Corona del Mar High School opened in 1962 as a four-year public high school and added grades 7 and 8 in 1985; today it is the Newport-Mesa Unified School District (NMUSD) middle and high school in Newport Beach, and its website uses the name Corona del Mar Middle and High School. California Department of Education (CDE) data show 2,117 students in grades 7 through 12 in 2025-26, including 1,495 in grades 9 through 12. The high school has two Signature Academies, offers 27 AP courses, and teaches Mandarin 1 through 3 and AP Chinese. This page does not rate the school. It answers one question: how a student at this school should plan the four high school years.
How Corona del Mar High School Is Structured for College Admissions
The school’s published data point to four features of Corona del Mar High School.
First, AP is broad and heavily tested. The 2026-27 prerequisite sheet and School Profile together list 27 AP courses. In May 2026, students took 1,796 AP exams in 30 subjects, and adding up the score distribution in the Profile, 84.7% earned a 3 or higher; measured against 1,495 students in grades 9 through 12, that is about 1.2 exams per high school student. The most-taken exams were AP World History (246), AP Environmental Science (134) and AP Psychology (122).
Second, honors courses are few, so AP is the main source of weighting. The prerequisite sheet lists only five honors courses: Honors Geometry, Honors Algebra 2, Honors Enhanced Math III, Honors Biology and Honors Chemistry, and UC weights only Honors Enhanced Math III and Honors Chemistry. English, history and world languages have no honors courses, so all weighting in those subjects comes from AP.
Third, math is in transition. The district’s Enhanced Math sequence is being replaced by an honors sequence: students entering grade 9 in 2026-27 follow Honors Geometry, Honors Algebra 2 and Pre-Calculus Honors, and Pre-Calculus Honors first appears on the pathway in 2027-28, with prerequisites and weighting not yet published.
Fourth, fewer than half of a graduating class apply to UC. For fall 2025, 176 students applied to the University of California, while the Class of 2025 four-year cohort had 373 students. The School Profile’s list of colleges that admitted the Class of 2026 includes all nine UC campuses and all 22 CSU campuses, along with a long list of private and out-of-state universities.
How to Enroll at Corona del Mar High School
The short answer: Corona del Mar High School has no entrance exam; enrollment depends only on address and district approval, and for 2026-27 the district is not accepting new out-of-district students. AGS requires a separate application and district residency.
Route 1: Living in the Corona del Mar High School attendance area
- Confirm through the district School Locator that the address is assigned to Corona del Mar MS/HS, and register through the district process
- Current NMUSD grade 8 students select grade 9 courses in Aeries from late March to late April (March 30 to April 24 in 2026)
- Schedules are finalized in one-on-one meetings with high school counselors in late April and early May; placement follows the grades and teacher recommendations on the prerequisite sheet
Route 2: Living in the district, but assigned to another school
- File a Parent School Choice Transfer on SchoolMint, listing up to three schools (the 2026-27 window was January 15 to March 15, 2026)
- Applications are ranked by random lottery after the window closes, with siblings of current students given priority, and families are notified by May 15; a late window opens in July
- Applications are not screened for grades or discipline, and waiting lists do not roll over to the next year
Route 3: Living outside the district (including Irvine)
- For 2026-27 the district states that Corona del Mar MS/HS is not accepting new out-of-district applications
- In other years, families first obtain a release signed by their home district and then submit it to NMUSD Student Services
- The district generally approves only three limited cases: moving out mid-year, finishing with a graduating or promoting class, and returning as a senior after moving out during junior year
- AGS also requires applicants to be district residents
| Attendance-area enrollment | Corona del Mar High School enrolls students by Newport-Mesa Unified School District attendance area: students who live inside the boundary register by address, with no entrance exam, and the district School Locator is the authority on which school an address is assigned to. The school serves grades 7 through 12 on one campus. Current NMUSD grade 8 students, including those at the school's own middle school, selected grade 9 courses in Aeries from March 30 to April 24, 2026, then met one-on-one with a high school counselor from April 28 to May 2 to finalize schedules; students new to NMUSD first register through the district, and counselors place them based on the courses and grades from their previous school. |
