So, I gather that the interest in this topic is for those looking for a top-performing public California high school for their child who are using number of Cal admittances as a barometer of quality? You run the risk of fighting with 50 or 60 top students for acceptances as many colleges look at your ranking among your fellow students at that HS. That’s an enormous amount of pressure for a kid - the HS curriculum is already tougher. Now you have to worry about whether you should take that 12th AP class so as to keep up with that top group of kids? I dunno - my D went to a middle-of-the-road public, was one of 4 valedictorians (not 50+, like at a nearby select HS) with only 6 AP classes and got into Cal where she is a STEM junior with a great GPA. I get the allure of wanting to have the best education you can manage for your child, but YMMV when it comes to college acceptances.