and homecoming skits, are also now held near the tennis courts. On Club Food Day, participating clubs set up tables and fundraise by selling food and drinks. Spirit Weeks, week-long events put on by the Associated Student Body (ASB), were also held in the quad. Spirit weeks culminate in a school-wide rally at the end of the week, located in the main gym. While the bleachers in the main gym were being replaced, rallies were held outdoors in the quad. Academics Lynbrook has widely been known for consistently being one of the top 20 academic high schools in California for several years. Lynbrook's academic reputation has also influenced the real estate market in the surrounding neighborhood, causing home prices to rise higher than other neighborhoods in the San Jose area. As of 2011, Lynbrook High School's base Academic Performance Index (API) is 943, which is 201 points higher than the state average for high schools, and is similar to those of Saratoga, Mission San Jose, and Monta Vista. The API ranking for Lynbrook High School is 19 out of 19, which is the best rating possible for any school, and its similar-schools API ranking is 9 out of 10. In 2008, Lynbrook was ranked 6th out of all public schools in the state of California, excluding magnet schools, based on API scores. In 2009, the U.S. News & World Report ranked Lynbrook as the 98th best high school in the United States. In 2007, the school scored a 10 out of 10 in both API Statewide and Similar School ranking. Lynbrook students consistently receive high marks on standardized exams, including the SAT and Advanced Placement Exams. A report of public and private high schools by Business Insider and Niche ranked the students' average SAT/ACT scores as 7th nationwide. The Los Angeles Times ranked Lynbrook first among all public high schools in California using a similar metric. On the SAT Reasoning Test, the mean critical reading score for the class of 2012 was 636/800, the mean writing score was 668/800, and the mean mathematics score was 696/800. The mean composite score on the SAT was a 2000/2400. Out of 1585 tests taken by 672 students who took Advanced Placement Exams in May 2012, 57% scored a 5, the highest score possible, and 94% of the people passed by scoring a 3 or higher. Lynbrook produced 62 National Merit semifinalists, and 93