The Center for Advanced Studies and Research at Thousand Oaks High School

What The Center for Advanced Studies and Research at Thousand Oaks High School does

The Center for Advanced Studies and Research at Thousand Oaks High School is a specialized AP Capstone program embedded within Thousand Oaks High School, part of the Conejo Valley Unified School District in Thousand Oaks, California. Founded in 2014-2015 and graduating its first cohort in 2016, the program delivers a four-year academic track comprising AP Seminar in the sophomore year, AP Research in the junior year (split into STEM and Humanities/Social Sciences pathways), and a Senior Culminating Experience in the senior year that includes AP English Literature and a Regeneron Science Talent Search entry. Admission is selective, requiring a minimum 3.6 GPA, PSAT scores at or above the 75th percentile, and honors/AP enrollment, with applications open to TOHS freshmen and external candidates. The supporting infrastructure includes the CoRE Innovation Lab (Anatomage Table, Promethean Table, 3D printer, VR headset, wet lab, and AV conferencing), a Community Mentor Program matching students with industry professionals, and College Planning Services led by a dedicated College Advisor.

The program operates as a non-commercial public school entity and generates no tuition revenue. Its discretionary funding flows through the Center Parent Network booster club, which is tax-exempt under The Lancer Booster Club (Tax ID 95-6153775) and collects a suggested $500 per student per school year plus proceeds from fundraising events such as the annual Share Our Vision auction. Recurring technology integrations include the College Board Digital Portfolio for AP Capstone submissions, Turnitin for plagiarism review, Canvas LMS, Zoom for parent meetings, PayPal for donation processing, and paid/free academic databases (ScienceDirect, EBSCOhost, City of Thousand Oaks Library resources). The program does not offer any commercial product, API, or external technology offering and does not pursue outside capital.

The Center has produced 475 cumulative graduates, with the Class of 2025 reporting 33 graduates, a 4.39 average GPA, and $3.7M in scholarship and merit aid. Student outcomes include Harvard, Yale, UCLA, UC Berkeley, Northwestern, and Johns Hopkins placements; Regeneron International Science Fair 3rd place in the Biomedical Category (2024) and CIA Special Award (2023); and a Top 40 Regeneron Science Talent Search honor (2024). Because the entity is a public school program rather than a commercial enterprise, conventional revenue, growth, and customer-base metrics do not apply in the PE/VC sense, and the analysis throughout reflects that structural reality.

Name

The Center for Advanced Studies and Research at Thousand Oaks High School

Legal name

The Center for Advanced Studies and Research at Thousand Oaks High School

Website

https://tohsthecenter.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Center for Advanced Studies and Research is a College Board-approved AP Capstone program within Thousand Oaks High School that delivers a four-year research-focused track (AP Seminar, AP Research, Senior Culminating Experience) to a selective cohort of high-achieving high school students, supported by a CoRE Innovation Lab, mentor network, and parent-funded booster structure.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Secondary Education Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

STEM Research & Inquiry Programs (Research Mentorship, Science Fair Prep) (EDAMABAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Research, Capstone & Extended Essay Mentoring (IB EE, independent research) (EDANAKAH)

Keywords

• College preparatory program
• Advanced placement courses
• Stem education programs
• Humanities research program
• Academic mentorship program

Headquarters

HQ city

Thousand Oaks

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Parent Donations: The Center Parent Network booster club collects $500 per student per school year to support student needs, supplies, and educational experiences not covered by CVUSD funding
2. Fundraising Events: Center Parent Network conducts fundraising events throughout the year including the annual Share Our Vision auction event to raise funds for student research projects and program components

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Center for Advanced Studies and Research is a specialized multi-year AP Capstone academic program within Thousand Oaks High School. Students enroll as sophomores in AP Seminar, proceed to AP Research (STEM or Humanities pathway) as juniors, and complete a Senior Culminating Experience including AP English Literature and Regeneron Science Talent Search preparation. The program includes access to the CoRE Innovation Lab, mentor matching with industry professionals, in-house college application assistance, and prepares students to earn the AP Capstone Certificate or Diploma.

