Admissions FAQ

For more information on our online application process, click HERE.

Please contact our Associate Director of Admission and Financial Aid Doug Moon at financialaid@universityprep.org.

For an application to be considered complete and ready for review it must have:

• Initial Application form
• Student Activities and Interests Form
• Student essay
• Parent/Guardian statement
• Transcripts
• Teacher Evaluation forms
• Administrator form
• Standardized testing; see UPrep's test flexible policy
• Student assessment
• Parent/Guardian meeting (optional)

For admission consideration all items must be submitted by the deadline: January 16, 2025.

In order to remove language barriers, UPrep offers free translation and interpretation support for all families. We can assist with translations of written documents and interpretation for communication over the phone and in virtual meetings. For more information or to request access to these services, please reach out to Taylor Kanemori, Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging, via tkanemori@universityprep.org or contact your student’s advisor.

The admission season runs from early September through late February for Upper School applicants and through late March for Middle School applicants. Both the Initial Application form and all additional application materials can be found online HERE.

All applicants (students) participate in an in-person student assessment led by UPrep faculty. Student assessments happen from November through early Februrary and can be scheduled online HERE.

Upper School Decisions will be posted at noon on Friday, February 21, 2025. Families will have until noon on Friday, February 28, 2025 to inform UPrep of their decision, sign their enrollment contract, and pay their tuition deposit.

Middle School Decisions will be posted at noon on Friday, March 21, 2025. Families have until noon on Friday, March 28, 2025 to inform UPrep of their decision, sign their enrollment contract, and pay their tuition deposit.

The admission teams, consisting of faculty and administrators, evaluate candidates on all information collected. The final admission decision is based on the candidate’s potential for academic success, 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 UPrep is the best match for each candidate’s needs.

Yes, we have campus tours available for all parents/guardians and encourage applicants to attend with their family. These visits will be hosted by our director of enrollment management and Admission Team. We also offer two in-person open houses and many other events for prospective families. All event sign-ups can be found in the online admission portal, Ravenna.

UPrep is located in northeast Seattle's Wedgwood neighborhood, but our students come from throughout King and Snohomish Counties. We value geographic diversity and provide a Custom Metro Bus service (in partnership with Lakeside School) that connects UPrep to neighborhoods and transportation hubs across the city. Each year, approximately 25 percent of our students commute to school using our Custom Metro Bus or other public transportation.

UPrep is also conveniently located close to several regular Metro bus routes, including the 372, 65, 62, 73, and 79. The Metro route 79 provides a direct connection to the Roosevelt Light Rail Station and route 372 provides a direct connection to the UW and UDistrict Light Rail Stations.

Parking is available on and around campus for Upper School students who drive to school, and secure bike rack parking and bike repair kits are also provided.

Click HERE for additional information on transportation options.

We value neurodiversity and consider applications from all types of learners. You are welcome to provide any information about learning support needs in your application. If you wish to submit test results, psychological, or educational assessments, please email admissionoffice@universityprep.org. Any optional information you provide will be used to better understand what supports might benefit your student. More information about our Integrated Learning Program is found HERE.

If your student is not admitted to UPrep, they may be invited to join the wait pool. Students who are invited to the wait pool are not automatically added—you must opt in. Students invited to the wait pool are qualified alternates, but have not been accepted because of limited space. Should a space open up, our admission office will contact a member from the wait pool and offer them the vacancy. Please note: our wait pool is not ranked.

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.

We offer an early admission process to sibling applicants who are applying to 6th and 9th grades whereby they receive their admission decisions in mid-December. Learn more.

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 legal parent or guardian while enrolled in our program and English proficiency is a consideration in the admission process. International students should submit an application following the same deadlines as local students. UPrep does not issue the form I-20. Learn more. 

UPrep does not accept applications for mid-year admission. We invite you to apply for admission for the following school year. 

UPrep has a deep and long-standing relationship with Rainier Scholars, which began shortly after the organization’s inception in 2002.

UPrep currently has more than 30 Rainier Scholars enrolled, more than any other independent school of similar size.

To date, over 60 Rainier Scholars have graduated from UPrep and gone on to excellent colleges across the nation. We encourage scholar families to connect with our Assistant Director for Outreach and Engagement, Chuck Goodman, to learn more about UPrep.

Click HERE for information on our schedule.

We have a six block rotating schedule. This allows our students to slow down the pace of their day and engage in 70-minute classes, with only one point in the day in which there are two classes back-to-back.

Community Time changes depending on the day and is filled with long advisory, assemblies, club blocks, office hours, study halls, and grade-specific activities and events throughout the week.

There are around 300 students in the Middle School and around 400 students in the Upper School. A typical classroom size is 16 to 18 students.

In addition to our no-cut, participation-based athletic program, students have the opportunity to run for student government, participate in Debate or Mock Trial, join or lead student-created clubs, compete on our Robotics teams, build community in affinity groups, hit the slopes with Ski Club, adventure with our Global and Outdoor Education Programs, and more. 

Click HERE.

All Middle School students must purchase a Chromebook for use at UPrep. Additionally, Middle School students may not use a cell phone during the school day. Upper School students must purchase a laptop of their choice. Upper School students have more privileges for cell phone use; however, cell phones should not be used during class. Financial assistance may be available for Chromebooks and laptops. Families are responsible for lost or damages devices. 

All new students have the option of taking a math placement test to determine their appropriate level of study. Our math placement test is designed to determine mastery of mathematical concepts, and the results are used to decide placement. Please note we do not allow retakes of this test. 

UPrep is a college prep school, with 100% of our graduates attending college. Our faculty design courses that foster intellectual curiosity, critical thinking and depth. The AP and IB are standardized programs that do not fit within this teaching philosophy. However, each year, UPrep students elect to take the AP exams, and 91% of our students score a three or higher.