California Academy of Math and Science

Class of 2008 here, and just graduated from college, and just got accepted into pharmacy school :)
The review below me pretty much sums up CAMS! So read that too: P
I’ll make this short and sweet.
My experience here truly prepared me for college because I never really had a problem with the workload at my school. The teachers here were amazing and supportive, and everyone got along so well. Plus all the college classes they offered in CSUDH along with the AP classes helped me finish a year early! And I have CAMS to thank for that.
This isn’t your typical high school — I don’t think I have ever witnessed a fight before. There’s no football team, no parties and no drug problems. it’s a school solely dedicated to those who desire a career in the math\science field.

Class of 2010 Ninja here! I mostly know this place as the procrastiNATION. Second quarter of college and I still have yet to beat the virus out of me.
Pros:
— Literally everyone can find their niche at this school. Since the school is so small, you’ll be able to chat with people who you normally wouldn’t converse with at a normal school.
— Your views of life, society, and culture WILL change. Ties in with the last point in that you can meet a lot of different kinds of people. After going to this school and moving on to college, I miss the free association between cultural groups that was the norm at CAMS.
— THE NAME. An admission to Harvard, Princeton, or UPenn is actually feasible because of the recognition CAMS receives.
— FREEDOM. There’s usually no detention (unless you commit an infraction against a teacher who is willing to punish you). No bells or fences! Free periods during 6^th and/​or 7^th period (s) make for awesome extended lunches (MAKE FRIENDS WITH CARS DURING JUNIOR/​SENIOR YEARS).
— People here are really nice! There aren’t many who will judge you for your quirks. And those who do usually aren’t worth knowing. Random waving and hugging was really prevalent during my time there.
— Cohort system: You get really close with your cohort. I mean REALLY close with them. You’re together for two hours every day. BONDING!
Cons:
— No picks for teachers. If there’s a crappy teacher for a certain subject, suck it up because they’re most likely not going anywhere.
— Workload is pretty heavy. Projects and assignments are going to start bombarding you during sophomore year.
— Most of the stuff that you’ll «learn» in IMP won’t be applicable on standardized tests. I think a more traditional mathematics program would prepare students for college entrance tests and college in general (it’s a sad day when you’re one of the few students in first-​level calculus who has never really learned trigonometry). Advice: Take traditional math classes at a CC during the summer (esp. geometry and trigonometry).
— Lack of APs. You can take classes at CSUDH starting junior year, but be sure to pick those carefully. (If you’re thinking about going to a UC and majoring in a science, TAKE STATISTICS.)
— Small size: New faces are basically the incoming class, lack of electives, gossip spreads like wildfire!
— Cohort system: Makes it kind of hard to see your friends in other cohorts. Treasure your lunch period!
Great for: Open-​minded students with an appreciation for learning, a strong will to complete HARD work (I am talking about politics of working in a group, all-​nighters, non-​stop work). An optional plus is self-​motivation (which will keep your struggles in perspective). This place is REALLY good for those who want to become some sort of engineer because of all the opportunities for hands-​on experience (Robotics team, MESA, numerous partnerships with engineering firms, programming/​CAD/​CIM classes).
Not good for: Students who want a conventional high school experience. You’re not going to find a lot of drugs or parties at this school since practically everyone wants to succeed (and those who don’t are usually weeded out; sounds harsh, but most people who can’t handle it usually leave by sophomore year).

I’m an alum, c/​o 2002
It was overall a good time. I think that I was able to go farther with my education that I would have been able to if I had went to my home school.
The facilities (when I was there) were TERRIBLE. The entire school consisted of three trailer buildings (the SACs), but in my senior year they finished the permanent school buildings, which are extremely well-​constructed and well-​stocked facilities. Since I graduated, they have begun construction of an engineering building as well. So no complaints there.
The curriculum is good, except for math. Intergrated math (IMP) sucks. Take an extra community college math class to supplement your math education at CAMS.
The people are awesome. Smaller class, so you get to know your peers a lot better. You get a lot of independence as well.
If anything, CAMS is a nice excuse for your parents to give you a car when you turn 16, since the school isn’t within walking distance (heh heh). One more piece of advice, taking spanish, not japanese. I feel almost fluent, even with my small asian eyes!
FIRE IT UP 02!

**DISCLAIMER:This review is coming from an Alum (c/​o 2004) so please take it with a grain of salt.
I have a theory that schools are really made by the people there rather than the buildings/​neighborhood themselves. Keeping this in mind, I would like to say that the students at CAMS may have a bit more respect for others and common sense than students at your typical public school, so if you are an outsider, nerd, geek, or some other type of student that would get picked on in typical society, THIS IS THE PLACE FOR YOU. There’s a niche for everyone in this place.
Athletics: Virtually nonexistent (and I played most of the sports offered). When I went there I was on soccer, tennis, swim (they don’t have it anymore) and water polo (they got rid of this too). The reason why these are no longer offered is that CSUDH decides to charge CAMS a lot of money for use of their facilities that they don’t have.
Academics: A bit more cut-​throat but easier in the sense that your entire grade isn’t based on exams but rather projects and presentations. This doesn’t help you get through college because it’s the exact opposite and you will generally not be prepared. If you work hard here, you will get into any college you want.
Faculty: The instructors here are amazing. You will definitely learn life lessons here as well as core material. The one-​on-​one personal interaction is something you won’t get anywhere else.
Student life: Uh… not as wild and hip as you would find somewhere else. Students are highly involved with their own extracurriculars (i.e. Key Club, sports, or drama) and therefore don’t have time to throw wild parties when the ‘rents are away.
Campus: If you are smart you can sneak into CSUDH facilities without getting picked out as a high school kid (library, game room, food court).
A Side note: The thing that sets CAMS apart from a lot of high schools is that students are able to attend university classes with college students and therefore get ahead (in finishing GE’s and college apps). It’s also helpful because they can experience (for example college BIO) classes and figure out whether they want to go towards or away from that particular field.
So if you/​your kid wants to go here, remember that they won’t have as much free time as if they were going somewhere else. Tell them not to whine about their lack of social life (the most common complaint) and that there’s a time and a place for everything (college).