Sequoia High School: Full Guide

Location: Redwood City, CA

Are you a student or parent at Sequoia High School? Want to understand how to get the most out of high school?

We've written the best guide to Sequoia High available. Here we'll cover:

Breakdowns of student ethnicity, gender, and family income
How safe Sequoia High is to attend
SAT/ACT/AP scores earned by Sequoia High students
Which AP/IB classes you can take at Sequoia High
Every sports team you can join at Sequoia High

Let's get started!

Basic Information

Sequoia High School is a public school, supporting grades 9 to 12 . It's located in Redwood City, CA in San Mateo County.

Based on its location, Sequoia High is classified as a school in a small city. Here's the location on a map:

Contact Information

Mailing address:

Sequoia High School
1201 Brewster Ave.
Redwood City, CA 94062-1378

Phone number: 6503679780

Sequoia High School homepage: http://www.sequoiahs.org/

Principal: Sean Priest
Email the principal: [email protected]

Student Demographics

Student Enrollment

The total enrollment at Sequoia High School is 2031 students, making it a large high school, in the top 25% of all California high schools by size.

Attending Sequoia High will feel like attending a small college. You'll have a few hundred students in your class, enough to provide an interesting set of activities, sports, and classes to try. But compared to the largest high schools in California, the student body size won't be overwhelming.

Growth in Student Body Size

Is Sequoia High School growing or shrinking? This will help you see trends in where the school is headed.

From our calculations, the enrollment at Sequoia High has decreased over the past few years. We calculate this by comparing enrollment in grades 9 to 12.

	Male Students	Female Students	All Students
9^th grade	233	261	494
10^th grade	236	239	475
11^th grade	260	259	519
12^th grade	280	262	542

As you can see in the table above, the senior class is 48 students larger than the freshman class. This suggests that Sequoia High is shrinking in size and taking on fewer students.

There are a few reasons this can happen. The population of Redwood City could be decreasing, thus sending fewer students into Sequoia High. Alternatively, other schools (like charter or private schools) might be appearing, drawing students away.

Gender Split

Are there more boys or girls at Sequoia High School?

From our statistics, Sequoia High has a 50:50 split between male and female students in the high school grades.

Sequoia High has a balanced male-female ratio that's largely representative of the general population in San Mateo County. Since the student body is roughly half and half, it should feel like there are equal numbers of boys and girls in your classes.

This usually means that Sequoia High doesn't strongly select for either males or females, unlike other schools that have a large majority of males or females.

Ethnicity Breakdown

What's the racial diversity at Sequoia High School? Does one ethnicity make up most of the student body, or is it fairly balanced?

From our statistics, Sequoia High has a somewhat homogenous student body, with the majority of students identifying as one ethnicity, but not representing over 70% of the student body. Most schools in California fit this profile, so Sequoia High isn't out of the ordinary. Most students attending class with you will be of the predominant ethnicity, but there will be meaningful diversity from other races.

The majority of students at Sequoia High are Hispanic. In California, Hispanic students make up the majority of all students at 51.5%, and are thus the most common ethnicity. Predominantly Hispanic schools are the most common type of homogenous school, and Sequoia High fits within this category.

	Percentage	Number
American Indian/Alaska Native	0.0%	2
Asian	3.6%	74
Hispanic	58.5%	1189
Black	1.5%	32
White	28.4%	578
Hawaiian Native/Pacific Islander	2.2%	46
Two or more races	5.4%	110

High schools usually reflect the population in the surrounding area, so the ethnicities of students likely resembles those of Redwood City. If you'd like to see how other nearby schools look in diversity, just google "[name of school] prepscholar" to find our guide to that specific school.

Income Level of Sequoia High Families

What are the family incomes of students at Sequoia High School? To determine this, we look at the number of students who qualify for free or reduced lunches, a classification by the US federal government.

To qualify for a reduced price meal, family income needs to be below 185% of the federal poverty guidelines. For a family of 4, this means an income of around $45,000 or below.

To qualify for a free meal, family income needs to be below 130% of the federal poverty guidelines. For a family of 4, this means an income of around $32,000 or below.

The lower the percentage of students who qualify for free or reduced price meals, the higher the income levels are likely to be.

At Sequoia High, 6.7% of students qualify for reduced-price lunches, and 40.1% qualify for free lunches.