|---|---|
| Choice within the district | District residents who want a school other than their assigned one can file a Parent School Choice Transfer on SchoolMint and list up to three schools. For 2026-27 the window ran from January 15 to March 15, 2026; applications were then ranked by random lottery, with siblings of current students given priority, and families were notified of their ranking by May 15. A late window ran from July 1 to 31. Applications are not screened for grades, attendance or discipline, and waiting lists last only for that school year. |
| Transfers from outside the district | Students who live outside the district, including Irvine residents, must first obtain an inter-district transfer form with a release signed by their home district and then send it to NMUSD Student Services (grades 7 to 12 go to the secondary office). Under incoming inter-district transfers, the district states that Corona del Mar MS/HS is not accepting new student applications for 2026-27. The district generally approves inter-district attendance in only three limited cases: a student whose family moves out mid-year may finish that year; a student may stay with a class that is graduating or promoting that year; and a senior may return to the school attended as a junior after moving out of the district. The district has not published its 2027-28 arrangements. |
| Academy of Global Studies (AGS) | The Academy of Global Studies (AGS) requires a separate application and mainly admits students who will be in grade 9 the following year. For 2026-27, applications were due Friday, May 1, after an information meeting on April 22 at 6 p.m. in the school Lecture Hall. Applicants submit an application and two letters of recommendation, at least one from a current academic teacher, or two recommendation forms instead. If space allows, AGS also considers grade 10 applicants who commit to taking AP Human Geography between grades 10 and 12; students who took a required AGS course outside the academy are not admitted. The academy's FAQ states that applicants must reside within Newport-Mesa Unified School District boundaries and that the order of submission does not affect the chance of admission. |
| Performing Arts and Multimedia Academy (PAMA) | The Performing Arts and Multimedia Academy (PAMA) does not publish an application process or deadline; the website lists only contact information for the coordinator and the lead teacher of each arts area. The School Profile states that each student's course plan is set with the head of that area. |
| Course placement | Placement follows the grades and teacher recommendations written on the prerequisite sheet; there is no common entrance test. Grade 9 Honors Biology requires A grades in quarters 1 and 2 of both grade 8 Physical Science and Math 8, and Honors Geometry requires an A in Algebra or Enhanced Math 8 plus a teacher recommendation. The counseling FAQ says placement for the next year is based on a student's current courses and grades, and that every student has the same chance each year to enter the advanced courses for that grade; the middle school counseling page states that the math placement test is no longer offered as of July 2026. |
Corona del Mar High School UC Admissions: Twelve Years of Applicants, Admit Rates and GPA
The data below come from the UC Infocenter of the University of California Office of the President, reported by source high school and updated each year. They answer two questions: how many Corona del Mar High School students apply to and are admitted by UC each year, and what GPA admitted students hold. GPA is the UC weighted, capped GPA, which counts only courses from grades 10 and 11.
The ten lines are hard to tell apart where they overlap. Hover over any campus name below to highlight that campus’s trend; click to keep it highlighted, and click again to clear it.Tap any campus name below to highlight that campus’s trend; tap again to clear it.
Official UC data · By high school of origin · 2014–2025
Year-by-Year Data for the Top Six UC Campuses
Parents focus most on six campuses: UC Berkeley, UCLA, UC San Diego, UC Santa Barbara, UC Irvine and UC Davis. The table lists, by year, the number of Corona del Mar High School students who applied to, were admitted by and enrolled at each campus, along with average GPA. Use the buttons to switch metrics.
From 2014 to 2025, the admit rate for Corona del Mar High School applicants to UC Los Angeles fell from 24% to 10%, and to UC Berkeley fell from 24% to 15%; the rate at UC Irvine rose from 42% to 43%.
