College Prep
The Urban Academy curriculum is designed to prepare students for college. Our seminar/discussion-based classes get students asking questions, building arguments based on evidence, analyzing, writing and re-writing, exactly the skills that college classes demand.
Our graduation requirements, “proficiencies" (see Performance Assessment), are calibrated to college-level skills, meaning that students who graduate from Urban are already doing college-level work.
Personalized Attention
Our college counselors each handle fewer than 20 students, which makes it possible to provide a great deal of one-on-one attention to each senior.
Beyond the academic preparation, we have designed a college-going curriculum that makes college seem familiar and possible for all. Our curriculum includes:
- College Exploration: Trips to local colleges (and sometimes overnight trips a little further away) every semester.
- Writing Workshops: Personal essay writing workshops in which students create and revise their application essays.
- Dedicated Counseling: College counseling with the college advisors, beginning the second semester of junior year and continuing through the senior year.
- Financial Planning: Financial aid counseling with our trained financial aid specialist.
Quote from a Parent
I'm the parent of a student who graduated from Urban Academy in 2025 and is now thriving at (and was very well prepared for!) the small liberal arts college he's attending. My son got great support during the college application process. The counselors truly know the students they are advising and writing recommendations for. My son was fortunate to get into a number of wonderful schools and I was impressed to see a great range of colleges and post grad plans for his classmates.
Our Results
All the hard work paid off! See the list of colleges Urban students attend post graduation.
