Every parent wishes achievement for their teen, right? You want them learn as much as they can, develop passions, and become self-motivated. You know that their interests are surely self-directed, but with a little careful guidance, the subjects that they become most engrossed in can eventually align with rewarding career goals. Why not start thinking about their future now?

Considering a college prep high school for your teen is a choice motivated by thinking ahead and the desire to set your teen up for continued education and success. Beyond thinking ahead, there are many reasons that a college prep high school can be a great decision for your teen. Get informed with these top 4 reasons to consider a college prep high school:

1. Preparation for College Admission Standards

Connecticut River Academy (CTRA) teachers encourage student achievement through the school’s theme-based, college-prep model. Here, we give teens all the tools needed to earn good grades, challenge themselves, test high, and demonstrate competitive GPAs.

The article What Matters Most to Colleges reports on the admissions factors that the National Association for College Admission Counseling deems most important. Top on their list is grades in college prep courses, among strength of curriculum, test scores, and overall GPA. College prep high schools engrain what matters most to colleges in their educational fabric. Schools like Connecticut River Academy not only teach valuable courses, they also demonstrate your teen’s skills to colleges. And with the help of the Academy’s college application process services, each individual student can easily navigate their search for the college that’s right for them.

2. A Theme-Based Curriculum

As an early college high school, Connecticut River Academy offers two areas of study that fall under the theme of Sustainability: Environmental Studies and Advanced Manufacturing. Through hands-on learning opportunities including laboratory, field studies, technology and equipment experience, students get a jump-start on their career path. Empowered by knowledge and experience, our students start to envision themselves in the boots of environmental scientists, engineers, logisticians, advanced manufacturers, and many more related professions. A focused, career-based education is so valuable, and is great reason to consider a college prep high school.

3. Personalized Advising

In a college prep high school like Connecticut River Academy, mentors keep students on track from freshman year through twelfth grade. With personalized advising, the faculty commits to student success and leads a planned approach to carry each student through graduation. Beginning with Grade 9, we teach a Career and College Readiness course and ask each student to set goals and make reflections. In Grade 10, sophomores hone in on their interests, and shadow a mentor who is working in the career field that they are investigating. In 11th grade, juniors present their career plans, and in their final year, they create a Capstone portfolio, which is reviewed by the CTRA community. Not to mention that for every single day, all four years at the Academy, students meet daily with their advisors. This dedication to advising and guidance makes this college prep high school and its graduates stand out. Teens transition into college both socially and academically empowered. Read further about the highly effective Individual Student Success Plans at CTRA.

4. Earning Transferable College Credits while in High School

The thought of affording college can be daunting for some students. In considering a four-year degree, or even a two-year degree, high schoolers and their families discover that the financial investment in higher education can be substantial and long-lasting. Connecticut River Academy aims to ease a little of that mental and fiscal pressure by offering students the opportunity to earn up to 30 tuition-free, transferable college credits in high school.

In earning a bachelor’s degree, most programs expect college students to achieve 120 class credits. So when a Connecticut River Academy graduate brings 30 transferable credits that they earned in high school to college, the cost of college can get cut by one fourth. Depending on your teen’s college choice (public in-state, public out-of-state, or private), their high school achievements could save between approximately $19,000 and $42,500.

Credits earned early and applied to college also help students with college achievement. For instance, students can take fewer credits per semester, allowing them to focus more closely on homework and absorbing information. With more room in their schedules, students are able to take elective classes, which are so crucial for exploration beyond one’s major. Lastly, students may be able to graduate early, saving them more time and money. A college prep high school truly offers students a college advantage.

At Connecticut River Academy, each student is guided carefully through their high school experience, the whole while keeping a focus on college prep. This strong foundation spells out all of the steps to success: a theme-based educational model, guidance through the college application process, personalized success plans, and transferable college credits. Connecticut River Academy puts post-secondary education on your teenager’s horizon, and makes a college education both tangible and achievable.

To learn more about Connecticut River Academy or the magnet schools at Goodwin College, please sign up for a parent information session.