This means Sequoia High has a below average level of poverty. With most students not qualifying for free or reduced price lunches, Sequoia High is below average among California schools in poverty level. The income level of families in Redwood City is thus likely to be relatively high.

	Number	Percent
Reduced-price lunches	137	6.7%
Free lunches	816	40.1%
Do not qualify for reduced-price or free lunches	1078	53.0%

As with ethnicity, this likely reflects the surrounding community in Redwood City and doesn't speak much about the school itself.

Sequoia High is in the middle 50% of schools by income level. Generally, higher income level schools are better-funded and have a higher quality range of classes and activities. Sequoia High is likely in the middle of the pack in this regard and will give you a good set of options to try.

If you have any interests that Sequoia High doesn't cover, look to your local community for activities, or to the Internet for self-study AP classes.

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School Safety

How safe is Sequoia High School to attend? Can you expect a lot of conflict as a student here?

To study this, we look at disciplinary data for two types of incidents at Sequoia High: referrals to law enforcement (when incidents are reported to police), and arrests.

These are the most serious disciplinary actions available to school administration and are more severe than suspensions or expulsions. Suspensions are often discretionary and can be given just for being disruptive in class. In contrast, law enforcement referrals and arrests often indicate incidents that put the safety of other Sequoia High students at risk.

In the school year of 2011-2012, there were 0 referrals to law enforcement, and 0 school-related arrests. This is out of a total enrollment of 2038 students.

To put this into perspective, most California schools (59% of them) reported 0 law enforcement referrals and arrests.

Compare this school with other high schools in the same school district, using the following table:

Sequoia Union High School District Safety

School Name	Total Referred	Total Arrests	Enrollment
Carlmont High	0	0	2098
Menlo-atherton High	0	0	1972
Redwood High	0	0	314
Woodside High	0	0	1744
East Palo Alto Academy	0	0	0
Summit Preparatory Charter High	0	0	415

Academic Performance

Now we get to a major aspect of assessing a high school: academic performance. How good of an education will you get at Sequoia High School? Will you be competitive for college? Will you have access to advanced classes?

We've compiled everything we could find about Sequoia High's academics here.

Graduation Rate

To start off, an important benchmark of academic achievement is graduation rate. For all students who start high school at Sequoia High, the state of California wants as many students to graduate as possible, since a high school diploma can mean a big difference in getting a job.

At Sequoia High, 84% (of 349) Sequoia High students graduated within four years of starting high school.

Here's how this stacks up to other schools. The California state government has defined 90% as a target rate. The state average is around 80-85%.

Sequoia High is in the 52nd percentile of all public high schools in California for graduation rate. This is above average. Generally, a graduation rate of above 90% is considered good and well above average, and below 75% is well below average.

Note: This data comes from a few years back, but the trends are likely to stay the same, since schools don't get significantly better or worse within a short period of time.

Standardized Testing

Next, we'll look at another major piece of high school academics: standardized testing performance for Sequoia High School students. These are tests that are administered to large populations of students for comparison purposes.

Let’s start by taking a look at the data for nationally administered standardized tests.

SAT Scores

As you probably know, the SAT is a critical test used for college admissions. The higher the score you get, the better your academic performance compared to students nationwide, and the easier it is to get into top colleges.

We did in-depth research and found the average Sequoia High School SAT scores.

The average composite SAT score is a 1560 out of 2400, compared to a national average of 1500. Each year, roughly 389 at Sequoia High take the SAT.

This is an above-average SAT score, putting Sequoia High School in the top 25% of all California high schools and well above the national average (56% of students score above the national average). This is a notable academic achievement that distinguishes Sequoia High as a high-achieving school.

This is a good indication that you'll receive an above-average education at Sequoia High. While your school isn't in the very top echelon of all California public schools, you're still in a great environment.

Here's a breakdown of SAT scores by section:

Average SAT Scores (2013-2014)

Source	Critical Reading	Math	Writing	Composite
Sequoia High	506	535	523	1560
California	498	510	496	1504
United States	495	511	484	1490

Note that the SAT has since changed to a 1600 scale, but the trends above for your high school are likely to continue. Just use this guide to convert between the old 2400 scale and the new 1600 scale.

To learn more about SAT percentile rankings, read our guide on what SAT percentiles really mean.

How good is 1560 as an SAT score? Find out with our complete 1560 SAT score guide, including which colleges you can get into with a 1560 or any other SAT score!

