San Francisco University High School
Encyclopedia
San Francisco University High School (familiarly known as UHS or simply "University") is an academically focused, college preparatory, private high school located in the Pacific Heights
neighborhood of San Francisco, California
. The school was established in 1973.
Upper Campus is the oldest and most historic part of campus. Originally designed by Julia Morgan, it was first used to house the Katherine Delmar Burke School
, a girls' high school, from the early part of the 20th century, until 1975, when the building was sold to the newly created University High School. It is the front entrance of the school with a reception area next to the Jackson Street entrance. It is composed of many small classrooms mostly used for history and English classes, as well as a large part of the school administration. It is also home to the USF HS tanning club, which took home second place in the 2008 international tanning competition hosted in Juno, Alaska.
Middle Campus, connected to Upper Campus by a bridge, houses the school library, theater, student center and cafeteria, science labs, and music rooms.
Lower Campus is home to the math and science departments and is made up mainly of math rooms and laboratories. It also holds the main computer lab, fitness center, changing rooms, gym, and athletic office. Indoor sports are played at the gym, while field sports are mainly played at fields in the nearby Presidio.
South Campus, newly opened in the 2006-2007 school year, is the home of the language department, the art departments, college counseling, and Summerbridge
, UHS's pioneer program to help talented students from local public middle schools get the resources they might not have access to in their own schools. In addition to a language lab, multiple classrooms and offices, South Campus has a large photography studio and darkroom, film editing lab, ceramics studio, and painting and drawing studio.
, Film Instructor
James Faerron
, Technical Theatre Instructor
Pacific Heights, San Francisco, California
Pacific Heights is a neighborhood of San Francisco, California.-Location:Pacific Heights is located in one of the most scenic and park-like settings in Northern California, offering panoramic views of the Golden Gate Bridge, the San Francisco Bay, Alcatraz and the Presidio...
neighborhood of San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
. The school was established in 1973.
Mission statement
"University High School welcomes students of demonstrated motivation and ability to engage in an education that fosters responsibility and the spirited pursuit of knowledge. We are a school where adults believe in the promise of every student, and together we work to build and sustain a community of diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and talents. UHS challenges each individual to live a life of integrity, inquiry, and purpose larger than the self."Academics
The median GPA at University is 3.54 with a grading scale of A-F including plus or minus. In order to graduate, students must take two years of art (including the mandatory Western Civilization course in their sophomore year), four years of English, three years of a foreign language (with Mandarin, French, Spanish, and Latin offered), two years of History excluding Western Civilization, three years of Mathematics, and two years of Science in addition to Community Service Learning requirements.Tuition
The cost of attendance at University High School for the 2010-2011 school year is $32,750. In 2010-2011, students at University High School received a total of about $2.1 million in financial assistance, with 22% of students receiving financial aid.Facilities and Campus
The school is made up of four buildings, commonly referred to as Upper, Middle, Lower, and South campuses. Upper and Middle are connected and located between Jackson and Washington streets, while Lower is across the street, between Washington and Clay. South is two blocks farther down, located at Lyon and Sacramento streets.Upper Campus is the oldest and most historic part of campus. Originally designed by Julia Morgan, it was first used to house the Katherine Delmar Burke School
Katherine Delmar Burke School
Katherine Delmar Burke School, also called Burke's, is an independent girls' school for kindergarten through eighth grade. It was founded in 1908 by Katherine Delmar Burke and was originally named Miss Burke's School. Burke's is located in San Francisco, California near Lincoln Park...
, a girls' high school, from the early part of the 20th century, until 1975, when the building was sold to the newly created University High School. It is the front entrance of the school with a reception area next to the Jackson Street entrance. It is composed of many small classrooms mostly used for history and English classes, as well as a large part of the school administration. It is also home to the USF HS tanning club, which took home second place in the 2008 international tanning competition hosted in Juno, Alaska.