Product overview

The Center for Advanced Studies and Research is a rigorous AP Capstone program structured as a multi-year academic track within Thousand Oaks High School. The core program consists of AP Seminar (sophomore year), AP Research (junior year with STEM and Humanities pathways), and the Senior Culminating Experience (senior year with AP English Literature). Supporting the academic curriculum are facility offerings including The CoRE Innovation Lab with advanced research equipment, a Mentor Program connecting students with industry professionals, College Planning Services with dedicated advising, the Center Parent Network for fundraising and community support, and the annual Festival of Scholars showcase event. Students can earn the AP Capstone Certificate or AP Capstone Diploma upon completion.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The CoRE Lab: The CoRE (Center for Research and Engineering) Innovation Lab serves as a space for students to collaborate with peers and mentors, both locally and abroad. It hosts AP Seminar and AP Research student presentations and is equipped with a Promethean Table, 3D printer, VR headset, and audio/visual conferencing equipment.
• Center Parent Network
• The Hub

Products and services

• AP Seminar Foundational sophomore-year course engaging students in cross-curricular conversations exploring academic and real-world topics through analysis of divergent perspectives, using an inquiry framework to practice reading, writing, and oral presentations. Required for all Center students.
• AP Research Advanced junior-year capstone course offered in two pathways (STEM and Humanities/Social Sciences) requiring students to conduct original 4,000-5,000 word research projects with expert mentors and defend before a panel of evaluators.
• Senior Culminating Experience

Quantifiable outcome

• 33 graduates in Class of 2025 with $3,725,109 in scholarship and merit aid
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• College BoardcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014College Board recognized the advanced level of student work and worked with Dr. Maholtra's research class to embed AP Seminar and AP Research into the program. The Center was selected as one of only 11 schools in California and 139 schools worldwide to offer these AP Capstone courses.
• Moorpark CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPlanning to offer Anatomy course in conjunction with Moorpark College, utilizing their educational partnership for dual enrollment opportunities
• The Lancer Booster ClubcoreOthersThe Center Parent Network operates under the umbrella of The Lancer Booster Club, which holds the tax-exempt status (Tax ID 95-6153775) for donations
• Community Mentors (Professionals)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessionals from various industries volunteer as mentors, answering student questions, providing feedback and insight, helping with research, brainstorming, and networking. The program actively recruits and matches students with specialist advisers.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Direct peers

• Troy High School (Fullerton): California public high school offering AP Capstone and known for its strong STEM and research program. Comparable in offering AP Seminar/AP Research, public school setting, and competitive admissions profile.
• Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology: Public magnet high school in Fairfax County, Virginia, widely recognized as a top STEM-focused public school. Comparable to The Center in mission, student demographic, and research-driven academic culture, though it operates as a full magnet school rather than a program within a comprehensive high school.
• Monta Vista High School: California public high school in Cupertino offering an AP Capstone program. Closest geographic and structural peer—a program-within-a-school in the same state with comparable admissions selectivity and STEM/research emphasis.
• Lynbrook High School: San Jose, California public high school with an established AP Capstone program and strong STEM research track record. Comparable in structure, location, and student outcomes to The Center.

Broad incumbents

• Bronx High School of Science: Iconic public specialized high school in New York City focused on math and science. Comparable in producing Westinghouse/Regeneron Science Talent Search winners and STEM-focused outcomes, though much larger and a standalone specialized school.
• Stuyvesant High School: Elite public specialized high school in New York City with a strong STEM and research focus. Comparable in producing top-tier university admittees and research recognition, but operates as a citywide selective school rather than a program within a comprehensive high school.
• BASIS Charter Schools: Network of high-performing public charter schools with a STEM-heavy, college-prep curriculum. Comparable in producing strong academic outcomes and university placements, but as a multi-site charter network rather than a single public school program.

Regional players

• Palo Alto High School: California public high school with rigorous AP course offerings and a strong college-prep culture. Comparable in California public school context, academic outcomes, and feeder profile, though without The Center's specialized AP Capstone program structure.
• Mira Costa High School: Manhattan Beach, California public high school with an AP Capstone program. Comparable as another Southern California AP Capstone school serving high-achieving students, though The Center's research lab infrastructure may exceed Mira Costa's.
• University High School (Irvine): California public high school consistently ranked among the state's top schools for academic outcomes and university placements. Comparable as a high-achieving California public school, though without The Center's formalized AP Capstone research program branding.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/centerscholars
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-center-for-advanced-studies-and-research-at-thousand-oaks-high-school

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Center for Advanced Studies and Research at Thousand Oaks High School