This table has five data views. Use the buttons below to view admits, applicants, enrollees, admit GPA, and applicant GPA; the button for the current view is highlighted in yellow.
| Year | UC Berkeley | UC Los Angeles | UC San Diego | UC Santa Barbara | UC Irvine | UC Davis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025Latest | 17 (15%) | 15 (10%) | 24 (17%) | 37 (25%) | 43 (43%) | 41 (51%) |
| 2024 | 17 (17%) | 17 (13%) | 28 (23%) | 43 (32%) | 33 (41%) | 25 (33%) |
| 2023 | 15 (12%) | 15 (9%) | 30 (19%) | 38 (23%) | 33 (33%) | 29 (35%) |
| 2022 | 25 (20%) | 13 (8%) | 20 (15%) | 33 (22%) | 25 (28%) | 25 (32%) |
| 2021 | 18 (15%) | 14 (8%) | 34 (23%) | 46 (25%) | 39 (43%) | 30 (37%) |
| 2020 | 21 (21%) | 13 (10%) | 26 (22%) | 46 (32%) | 22 (31%) | 21 (36%) |
| 2019 | 28 (27%) | 27 (19%) | 25 (24%) | 39 (28%) | 20 (23%) | 29 (36%) |
| 2018 | 22 (19%) | 28 (20%) | 26 (27%) | 45 (33%) | 23 (36%) | 13 (25%) |
| 2017 | 28 (20%) | 18 (12%) | 32 (31%) | 56 (42%) | 25 (36%) | 16 (27%) |
| 2016 | 40 (30%) | 34 (22%) | 36 (33%) | 75 (48%) | 29 (43%) | 20 (35%) |
| 2015 | 27 (25%) | 23 (19%) | 38 (39%) | 41 (34%) | 29 (44%) | 28 (42%) |
| 2014 | 24 (24%) | 32 (24%) | 34 (36%) | 62 (47%) | 25 (42%) | 24 (42%) |
| Change, 2014–2025 | ▼ 24% → 15% | ▼ 24% → 10% | ▼ 36% → 17% | ▼ 47% → 25% | ▲ 42% → 43% | ▲ 42% → 51% |
| Year | UC Berkeley | UC Los Angeles | UC San Diego | UC Santa Barbara | UC Irvine | UC Davis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025Latest | 117 | 157 | 138 | 147 | 101 | 81 |
| 2024 | 100 | 129 | 121 | 134 | 81 | 75 |
| 2023 | 130 | 166 | 160 | 163 | 100 | 84 |
| 2022 | 122 | 153 | 134 | 152 | 88 | 79 |
| 2021 | 120 | 173 | 146 | 182 | 90 | 81 |
| 2020 | 99 | 132 | 116 | 145 | 70 | 59 |
| 2019 | 105 | 139 | 106 | 139 | 87 | 81 |
| 2018 | 118 | 142 | 97 | 137 | 64 | 51 |
| 2017 | 138 | 147 | 102 | 133 | 69 | 60 |
| 2016 | 132 | 155 | 110 | 157 | 67 | 57 |
| 2015 | 110 | 123 | 97 | 121 | 66 | 67 |
| 2014 | 102 | 136 | 94 | 131 | 60 | 57 |
| Change, 2014–2025 | ▲ 102 → 117 | ▲ 136 → 157 | ▲ 94 → 138 | ▲ 131 → 147 | ▲ 60 → 101 | ▲ 57 → 81 |
| Year | UC Berkeley | UC Los Angeles | UC San Diego | UC Santa Barbara | UC Irvine | UC Davis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025Latest | 10 | 9 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 6 |
| 2024 | 4 | 12 | 3 | 8 | 3 | — |
| 2023 | 4 | 11 | 7 | 6 | 9 | 7 |
| 2022 | 15 | 4 | 5 | 8 | 5 | — |
| 2021 | 12 | 11 | 5 | 10 | 17 | 3 |
| 2020 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 15 | 11 | — |
| 2019 | 9 | 15 | 3 | 12 | 6 | 4 |
| 2018 | 8 | 13 | 5 | 12 | 4 | — |
| 2017 | 16 | 5 | 4 | 15 | 3 | — |
| 2016 | 21 | 10 | — | 10 | 3 | — |
| 2015 | 11 | 10 | 4 | 11 | 4 | — |
| 2014 | 16 | 17 | — | 11 | 4 | — |
| Change, 2014–2025 | ▼ 16 → 10 | ▼ 17 → 9 | — | ▼ 11 → 3 | ▲ 4 → 7 | — |
