2008. Retrieved May 19, 2007.
16. ^ "The Impact of Giving". Hw.com. Retrieved May 16, 2017.
17. ^ Pool, Bob (September 23, 2012). "Harvard-Westlake building reflects standout student's interests". Los Angeles Times.
18. ^ "Harvard Westlake - Michael Maltzan Architecture". www.mmaltzan.com.
19. ^ Branson-Potts, Hailey (November 4, 2014) "Harvard-Westlake School's plan for parking structure upsets neighbors" Los Angeles Times
20. ^ "Facilities & Locations". www.hw.com.
21. ^ Sweeney, Robert Lawrence (August 19, 2018). Casa Del Herrero: The Romance of Spanish Colonial. Random House Incorporated. ISBN 9780847833276 - via Google Books.
22. ^ "Harvard-Westlake begins push for approval of River Park sports complex". LA Times. July 16, 2021. Retrieved January 7, 2022.
23. ^ "Tuition Information". www.hw.com.
24. ^ "Admission > Financial Aid". www.hw.com. Retrieved October 22, 2023.
25. ^ "Admission > Financial Aid > Frequently Asked Questions". www.hw.com.
26. ^ "School Profile" (PDF). Hw.com. September 15, 2016. Retrieved May 16, 2017.[dead link]
27. ^ "2020 Harvard-Westlake School Rankings". Niche.

## Further reading

[edit]

* "Westlake School for Girls, Dormitory, 700 North Faring Street, Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, CA". Library of Congress.

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Harvard-Westlake School.

* Official website

Links to related articles

* v
* t
* e

Holmby Hills, Los Angeles

Education

Primary and secondary schools|

* Los Angeles Unified School District
* Harvard-Westlake School

Other education|

* Los Angeles Public Library
* Los Angeles Community College District

Other

Landmarks|

* De Neve Square Park
* Holmby Park
* Los Angeles Country Club
* The Manor
* Owlwood Estate
* Playboy Mansion

This list is incomplete.

* v
* t
* e

Studio City, Los Angeles

Education

Primary and secondary schools|

* Los Angeles Unified School District
* Carpenter Community Charter School
* Walter Reed Middle School
* Bridges Academy
* Harvard-Westlake School

Other education|

* Los Angeles Community College District
* Los Angeles Public Library

Other

Landmarks|

* Radford Studio Center

This list is incomplete.

* v
* t
* e

Los Angeles County Westside schools

Public high schools/notable schools

Los Angeles USD|

* Emerson MS
* Hamilton HS
* LACES
* Palisades HS
* University HS
* Venice HS
* Westchester Enriched Sciences Magnets

Beverly Hills USD|

* Beverly Hills HS

Culver City USD|

* Culver City HS

Santa Monica-Malibu USD|

* Malibu HS
* Santa Monica HS

Charter schools
Other publics|

* Ánimo Venice Charter High School
* UCLA Lab School

Private schools

Secular|

* The Archer School for Girls
* Brentwood School
* Berkeley Hall School
* Crossroads School
* John Thomas Dye School
* Harvard-Westlake School Middle School
* Lycée Français de Los Angeles
* The Mirman School
* Westland School

Religious|

* Marymount High School
* Milken Community Schools
* Saint Monica Catholic High School
* Wise School

* v
* t
* e

San Fernando Valley schools

Public high schools/notable schools

Los Angeles USD|

* Arleta HS
* Birmingham HS
* Canoga Park HS
* Chatsworth HS
* César Chávez LA
* Cleveland HS
* East Valley HS
* El Camino Real HS
* Francis Polytechnic
* Granada Hills HS
* Grant HS
* Kennedy HS
* Monroe HS
* North Hollywood HS
* Northridge Academy
* Panorama HS
* Daniel Pearl Magnet
* Reed MS
* Reseda HS
* San Fernando HS
* Sherman Oaks CES
* Sylmar HS
* Taft HS
* Valley Oaks CES
* Van Nuys HS

Burbank USD|

* Burbank High
* John Burroughs High

Glendale USD|

* Clark Magnet High
* Glendale High
* Herbert Hoover
* Other schools are in the Crescenta Valley

