Los Altos High School gives students real choices in English and science, and each choice changes the homework that comes home. Our tutors are current and former Stanford students, and our one-on-one tutoring follows the exact courses your Los Altos High student is taking.
Tell us about your student, and we’ll match them with a Stanford tutor who fits.
From Survey to AP Language: the LAHS English ladder
Ninth graders at Los Altos High all start in Survey of Composition and Literature. Sophomores choose between World Literature and World Literature Honors, and juniors between American Literature Survey and AP Language and Composition, for which the course catalog recommends a B or better in the honors course or an A- in the regular one. Seniors can take AP English Literature, Film Analysis or Global Connections, a two-period course taught by a team that blends English with civics. Each step up asks for sharper argument and faster reading. Our tutors help a student outline before writing, find the evidence that carries a claim and revise with a purpose. More on our English and writing tutoring.
Biology Honors in ninth grade, and where it leads
Freshmen choose Biology or Biology Honors, which the catalog describes as the course for students who intend to take more advanced science. Chemistry follows from tenth grade and physics from eleventh, and juniors and seniors can audition and interview for Advanced Science Investigations, a capstone research course. A science tutor can help a ninth grader keep the honors pace, write clearer lab reports and build the habits those later courses assume. For the strongest math students, the catalog also lists Foothill College dual-enrollment math after AP Calculus BC.
Block days and Academic Collaboration Time
Los Altos High meets all seven periods on Monday, then alternates odd and even periods in 90-minute blocks. Wednesdays and Fridays include Academic Collaboration Time in the morning. We plan sessions around that rhythm: reviewing a block lesson while it’s fresh, and deciding which questions to bring to a teacher during ACT.
What an English parent says
“My son received great marks on the SAT exam and also improved his grade in AP English from B to A.”
Janet Y., Menlo Park · Yelp review
Study habits and motivation
“The tutor (who was a Stanford junior) really connected with my son and inspired him to learn. He had some great study tips and was able to help my son raise his grades by quite a bit.”
Pamela T., Palo Alto · Yelp review
Sessions are one-on-one, at your home in Los Altos or online, and we also tutor students from Mountain View High. Visit our Los Altos tutoring page, or write to us about your student’s classes and goals and we’ll find the right tutor.
Tell us about your student, and we’ll match them with a Stanford tutor who fits.