FAQ

Fall

Middle and Upper School Boys and Girls Cross Country, Middle and Upper School Girls Volleyball, Middle School Boys and Girls and Upper School Girls Soccer, Upper School Boys Tennis, and Upper School Boys Ultimate

Winter

Middle and Upper School Boys and Girls Basketball

Spring

Upper School Girls Tennis, Middle and Upper School Boys and Girls Track and Field, Middle School Boys and Girls Ultimate, Upper School Girls Ultimate, Middle and Upper School Girls Softball, Middle and Upper School Boys Baseball, and Upper School Boys Soccer

When considering applicants, our admission teams look for a variety of personal qualities. We pay particular attention to students who show potential for academic success in our college preparatory program, manifest a commitment to learning, will assume personal responsibility for making a positive contribution to the school community, and will respect the dignity of others and their surroundings. Success at UPrep typically comes to college-bound students who can profit from a school that offers small classes and close working relationships between students and teachers.

The application season runs from September 2017 through Thursday, January 11, 2018. During this time, candidates should complete the Preliminary Application form and return it with the required application fee no later than Thursday, December 7, 2017. Applying online allows you secure access to check the status of the application throughout the admission process, including online access to your child’s Upper School admission decision on February 23, 2018 or your child’s Middle School admission decision on March 16, 2018. The Parent Statement and Student Essays should be completed as soon as possible. Applicants are required to visit the school. During the visit, applicants observe classes, meet teachers and current students, and get an overall sense of the school. Parents/guardians are also strongly encouraged to tour the school during their child’s visit day. The ISEE or SSAT, two teacher evaluations (one from a current English teacher and one from a current mathematics teacher), and an interview with the applicant are required to complete the process. Upper School admission decision letters will be mailed on Thursday, February 22, 2018 and Middle School admission decision letters will be mailed on Thursday, March 15, 2018. Upper School applicants have until Tuesday, March 6, 2018 to make a decision regarding enrollment and Middle School applicants have until Tuesday, March 27, 2018 to make a decision regarding enrollment.

Yes. University Prep’s college counseling program begins in the junior year. Juniors and seniors participate in individualized conferences with the college counselors. Throughout the school year, college representatives visit campus and talk with interested students.

Yes. The best time for families to visit is during our evening Open Houses, held October 26 and November 16, 2017 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. This gives prospective parents and students an opportunity to tour the campus and talk with students, faculty, administration, and current parents. Please arrive early to allow sufficient time for parking. Heavy refreshments are provided and no RSVP is required attend Open House.

Our students come from all over the greater Seattle/Eastside area and they choose a variety of ways to travel to and from school. Walking, riding bicycles, carpooling, and Metro custom bus routes servicing specific neighborhoods are popular methods of transportation. We also encourage carpooling through our secure, online Pogo app. Families can access a zip code directory to assist with carpooling.

The Independent School Entrance Exam (ISEE) and the Secondary School Admission Test (SSAT) are administered for admission purposes. Students are only required to take one test, not both! They both provide a baseline for all who apply because it is the only common piece of information we have for all applicants. The tests are also useful in placing students in classes. Test registration materials can be obtained online at www.iseetest.org and www.ssat.org.

UPrep is accredited by the Northwest Association of Independent Schools (NWAIS). The association accredits independent elementary and secondary schools in Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Washington. Accreditation of an institution by NWAIS indicates that it meets or exceeds the association’s criteria for the assessment of institutional quality periodically. An accredited school is one which has the necessary resources to achieve its stated mission through appropriate educational programs, is substantially doing so, and gives reasonable evidence that it will continue to do so in the foreseeable future. Institutional integrity is also addressed through accreditation. The NWAIS accreditation program has been awarded national recognition by the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS).

University Prep values neurodiversity and considers applications from all types of learners. Please include in the Parent Statement any information about learning support needs. Also, please send any private test results, psychological or educational assessments to admissionoffice@universityprep.org. Please contact Shannon Salverda, our Director of Learning Support, at 206.525.2714 ext. 205 or ssalverda@universityprep.org, with any questions you may have. If you do not wish to submit such information, please understand that your application will be considered without regard to any specific supports that might benefit your student. We offer a one-on-one, Orton-Gillingham based, Learning Pathways Program for students with language-based learning differences. Typically, students meet with Learning Pathways teachers one class period out of seven. The program is limited in the number of students it can serve, and has an additional cost of $11,700 for 2017-2018.

University Prep offers a wide range of opportunities to volunteer and engage in the school community in elected positions, on committees or with events. All parents/guardians are encouraged to find ways to participate that align with their family’s interests and schedules. Each spring a parent/guardian volunteer survey is made available for families to indicate areas in which they want to contribute to the life of the school.

Parents/guardians have the opportunity to participate with class activities, act as guest speakers, assist with on campus events such as First Day Coffee, Founders Day, Grandparents Day and Admission tours. In addition, some parents/guardians may be invited to join the Board of Trustees, which is responsible for the governance of the school.

The admission teams, consisting of faculty and administrators, read applicants’ folders and evaluate candidates in light of all information collected. The final admission decision is based on the candidate’s potential for academic excellence, commitment to learning, respect for others, and willingness to make a positive contribution to the school community. We strive to ensure that each student has the greatest chance for success in our program, asking whether University Prep is the best match for each candidate’s needs. Financial aid allocations are made by a separate committee. Upper School admission decision letters will be mailed on Thursday, February 22, 2018 and Middle School admission decision letters will be mailed Thursday, March 15, 2018.

