University High School (Tucson)

University High School (UHS) is an accelerated public high school in Tucson, Arizona, originally known as Special Projects High School (SPHS). University High School is in the Tucson Unified School District (TUSD). Its mission statement identifies it as "a special function high school which serves students who are academically focused and intellectually gifted and provides curriculum and social support not offered in the comprehensive high school."

The school does not have its own campus, and currently shares a campus with Rincon High School. This often leads to the comic abbreviation R/U High. University High shared a campus with Tucson High School before moving to Rincon's campus at the beginning of September 1985.

The school mascot is the penguin. When it was known as Special Projects High School, the mascot was the skunk. Both mascots give the school its colors, black and white.

University High participates with Rincon High School on athletic teams. The theater, dance, and music groups (choir, orchestra, and band) are also combined with Rincon High, as well as the school library. Students from both schools are generally able to take classes that are only offered by the other school. Some extracurricular activities are separate between the schools, mostly competitive clubs such as Academic Decathlon, Science Olympiad, Model UN, Mock Trial, and Chess Team. School clubs are commonly open to both Rincon and UHS students.

While UHS is a public school, entry is limited to around 180 students a year selected based upon a combination of an entry exam score and 7th and 8th grade GPAs. Also, unlike most schools, the only students who are admitted after freshman year replace the students who leave.

UHS students graduate after taking a minimum of 4 Advanced Placement (AP) classes, with many opting to take additional AP courses, some even taking up to 14. In 2004 the school had the greatest percentage of students passing the AP exams for United States History, Comparative Politics and English Language of any high school in the world. Also, nearly all of students continue on to college with 50-75% achieving one or more scholarships.

In May 2006, Newsweek named UHS as one of "The Public Elites," schools that, "NEWSWEEK excluded...from the list of Best High Schools because so many of their students score well above average on the SAT and ACT."

Notable traditions/customs
General:
 * April: UHS Film Festival
 * May: Arts Under the Stars
 * May 18-19, 2007: 30-Year All Classes Reunion

Seniors:
 * November: Senior Sale
 * January: Senior Debates/Mock election
 * May: Senior Night, Senior Breakfast
 * Graduating seniors receive a tin of "Penguin" caffeinated mints, a tribute to both the school mascot and the commonality of caffeine consumption among students.

Juniors:
 * Aaron Burr Trial (no longer)
 * Poetry Slam

Sophomores:
 * Sophomore Debate Tournament

Freshman:
 * BOOST Summer Program

Notable alumni

 * Gabrielle Giffords - US Representative from Arizona's 8th district
 * Max Cannon - creator of Red Meat
 * Jessica Grace Wing - composer and film-maker
 * Teague von Bohlen- published novelist (The Pull of the Earth, Ghost Road Press)
 * Mike Fisher - musician; founding member of Machines of Loving Grace and Amish Rake Fight
 * Kaiser Kuo - Founding member of the band Tang Dynasty