| Year | UC Berkeley | UC Los Angeles | UC San Diego | UC Santa Barbara | UC Irvine | UC Davis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025Latest | 4.21 | 4.18 | 4.21 | 4.24 | 4.17 | 4.13 |
| 2024 | 4.24 | 4.19 | 4.21 | 4.20 | 4.15 | 4.21 |
| 2023 | 4.28 | 4.23 | 4.24 | 4.20 | 4.23 | 4.19 |
| 2022 | 4.25 | 4.30 | 4.21 | 4.22 | 4.23 | 4.26 |
| 2021 | 4.21 | 4.25 | 4.27 | 4.26 | 4.17 | 4.24 |
| 2020 | 4.21 | 4.16 | 4.25 | 4.19 | 4.02 | 4.19 |
| 2019 | 4.28 | 4.27 | 4.28 | 4.25 | 4.17 | 4.17 |
| 2018 | 4.28 | 4.22 | 4.22 | 4.12 | 4.12 | 4.22 |
| 2017 | 4.13 | 4.35 | 4.22 | 4.13 | 4.26 | 4.25 |
| 2016 | 4.17 | 4.13 | 4.25 | 4.15 | 4.17 | 4.21 |
| 2015 | 4.23 | 4.24 | 4.25 | 4.05 | 4.21 | 4.24 |
| 2014 | 4.17 | 4.23 | 4.27 | 4.10 | 4.10 | 4.18 |
| Change, 2014–2025 | ▲ 4.17 → 4.21 | ▼ 4.23 → 4.18 | ▼ 4.27 → 4.21 | ▲ 4.10 → 4.24 | ▲ 4.10 → 4.17 | ▼ 4.18 → 4.13 |
| Year | UC Berkeley | UC Los Angeles | UC San Diego | UC Santa Barbara | UC Irvine | UC Davis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025Latest | 4.03 | 3.99 | 3.97 | 3.96 | 3.96 | 4.00 |
| 2024 | 4.02 | 4.01 | 3.95 | 3.94 | 3.95 | 3.97 |
| 2023 | 4.02 | 3.98 | 3.95 | 3.96 | 3.95 | 3.98 |
| 2022 | 4.07 | 4.07 | 4.01 | 4.03 | 3.96 | 3.98 |
| 2021 | 4.05 | 4.00 | 3.96 | 3.97 | 3.95 | 3.93 |
| 2020 | 4.04 | 3.99 | 3.95 | 3.94 | 3.91 | 3.98 |
| 2019 | 4.06 | 4.00 | 3.97 | 3.90 | 3.85 | 3.82 |
| 2018 | 4.02 | 3.99 | 3.92 | 3.86 | 3.81 | 3.84 |
| 2017 | 4.00 | 4.01 | 3.90 | 3.88 | 3.86 | 3.85 |
| 2016 | 4.02 | 3.93 | 3.90 | 3.84 | 3.85 | 3.79 |
| 2015 | 3.93 | 3.93 | 3.88 | 3.72 | 3.82 | 3.85 |
| 2014 | 3.99 | 3.95 | 3.88 | 3.84 | 3.78 | 3.91 |
| Change, 2014–2025 | ▲ 3.99 → 4.03 | ▲ 3.95 → 3.99 | ▲ 3.88 → 3.97 | ▲ 3.84 → 3.96 | ▲ 3.78 → 3.96 | ▲ 3.91 → 4.00 |
Applications and Admissions by Campus in the Most Recent Year
| UC campus (fall 2025) | Applicants | Admits | Admit rate | Enrollees | Admit GPA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UC Berkeley | 117 | 17 | 15% | 10 | 4.21 |
| UC Los Angeles | 157 | 15 | 10% | 9 | 4.18 |
| UC San Diego | 138 | 24 | 17% | 7 | 4.21 |
| UC Davis | 81 | 41 | 51% | 6 | 4.13 |
| UC Irvine | 101 | 43 | 43% | 7 | 4.17 |
| UC Santa Barbara | 147 | 37 | 25% | 3 | 4.24 |
| UC Merced | 31 | 29 | 94% | — | 3.90 |
| UC Riverside | 52 | 50 | 96% | 5 | 3.98 |
| UC Santa Cruz | 74 | 51 | 69% | — | 4.08 |
Corona del Mar High School GPA Weighting and Rank
| School grade scale | The 2026-27 School Profile grade scale gives regular courses 4, 3, 2, 1 and 0 points for A, B, C, D and F, and AP courses 5, 4, 3, 1 and 0. The prerequisite sheet states that all AP courses receive a 1.0 GPA boost and that Honors Chemistry and Honors Enhanced Math III receive a 0.5 boost; Honors Geometry is marked as having no boost, while the Honors Algebra 2 line lists a 0.5 boost. |
|---|---|
| What counts | The high school GPA includes every semester grade except PE (teacher assistant courses are graded credit/no credit). Transcripts show two weighted academic GPAs: a grade 9-12 weighted GPA, used to compute percentile rank and valedictorian status, and a grade 10-12 weighted GPA without grade 9. |