The UPrep community engages in fundraising activities to enhance and ensure that we maintain the margin of excellence in all of our programs. Each fall, our entire community comes together to support the Puma Fund, which contributes more than $700,000 annually to our operating budget. UPrep invites all current families, as well as board members, alumni and alumni parents, grandparents, faculty, staff, and friends of the school to participate by supporting the Puma Fund at a level that is meaningful to them. The Puma Fund unlocks the potential of our students and makes exceptional learning possible by providing for field trips, no-cut sports teams, lab equipment, music competitions, student clubs and our comprehensive financial aid program.

In addition to the Puma Fund, UPrep hosts the annual #WeAreUPrep event in March. This community-wide celebration features a program of student performances and speakers, and provides an opportunity for our UPrep community to help make our mission of equity, access, and inclusion a reality for every student by supporting our Financial Aid Endowment.

UPrep also conducts multi-year campaigns as needed to fund important organizational priorities, such as facilities improvement or endowment, as determined by the Board of Trustees.

No. In addition to the qualities listed above, the admission teams consider a variety of factors, including gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic background, and sibling status when making decisions. Because the teams seek to balance each class, we are unable to accept all siblings. However, we offer an early admission process to sibling applicants whereby they receive their admission decisions in mid-December.

The fee covers special trips, theater tickets, accident insurance, laboratory fees, technology fees, art fees, student publication fees, etc. This annual fee is not used for textbooks, which cost extra.

We consider international students for long-term only placement at UPrep. We do not offer boarding or English Language Learning services. Therefore, we require international students to live with a family member while enrolled in our program and English proficiency is a consideration in the admission process. Limited financial assistance is available. International students should submit an application following the same deadlines as local students. The Admission Office manages F-1 Visas.

Yes. University Prep is committed to an economically diverse student body. Therefore, we provide financial aid (FA) to families on the basis of need. Need is determined by a process designed by School and Student Services by the National Association of Independent Schools (SSS by NAIS) and our own Financial Aid Committee. Approximately 15% of our student body receives aid. FA application information can be found here. To learn more about UPrep's Financial Aid Program, please attend our FA Information Evening on Wednesday, January 10, 2018 at 6:00 p.m. in our Library. Dinner is provided and RSVP is required.

Admission decisions and financial aid awards are made independently. Contact the Associate Director of Financial Aid at financialaid@universityprep.org if you have questions.

Students who are placed in our wait pool are qualified alternates, but have not been accepted because of limited space. Should a vacancy occur, the team will look at all alternate candidates and select a member from the group to fill the space. Our wait pool is not a ranked list.

No. We are unable to share the specific reasons that lead us to make admission decisions. Because many candidates are qualified for our program, decisions are often difficult to make. Those accepted are simply slightly better matched for our program. Furthermore, applicants’ folders contain confidential information that may not be disclosed.

School hours are 8:25 a.m. to 2:55 p.m., after which athletics and other after-school activities begin. Middle School students may access our after school check-in program from 3:00 - 6:00 p.m. daily at no additional cost. Main Office hours during the school year are 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Enrollment is approximately 560 students in grades 6 through 12. Core class size ranges from 16 to 18 students. Electives vary and may be smaller.

The majority of our teachers hold advanced degrees and are involved in continuing education. Our accomplished faculty have rich backgrounds in their respective fields and manifest genuine interest in their students. Faculty also spend a great deal of time with students in co-curricular activities.

Upper School: Students receive traditional letter grades (A-E) four times a year which include an interim quarter grade in the middle of each semester and the final semester grade which is reflected on the transcript. Teachers make use of a variety of assessment techniques, both formative and summative, throughout the year including, but not limited to, tests, quizzes, projects, papers, and surveys.

Middle School: Students are assessed each quarter. All four quarter report cards constitute the transcript in Middle School and each report reflects progress made during the marking period. The report card has a course-specific checklist for each subject. Each criterion on the checklist is graded using the E, M, W, N system outlined below. At the first and third quarters, teachers write a narrative report in addition to the checklist. During the second and fourth quarters, advisors prepare students to lead parent conferences and attend them as well.

E = Exceeds expectations in this area. Student is able to go above and beyond what was taught explaining patterns and ideas that are explicit and inferred.

M = Meets expectations in this area. Student is able to handle more complex ideas, concepts and skills.

W = Working to meet expectations. Student is working at grade level with help, the student understands some or most of the concepts, skills and processes of the course.

N = Does not meet expectations. Even with help, this student shows no or only partial understanding of the simpler concepts and skills.

In addition to enjoying small classes and close working relationships with teachers, students excel in a warm, caring atmosphere that allows for individualized attention. At the beginning of each school year, we assign to each student a personal advisor from among the faculty and staff. Advisors meet with students regularly and follow their progress. When necessary, advisors confer with students, teachers, and parents. Parents are encouraged to contact their child’s advisor whenever they have concerns.

This year, activities include Student Government, Mock Trial, Debate Team, S.T.E.M. Clubs, Students of Service, Opera Club, Creative Arts Society, Language Honor Societies, Multicultural Student Alliance, Gender Equity Club, Affinity Groups, Tailgate Club, Random Acts of Kindness Club, Politics Club, Sports Clubs, Game Clubs, Dance Club, Yoga Club, Robotics Club, Music Clubs, Book Club, Writer’s Circle, and many more. In addition, we also offer a Friday Night Ski Program in the winter. These programs provide each student with the opportunity to participate in activities throughout the year.