Our tripartite student services structure offers OHS students access to specialists in the areas of college admission, academic advising, and social and emotional development to support students as they navigate the vital years of adolescence.
Tracy Steele, Ph.D.
Academic Advising

Advisors engage with students to help determine appropriate course placement and plan a program of study. They continue to monitor students’ progress to buttress academic success.
Student Contact and Engagement
Advisors are the first point of contact for a student’s family on these topics:
- Academic planning
- Course selection, placement, and enrollment
- Graduation requirements and progress toward graduation
- Adding and dropping courses
- Transfer credit
Academic Planning and Course Selection
Each year, students meet with their advisors to plan their individual course schedule. Advisors make sure that students are taking classes that are appropriately challenging and that meet their goals. They also help manage any changes to student schedules throughout the year.
Graduation and Transfer Credit
For full-time students, advisors also track progress towards graduation requirements and manage the approval of any transfer credit.
Counseling

The Counseling Department works to ensure that students’ academic, emotional, and social developmental needs are met. All students have a counselor dedicated to their personal development and well-being. We use a strengths-based approach and seek to proactively address obstacles and challenges.
Personal Support
When students struggle, we work with them along with their parents, instructors, and academic advisors to develop and implement individual academic and/or support plans.
Counseling Services
- One-on-one short-term confidential counseling
- Regular student check-ins on course workload using a “fading scaffold support approach,” with fewer check-ins as the student gains competence and confidence, allowing them to take full control
- Consultation with parents, instructors, and other educators, such as tutors or learning specialists with whom families are working
- Classes, workshops, and counseling groups on topics of importance to our students and families
- Development of Student Support Improvement Plans
- Intervention and advocacy at a systemic level
- Accommodations through Stanford’s Office of Accessible Education
- Referral to in-house, peer-supported programs, such as tutoring
- Referrals to outside support services and community resources, such as local learning specialists and mental health professionals
Our comprehensive counseling program promotes the well-being of all Stanford OHS students.
Emergency and After-Hours Counseling Resources
If you are experiencing an emergency, please reference the list of resources below for help with immediate situations.
Emergency: 911
Referral services: 211 | 211.org
Suicide Prevention (United States): 1-800-273-TALK (8255) | suicidepreventionlifeline.org
Suicide Prevention (International): befrienders.org
Self-Injury/Cutting: 1-800-366-8288 | selfinjury.com
Eating Disorders: 1-800-931-2237 | nationaleatingdisorders.org
Runaway Hotline: 1-800-231-6946 | 1800runaway.org
Child Abuse Hotline: 1-800-422-4453 | childhelp.org/hotline/
Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-656-4673 | rainn.org
Domestic/Relationship Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233 | thehotline.org
Trevor Hotline for LGBTQ Youth: 1-866-488-7386 | thetrevorproject.org
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline | samhsa.gov/find-help/national-helpline
Other resources for developing healthy lifestyles, including mental and emotional help: helpguide.org
College Counseling
Finding the Right Fit
College Counseling acts as a resource for students and families in developing the student’s post-graduation path. Our college counselors work closely with students, encouraging them to discover their interests, explore possibilities, and take ownership of their college application process. We believe strongly in students identifying and enrolling in the college that best aligns with their personality and goals.
College Acceptances
Our students go on to a variety of colleges and universities around the globe. Our college acceptance list shows the institutions to which our students have been accepted.
Advocating for Students
Stanford OHS students enter the college admissions process extremely well-prepared for college. Our college counselors make sure that admissions officers at all types of institutions understand our curriculum and depth of academic programming. They also act as the main point of contact between the students and their prospective colleges and help manage student documents via Naviance.
Community-Wide Workshops
We invite students of any enrollment status to attend college counseling presentations and workshops, and we encourage students to use the office’s resources leading up to and through the application and selection process.
Writing & Tutoring Center