| Rank | The School Profile states that students are not ranked. Valedictorian Scholars are the top 2% of the class, and students must have attended an NMUSD high school for at least two semesters by the middle of senior year. |
| UC calculation | UC applications use UC's own GPA: only A-G courses from grades 10 and 11 (including summer) count, and only UC-approved honors and AP courses earn extra weight. The counseling FAQ notes that UC and CSU look at which courses a student took in grade 9 but do not count grade 9 grades in the GPA. |
| Courses UC weights | All AP courses (AP Cybersecurity is not on the 2026-27 UC list); Honors Enhanced Math III with Precalculus; Hon Chemistry 1AB |
| School honors courses UC does not weight | Honors Geometry; Honors Algebra 2; Honors Biology |
| Repeating a course | Courses with a D or F may be repeated, and the higher grade is used in the GPA; all grades, including the original, stay on the transcript. UC accepts only one repeat of a course for grade replacement. |
This rule shapes course selection. Honors Geometry, Honors Algebra 2 and Honors Biology taken in grade 9 add little to the school GPA (Honors Geometry and Honors Biology add nothing), and none of them is on UC’s honors list; UC counts only grades 10 and 11, and the courses UC weights in those years are AP, Honors Chemistry and Honors Enhanced Math III. The school also notes that grade 9 grades, although outside the UC GPA, count in the school’s grade 9-12 weighted GPA and in valedictorian status, and many private and out-of-state colleges look at grade 9 grades as well.
The School Profile reports the following numbers of National Merit Finalists (National Merit is the National Merit Scholarship Program, which selects students based on the grade 11 PSAT).
| Year | Finalists |
|---|---|
| 2026 | 3 |
| 2025 | 3 |
| 2024 | 5 |
Corona del Mar High School Middle School (Grades 7 and 8) and the Transition to High School
Corona del Mar High School shares a campus with its middle school, where students in grades 7 and 8 take eight classes a year with two middle school counselors. High-school-level math and world language courses taken in grades 7 and 8 appear on the high school transcript and can satisfy the UC A-G math and language requirements, but they do not count toward high school graduation credits or the high school GPA. Middle school math sets the grade 9 starting point: students who take Enhanced Math 8 in grade 8 can take Honors Geometry in grade 9, or take Geometry in summer and move directly to Honors Algebra 2; students who take Math 8 start grade 9 in Algebra 1. World languages work the same way: students who began Mandarin, French or Spanish in middle school can start at level 2 in grade 9 and take AP in grade 11.
