Laguna Blanca High School

Private Day Schools Laguna Blanca High School

Laguna Blanca High School

Laguna Blanca High School

www.lagunablanca.org

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location type grades students int’l s-f ratio class SAT avg SSAT TOEFL
Santa Barbara, CA co-ed PK-12 414 N/A 8:1 12 1260 50% 100

Opening its doors in the idyllic Santa Barbara alcove of Hope Ranch in 1933, Laguna Blanca’s initial student body consisted of 40 boys taught by six faculty members on a quiet six-acre campus. The school has since grown to host a co-educational student body of approximately 375 students. Set on two charming campuses in Santa Barbara – 35 acres in Hope Ranch and three in Montecito – small class sizes and individual attention give students in grades PK-12 a safe, nurturing environment that fosters academic excellence. Laguna Blanca graduates leave the tight-knit community to attend the nation’s most selective colleges and universities.

Academics

At Laguna, we believe that a “Project-Based Learning” (PBL) culture leads to deeper, more meaningful learning experiences for all of our students. This dynamic classroom approach allows students to actively explore real-world problems and challenges, while fostering curiosity, openness, creativity, critical thinking, empathy, and personal responsibility. It also makes learning more memorable, meaningful, and FUN—for students and teachers alike. Our unique eight-day rotation schedule in the Middle and Upper Schools is especially ideal for an increased emphasis on active PBL learning.

Special Highlights

Library Dances. Library Dances, a project in which our Upper School students perform a choreographed dance of a novel they are reading in their English course with the State Street Ballet Company. The performance ensures that every Laguna student participates in at least one live theater performance before graduating from Laguna.

Stage Band. Stage Band is a musical ensemble course and it is for those students that wish to delve deeper into their own instrumental performance and expand their overall understanding of music. This class is designed to give students the opportunity to push themselves and explore the many different genres of music, while improving their performance skills and musical abilities to a deeper level. Students frequently perform in and out of the LBS community, as well as accompany some of the younger ensembles.

Top colleges attended by students

Hampshire College, Boston College, Bryn Mawr College, Case Western Reserve, Chapman University, Colorado College, NYU, Smith College, Tufts University, Wheaton College, Yale University, Pfizer College, University of Chicago, San Diego State University

What the school looks for in students…

“Laguna seeks bright, motivated candidates of good character who possess imagination, initiative, a concern for others, strength in extracurricular activities, a commitment to academic and personal growth, and who are ready to gain from and contribute to our dynamic learning experience.”