Academic Guidebook

• Students should select courses that reflect their interests, challenge them appropriately, and enable them to maintain social and emotional well-being through a healthy balance of academics, extracurriculars, and free time.
• Students should check their transcript to make sure they are on the right path to fulfill all graduation requirements.
• Frosh should think carefully about enrolling in an eighth class, as maintaining a free block can be important for students with busy extracurricular lives.
• Juniors and seniors should consider college aspirations in course selection. Most selective colleges expect juniors and seniors to:
  • maintain a schedule of five courses spread between History, Math, World Languages, English, Science, and at least one course either in the Technical Arts, Performing Arts, or Visual Arts.
  • challenge themselves with an appropriately rigorous course line up. College counselors inform colleges about LWHS academic policies. There is no predetermined number of Honors or Accelerated courses that a student must take for college admission. Students should consult with parents/guardians, college counselors, teachers, and advisors in order to determine the most appropriate - and appropriately challenging - courses. 
  • show evidence of interests beyond traditional academic classes. Students should demonstrate meaningful breadth, and depth by advancing through courses in the Performing Arts, Technical Arts, and/or Visual Arts, as well as participating in extracurricular activities such as clubs, athletics, and service.

Please refer to the course catalog to gain a fuller understanding of the curriculum at LWHS. The course catalog is updated each spring, before the student course signup process begins. All courses that will be offered in the school year are listed by department in the online course catalog, which can be found on the LWHS website > Curriculum > Course Catalog.

LWHS uses an unweighted GPA for all students. To learn how to calculate a GPA at LWHS, please read the information in the “Downloads” box on this page.

LWHS offers several resources for supporting students in their course selection process. Students should begin by talking to their teachers to receive advice in specific disciplines. Other resources include info sessions  for each class, student panels, drop-in meetings with college counselors, and help desks run by the Deans. A student's advisor, the Director of Academic Services, Deans (Dean of Students and Grade Level Deans), and Dean of Teaching & Learning are available for one-on-one counseling as needed. Since parents/guardians best understand their student’s personality, study habits and out of school commitments, it's important that they discuss course selection, including questions such as:

For further information about the types of year-round academic support that are available, please see the Academic Support box on the right side of this page.

• Should the student have one or two free periods?

• How many Honors courses should the student take?

• Should the student take a sixth homework-heavy course?

The course request process begins with students and parents carefully reviewing the Course Catalog while considering questions such as:

• Do I have any graduation requirements to fulfill?

• Have I met the prerequisites for this course?

• How balanced is my course load for my learning needs and extracurricular activities?

The Course Catalog includes titles and descriptions of course offerings for the upcoming school year, department overviews, and resources such as LWHS Graduation Requirements, UC Entrance Requirements, and a four-year course planning sheet.

Returning students register for classes once during the year. In late March, students attend grade-level info sessions to learn about changes to the academic program and to receive advice on course selection and how to fill out the course request form, which is available online on the day of the info session. Students complete the forms, have a parent sign off electronically, and submit them by the indicated deadline, usually right after Spring Break. 

Incoming 9th grade students register for courses by returning their course request forms as indicated by the Admissions office.

Note on Scheduling Philosophy:

At LWHS, the mission governs our scheduling process in important ways. In order to provide students with a truly balanced and meaningful Head, Heart, Hands education, we feature a required program that adds increased student choice with each grade level.

In addition, we strive for numerical balance between sections of a specific class to maximize student access to teachers. We strive for demographic balance, to maximize the benefits of a diverse student body and to create safety and belonging within sections. When we receive too many requests for a given class we use a priority system, described later in this guidebook, to ensure equitable access to classes; once priorities are exhausted, we use a lottery to assign available seats. We do not accept requests for specific teachers or specific blocks, unless the grade level dean advocates for a student with wellness-related concerns.

We cannot accommodate students who have learned a topic beyond our course offerings, and instead invite them to explore other areas of study. Students have the opportunity to modify their schedules during the Add/Drop periods.

All students are guaranteed enrollment into their required grade level courses. Students have an increasing degree of choice in creating their course schedule as they progress through the grades, with ample opportunities to pursue their interests, passions and future goals.

Students are not guaranteed to have every request granted due to factors such as course availability, numerical and demographic balancing (see Scheduling Philosophy), unfulfilled prerequisites, unexpected demand, and the number of "singletons", courses for which only one section exists, and which therefore can create conflicts in a single schedule.