Corona del Mar High School Four-Year Timeline
Grade 8
- Jan 15 to Mar 15District Parent School Choice Transfer window (2026)
- Mar 30 to Apr 24Current NMUSD grade 8 students select grade 9 courses in Aeries (2026)
- Apr 22AGS information meeting; applications due May 1 (2026)
- Apr 28 to May 2One-on-one meetings with high school counselors to finalize schedules
- SummerAccelerated students take summer Geometry (subject to district offering); world language placement tests on May 26 or August 11 (2026)
Grade 9
- All yearPE both semesters; AGS students take AP Human Geography; start the 40 hours of community service
- Early NovemberAP exam registration and payment deadline (November 6 in 2026)
- From MarchSelect grade 10 courses: AP World History requires a 3.2 GPA
- MayAP exams; final exams May 28 to June 3 (2027)
Grade 10
- All yearThe UC GPA starts counting; AGS students take AP World History and AP Seminar
- MarchAP U.S. History meeting and grade 11 course selection (3.4 GPA threshold)
- MayAP exams; PE credits for grades 9 and 10 must be complete
Grade 11
- All yearAGS students take AP U.S. History and AP Research, completing AP Capstone
- SpringSelect grade 12 courses: students with 180 credits may apply for a five-period Minimum Day; athletes planning on Division I or II register with the NCAA
- Before grade 11 endsTalk with teachers about letters of recommendation (formal requests go through SchooLinks once the new year begins)
- MayAP exams; grades 10 and 11 determine the UC GPA
Grade 12
- From Sept 1Counselors accept College Packets; packets for early deadlines are due by September 30
- Oct 1FAFSA opens (2026)
- Nov 30UC and CSU application deadline
- Fall or all yearHealth; the Senior Project in senior English
- Mar 2Cal Grant priority deadline (2027)
Three milestones shape the path: the AGS application and grade 9 course selection in the spring of grade 8, which decide AGS admission and the math starting point; course selection in the spring of grade 10, which decides how many AP courses a student can take in grade 11 (AP U.S. History requires a 3.4 GPA, and AP English Language requires a reading quiz and teacher recommendation); and the end of grade 11, when grades 10 and 11 determine the UC GPA.
Corona del Mar High School Signature Programs
- Academy of Global Studies (AGS): AGS is one of the school's two Signature Academies, a four-year program that students apply to in grade 8. Students take AP Human Geography (grade 9), AP World History and AP Seminar (grade 10), AP U.S. History and AP Research (grade 11), and AP Comparative Government and AP Macroeconomics (grade 12); attend the four Speaker Series events each year; earn the California Seal of Biliteracy; and complete one in-person college course before graduating. Students who complete two college courses also receive the NMUSD Seal of Excellence. Math and science courses are left to each student's choice. Every AGS student is an AP Capstone Diploma candidate, and the School Profile notes that students also earn an AP WE Service Certificate.
- Performing Arts and Multimedia Academy (PAMA): PAMA serves grades 9 to 12: students choose one of six areas, namely dance, instrumental music, musical theatre, theatre, visual and media arts, and vocal music, for three to four years of specialized study, with opportunities to work with arts professionals. Each student's course plan is set with the head of that area; the counseling FAQ notes that PAMA students who follow the recommended four-year plan and pass their classes also meet basic college admission requirements.
- AP Courses and AP Capstone: The 2026-27 prerequisite sheet and School Profile together list 27 AP courses, including AP Seminar and AP Research, which make up AP Capstone. In May 2026, students took 1,796 AP exams in 30 subjects; based on the score distribution published in the School Profile, 1,521 exams, or 84.7%, earned a score of 3 or higher.
- Mandarin: The school offers Mandarin 1 through 3 and AP Chinese Language and Culture; other world languages are Spanish, French and American Sign Language, and all meet the UC and CSU language requirement. Students who began Mandarin in the school's middle school can start at Mandarin 2 in grade 9 and take AP Chinese in grade 11.
- Career Technical Education (CTE) Pathways: The school offers three pathways, each a sequence of courses totaling 300 hours or more; students who complete a pathway in sequence and graduate wear a CTE Medallion at graduation.
