Pengi Editor's Note: This article was originally published by Think Academy. We're sharing it here for educational value. Think Academy is a leading K-12 math education provider.
Crystal Springs Uplands School Information
Everything you need to know regarding the graduation requirements, application process, and success stories of Crystal Springs Uplands School
In the TV series Little Farewell, Xiaoyu’s father donated a library to the school in order to let his son enroll in Crystal Springs Uplands School (also referred to as CSUS). What is it that makes Crystal Springs Uplands School in particular so charming? Today, Amei will introduce you to this Bay Area academic institution and what it has to offer.
Before we get started, if you would like to receive the most up-to-date and hard-hitting information about Bay Area schools (both public and private). Feel free to join this Facebook group below!
Content at a glance:
- Basic Information
- Graduation Requirements
- Application Tips and Timeline
- Parents’ Opinions
- Success Stories of Graduates
Basic Information
Address: 400 Uplands Drive Hillsborough, CA 94010
Grades: 6-12
Number of students: 568
Average class size: 14
Teacher-student ratio: 1:8
Admission rate: 28%
U.S. private school ranking: 19
California private school ranking: 6
Tuition: $49,110 (not including the cost of books and materials)
Firstly, CSUS’s suburban campus is close to San Francisco and has convenient transportation nearby. Surprisingly, it only takes 30 minutes to reach downtown San Francisco by car!
Academics
In terms of academic success, CSUS has a 100% four-year university admission rate! Making it a strong educational institution for Science and Technology related fields in the Bay Area. However, it is worth mentioning that CSUS no longer provides AP courses.
Instead, they offer designed honors (H) classes that are similar to AP courses. Many other top high schools use this system as well. With its excellent classes and teachers, CSUS students still perform extremely well on AP exams.
Graduation Requirements
The graduation requirements of CSUS far exceeds the admission requirements of the University of California A-G sections. Students also need to complete the learning requirements of various subjects with different grades.
In addition, the various courses offered by CSUS are very rich in diversity as they provide many different types of art classes. However, the CSUS sports program is relatively poor and there is not much social life. Because of this, students at CSUS may not effectively develop their social skills.
Admission Tips and Timeline
CSUS is a relatively traditional school that pays more attention to students’ academic achievements. Because of this, it prefers to recruit students who are hard-working and have outstanding academic records. During the application process, CSUS focuses on the test scores of ISEE. In addition, CSUS recruits a large number of students from The Carey School every year.
If you want to apply for the 2021-2022 school year, you can contact the school office at [email protected]. You can also find more information on their admissions process here. The application requirements include passing the ISEE or SSAT test and attending an interview. The approximate application timeline of the school is as follows:
October
- Admission Open House
November
- Admission Open Houses
- Submit transcript, confidentiality, and recommendation forms to current school
December
- Admission Open Houses
- Financial Assistance Information Session
January
- Financial Assistance Information Session
- Application and Financial Aid Deadline
February
- Admission testing should be completed
- SSS tax forms and other Financial Aid information applications are due
March
- Admission & Financial Aid decision letters mailed
- Admission Welcome Week
- Enrollment contract and deposit due at 12:00 pm
Parents’ Opinions
“The school is undergoing a lot of changes. Our two children are attending junior and high school respectively and their experiences at the junior level schools are completely different. The junior level schools have more young teachers and new administrators as well as more classes and a wider range of academic fields. As a mother, I have to say I prefer ‘old’ Crystal to ‘new’ Crystal. The school seems to be more focused on keeping all of the children in the same level rather than encouraging unique academic talents. In general, the high school teachers are great.”
“My son has just entered grade 6 and he is very happy at school every day. The teachers are very enthusiastic and professional. In addition, the students are friendly and love learning. However, the sports curriculum and food need to be strengthened.”
Success Stories of Graduates
Since 2016, CSUS has maintained a 100% four-year university admission rate. CSUS also has a high Ivy League school admission rate. Every year, many students are admitted to Ivy League schools as well as other universities such as Stanford, Berkeley, and MIT.
Stanford 36
MIT 27
Harvard 18
Princeton 18
Caltech 21
Cornell 38
Duke 26
Brown 12
Yale 17
Berkeley 144
Georgia Tech 35
In the 2020 National Merit Scholarships competition, CSUS also performed very well and many students entered the semifinals. The selection criteria used in the National Merit Scholarship Contest overlap with the admission criteria of top American universities. Furthermore, winning awards in this contest can give students many advantages in undergraduate applications.
In terms of mathematics awards, although CSUS has performed very well in the AMC and other competitions in the past and beat schools such as Harker. The institution has gradually fallen behind as of late and its recent performance in mathematics competitions has also not been outstanding.
Finally, if there any specific schools that parents would like to know about. We welcome everyone to leave a message in the comments to let us know!
Final Words
Crystal Springs Uplands is academically demanding, but in a different way from many other elite schools. With no AP courses, heavy graduation requirements, and strong emphasis on ISEE performance and classroom rigor, students are expected to learn deeply and independently—without relying on standardized-course structures.
In this kind of environment, math often becomes a quiet differentiator. Not because students are tested more, but because they’re expected to reason, keep pace, and perform consistently without constant scaffolding.
Before applying to schools like CSUS, it helps to answer a more practical question:
Is my child’s current math foundation strong enough to thrive in a fast-moving, honors-based system like this?
A Think Academy Free Math Evaluation helps families see that clearly by:
- identifying a student’s actual math level and learning pace
- revealing readiness for honors-style, discussion-driven math classes
- highlighting gaps that may not show up in grades or transcripts
That insight is especially valuable when a school’s structure doesn’t rely on APs or obvious benchmarks.
If you’re not ready for a full evaluation and simply want to strengthen fundamentals at home, Think Academy also offers free, downloadable math worksheets for PreK through Grade 10. These worksheets support steady practice and skill-building—useful whether your child is preparing for ISEE, adjusting to honors classes, or maintaining confidence in a rigorous academic setting.
Try Pengi AI — Smarter Math Practice for Students
Pengi AI supports K–12 learners with personalized math practice, guided explanations, and feedback designed to help them build confidence and improve steadily.
