Harvard Accepts Trio From Westlake High

Westlake High School senior Esther Yoo thought her brother had been in some kind of accident, the way her mother yanked her out of the school newspaper office.

“It looked like she was about to cry,” said the 17-year-old.

But those were tears of joy.

Esther was one of three students from Westlake High--believed to be the most from any one public school in Southern California--to be accepted early at Harvard University, guidance counselor Martha Aggazzotti said Thursday.

Neither Esther, nor the other two seniors, Sarah Koppel and Erin Sheley, have made a final decision where they will go, mostly because of financial considerations. But all said they were thrilled at being accepted.

Only about five Westlake students in the last 10 years have been accepted to the Cambridge, Mass., school, Westlake officials said.

High schools in the Conejo Valley Unified School District track their early acceptance offers individually, and there is no way to tell at this point how many students were accepted to which university, said Chuck Eklund, director of secondary education.

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He said he has not heard of any other early admissions to Harvard, or any other college for that matter, from any other school other than Westlake High.

Three Harvard early acceptances is an “extraordinary” occurrence, Eklund said.

“I never heard of this happening in the past,” he said. Most students will be looking in their mailboxes for “fat or thin envelopes” during the regular admission period of February and March, he added.

“When I opened the letter and saw the words, ‘I am delighted . . . ‘ I started crying,” said Erin, a theater star and yearbook editor who said she would major in English at Harvard.

Also, two Westlake High students received early admission letters from Brown University and one from Stanford University.

“We were so excited,” Aggazzotti said. “These are all great kids.”

The good news comes at an especially opportune time for Westlake High, which for the past few weeks has been rocked by news of a hazing scandal on its wrestling team.

Several team members were accused of sexually hazing other students with a mop handle they nicknamed “Pedro,” activity that led to the cancellation of the wrestling season and a criminal investigation.

Sheriff’s deputies say they do not expect to make any arrests in the case.

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Principal Curt Luft expressed his pleasure over the college-bound students, and the school that helped them achieve their academic successes at a Wednesday Parent-Teacher-Student Assn. meeting.

“It’s nice to know our academic standards are recognized and our children’s hard work is recognized,” he told a room full of parents. “And for you parents, your agony of waiting is now over.”