Different learners, different approach
Palo Alto Preparatory offers an average student-to-teacher ratio of 8:1. This allows for individualized instruction, differentiated to meet the needs of our students.
Experienced and compassionate teachers guide students to think creatively and critically, whether they are analyzing and discussing a text in English or completing a group lab experiment in Chemistry.
Our goal is for students to graduate prepared to apply the complex problem-solving and communication skills they gained at PAP in their lives beyond high school.
Electives that go beyond class walls
Students weren’t meant to sit in desks every day listening to lectures and copying down notes. At Palo Alto Prep, we understand that students learn best when deeply immersed in their own learning.
Palo Alto Prep offers students unique electives that take them out of the classroom, outdoors, and even up in the air!
We offer electives such as rock-climbing, scuba, hiking, paddle-boarding, horseback riding, biking and aviation. PAP students don’t have academic classes on Fridays, so that they have the time to engage in immersive elective courses off-site.
Learn more about our unique electives under the Electives heading under Programs.
Field trips that they'll never forget
Whether they are learning to collaborate with peers to problem-solve in an escape room, team-building on a ropes course, or working together to navigate through white water rapids, many young people thrive challenging themselves and each other in outdoor adventures.
Each year our staff witnesses otherwise hesitant or reserved students come alive as they prove to themselves just how capable they are. Our students learn and test new skills on field trips like backpacking, rafting, and rock-climbing.
On the Palo Alto Prep annual international trip, students interact with a new culture and learn by visiting historical sites, hiking, or just ordering dinner for themselves at a restaurant in a foreign country for the first time.