Search the Community

Sonoma Academy is the only independent, college preparatory high school in Sonoma County. On its beautiful 34-acre campus nestled at the base of picturesque Taylor Mountain in South Santa Rosa, Sonoma Academy students can explore their interests and passions in a challenging environment that prepares them for college and life beyond. First-year high school students are just eight years away from being in decision-making positions in all realms worldwide. Critical issues, like limited energy resources, participation gaps in education, sustainability practices, the economy, and global competition, will be on their shoulders. Their future success relies on their high school preparation today. At Sonoma Academy, we prepare students for a rapidly changing world while grounding them in academic traditions, ethics, and community. SA students master both pieces of knowledge of subject materials and tools to succeed in academic and work environments. They practice problem-solving, collaboration, and creative thinking to gain technological, ecological, and global fluency. They also practice leadership and learn what it means to make decisions, initiate change, and act as teacher mentors. Sonoma Academy calls its students to be creative, ethical and committed to learning. The school nurtures inspiring teachers and engages with the surrounding community, and its students communicate across cultures as they prepare to become leaders in a dynamic world. Our team of faculty and staff are trained professionals, deeply knowledgeable both in our subject areas and adolescent development. We have created a rich, multi-faceted, dynamic program designed to ensure all of our students' success in all aspects of their lives. The teenage brain is wired to take risks and is ruled by impulse rather than logic because the prefrontal cortex is not yet developed. In an environment that encourages healthy risk-taking and where the adolescent is exposed to opportunity, this natural development phase can lead to an expanded sense of self and greater access to personal capacities. Our students must complete a rigorous liberal arts curriculum that includes core and elective courses in humanities (history and literature), math and science, world languages, and the arts. Exploratory classes, the Intersession Program, Physical Education, Health & Wellness, Connections, and College Counseling broaden and deepen their educational experience. We are grounded in a rigorous college preparatory framework, but we go much further. We are multidisciplinary and cutting-edge, giving students the ability to ask the hard questions and the tools to answer them. We are technologically sophisticated, but we recognize the limitations of technology, so we teach critical thinking above all else—because this is the foundation of real learning. We are deeply humanistic, treating every student with profound respect and care. And we are a joyful, inclusive, vibrant community—where students love to come to school every day. Sonoma Academy: Redefining education for a new era. Times are changing, and our students are ready to meet, embrace, and create this change. We encourage you to explore our curriculum and signature programs and how the Guild & Commons buildings have expanded our capacities across all of our programmings. We recognize that all students learn differently and that those with diagnosed learning differences may need extra support and accommodation to have a fair opportunity for academic success. We work with every student to determine strategies for the student's success and wellbeing. Our goal is for students to advocate for themselves, understand their learning strengths and challenges, and be prepared for their college experience. Imagine yourself thriving in a small classroom environment, trying out for a sport you have never played before, delivering a speech for our nationally recognized Speech and Debate program, starting a club which aligns with your interests, becoming a teaching assistant in the Freshman Health and Wellness Course, or taking part in the Evening of the Arts. These are but a few examples of the many opportunities available for SA students to engage in our community. Our students are interested and interesting, but you be the judge. Come check it out for yourself! View full school

Located in California's premier wine country one hour north of San Francisco, Sonoma State is a small campus with big ideas. With a tradition of promoting intellectual and personal growth, leadership opportunities, and technological proficiency, SSU offers its students a friendly, safe, and informal atmosphere in a beautiful campus setting. Currently, campus housing accommodates students in both apartment and residential suite-style facilities. While SSU generally accepts all qualified students who apply from high schools in its service area, 80 percent of the freshmen and 55 percent of the junior transfer students come from outside the North Bay region. With 34 percent of the student body living on campus, it is one of the most residential campuses within the California State University system. The SSU educational experience fosters intellectual, cognitive, social, and personal growth. The faculty and staff provide collaborative relationships with students and an education that fosters ethical exploration, civic engagement, social responsibility, and global awareness combined with a solid foundation in an academic discipline. Many classes average fewer than 40 students, allowing close interaction between students and faculty. SSU commits to graduating students who can think critically and ethically and can effectively use information technology. There is a strong move to develop a global perspective in much of the curriculum to prepare students for the 21st-century workplace's needs. The mission of Sonoma State University is to prepare students to be learned persons who: Have a foundation for life-long learning. Have a broad cultural perspective. Have a keen appreciation of intellectual and aesthetic achievements. Will be active citizens and leaders in society. Are capable of pursuing fulfilling careers in a changing world. Are concerned with contributing to the health and well-being of the world at large. To achieve its mission, Sonoma State University recognizes that its first obligation is to develop and maintain excellent undergraduate instruction programs grounded in the liberal arts and sciences. Instructional programs are designed to challenge students to acquire knowledge and develop the skills of critical analysis, careful reasoning, creativity, and self-expression. Excellence in undergraduate education requires that students participate in a well-planned program that provides both liberal education and specific career preparation opportunities. The university offers a wide range of traditional disciplines and interdisciplinary programs so that students can explore diverse modes of inquiry, the understanding gained within the various disciplines, and a global spectrum of ideas, institutions, values, and artistic expressions. The university offers selected professional and graduate programs leading to master's degrees, teaching credentials, and certificates in various career fields. These programs respond to regional and state needs within the academic, business, education, and professional communities. The quality of the educational experience at Sonoma State University depends upon close human and intellectual relationships among students and faculty to foster the open exchange of ideas. The university is committed to creating a learning community where people from diverse backgrounds and cultures are valued for the breadth of their perspectives and are encouraged in their intellectual pursuits. SSU's unique character within California higher education emerges from its relatively small size, commitment to effective teaching, high standards of scholarship, ongoing professional development, and its policy of promoting diversity in the faculty, staff, and student populations. The university also recognizes its obligation to serve as an educational and cultural resource for people in the surrounding communities. It offers courses, lectures, workshops, and programs that are open to the public. Notable Events in the arts, the sciences, and athletics contribute to students' intellectual and cultural lives and the community. Sonoma State University, a small campus of 9,200 welcoming students, is dedicated to the liberal arts and sciences. Students enjoy a high-quality education that features close interactions with faculty, research, and internship opportunities because of SSU's status as one of the state's premier public undergraduate institutions. SSU strives to graduate students who are ready to pursue fulfilling careers in our changing world, and who are prepared to make informed decisions that benefit their own lives, as well as the lives of their families and communities. Sonoma State University is a small, welcoming campus dedicated to the liberal arts and sciences. Students enjoy a high-quality education that features close interactions with faculty, research, and internship opportunities. SSU strives to graduate students who are ready to pursue fulfilling careers in our changing world, and who are prepared to make informed decisions that benefit their own lives, as well as the lives of their families and communities. Make your college life exciting and challenging by becoming involved in one or more student clubs and organizations on campus. Categories of organizations range from academic/departmental, cultural, spiritual, political, particular interest, performing arts, fraternity and sorority life, and competitive sports clubs. Involvement in these organizations provides Seawolves with campus and community connections, leadership development opportunities, and experiences to build skills that can be used after graduation and for a lifetime. Joining a Greek organization allows you to connect with your peers, engage in a broader community, and build personal skills. With over 20 different fraternities and sororities represented at Sonoma State University, students will find their place among the Greek community. Sonoma State University offers over 20 competitive sports clubs. Sports clubs are student-organized and operated and allow students to play a sport in fun yet competitive environment. All skill levels are welcome. View full university