- Engineering DesignDesign Engineering, Electro-Mechanical Engineering, Robotics and Artificial Intelligence, and Advanced Design Engineering, focused on mechatronics
- Design, Visual and Media ArtsIntroduction to Media Arts and Photography, Intermediate Media Arts and Photography, and AP Studio Art 2D - Media Arts, offered as Regional Occupational Program (ROP) courses
- Stage TechnologyTechnical Theatre and Advanced Technical Theatre, covering lighting, costume, audio and stage management
- Dual Enrollment: Students can take college courses at community colleges such as Orange Coast College, Golden West College, Coastline College, Irvine Valley College and Saddleback College. The process is to complete the college's dual enrollment application, submit the district's Outside Educational Course form at least 10 school days before the class starts, and have an assistant principal sign the college's dual enrollment form; outside courses count for at most 10 high school credits per school year. Through a partnership with Coastline College, the school offers one or two college courses on campus each school year.
- Academic Support: On Late Start Mondays, 8:45 to 9:35 a.m. is teacher intervention time; students can sign up in the counseling office to be matched with a National Honor Society peer tutor; and a college specialist works in the Learning Resource Center (LRC).
Corona del Mar High School Clubs and Academic Activities
The Associated Student Body (ASB) publishes an official club list for 2026-27. Clubs tied directly to academics and competitions include Triton Tech, which designs and builds a robot for the FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC); the Science & Engineering Club, which prepares students for the Orange County Science & Engineering Fair (OCSEF); Mu Alpha Theta, which organizes AP Calculus peer tutoring; the Economic Competition Club, which enters economics competitions run by various organizations; DECA With A Background of AI, which uses AI to solve real-world problems; FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America); the Business Case Analysis Club; the Bio-Med Research & Service Society; the CdM Bio Club; the Astronomy Club; the Chess Club; and The Public Speaking Club. The school also has a chapter of the California Scholarship Federation (CSF), which students join each semester based on grades, with a $10 fee per application period; the spring 2027 application period opens in late February 2027.| Academic club | Purpose on the official list |
|---|---|
| Triton Tech | Designs and builds a robot for the FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) |
| Science & Engineering Club | Prepares students for the Orange County Science & Engineering Fair (OCSEF) |
| Mu Alpha Theta | Organizes AP Calculus peer tutoring |
| Economic Competition Club | Studies for and enters economics competitions held by various organizations |
| DECA With A Background of AI | Provides tools and mentorship to solve real-world problems with AI |
| FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America) | Builds business, communication and career skills through competitions, workshops and speakers |
| Bio-Med Research & Service Society | Peer learning in biomedical sciences and connections to research opportunities |
| The Public Speaking Club | Public speaking practice |
The official club list includes robotics, science fair, economics and business competition clubs, but no math or physics competition club; Mu Alpha Theta’s stated purpose is AP Calculus peer tutoring. Students who want systematic preparation for AMC, physics or computer science competitions need to arrange training outside school.
Corona del Mar High School Counseling Office and Transcripts
| Counselors and support | The high school has five counselors assigned by student last name, one of whom is head counselor, along with a registrar, a counseling secretary and an office assistant. Grades 7 and 8 have two middle school counselors. A college specialist works in the College & Career Center in the Learning Resource Center (LRC), and the school also has a wellness center and school psychologists. |
|---|---|
| Recommendations and application packets | Students applying only to UC and CSU do not need letters of recommendation, and applications for both systems are due November 30. Students applying to private or out-of-state colleges complete the counselor College Packet in SchooLinks and Schoology: counselors accept packets from September 1; packets for early deadlines (November 1) are due by September 30, for December 15 deadlines by November 10, and for January 1 or later deadlines by November 15. Teacher letters need at least four weeks' notice, and requests can be sent in SchooLinks only after the new school year begins. |
| Transcripts and testing accommodations | Official transcripts are requested through Scribbles (nmusdca.scriborder.com) and take up to five business days; students print unofficial transcripts from Aeries. Testing accommodations for the SAT, ACT and AP exams are requested by parents directly from the College Board or ACT; the school does not submit them. |
| Standardized tests | The school's CEEB code is 052128. The school does not publish average SAT or ACT scores. The counseling FAQ says students in AP courses are required to take the AP exam (another answer on the same page says it is strongly recommended); the SAT/ACT notes on the school's graduation requirements page have not been updated in years, so students should follow each college's current testing policy. |
| Financial aid | The grade 12 information packet states that the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for 2027-28 opened on October 1, 2026, and the California Cal Grant priority deadline is March 2, 2027. |
For the prerequisites of every course, see Courses and course selection; for math pathways, see Math pathways; and for AP courses and combinations, see AP course list and combinations.