Las Virgenes USD|

* Calabasas
* Other schools are in the Conejo Valley

Non-LAUSD charter schools
and other publics|

* Charter High School of the Arts
* High Tech Los Angeles

Private schools

Secular|

* Buckley
* Bridges Academy
* Chatsworth Hills Academy
* Harvard-Westlake High school
* Int'l School of Los Angeles (LILA) Multiple campuses
* Oakwood
* Sierra Canyon
* Viewpoint

| Closed|

* Montclair College Prep

|

Religious|

* AGBU Manoogian-Demirdjian
* Campbell Hall
* Chaminade College Prep
* The Concordia Schools
* Crespi Carmelite HS
* de Toledo HS (formerly New Community Jewish HS)
* Ferrahian Armenian
* Jewish Educational Trade School
* Louisville HS
* Notre Dame HS
* Our Lady of the Valley
* Providence HS
* St. Genevieve HS
* Village Christian
* West Valley Christian

| Closed|

* Bellarmine-Jefferson HS
* Holy Family HS

|

* v
* t
* e

Los Angeles County private schools

Secular

K–12|

* Arroyo Pacific Academy
* Brentwood
* Buckley
* Chadwick
* Crossroads
* Highland Hall Waldorf School
* Int'l School of LA (LILA)
* Lycée Français de Los Angeles
* Oakwood
* Pilgrim
* Polytechnic
* Ribét Academy
* Seqoyah
* Sierra Canyon
* Summit View
* Viewpoint
* Waverly
* Wildwood

2–12|

* Westmark

4–12|

* Westridge

6–12|

* Archer for Girls
* Geffen Academy at UCLA
* Rolling Hills Preparatory
* Southwestern Academy
* STAR Prep Academy

| Closed|

* Montclair College Prep

|

7–12|

* Flintridge Prep
* Harvard-Westlake
* Marlborough
* Windward

HS|

* EF Academy
* Excelsior
* Vistamar
* Webb

K-9|

* Nishiyamato Academy of California

K–8|

* Berkeley Hall
* Chandler
* Chatsworth Hills Academy
* Clairbourn
* Gooden
* Mirman
* Page Academy
* Park Century
* Rolling Hills Country Day
* Stratford
* Turning Point

K–6|

* Curtis
* John Thomas Dye
* The Oaks School
* Westland

| Closed|

* Wilshire Private

|

Religious

K–12|

* Arcadia Christian
* AGBU Manoogian-Demirdjian
* Armenian Mesrobian
* Bethel Baptist Christian
* Calvary Baptist
* Calvary Chapel Christian
* Campbell Hall
* Christbridge Academy
* City of Knowledge Islamic
* Desert Christian
* Faith Baptist
* Ferrahian Armenian
* Glendale Adventist Academy
* Heritage Christian
* Lancaster Baptist
* New Covenant Academy
* North Valley Christian
* Rose and Alex Pilibos Armenian
* Price
* San Fernando Valley Academy
* San Gabriel Academy
* Santa Clarita Christian
* South Bay Faith Academy
* South Hills Academy
* Southlands Christian
* Trinity Classical Academy
* Valley Christian
* Village Christian

| Closed|

* TCA Arshag Dickranian Armenian
* Bethel Christian

|

1–12|

* St. Monica Academy

4–12|

* Oaks Christian

6–12|

* Ambassador Christian
* Chaminade College Preparatory
* Immaculate Heart
* Milken Community Schools
* Pomona Catholic

7–12|

* Rio Hondo Prep

HS|

* Bishop Alemany
* Bishop Amat Memorial
* Bishop Conaty-Our Lady of Loretto
* Bishop Montgomery
* Bishop Mora Salesian
* Cantwell-Sacred Heart of Mary
* Cathedral
* Crespi Carmelite
* Damien
* de Toledo (formerly New Community Jewish)
* Don Bosco Technical Institute
* Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy
* Jewish Educational Trade School
* Junípero Serra
* La Salle
* Lighthouse Christian Academy
* Louisville
* Loyola
* Maranatha
* Mary Star of the Sea
* Marymount
* Mayfield Senior
* Notre Dame Academy
* Notre Dame High
* Pacifica Christian
* Paraclete
* Providence
* Ramona Convent
* Sacred Heart
* San Gabriel Mission
* Shalhevet
* St. Anthony
* St. Bernard
* St. Francis
* St. Genevieve
* St. John Bosco
* St. Joseph
* St. Lucy's Priory
* St. Mary's Academy
* St. Monica Preparatory
* St. Paul
* St. Pius X - St. Matthias Academy
* Valley Torah
* Verbum Dei
* Yeshiva University High Schools of Los Angeles