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ACT Scores

In California, the ACT is less popular than the SAT. Fewer students take the ACT, and typically these students are more motivated and academically prepared for college. Therefore, it's harder to compare Sequoia High School ACT scores with the rest of the country.

At Sequoia High, the average ACT composite score was 22, compared to the nationwide average of 20. Each year, roughly 201 out of 2030 total students take the ACT.

This is above average performance, putting Sequoia High in the top 50% of California high schools. Since the ACT tests what you learn in school, these ACT scores are a good indication that you'll get an above-average education at Sequoia High.

Here are the average English, Math, Reading, and Science scores for Sequoia High compared to California and the US:

Average ACT Scores

Source	English	Math	Reading	Science
Sequoia High	22	24	23	22
California	21.8	22.8	22.3	21.7
United States	20.3	20.9	21.3	20.8

Scores provided are for the 2013-14 school year.

Find out more about percentile rankings and the ACT in this article.

Every individual is different. What counts as a good ACT score for you? Learn more with this article!

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Advanced Placement (AP)

Advanced Placement (AP) classes are college-level courses that are an additional academic challenge may give Sequoia High School students credit for college.

Here's what we're looking for: high average AP test scores as well as high AP passing rates.

AP Scores

Every year, roughly 206 students in grades 9-12 at Sequoia High take 218 AP exams. It's important to understand how students score on the AP - earning a 3, 4, or 5 on the AP test means passing the test and often earning college credit.

The average score of all AP exams taken at Sequoia High is 4.1 out of 5.

This is a remarkable achievement showing top of the line performance. The overwhelming majority of students taking AP exams here earn a 5 or a 4, placing them well above the national average. Only a few dozen schools in all of California show this level of achievement, placing Sequoia High School in the top 1% of schools for AP tests.

It's safe to say that Sequoia High has an excellent AP program, with high quality teachers and classes that will thoroughly prepare students for AP exams. Furthermore, students at Sequoia High are likely to be highly academically motivated. By attending Sequoia High, you'll be in strong academic company.

We have specific data on how many students got a 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 (out of 5) on AP exams in the chart below:

To find out the passing rates for specific AP courses at Sequoia High School, you'll have to talk to your guidance counselor (who can then help you find that information). For instance, one AP Calculus teacher may have an above-90% passing rate, while another might only have a 50% passing rate. If you can, you'll want to take the class with the teacher who has more students get a 3 or above on the AP exam.

Find out more about the average score for each AP subject here.

State Tests

As of 2014, eleventh graders attending Sequoia High School must take standardized tests in English/Language Arts and Math as part of the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP). These align with the new Common Core standards and are called the "Smarter Balanced" tests.

If Sequoia High students meet or exceed state standards, they're academically prepared to graduate high school and go to college. Specifically, we care about the percentage of students who meet or exceed state standards. The larger this number, the higher the preparation of students at Sequoia High.

English/Language Arts

At Sequoia High School, 55% of students meet or exceed state standards in English/Language Arts.

This is considered above average and puts Sequoia High in the top 50% of all high schools in California for English/Language Arts. Around half of Sequoia High students pass state standards, and around half do not.

This specific percentage isn't much cause for concern - because the standards have gotten harder with the Common Core, the pass rate at Sequoia High will likely rise over time. But it still reflects Sequoia High's roughly average ranking among California high schools.

English/Language Arts Test Results (2015)

Read more about what’s measured in each ELA area score here.

Math

The other major test taken for state assessments is Math. Across the state, Math performance is generally lower than English/Language Arts performance, so it's natural for this number to be lower.

At Sequoia High School, 34% of students meet or exceed state standards in Math. This is considered well below average and puts Sequoia High in the bottom 25% of all high schools in California. The vast majority of Sequoia High students don't meet state standards, and only a small percentage pass.

Math Test Results (2015)

Read more about what’s measured in each Math area score, go here.

Academic Offerings

In addition to the standard high school curriculum, many high schools like Sequoia High School offer advanced coursework as part of the Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) programs.

Brief Intro to AP/IB

AP and IB courses are designed at the difficulty level of college introductory classes. There are several important benefits to taking advanced coursework at Sequoia High. First, taking more advanced classes shows colleges that you're committed to challenging yourself academically, and that you're one of the more advanced students at Sequoia High. Taking AP/IB classes also raises your weighted GPA and makes you a stronger college applicant.