The Academic Scheduler works hard to honor student choice, but when a course is oversubscribed, we use a priority system to grant requests in a transparent, consistent and equitable manner. Priorities are given to:

• A student needing the course to fulfill a graduation requirement (in descending order: seniors, juniors, sophs, frosh). For example, if a senior and a sophomore request Rethinking Furniture, the spot will go to the sophomore if the senior has already fulfilled the Tech Arts requirement. If neither have fulfilled the requirement, the spot will go to the senior.
• A student with a first request in a department (i.e., first science class for juniors and seniors); students seeking to double will be given a spot if one is available after all first requests have been granted.
• A student taking the course for the first time
• Seniority: Senior, Junior, Sophomore, Frosh

If the above priorities have been applied and the course is still oversubscribed, we use a lottery to distribute places.

Additional information:

• For senior seminars in History and English: We strive to grant students their first or second choice request, but ask students to rank all seminars, since unexpected demand or schedule conflicts may require us to place students in a lower choice seminar. These are required courses, and all maintain high standards of scholarship and engaging content, and we ask students to be open to new possibilities.

• Doubling: Students may take a second course in a single department as an elective, if space permits. If space is limited, priority will be given to students taking only one course in the department or who need the course to fulfill an LWHS graduation requirement. Students may not take three courses simultaneously from a single department. Seniors may take a second course in a department designated a-e if they stay within the five course limit for a-e courses. To accomplish this, they will need to have completed grad requirements Math, Science, or World Languages and choose not to continue in that department.

Each student must be enrolled in a minimum of six courses per semester. Teaching Assistantships and Independent Studies may not count as one of a student's six core classes. One of a student's important decisions is whether to have one or two free blocks. To this end, students should consider the number of honors or homework-heavy courses they are requesting, as well as their outside commitments and extracurricular activities.

The maximum number of courses a student may carry per semester varies among grade levels and types of courses as outlined below:

• Frosh take seven required classes: English, Math, Biology, World Language, Body-Mind Education (BME), Contemporary Media and Art (CMA) and Design & Technology (DT). Frosh may take an 8th class from the Performing Arts.



• Sophomores may take up to seven classes. They take required classes in the five "a–e" departments: World History (a), English (b), Math (c), Chemistry (d), and World Language (e) and one semester of Health - Human Sexuality. To fulfill their six required class, a sophomore should consider taking at least one of the two required semesters in Technical Arts during this year, although students may satisfy this requirement at any time prior to graduation. Sophomores may choose to keep two free periods or select one additional yearlong or two semester-long electives from the three Arts departments, as well as electives such as Journalism, Creative Writing, and the BlendEd program.




• Juniors may take up to seven classes. They take five courses designated "a–e" from each of these departments: History (a), English (b), Math (c), Science (d), and World Language (e). Juniors have a variety of choices to fulfill their Science (d) requirement, listed in the Course Catalog. For their sixth and seventh courses, Juniors choose among the electives offered by the three Arts departments, Journalism, Creative Writing, the BlendEd program, and any Science course listed as a “g”. Juniors may elect to keep a second free period rather than take a seventh course.




• Seniors may take up to seven classes. They take five courses designated "a–e" from each of these departments: History (a), English (b), Math (c), Science (d), and World Language (e). Since most seniors will have fulfilled their requirements in Math, Science and World Languages, they may drop one of these departments in order to take a second a-e course from another departments, for a total of five. For their sixth and seventh courses, seniors may choose from a variety of elective courses labeled (f) or (g). They may also keep a second free period in lieu of a seventh course.

Student schedules are made available on the school website to students, parents, and teachers in late July. If a student believes there is an error on their schedule, such as not enough or too many classes, a class they’ve already taken, or a class for which they are not eligible, please contact the Director of Academic Services Erica Obando. She will investigate and, if necessary, fix the error before the beginning of the school year, likely earlier.

If you’d like a change to your schedule, such as adding, dropping or changing a class, do not email, but use the Add/Drop link to submit your request.

Student Instructions
Login > My Day > Schedule

Parent Instructions
Login > Your student’s name (top left) > Schedule

Students receive their year's course assignments and schedules in late July or early August. Students who wish to make any changes to their schedule may place requests via an online form available in early August. The Director of Academic Services Erica Obando will be available for consultation beginning in early August. Where possible, students should make all add/drop requests for the school year during August. We will have second semester Add/Drop in early December, but choices may be limited, as most rosters are set by the opening of school. 

