Crystal Springs Uplands School is an independent, coeducational, college-preparatory day school located on a 10-acre campus on San Francisco’s Peninsula. Serving students in grades 6-12, Crystal offers an intimate, collaborative community that encourages students to explore new interests and pursue passions within an environment of academic excellence. At Crystal, we believe our greatest responsibility is to prepare students to actively engage with and thrive in a rapidly changing world. We consciously create a culture where students can develop the fundamentals and flexibility they need to solve complex problems and imagine limitless futures. We do this all while encouraging and nurturing our students’ own internal passions and joy. Academics are at the center of the Crystal experience, but it’s the spirit with which we pursue learning that sets us apart. Recently named number 24 on TheBestSchools.org’s 50 Best Private Day Schools in the United States, Crystal enrolls 350 students from 66 elementary schools and 53 middle schools. Our student body reflects Crystal’s strong commitment to cultural, social, and socioeconomic diversity, and our athletics program, our visual and performing arts offerings, and our extra-curricular activities foster opportunities for self-discovery, creative expression, and personal growth. Crystal students get a thrill from challenging themselves in and out of the classroom. Through expansive travel offerings, a robust community service program, and a forward-looking curriculum with college-level electives, our students have endless opportunities to try things they have never before experienced. As Crystal’s Head of School Amy Richards puts it, “Our masterful, caring, and invested faculty know their students well. They hone in on that place that is just beyond each student’s capacity and teach to it. That way, when a student reaches the goal, not only has she learned something new, she’s discovered she is capable of whatever she sets her mind to. Academic achievement is only part of the equation at Crystal—we view every experience as an opportunity to practice perseverance and build self-confidence.” At Crystal, we take the time to ask each of our students, “What excites you?” When students discover what makes them tick and are supported by people who believe in them, magic happens.
Crystal Springs Uplands School
400 Uplands Dr., Hillsborough, CA 94010
Phone: 650-342-4175
Fax: 650-342-7611
Website: www.csus.org
Head of School
Amy Richards
Amy Richards
Established: 1952
Grades: 6-12
Grades: 6-12

Enrollment
- 250Total student enrollment Grades 9-12
- 125Boys
- 125Girls
- 52Percent students of color
- 6:1Student: teacher ratio
- 14Average class size
- 59Faculty
- 63Percent faculty with advanced degrees
- 12Average years teaching
Admissions Process
- JanuaryApplication deadline (month)
- $85Application fee
- 240Number of 9th Grade applications
- 30-35Average range of openings 9th Grade
- 3-5Average range of openings 10th Grade
Costs
- $37,485Tuition (2013-2014)
- $1000 - $2000Other costs
- JanuaryFinancial aid deadline
- $28,490Average grant
- 23Percent students on financial aid
Academics
- 23HL courses offered
- 294AP exams taken
- 138Students taking AP exams
- 89Percent scoring 3 or above
- 2129Cumulative SAT score
- 700Mean SAT score Verbal Reasoning
- 717Mean SAT score Math
- 712Mean score Writing
- 99Percent students attending four year colleges/universities
Top five names of Colleges/ Universities attended by
7 or more students (2009-2013):
7 or more students (2009-2013):
-
44Stanford
-
15University of Southern California
-
10University of California, Davis
-
8Tufts
-
7University of California, Berkeley/ Los Angeles, Boston University
Sports
- 15Number of Varsity sports offered
- 5Number of Junior Varsity sports
World Languages | Spanish | Mandarin | French | Latin | Italian | German | Japanese | Other |
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X | X | X |
Accreditations | WASC | WCEA | NAIS | CAIS | IB | NCEA | OTHER | |
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X | X |
Religious Affiliation | Non sectarian | Catholic | Episcopal | Jewish | Christian | Other | |
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X |
Initiate Inquiry | Online | Phone | ||
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Application | Parent | Student | Online | Common SAO | Shadow visit | Student interview | Parent interview | Writing sample |
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X | X | X | X | X |
Recommendations | Math Teacher | English Teacher | Principal or Counselor | Clergy | Other | |
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X | X | X |
Test Accepted | SSAT | ISEE | ERB | HSPT | CAT/STAR | CTBS | TOEFL | OTHER |
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X | X |
Profile information on the best private high schools of the San Francisco Bay was provided by the school or from publicly available sites.