Success in College Prep

October 2023 - Sarah Olsen, Character Development Curriculum Administrator

Each year, students across every APA campus celebrate College Week where they learn about different career options and the post-high-school education required to enter those fields. The week usually starts out with a kick-off assembly. Students play college-themed games, learn about different universities in Utah, and they sometimes even get to meet some mascots!

During the week, students attend a College and Career Fair. Parents and relatives of the students are invited to share information about their careers and the education they received to help them get there. Different universities are also invited on campus to give students more information about their programs.

Older Secondary students also get to visit those universities in person and take a tour of their campuses. Each
grade travels to a different college in Utah. They check out the campus, learn about the majors offered, and get a
sneak peek at college life.

APA teachers play a big role in the success of College Week by presenting college-themed lessons and communicating to students the importance of continuing their education. Teachers hang posters outside their classrooms showing where they went to college and some of their favorite memories from their college experience. No matter what students choose to do after high school, College Week encourages our students to be life-long learners!

Click the video below to see our students in action during College Week. 

At its core, American Preparatory Academy is a tuition-free college preparatory school focused on delivering the best education possible to students all over Utah. 

We are excited to celebrate another year of success in the US News & World Report Best High Schools Rankings. American Preparatory Academy Draper 3 campus received a ranking of #1 in College Readiness and increased to #3 Overall Salt Lake City High Schools.

"At APA, Draper 3, we offer 14 AP courses, and we work hard to have an above-average ACT score. Most of the standard courses we offer at APA are honors-level courses that challenge students' daily preparation for college. We also help each of our students apply to the college of their choice, several backup colleges and apply for scholarships. This allows our students to achieve academically and focus on their future endeavors in education. Our focus on academic achievement and character development pairs academic ability and work ethic, making students more able to succeed in any endeavor they choose. Many of our students choose college and are well prepared to take that step." - Brad Sheneman - Draper 3 School Director

Even though challenges in 2020 put a pause on classes, athletics, and graduation celebrations, our American Prep students accomplished lofty goals, served communities, and continued to pursue higher education. 

These are just some of the ways APA is succeeding in preparing our students for the future. 

• 2021 - #1 in College Readiness and the 3rd Best High School program in Utah - US News & World Report
• 2020 - #1 in College Readiness - US News & World Report
• Our APA seniors received over $4.5 million dollars in scholarship awards in 2020. 
• Over 90% of our seniors who graduate enroll in college programs.
• Two of our West Valley students, Jazmin Miramontes and Joseph Anthony Torres, were the recipients of the 2020 Daniels Fund scholarship. This is a comprehensive four-year scholarship that will change the trajectory of these students' futures forever. Learn more about the Daniels Fund program here.
• American Prep students qualified for the National Merit scholarship every year since 2015 with Semi-Finalists in 2015, 2018, and 2019 as well as Finalists in 2018 and 2020. 

American Prep graduates have been accepted to universities all over the country, including the University of Utah, BYU, Utah State University, New York University, Berkley, Cornell, MIT, University of Southern California, UCLA, and many more.  

Click Here to learn about one of our fantastic American Prep alum, Taylor Packer. She exemplifies the American Prep character that our staff strives to nurture in our schools. 

To learn more about our American Prep or to apply, click here. 

To learn more about the US News & World Report High School rankings, click here.