College Admissions at Menlo School: A Parent's Guide

Menlo made a significant change recently: as of August 2024, it discontinued the AP curriculum and replaced it with Honors and Advanced Topics courses. That shift, along with its grading rules and a set of research capstones, shapes how a Menlo transcript reads to colleges. This guide uses the school's 2026–27 profile to explain what colleges see and what it means for families.

After AP: Honors and Advanced Topics

According to the profile, Menlo "discontinued the AP Curriculum and replaced it with more relevant, rigorous Honors and Advanced Topics offerings." The last AP course, AP Physics 2, became Physics 2 (H). The school lists 79 advanced classes.

For colleges, this is a familiar pattern: several respected independent schools have moved away from AP, and admissions readers rely on the profile to understand the replacement courses. The counselor's school report rates each student's course selection "in comparison with other college preparatory students at your school," so a Menlo student is measured against the Honors and Advanced Topics options Menlo offers. Our guide to transcripts without AP or class rank explains how colleges read these transcripts.

Weighted Grades Without Rank

Menlo reports a cumulative GPA from freshman year, using all courses except physical education, with pluses and minuses counted. Honors, AP, and Advanced Topics courses each carry an extra half point, which the profile explains is because "all three designations are considered equally rigorous." Students aren't ranked. For the Class of 2027, the profile reports a mean GPA of 3.82 and a high of 4.37.

Two practical notes. First, some colleges recalculate GPAs on their own scales; for California residents, the University of California gives extra weight only to UC-approved honors-level courses, as our UC application guide explains. Second, the published mean gives readers context for any individual GPA, so a student's grades are read against a demanding peer group, not an abstract standard.

Capstones and Research

Menlo's capstone programs are some of the strongest material a student can bring to an application:

• Applied Science Research, in which students design and build, run experiments, and write a science or engineering paper, working on campus or with a mentor at a local university or company.
• BioTech Research, in which students learn laboratory techniques and then carry out an independent research project.
• The Interdisciplinary and Personalized Scholars Program, in which students produce significant original work, from research to films to nonprofit initiatives, and defend a thesis before a faculty panel.

The Catalyst semester, a selective leadership program for up to 18 juniors at a time built around climate-related challenges, and MTerm, two weeks of immersive mini-courses each May, add further options. When one of these reflects a genuine interest, it can anchor the activities section, an academic-interest supplement, or a recommendation. Our guide to research and passion projects covers how to present that work.

Testing in a Mixed Landscape

Menlo students typically apply to a mix of colleges with very different testing policies: UC campuses, which don't consider the SAT or ACT; test-optional private colleges; and highly selective colleges such as Stanford and MIT that require scores. That makes testing a planning question rather than a default. Our Silicon Valley guide covers the local picture, including Stanford's Restrictive Early Action.

Counseling and Reporting

The profile lists a director of college counseling, four associate directors, and a coordinator. It also states that Menlo reports to colleges, when asked, incidents in grades 9 through 12 that led to dismissal, suspension, or citizenship probation, as well as voluntary withdrawals when disciplinary action is possible or pending. Families who add outside support should coordinate with the counseling office, which manages the transcript, school report, and counselor letter.

Related Guides

• College Admissions in Silicon Valley
• College Admissions at Castilleja
• College Admissions at The Harker School
• Applying to College from a Private School

From South Florida, Passage Point Admissions advises families virtually across the U.S.; our private school college counseling is designed to fit alongside a school's own counseling office.