Furthermore, many colleges will accept your Sequoia High AP/IB coursework as college coursework. In some cases, you'll be able to skip introductory-level classes and move to more advanced classes. In other cases, you'll be able to avoid having to take required courses and might even be able to graduate earlier than the standard 4 years. Often this will require you to pass the AP test, getting a score of 3 or above.

So what advanced courses does Sequoia High School offer?

AP Courses

Sequoia High School offers AP courses in 2 subjects.

This is a low number of AP subjects, putting Sequoia High School in the bottom 25% of California schools offering AP courses. You'll be very limited in your ability to explore your interests in math, science, humanities, or social sciences at Sequoia High.

Take a look at every AP subject offered. If you want to take any AP courses not being offered at Sequoia High, ask your counselor for ideas on how to cover the gap. If you're a strong student and not feeling adequately challenged, you might consider transferring to another high school to access a more advanced curriculum.

Of course, keep in mind that even though Sequoia High doesn't offer many AP courses, it might teach the few it does offer quite well. You can see student performance in the AP score analysis section above.

The following AP courses were offered at Sequoia High during 2015-2016:

Course Title
Calculus AB
Statistics

IB Courses

The International Baccalaureate program is less popular in the United States than the Advanced Placement program (there are around 850 diploma schools in the country and 100 in California). But Sequoia High School is one of the lucky few to have an IB program!

For college application purposes, the IB and AP programs are basically equivalent. So don't worry about being advantaged or disadvantaged either way if you participate in IB vs AP. What colleges care about first is academic achievement, and AP and IB classes are seen as equally challenging.

Sequoia High School has been an IB school since 2/6/02. Questions about the IB program at Sequoia High? You can contact the IB Diploma Programme coordinator, Ms Lisa McCahon, by phone at (1)650 3691411x63103.

The following IB courses were offered at Sequoia High during 2015-2016:

Course Title	HL/SL
Film
Spanish B	HL + SL
Biology	HL + SL
Spanish ab initio	SL
Physics	HL + SL
Mathematical studies	SL
English A Language and Literature	HL + SL
Psychology	HL + SL
Informational technology in a global society (ITGS)	HL + SL
Environmental systems and societies	SL
Theory of Knowledge
French B	HL + SL
Mandarin ab initio	SL
Economics	HL + SL
Mathematics	HL + SL
History	HL + SL
Visual Arts

You can find out more about the IB testing schedule by going here.

We've also written the best study and test guides to International Baccalaureate.

Sports Teams

Finally, we'll cover which sports teams are available at Sequoia High School. Sports are an integral part of many students' high school experiences. The more sports that are available, and the more levels supported (Frosh, JV, Varsity), the more likely you'll be able to participate in a sport at Sequoia High.

By the way, the Sequoia High mascot is the Cherokee. Go Cherokee!

Sequoia High School fields 18 teams for girls' sports. This is a high number that puts Sequoia High in the top 25% of California schools that offer girls' sports. If you're a female, you'll have lots of options of sports and levels to try out for.

And now for the boys: Sequoia High School fields 21 teams for boys' sports. This puts Sequoia High in the top 25% of California schools that offer boys' sports. Boys will have a large pick of sports to try out for.

Boys Teams	Girls Teams
Lacrosse Var JV Fr	Lacrosse Var JV Fr
Basketball Var JV Fr	Basketball Var JV Fr
Golf Var JV Fr	Golf Var JV Fr
Tennis Var JV Fr	Tennis Var JV Fr
Football Var JV Fr
Wrestling Var JV Fr
Volleyball Var JV Fr	Volleyball Var JV Fr
Baseball Var JV Fr
	Softball Var JV Fr
Waterpolo Var JV Fr	Waterpolo Var JV Fr
Crosscountry Var JV Fr
Soccer Var JV Fr	Soccer Var JV Fr

What’s Next?

Want to get more useful information about high school classes and preparing for colleges? Our blog has a ton of articles and advice on topics ranging from coursework and GPA to letters of recommendation, extracurriculars, and much more!

Ready to bulk up your schedule and maximize your college preparedness? Read all about the Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate programs.

Not quite in high school yet, but eager to get started? We've also got information for younger students interested in advanced learning opportunities, both in and out of school.

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