Urban Prep Academies

🎒 Recruitment season is in full swing at Urban Prep Academies! Our incredible high school ambassadors are out connecting with future Urban Prep students — inspiring the next generation of young men to be college ready, community minded, and globally competitive. 🙌🏾

We’re gearing up for the Class of 2030 — the future of Urban Prep starts now! 💪🏾✨

📍New students: Don’t forget to select “Urban Prep Academies” on your GoCPS application!

100% Not Like Us: Urban Prep Celebrates 16 Years of 100% College Acceptance

For the 16th consecutive year, 100% of Urban Prep’s seniors have been accepted into four-year colleges and universities—an extraordinary milestone that showcases the relentless determination, academic excellence, and unmatched character of these young Black men.

On May 6, 2025, students from Urban Prep’s Englewood and Bronzeville Campuses took over Daley Plaza for our Annual College Signing Day—a signature celebration and one of the most anticipated events in the Urban Prep calendar.

While National Signing Day typically highlights athletic commitments, Urban Prep has redefined the tradition—centering it around academic achievement and the transformative power of higher education.

Our seniors proudly announced their college decisions, each placing a cap on their head representing the institution they will attend. The plaza erupted with applause—classmates, families, alumni, faculty, and city leaders united in a moment of joy, pride, and triumph.

Each graduating class selects a theme that embodies its collective spirit. The Class of 2025 chose:

“100% Not Like Us”
A bold declaration of identity and excellence.

"100% Not Like Us" reflects who these young men are—unapologetically confident, uniquely driven, and fiercely prepared. They shatter expectations, challenge stereotypes, and rewrite the narrative. They are not defined by statistics—they redefine them.

With every cap placed, every school announced, and every cheer from the crowd, these graduates reminded the world:
They are scholars.
They are leaders.
They are Urban Prep.

These young men have faced challenges with strength, walked with pride, and never lost sight of their goals. They’ve embodied Urban Prep’s core values and now step into the future—bold, ready, and unstoppable.

Congratulations to the Class of 2025.
You’ve shown the world you are 100% Not Like Us—and we wouldn’t have it any other way.

We Believe.