Middle Campus, connected to Upper Campus by a bridge, houses the school library, theater, student center and cafeteria, science labs, and music rooms.
Lower Campus is home to the math and science departments and is made up mainly of math rooms and laboratories. It also holds the main computer lab, fitness center, changing rooms, gym, and athletic office. Indoor sports are played at the gym, while field sports are mainly played at fields in the nearby Presidio.
South Campus, newly opened in the 2006-2007 school year, is the home of the language department, the art departments, college counseling, and Summerbridge
Summerbridge
Summerbridge may refer to:*Summerbridge, North Yorkshire, village in England*Breakthrough Collaborative, formerly Summerbridge National, educational programs in USA and Hong Kong...
, UHS's pioneer program to help talented students from local public middle schools get the resources they might not have access to in their own schools. In addition to a language lab, multiple classrooms and offices, South Campus has a large photography studio and darkroom, film editing lab, ceramics studio, and painting and drawing studio.
Rankings
In 2007, the Wall Street Journal ranked University the 21st best high school based on how many University students were sent to top colleges and how successful they were there.Notable Faculty
Danny PlotnickDanny Plotnick
Danny Plotnick is an American independent film maker. In addition to making 18 films, he has released three videotape compilations and a dvd compilation which have garnered international distribution, embarked on five national film tours, two European film tours and has taught numerous seminars on...
, Film Instructor
James Faerron
James Faerron
James Faerron resides in San Francisco, California, where he presently is the Producing Manager for Z Space and Co-Artistic Director for Encore Theatre Company...
, Technical Theatre Instructor
Writers
- Ethan CaninEthan CaninEthan Andrew Canin is an American author, educator, and physician. He is a member of the faculty of the Iowa Writers' Workshop at the University of Iowa....
, author - Vendela VidaVendela VidaVendela Vida is an American novelist, journalist, and editor who lives in the Bay Area.-Books:Vida has written four books....
, author - Jennifer EganJennifer EganJennifer Egan is an American novelist and short story writer who lives in Fort Greene, Brooklyn. Egan's novel A Visit From the Goon Squad won the 2011 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and National Book Critics Circle Award for fiction....
, author - Ben Casnocha, author
Artists and Musicians
- Slater BradleySlater BradleySlater Bradley is an American artist and "something of a cult hero" who works in the mediums of photography, drawing, painting, film and video. In 2005, at the age of 30, Bradley became the youngest male artist to have a solo show at The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York...
, video artist - Sara Mornell, actor
- Christopheren Nomura, musician
- Deke SharonDeke SharonDeke Sharon is an American singer, arranger, composer, director, producer and teacher of a cappella music, and is one of the leaders of the contemporary a cappella community and a pioneer of the contemporary a cappella style, referred to as "the father of contemporary a cappella" by some...
, musician - Maury Sterling, actor
- Ali Wong, comedian
- Anne Tolpegin, actress/singer
- Rozz Nash, singer/musician
- Tauba Auerbach, visual artist
- John MorrisJohn Morris (actor)John Charles Morris is an American actor and voice actor. He is best known for his role as Andy Davis in the Toy Story film trilogy. He currently resides in Northern California...
, actor, Toy StoryToy StoryToy Story is a 1995 American computer-animated film released by Walt Disney Pictures. It is Pixar's first feature film as well as the first ever feature film to be made entirely with CGI. The film was directed by John Lasseter and featuring the voices of Tom Hanks and Tim Allen...
. - George WatskyGeorge WatskyGeorge Watsky is a poet and rapper from San Francisco, California. Watsky performs slam poetry, and was featured on Season 6 of Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry on HBO...
, musician, poet, internet phenom - Ari GoldAri Gold (filmmaker)Ari Gold is an American filmmaker, actor and musician. His short film Helicopter, about the aftermath of his mother's death, won him a Student Oscar. His feature debut Adventures of Power premiered at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival and made its European debut at the 2008 Karlovy Vary International...
, filmmaker, actor, musician