Comparatively...
Looking at just the San Diego and Chicago areas (actually, all of Illinois--Urbana University is the only IL school outside of the suburbs to appear,) italics indicate schools in my home districts.
38. University Laboratory | Urbana, IL | 2.932
Uni shouldn't be here -- the list is only supposed to include schools which are not selective of students based on their academic record.
47. La Jolla | La Jolla, CA | 2.802
66. Stevenson | Lincolnshire, IL | 2.658
La Jolla ahead of Stevenson. That's reassuring. I still hate Stevenson.
75. Torrey Pines | San Diego, CA | 2.541
101. Point Loma | San Diego, CA | 2.329
111. La Costa Canyon | Carlsbad, CA | 2.281
121. Coronado* | Coronado, CA | 2.195
158. New Trier | Winnetka, IL | 2.041
*laugh* Torrey, Pt. Loma, La Costa, and Coronado all have good local reputations, but I wouldn't have thought any of them would lead New Trier.
164. Evanston Township | Evanston Township, IL | 2.004
186. Scripps Ranch | San Diego, CA | 1.929
223. Hinsdale Central | Hinsdale, IL | 1.826
234. Helix Charter | La Mesa, CA | 1.799
I'm not sure Helix should be here. I thought you had to apply to get in there since it went charter.
248. Southwest | San Diego, CA | 1.741
261. Sweetwater | National City, CA | 1.689
279. Glenbrook South | Glenview, IL | 1.643
Wow, this is inexcusably low. Behind Sweetwater and Southwest?
292. El Camino | Oceanside, CA | 1.603
297. Serra | San Diego, CA | 1.591
302. Lake Forest | Lake Forest, IL | 1.579
308. Bonita Vista* | Chula Vista, CA | 1.565
312. Patrick Henry | San Diego, CA | 1.557
325. Fremd | Palatine, IL | 1.535
342. Glenbrook North | Northbrook, IL | 1.502
My, how the mighty have fallen... I would like to see these numbers circa 1992.
416. Highland Park | Highland Park, IL | 1.379
433. Barrington | Barrington, IL | 1.361
484. Deerfield | Highland Park, IL | 1.298
486. Niles North | Niles, IL | 1.296
491. Homewood-Flossmoor | Flossmoor, IL | 1.293
504. Hinsdale South | Darien, IL | 1.275
522. Oak Park & River Forest | Oak Park, IL | 1.256
534. Rancho Bernardo | San Diego, CA | 1.240
Here's the first of the three Poway Unified high schools operating in 2001-02. The much-vaunted Poway Unified School District, lagging this far behind that many area schools, let alone the national list.
547. Monte Vista | Spring Valley, CA | 1.227
553. Granite Hills | El Cajon, CA | 1.221
561. Sandburg | Orland Park, IL | 1.211
572. Libertyville | Libertyville, IL | 1.190
627. Maine Township South | Park Ridge, IL | 1.126
648. Mt. Carmel | San Diego, CA | 1.089
Here's the other PUSD school on the list. Poway HS itself doesn't even appear here.
659. San Marcos | San Marcos, CA | 1.070
667. Glenbard West | Glen Ellyn, IL | 1.062
682. Buffalo Grove | Buffalo Grove, IL | 1.046
707. Mundelein IL | Mundelein, IL | 1.026
724. Grossmont | La Mesa, CA | 1.014