Thousand Oaks High School
The Center for Advanced Studies and Research at Thousand Oaks High School provides gifted and high-achieving students with the opportunity to engage in disciplined and scholarly research through college-level courses in order to be prepared with the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed for post-secondary success and to stand out to top universities in the college admissions process. This program was designed based on the feedback from higher education that students conduct and present authentic research while in high school.
Written By Alicia Doyle Photography provided
The Center for Advanced Studies and Research at Thousand Oaks High School, affectionately known simply as “The Center,” is quietly redefining what’s possible for motivated students in Ventura County. Located on the Thousand Oaks High School campus, this innovative three-year program combines rigorous academic challenges with personalized mentorship, research opportunities, and essential life skills—earning its graduates not only top college acceptances but also lasting confidence and a toolkit for success in higher education and beyond.
At its heart, The Center is a response to real change in the college admissions landscape.
“Universities were no longer looking for students who checked off boxes,” explains Tasha Beaudoin, co-coordinator of The Center and a teacher of its AP Seminar course.
Senior Finn Kerns was one of 11 Center students invited to present their research at the Department of Defense Junior Sciences and Humanities Symposium held at Cal State Long Beach in February.
Instead, colleges wanted students who took initiative, delved deeply into their interests and could communicate and collaborate effectively.
“We had a course on campus, Scientific Research, that allowed students to conduct collegiate-level research in a high school setting. Those students were thriving and their college admissions proved it,” Tasha says.
The program’s journey began a decade ago, when Thousand Oaks High School became one of just 11 schools in California tapped by the College Board to pilot AP Capstone. The Center’s founders had already been pioneering research coursework, and when the College Board came out to visit, they were so impressed they recruited Thousand Oaks High as a launch site almost immediately.
“Dr. Nikki Malhotra—who has a PhD in cell biology and biochemistry—was flown to Washington…to work on the design and implementation of the second year course, AP Research,” Tasha recalls.
What makes The Center truly unique is its structure and ethos. Students progress through a carefully crafted sequence designed to set them up for success not just as students, but as thinkers and changemakers. In their first year, they master foundational research and writing skills through the AP Seminar class—choosing topics genuinely meaningful to them.
“The intent is to solve problems all while learning how the world of research and data analysis works,” Dr. Malhotra shares, adding that students can choose one of two pathways: STEM or Humanities and Social Science.
By sophomore and especially junior year, students embark on a year-long independent research project, designing experiments, interviewing experts and collecting original data.
Failure isn’t just allowed—it’s embraced.
“We really emphasize that research and experimentation often don’t go as planned—it’s part of the process on the way to success,” Dr. Malhotra says.
The Center’s curriculum teaches students to “pivot” productively when things go off course, whether that’s a failed experiment or a poorly responded survey. Along the way, every student is matched with a mentor—sometimes from NASA, MIT or the city government—to guide, advise and provide professional-level expertise.
“During The Center class period, students can frequently be seen meeting virtually with mentors and other experts,” says Tasha, emphasizing the real-world networking and communication skills students develop. She also noted that “when we work with students on their college applications, we focus on fit, not the name of the university. Students apply to colleges because the programs within those schools align with the students’ interests. It goes beyond rankings and prestige. It’s really about fit.”
The outcomes are striking. More than 400 students have graduated from The Center since its inception, with over 95% entering 4-year universities immediately after high school. Each student, on average, earns $72,000 in scholarships and merit aid; last year’s class shattered records with $112,882 per graduate.
For families, “If a parent were to hire a private college admissions counselor, they would spend anywhere from $4,000–$9,000 and more for what they are provided in their 3 years in the program,” Tasha says. “We have a 100% acceptance rate to 4-year universities with 96% of students choosing to go to a university rather than a community college.”
The college support and application guidance students receive is personal, extensive and entirely built into the program. All this happens within a public school context, but funding does require creativity.
“Because we are a public school offering a private school experience, we rely on donations and fundraisers to run The Center,” Tasha says. Each family is asked to contribute $400 per year, which goes directly toward student research supplies, competition entry, travel—and even fun extras like pancake breakfasts and a hot chocolate bar inside “The CoRE,” The Center’s research workspace.
And as for future impact? Tasha is clear.
“In the end, we hope the students graduate from college and change lives. We’ve given them the tools to see problems as potential. Potential to make change. To make our world truly better, as cliché as that may sound.”
For anyone curious, The Center invites visitors to tour or stop by Future Lancer Night on December 10th for a firsthand look at this powerful educational experiment in action.
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