Also note that we do not allow students to change sections of yearlong courses at the semester, even if the teacher is the same, except in rare cases that are supported by the deans. The only schedule changes made outside of the Add/Drop period are for schedule errors, placement issues (moving from/to an honors class), or as supported by the deans. Once a student submits an “Add/Drop/Change” form, they must continue attending originally assigned classes until they see a schedule change online. In most cases, students will not be notified individually, as we receive many add/drop requests.

The school will do its best to accommodate course requests made during the Add/Drop period using the same priorities implemented during the scheduling process. We do not accept requests for teacher preference unless approved by a dean. Requests for changes based on schedule elegance have low priority.

LWHS defines auditing a class as “attending a class that is not on a student’s course schedule.” LWHS does not permit students to audit classes, as this negatively impacts student/teacher ratios.

Exceptions to LWHS policies around course selection, scheduling, and course priority are rare. They are generally made in extreme circumstances involving student health or family emergencies and are usually by recommendation of the Student Support Services team. Requests for exemptions or exceptions should be made to the Dean of Teaching & Learning, Kate Wiley.

We use a priority system for scheduling classes to ensure equitable access. It is critical that students rank several choices on their course signup form so that if they can't get into their first choice the scheduler will have alternative options.

Occasionally, students may feel it is important to let colleges know that they could not get into a certain course because it was full or conflicted with other courses. In this case, they should discuss it with a college counselor, who can make this information available to admissions officers through their letter of recommendation.

Continue reading the next FAQ about the add/drop period.

When students receive their schedules, they should only contact the school if there are errors, such as only having five classes, being put into a class they’re not qualified for, et al. All other schedule changes should be during the Add/Drop period in the first four days of each semester. Requests are not guaranteed, but the school will do its best to accommodate course requests made during the Add/Drop period using the same priorities that were used during the scheduling process. Students may not drop year long courses at the end of a semester.

When students fill out the Add/Drop/Change form they should follow all instructions, clearly state the reasons they are requesting a change in their schedule, and then list the courses that they are willing to “give up” in order to accommodate the request. Students will not be contacted directly, but will see changes that have been granted on their online schedule within 24 hours. Students need to follow their existing schedule until any changes are made.

Students will not be allowed to drop a course after the Add/Drop period, unless there are special circumstances (usually health related) and the drop is approved by Student Support Services. Dropping a course will usually result in a Medical Withdrawal or Withdrawal notation on the transcript. If students or parents/guardians have questions regarding course scheduling or the Add/Drop procedures they may contact the Dean of Teaching & Learning.

Students sometimes take courses outside of LWHS for enrichment or credit recovery. These can be great opportunities for learning, and can also show high interest to prospective colleges. However, outside courses may not be used to meet LWHS graduation requirements, unless approved by the Dean of Teaching & Learning for students who are retaking a course they haven’t passed. Outside courses will not appear on the LWHS transcript, and the grades earned will not be factored into a student’s grade point average.

Some students choose to take a semester away from LWHS. Courses taken during the semester away may count towards fulfilling LWHS graduation requirements, in consultation with the Dean of Teaching & Learning. However, the courses and grades will not appear on the LHWS transcript.

Per student request, the College Counseling Department will forward copies of non-LWHS transcripts directly to colleges. Once the course has been completed, students should have the institution mail an official transcript directly to our Director of Academic Services Erica Obando.

Each year, a small handful of students choose to take a semester away from LWHS and enroll in an outside program. These can be highly enriching experiences, emphasizing the outdoors, arts, politics and more. Students intending to apply to an outside program must get approval from the Dean of Teaching & Learning and know the following:

• Only accredited programs that offer financial aid will be approved.

• Students must be in good academic standing at LWHS, as determined by the Assistant Head and grade level Dean.

• Students taking a leave will be given a tuition remission of 40% for the year.

• The school will approve up to five students each year to take a leave with a tuition remission. Requests must be made with the Assistant Head by March 1. If more than five students are interested, the school will use a lottery to select the five students.

• Students must meet with the Assistant Head to review classes and graduation requirements.

