College-preparatory school
Secondary schools focused on preparing students for college.
A college-preparatory school is a type of secondary school designed to prepare students for higher education. Such schools may be public, private independent, or parochial. They are commonly referred to as prep schools, college prep schools, or college prep academies.
Quick Facts
- Type
- Secondary school
- Purpose
- Prepare students for higher education
- Variants
- Public
- private independent
- parochial
Facts from the source article.
Japan
In Japan, college-prep schools are known as shingakukō, meaning a school used to progress into another school. These schools are often prestigious and difficult to enter, with multiple tiers depending on the university they lead to. Japanese prep schools originated as secondary schools for boys after the secondary school law of 1886, later expanding to include girls' secondary schools in 1891 and vocational schools in 1924, all legally regarded as chūtōgakkō.
Graduates from girls' and vocational schools faced additional requirements for college entrance. Most secondary schools were five-year institutions except from 1943 to 1946. The social status of the old-system chūgakkō persisted after the 1947 adoption of the 6-3-3 system. Many shingakukō are six-year schools, often originating from kyūsei chūgakkō, kōtō jogakkō, or university-attached schools.
Pupils take written examinations in sixth grade for admission. Top municipal and high-ranked private senior high schools are also regarded as prep schools. In the 21st century, some regions have trial programs connecting public junior and senior high schools. Tuition at private prep schools, supported by government grants, ranges from 5,000 to 10,000 US dollars per year.
United States
In the United States, college-preparatory schools can be public, private, or charter, and either parochial or secular. Public and charter prep schools are typically linked to a local school district and draw students from the entire district, sometimes offering specialized curricula for specific fields. Others use the label as a promotional tool without distinct programs. Prep schools began before the Civil War, when no public schools existed above the elementary level.
Many colleges established preparatory academies to ready students for college, with some preparatory divisions exceeding college enrollment, as at New York Central College. Unaffiliated preparatory schools also existed, particularly for girls, such as the Columbia Female Academy. Free high school education became widespread in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Surviving prep schools are primarily private, elite institutions with selective admissions and high tuition, serving students aged 13 to 18.
They may be day schools, boarding schools, or both, and co-educational or single-sex; day schools are more common, and co-educational schools have been more common since the 1970s. Tuition in 2014 ranged from $10,000 to over $40,000 per year. Some prep schools are affiliated with a religious denomination, but independent prep schools are not governed by a religious organization and do not require religious instruction. While not subject to government oversight, many are accredited by one of six regional accreditation agencies.
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