Our Writing & Tutoring Center is dedicated to creating an academic community of strong and confident writers by supporting the academic success of our students across disciplines.
Writing & Tutoring Services
The Writing & Tutoring Center offers OHS students the following forms of academic support:
- The opportunity to work with experienced writing instructors versed in teaching and tutoring both writing research and practice
- Writing labs designed to support students in their Stanford OHS courses
- Targeted workshops, specifically designed to meet the needs of student writers
- Individual tutoring sessions with peer tutors who have an advanced understanding of specific disciplines and relevant Stanford OHS courses
Student Support FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions for Academic Advising
Do all of my classes have to be taken at OHS?
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Do all of my classes have to be taken at OHS?
No, but our residency requirements require that a certain amount be taken depending on your grade level. You will work with your academic advisor to determine how any transfer credit may be applied.
How are class times determined?
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How are class times determined?
We build our schedule from scratch every year. Each spring, we collect our students' approved course requests, as well as information on student and instructor schedule availability. Then we use software to create specific course sections that best accommodate these requests. Finally, students are enrolled in these sections, and the schedule is published.
How do I know what classes I am eligible to take each year?
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How do I know what classes I am eligible to take each year?
The course catalog lists the prerequisite requirements for each class. If you are a new student, or if you are taking a subject for the first time at OHS, you will take a placement test to determine the best fit.
What are the OHS graduation requirements?
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What are the OHS graduation requirements?
Students can find the OHS graduation requirements on the Graduation Requirements page.
Frequently Asked Questions for Counseling
What services does the Counseling Office provide?
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What services does the Counseling Office provide?
Our Counseling Office addresses students’ academic success as well as their social and emotional needs as adolescents. We support OHS students through a variety of services, including one-on-one short-term confidential counseling, check-ins with students regarding course assignments and workload, referrals to both in-house and outside counseling services, and consultation with parents, instructors, and other educators.
How are OHS students assigned to counselors?
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How are OHS students assigned to counselors?
Each counselor works with either high school students (grades 9–12) or middle school students (grades 7–8). Students are normally assigned to a counselor by their last name. OHS middle school students who continue into high school at OHS have the opportunity to work with the same counselor throughout each segment of their OHS studies.
How can students contact their counselor?
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How can students contact their counselor?
Counselors are available by email, phone, and live videoconferencing.
How are appointments scheduled with counselors?
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How are appointments scheduled with counselors?
Students and families may schedule meetings with counselors by email or by using an online scheduling system. Appointments can also be made through a form on the OHS Gateway website.
Where can I find resources on general topics related to student health and wellness?
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Where can I find resources on general topics related to student health and wellness?
Extensive information on topics such as stress, nutrition, mindfulness, dating, grief, and mental health issues is available to enrolled OHS students through the counseling pages located in our learning management system.
Frequently Asked Questions for College Counseling
How does the OHS College Counseling Office operate? How do the college counselors help students?
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How does the OHS College Counseling Office operate? How do the college counselors help students?
The College Counseling Office acts as the main point of support for graduating students as they research and apply to colleges. The counselors advise about college lists, review application essays, and discuss general application logistics. In addition to meeting with individual students and families, our college counselors conduct periodic grade-level meetings and hold a college counseling class for juniors. The office is responsible for compiling and submitting all school-based application materials, including writing a school recommendation letter. College counselors also serve as a point of contact between OHS and college admissions offices.
Single-course and part-time students should use the college counselor or guidance counselor at the high school from which they will graduate as their main source of support through the college application process.
All students, regardless of enrollment status, are given access to the resources published by the College Counseling Office and are enrolled in periodic grade-level presentations for OHS families. All juniors and seniors are permitted to attend the fall visits to OHS by college admissions staff members.
How do colleges learn about OHS?
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How do colleges learn about OHS?
Colleges learn about OHS in a variety of ways.
Each fall, we reach out to over 100 admissions officers at colleges and universities across the country to invite them to conduct a visit with OHS students. In addition to these visits, we are regularly in touch with admissions offices to answer any questions that arise and ensure that they have the materials and information they need in order to understand OHS.
At the time of application, we compile a comprehensive school report for each OHS graduate, which provides a clear narrative of the student’s academic path, how the student has engaged with our school, how it has benefited them, and the ways in which it has made them a strong candidate for admission. Beyond the narrative letter written on behalf of each student, we provide general information about OHS academics in the OHS School Profile.
Which colleges do OHS students attend?
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Which colleges do OHS students attend?
Each year, OHS graduates attend a wide range of colleges and universities across the United States and around the world. For recent college outcomes, please review the OHS School Profile and the list of college acceptances for our 2016–2018 graduates.
Does attending Stanford OHS increase a student’s likelihood of admission to Stanford University?
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Does attending Stanford OHS increase a student’s likelihood of admission to Stanford University?
Colleges and universities (including Stanford University) are familiar with the academic demands of Stanford Online High School. However, the fact that a student has attended or graduated from Stanford Online High School is not in and of itself a predictor of any college admissions outcome. Further, Stanford Online High School is not a ‘feeder school’ to Stanford University.
Stanford University does not consider “demonstrated interest” in making admission decisions. This means that actions such as visiting campus, calling or emailing admissions staff, or attending Stanford Online High School will not increase a student’s likelihood of admission to the university.
Graduates who succeed at Stanford Online High School achieve college placement at a wide range of colleges and universities around the world. For a comprehensive list, please refer to our School Profile.