Current students share what they love about our school

Why do students choose to attend University Prep? Each year, prospective students compare schools. UPrep stands out to some, but their reasons vary.

“When you ask people what makes UPrep unique, [the answer] is very specific to the person,” Director of Enrollment Kathy Mitchell O’Neal said.

For Sophomore Michael Lu, it was our elective program. “I don’t know how many [other schools] incorporate things like drama, stagecraft and Science Olympiad into a class,” he said.

Talking to prospective students and parents also reveals what’s different about UPrep, as they’re trying to figure out what makes UPrep unique from other schools. Prospective parent Brent Stiefel has UPrep as his first choice for his child. “It has the best of combination of curriculum, campus, athletics, science and technology versus basic regular classes,” Stiefel said. It’s often more than one thing that distinguishes UPrep from the other Seattle area schools.

In the past, UPrep worked with a communications company to identify our “brand attributes.” How does UPrep stand out in a crowd? The company identified “three attributes that rose to the top…[UPrep has an] inspiring education that asks students to dig deep. We have an extraordinary relationship betweens students and teachers and we have this warm, inviting, inclusive community” O’Neal said.

But are these attributes unique to UPrep? Senior Blythe Eickerman believes they are. “Not a ton of other schools have this same sort of community and support that I feel here,” Eickerman said.

However, other schools also have great communities. Junior at Bishop Blanchet Ella Di Pietro thinks that her school’s community is what makes Bishop Blanchet stand out to her. What differentiates Bishop Blanchet is “the sense of community and overall spirit,” she said.

This is true at Northwest as well. Northwest freshman Aki Fairbanks believes that what makes Northwest different from other schools is its great community. “The community is very friendly and open and ready to accept people,” he said.

O’Neal believes that there isn’t just one thing that can separate UPrep from other schools. “I think often times families or students are looking for that one thing that we do that no one else does. And the reality is, I don’t think that those things exist,” she said.

Due to this, it’s hard to identify what makes UPrep different from other schools, especially independent schools. “[UPrep] is relatively similar to other private schools in the area,” Lu said. There are many reasons why UPrep is special, all in all, what makes it special is whatever makes it special to you.

By Aaron Igra