• Courses passed at a semester away program will count towards LWHS graduation requirements, but won’t appear on the LWHS transcript, nor will the grades received be calculated into the LWHS GPA. Students must submit transcripts to the Registrar after completing the program.

*Students seeking time away from LWHS for physical or mental health reasons must partner with and get approval from the Dean of Students.

While summer courses may be desirable and useful for personal academic enrichment, a six week summer course can rarely provide the academic depth of an entire year. However, summer school can be useful for the following reasons:

• A student fails a required course such as English 1. They may take an accredited summer school program to recover credit and enter the next course in the sequence in the Fall, with a passing grade.

• A student receives a D+ or less in a World Languages or Math course will not be allowed to proceed to the next level. A passing grade in a summer school course, along with a satisfactory placement test score at the end of summer, will enable students to enter the next course in the sequence.

• A student receives a grade of less than a C- on any course. While a D+ or D is passing at LWHS, it is not passing for the University of California system, and so students are strongly encouraged to take a summer school course for credit recovery.

• A Math student places into Algebra 1 or Geometry as a 9th grader. We want to provide a pathway so that all students have the opportunity to take any math class currently offered at Lick-Wilmerding. We have created pathways to allow for this opportunity and are suitable for students taking Algebra 1 or a Geometry course in the 9th grade. Students placed in an Algebra 2 course or higher have access to all courses currently offered within their four years at Lick and are not eligible to take summer courses for advancement within the Lick curriculum. Please see our current summer coursework policy for more information and possible paths.
• All students completing summer work must provide LWHS with a transcript in the summer class AND must take a LWHS placement test to determine advancement.

Students considering summer work should consult with the appropriate Department Chair and communicate with the Academic Scheduler Erica Obando. Some colleges do consider summer school courses and grades when calculating a student’s grade point average. Check with College Counseling to learn more.

Please see FAQ 12 for more information about transcripts and how courses are reported to colleges.

LWHS is proud to have been one of the first schools to phase out its AP courses. The school arrived at this decision in 2011, after a highly participatory, yearlong conversation with students, faculty, parents/guardians, trustees, and college admissions officers. This change occurred, in large part, because LWHS teachers felt they could create innovative, rigorous courses that are (1) relevant, compelling, and impelling, (2) aligned with current knowledge and best practice in their fields, and (3) reflect teachers’ particular passions and the school mission. LWHS knows, both from experience and research literature, that teachers are most successful at engaging students when these three goals frame the work they do. It is also the case that LWHS programs have, for many years, been truncated and eclipsed by the intrusion and distraction of AP exams during the first three weeks of May, well before the school year is over.

Further, the pro AP argument that AP credits allow graduates to skip introductory college courses and, perhaps, graduate in less than four years, is no longer valid for two reasons: (1) increasingly, colleges and universities are abandoning the practice of granting automatic promotion based on AP scores, (2) entering college frosh are generally welcome to take placement tests if they seek admission to upper level courses.

In sum, we found that the AP program had become a limiting, rather than an enriching, factor in the school’s determination to provide a true 21st century educational experience for the 21st century students.

All students will take the PSAT on campus. We also offer a mock SAT or ACT in the junior year. All students should then take the ACT or SAT in the late winter or spring of junior year. We recommend students wait to begin official standardized testing until that time to ensure sufficient preparation and optimal results, and to prevent over-testing.

Please visit the College Board and ACT websites for more information about each test.

By fulfilling LWHS graduation requirements and maintaining a 3.0 weighted GPA (3.0 for the UCs, or a 2.0 GPA for the CSUs) in UC/CSU approved courses, every student will be eligible for admission to the UC and CSU campuses.

To satisfy the UC and CSU A–G Subject Requirement, students must complete a minimum of 15 of these “A–G” college preparatory courses, with at least 11 finished prior to senior year. Please see the UC/CSU A–G Subject Requirements in the green “Downloads” box on this page. LWHS’ graduation requirements surpass the UC and CSU requirements.

Competitive eligibility at the more selective UC and CSU campuses can be achieved by exceeding the A–G Subject Requirements, and achieving a GPA higher than the minimum.

The UCs and CSUs calculate a weighted GPA for each applicant, giving an extra point to Honors, college-level, and AP classes.

Most LWHS classes are UC approved. The list of UC approved courses can be found on the University of California website and is also noted on each course description in the Course Catalog.