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Small school, big dreams, College-ready.

College and Career Readiness at Forte Prep High School

Starting Early, Finishing Strong

An article for the Fall 2026 Forte Prep Newsletter by Christiaan Koop

I recently sat down with Forte Prep High School’s College and Career Team, Ms. Christine Lacey and Ms. Tanjila Sadia, to talk about how Forte Prep prepares students for life after high school. The short answer: it starts the moment they walk in the door as ninth graders.

College and Career Readiness Program

Starting in 9th grade, students at Forte Prep High School work with our College and Career Readiness (CCR) Program. The CCR Team helps students set personal and academic goals, explore their post-high school options, understand what it takes to apply to college, prepare for college entrance exams, navigate the application process, and connect with internships and jobs.

Ninth and tenth grade: building the foundation

Every month, each grade level's advisory runs college and career lessons. Ninth graders start with the basics — what a transcript is, graduation requirements, GPA, and why it matters for college — and take annual college trips. For many students, it's their first time ever stepping onto a college campus.

Tenth graders move into "match and fit" thinking: Do you want an urban, rural, or suburban campus? How much does diversity or location matter to you? It's also when the hands-on work begins — 10th graders are already asking about SATs, PSATs, and how they fit into the college picture.

This early push is paying off. Two Forte Prep students were recently accepted to MS Squared, a highly competitive STEM program at Phillips Andover Academy known as an Ivy-feeder, beating out thousands of applicants.

Junior and senior year: making it real

Eleventh grade is about finalizing college lists and writing essays and personal statements. Preparations are supported by our exclusive Bottom Line partnership. Siobhan from Bottom Line is on campus three days a week, meeting one-on-one with a cohort of juniors and seniors on essays, applications, and financial aid. Over two-thirds of this year's senior class is part of the program — and uniquely, Bottom Line advisors continue supporting students through college, well after high school graduation.

The CCR Team also reinforces to students how important their grades are: “ if you can keep your GPA up, you can go anywhere you want, and there's good financial aid out there.” Colleges ask for mid-year and final reports, and a strong finish gives counselors positive things to highlight in recommendation letters.

Every student applies to the CUNYs, and counselors encourage applying beyond that. As Ms. Lacey put it: "We want the doors open for you. You don't have to walk through them, but the doors should be open." For seniors whose next step isn't college, the team has lined up vocational training and alternative pathways, and every senior gets a transition meeting. No one graduates without a plan.

A college culture the whole school builds

Forte Prep's small size is a big strength in supporting students in choosing their next steps. Advisories are just 8–10 students, so advisors truly know each student and can flag when a student is job-hunting or thinking about a major — which lets counselors connect them to programs. Add the SAT word of the day on homeroom slides and our teacher-led college fair, where staff represent their own alma maters, like NYU and Boston University, and college conversations are happening everywhere, every day.

What families can do

• Talk about college and careers at home. Building that culture early means senior year holds no surprises.

• Encourage extracurriculars and free programs. Opportunities are posted monthly on Google Classroom — including free summer programs that other students pay thousands for. Even a one-day event builds a resume and, just as importantly, helps students discover what they love (or don't).

• Attend events and stay in touch. Advisors are happy to hop on a call or answer an email, even in the busy application season.

College is the focus from ninth grade on — but as Ms. Sadia reminded me, we mean both college ready and career ready. Every student should leave Forte Prep knowing what they're doing next.

Thinking about enrolling your student at Forte Prep? Speak with our team, schedule a tour of our Middle School or High School, or enroll at forteprep.org/enroll