| Closed|

* AGBU Vatche and Tamar Manoukian
* Bellarmine-Jefferson
* Corvallis
* Daniel Murphy
* Holy Family
* Mount Carmel
* Queen of Angels Academy

|

K–8|

* Alverno Heights Academy
* Armenian Sisters' Academy
* Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
* Bethany Christian
* Calvary Christian
* Chamlian Armenian
* Christ the King Catholic
* Concordia Christian
* Emmaus Lutheran
* Foothill Christian
* Glenoaks Christian
* Good Shepherd Catholic
* Heights Christian
* Holy Family (Glendale)
* Holy Family Catholic (South Pasadena)
* Holy Redeemer-St. James
* Incarnation Parish
* Los Angeles Adventist Academy
* Los Angeles Christian
* Mayfield Junior
* Montebello Christian
* North Hollywood Christian Academy
* Notre Dame Academy Elementary
* Our Lady of Guadalupe (Hermosa Beach)
* Our Lady of Guadalupe (Los Angeles)
* Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic
* Our Lady of the Valley
* Our Mother of Good Counsel
* Pasadena Christian
* Pressman Academy
* Redeemer Christian Academy
* Saints Felicitas and Perpetua
* Salem Lutheran
* San Gabriel Christian
* Santa Fe Springs Christian
* Sonrise Christian
* St. Andrew Catholic
* St. Bede the Venerable Catholic
* St. Dominic
* St. Elizabeth Parish
* St. Ignatius of Loyola
* St. Philip the Apostle
* St. Rita
* St. Robert Bellarmine
* Saint Therese Carmelite
* St. Thomas the Apostle
* Valor Christian Academy
* West Valley Christian

| Closed|

* Good Shepherd Lutheran School

|

K–6|

* Pearl Preparatory
* Pines Christian
* Wise School

* v
* t
* e

Single-gender schools in California

Public boys' schools|

* Boys Academic Leadership Academy

Private boys' schools|

| Greater Los Angeles|

* Cathedral HS
* Crespi Carmelite HS
* Damien HS
* Don Bosco Tech. Inst.
* Loyola HS
* Salesian HS
* Saint Francis HS
* Servite HS
* St. John Bosco HS
* Verbum Dei HS
* YULA Boys HS

|

Bay Area|

* Bellarmine College Prep.
* Cathedral School
* De La Salle HS
* Junípero Serra HS
* Stuart Hall
* Stuart Hall HS
* Town School

Greater San Diego|

* St. Augustine HS

Closed|

* St. Michael's Prep. (Silverado)

Public girls' schools|

* Girls Academic Leadership Academy

Private girls' schools|

| Greater Los Angeles|

* Archer
* Bishop Conaty-Our Lady of Loretto HS
* Flintridge Sacred Heart Acad.
* Immaculate Heart HS
* La Reina HS
* Louisville HS
* Marlborough
* Marymount HS
* Mayfield Senior
* Notre Dame Acad.
* Pomona Catholic HS
* Ramona Convent Sec.
* Rosary Acad.
* Sacred Heart HS
* St. Joseph HS
* St. Lucy's Priory HS
* St. Mary's Acad.
* San Gabriel Mission HS
* Westridge
* YULA Girls HS

|

Bay Area|

* Katherine Delmar Burke
* Carondelet HS
* Castilleja
* Convent of the Sacred Heart HS
* Hamlin
* Holy Names HS
* Immaculate Conception Acad.
* Mercy HS (Burlingame)
* Julia Morgan
* Notre Dame HS (Belmont)
* Notre Dame HS (San Jose)
* Presentation HS

Greater San Diego|

* The Academy of Our Lady of Peace

Greater Sacramento|

* St. Francis HS

Closed|

* Cornelia Connelly HS (Anaheim)
* Holy Family HS (Glendale)
* Mercy HS (San Francisco)

Authority control databases

International|

* ISNI
* VIAF

National|

* United States

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template