Corona del Mar High School College Planning Guide: Frequently Asked Questions
Can Irvine families transfer to Corona del Mar High School?
Corona del Mar High School belongs to the Newport-Mesa Unified School District, and the district states that Corona del Mar MS/HS is not accepting new inter-district transfer applications for 2026-27. Irvine residents live outside the district; even in other years, the district generally approves inter-district attendance in only three limited cases: finishing the school year after moving out mid-year, staying with a class that is graduating or promoting that year, and returning as a senior after moving out during junior year. The district has not published its 2027-28 arrangements, so families who want to attend usually need to become district residents first.
Can students from Irvine families apply to the Academy of Global Studies at Corona del Mar High School?
Corona del Mar High School's Academy of Global Studies (AGS) requires applicants to reside within Newport-Mesa Unified School District boundaries, according to the academy's FAQ, so a student living in Irvine would need to become a district resident first. Applicants are usually rising ninth graders; for 2026-27 the deadline was May 1, and applicants submitted an application and two letters of recommendation, at least one from a current academic teacher. Once admitted, students complete required courses such as AP Human Geography, AP World History, AP Seminar, AP U.S. History and AP Research by grade level and earn the California Seal of Biliteracy.
How does Corona del Mar High School weight GPA, a question Irvine families often ask?
Corona del Mar High School adds 1.0 to the school GPA for every AP course and 0.5 for Honors Chemistry and Honors Enhanced Math III; Honors Geometry earns no boost, and the prerequisite sheet lists a 0.5 boost for Honors Algebra 2. The GPA counts every course except PE, and the school does not rank students. UC applications follow UC's own rules: only grades 10 and 11 count, and the only courses UC weights are AP, Honors Chemistry and Honors Enhanced Math III, so Honors Geometry, Honors Algebra 2 and Honors Biology count as regular courses.
How do Corona del Mar High School students do in UC admissions, for Irvine families comparing options?
Corona del Mar High School had 176 students apply to the University of California for fall 2025, and 123 were admitted to at least one campus, according to official source-school data from the University of California Office of the President. By campus, UCLA admitted 15 of 157 applicants, UC Berkeley 17 of 117, UC San Diego 24 of 138 and UC Irvine 43 of 101. The average weighted GPA of admitted students was 4.24 at UC Santa Barbara and 4.21 at UC Berkeley and UC San Diego.
How is the Corona del Mar High School schedule organized, for Irvine families planning ahead?
Corona del Mar High School runs a rotating odd/even block schedule: periods 1, 3, 5 and 7 meet on odd days and periods 2, 4, 6 and 8 on even days, each block lasting about 90 minutes, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:35 p.m., with zero period from 7:30 to 8:25 a.m. Students in grades 9 to 11 take at least six classes, and seniors with 180 credits may take five. Most Mondays during the semester are Late Start days, with teacher intervention time from 8:45 to 9:35 a.m.
How do Corona del Mar High School students score on AP exams, for Irvine families asking?
Corona del Mar High School's 2026-27 School Profile publishes results by subject for May 2026: students took 1,796 AP exams in 30 subjects, and adding up the score distribution in the table, 1,521 exams, or 84.7%, earned a 3 or higher. The most-taken exams were AP World History with 246, AP Environmental Science with 134 and AP Psychology with 122; every AP Seminar and AP Research exam earned a 3 or higher. The school does not publish average SAT or ACT scores.
