El Cerrito High School vs Berkeley High School
I'm a parent of an eighth grader and she has the opportunity to attend either school. I know there's a huge size difference. She is smart and outgoing and she'll probably do well in either setting. Are there any parents out there that have made this choice? Do parents of El Cerrito High graduates feel like their kids were prepared for college?
Nov 18, 2024
Parent Replies
I graduated from Berkeley High, and my daughter graduated from El Cerrito High. She also had the option of attending either one and didn't even give Berkeley High any thought due to first, after attending public elementary and middle school in El Cerrito, she wanted to be with her friends; second, she was completely terrified of the open campus concept of Berkeley High as well as such a huge student population; third, transportation, either from her El Cerrito or Berkeley residence, would have been too time consuming to attend Berkeley High on a day-to-day basis, not to mention evening activities such as plays or sports.
She was definitely much more prepared for college than I was, and that was due to her personality, not the schools (OK, so your question about El Cerrito graduates being "prepared for college" may be seen by many as insulting). She took 7 AP/honor classes at El Cerrito, while at Berkeley High, I took zero. Both schools are pretty much sink or swim, though, in terms of academics. Both schools have excellent, challenging courses, and it is up to the student to succeed.