Soquel High School

Soquel High School – Humanities Academy

Thank you for your interest in Soquel High School’s Humanities Academy. For your information, the application process is summarized below.

Eighth grade students at New Brighton Middle School and Shoreline Middle School receive visits from Soquel High School’s guidance counselors, as well as presentations from current 9^th grade HA students, in the spring. Students from other schools can request Humanities Academy enrollment information from Soquel’s Counseling office, (831) 429-3909 ext. 132, after March 1 of the application year.

All students interested in being considered for the Humanities Academy must complete an application. The application, which will be available in the spring from 8^th grade Humanities teachers at New Brighton, 8^th grade English teachers at Shoreline, and the Soquel High School’s Counseling office for students who attend other schools, requires students to write a personal statement, identify 7^th and 8^th grade GPAs, and request confidential evaluations by the student's English and Social Studies teachers. The application is signed by students, parents/guardians, and English/Social Studies teachers.

In addition to completing an application, interested students must attend one of three scheduled writing assessments to write an application essay, bringing their completed applications with them at that time. The dates for these assessments will be noted on the application. The writing assessments are proctored at New Brighton Middle School, Shoreline Middle School, and Soquel High School on three different days at 3:15pm over the course of three weeks in April/May. Students applying to the Humanities Academy all write on the same topic, and only essays that have been proctored during one of the scheduled assessments will be accepted as part of the application process.
 
Soquel High School currently offers two sections (two classes) of the Humanities Academy, allowing for a total of 60 new students each year. Student selection for the Humanities Academy is based on evaluation of two criteria: the assessment essay and the teacher evaluation. Only information requested on the application and the student’s assessment essay is considered during the selection process. All students who apply to the Humanities Academy receive a letter in late May that indicates their enrollment status. Students who are selected for the Humanities Academy are required to attend an informational meeting in early June. At this meeting, students receive summer assignments and sign a contract regarding their commitment both to academic achievement and to the community spirit of the Academy, and parents receive an orientation packet that outlines areas for parent support.

Students who do not complete the required summer assignments, which are due on the first day of the new school year, will be immediately reassigned to non-Humanities Academy English and Social Studies classes.

 Frequently Asked Questions:

What makes the Humanities Academy different from the other English and Social Studies courses at Soquel High School?

In addition to the Humanities Academy, Soquel High School offers regular and intensive levels of 9th and 10th grade English and Social Studies. However, the Humanities Academy is a level higher than the intensive levels and supports the student who truly desires to pursue academic excellence in high school. Students in the Humanities Academy also enroll in two years of Social Studies for 9^th and 10^th grade; students in other levels take just one year of Social Studies, in the 10^th grade. In addition, summer reading and writing is required of Humanities Academy students. Finally, because students in the Humanities Academy students take an additional year of Social Studies in their freshman year, they must insure that they complete a required Health class that is typically completed during the freshman year. A year-by-year outline of the Humanities Academy is provided below.

9th Grade                                            
      English:   Intensive English 9
      Social Studies:   Intensive Geography and World Cultures

10th Grade
      English:   Intensive English 10
      Social Studies:   Intensive World History

11th Grade
      English:   Honors American Literature
      Social Studies:   AP US History

12th Grade
      English:   AP English Literature and Composition
      Social Studies:   AP American Government and AP Macroeconomics

Do any other high schools offer a program like the Humanities Academy?

No. Santa Cruz High School offers a Math Academy, but at the present time, Soquel High School is the only public high school in the area with a specific program like the Humanities Academy.

What are the criteria used to enroll students in the Humanities Academy?

Student applications are reviewed using a combination of two criteria:  a uniform writing assessment and 8^th grade Social Studies and English teacher recommendations.

How can my child apply to the Humanities Academy?

Soquel High School counselors will meet with 8^th grade parents at Shoreline and New Brighton Middle Schools in March or April. Students from those schools who are interested in applying to the Humanities Academy can request an application from the counselors at that time. Students from private or other schools need to contact the Soquel High School Counseling office at (831) 429-3909 ext. 132, to request an application after March 1 of the year of desired enrollment.

Interested students then complete a student portion of the application; ask their 8^th grade Social Studies and English teachers or their Humanities teacher to complete a teacher recommendation section of the application; and attend one of three scheduled writing assessments. Writing assessments will be held at New Brighton Middle School, Shoreline Middle School, and Soquel High School on different days over the course of three weeks in April/May.

After all applications and writing assessments have been reviewed, students will receive a letter in late May indicating the status of their applications. The students selected to be in the Humanities Academy will automatically have their fall schedules changed; in addition, enrolled students will be required to attend an informational meeting in June.

If my child is accepted into the Humanities Academy for her/his freshman year, does that mean that s/he will automatically be in the program for the sophomore, junior, and/or senior years?

No. First, students must maintain a minimum C grade in both English and Social Studies in order to continue each semester during the first two years. Students with a C- or lower in either class at each semester end will be reassigned to other English and Social Studies classes for the next semester. In addition, at the end of the sophomore year, students interested in continuing in the Humanities Academy will be required to apply for AP US History and Honors American Literature for the junior year. Finally, students must also apply for AP English and AP Government or AP Economics for their senior year. While a majority of Humanities Academy students will be eligible to continue with the program each year, some students will not.