Prep for Prep

History

Prep for Prep was founded in 1978 by Gary Simons, a public-school teacher in the Bronx, starting with 25 students from diverse and low-income backgrounds and three teachers known as "Contingent I". During Prep for Prep's first year, eleven independent schools committed places for its students and 22 students matriculated from those schools. Within a year of inception, the acceptance rate had fallen to 12%.

In 1988, Prep for Prep expanded its mission to independent boarding schools, launching a program known as "PREP 9" under Peter Bordonaro's leadership. PREP 9 helps the brightest and hardest-working students in New York City and the metropolitan areas of Westchester, Long Island, New Jersey, and Connecticut prepare for leading independent boarding schools across the Northeast and mid-Atlantic. The selection process begins in 7th grade, when students apply to PREP 9 for entry into boarding schools in 9th grade. Space in the PREP 9 program is reserved for students who demonstrate very strong academic performance and high financial need. PREP 9 considers family income and financial assets as part of its application process.

In 1989, Contingent I students completed undergraduate studies, graduating from Columbia, Cornell, Harvard, Northwestern, Oberlin, The University of Pennsylvania, and Princeton.

In 2000, the Goldman Sachs Foundation granted Prep for Prep over $1 million to expand and prepare significantly more students for selective colleges.

In 2002, Simons was succeeded by Aileen Heffernan.

By 2011, over 1,000 Prep for Prep students had graduated from college, and by 2018, the number had increased to more than 3,000.

In 2020, the Board of Trustees selected Ruth Jurgensen to succeed Heffernan. In 2023, in partnership with advertising firm TBWA/Chiat/Day, Prep for Prep introduced a new slogan: "Success is Better Shared." In 2025, Diahann Billings became the first alumna of the program to serve in the role of CEO.

Today, the Prep for Prep community includes more than 5,600 students and alumni. Each year, Prep for Prep hosts a charity gala called the Lilac Ball, which is regularly attended by famous patrons.

Student selection

Each year, a citywide "talent search" selects about 125 students—95 fifth-graders and 30 sixth-graders. To qualify for recruitment, 5th-graders must have a scaled score of 330 or above on the English Language Arts (ELA) test administered during their 4th-grade year or have scored in the 90th percentile on any standardized reading test administered in that year. 6th-graders must have a scaled score of 335 (90th percentile) or above on the ELA exam administered during their 5th-grade year. Applicants then undergo a series of interviews and further standardized testing to gain admission. Fifth- and sixth-graders are admitted into Prep for Prep and earn spots at leading day schools in New York City.

Program

Admitted students undergo a rigorous 14-month academic course known as the "Preparatory Component" before their sixth- or seventh-grade year, which includes two intensive seven-week summer sessions and after-school Wednesday and all-day Saturday classes during the intervening school year. Courses include History, Algebra, Pre-Algebra, Research, Latin, French, Spanish, Mandarin, Literature, Writing Conference, and Science, which includes biology, physics, and chemistry, Invictus, a sociology and psychology-based course, PIMAS (Problems and Issues in Modern American Society), term paper research, and Computer Science. On average, 60% of students complete this program and are placed in schools among three dozen leading New York City independent schools. These schools commit places for Prep for Prep students and almost $12 million annually in scholarships. Throughout the program and after high school graduation, students receive personal and academic counseling, college counseling, and career counseling, and participate in leadership and community development activities, parties, and trips for alumni.

The program also helps students after college with placement into positions at prestigious firms such as Goldman Sachs, Google, and J.P. Morgan Chase through corporate partnerships designed to expand diverse talent pools on Wall Street, in engineering, and across business.

School placement

Secondary school placement

Prep for Prep day students are commonly placed at the nation's leading independent schools, including Allen-Stevenson School, Berkeley Carroll, The Brearley School, The Browning School, The Buckley School, Calhoun, Chapin School, Collegiate, Columbia Grammar & Preparatory School, Dalton, Fieldston, Friends Seminary, Horace Mann, The Kew Forest School, Marymount School of New York, Nightingale-Bamford, Packer Collegiate, Poly Prep, Riverdale Country School, Rye Country Day School, Grace Church School, Sacred Heart, Saint Ann's, St. Hilda's & St. Hugh's School, St. Bernard's School, Spence, Town, Trevor Day School, Village Community School, Hackley, Trevor Day, and Trinity School NYC.

PREP 9 boarding students commonly enroll at prestigious schools such as Choate, Andover, Exeter, Deerfield, Taft, Hotchkiss, Lawrenceville, The Hill School, Loomis Chaffee, and Middlesex.

College placement

Prep for Prep works with students to help with placement into top-tier universities such as colleges in the Ivy League and NESCAC. Students have attended Amherst College, Brown University, Cornell University, Columbia University, Dartmouth College, Duke University, Georgetown University, Harvard University, the University of Pennsylvania (including the Wharton School), Princeton University, Stanford University, and Yale University.

Notable alumni

Many notable people have associated with Prep for Prep since its inception, including judges, attorneys general, actors, educators, entrepreneurs, and bankers.

Notable students

The following people were students of the Prep for Prep or PREP 9 programs:

• Kimberley S. Knowles — Associate Judge on the Superior Court of the District of Columbia
• Kristen Clarke — former Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division at the United States Department of Justice
• Darrin Henson — choreographer, dancer, actor, director and producer
• Rob Brown — actor
• Angela Yee — radio personality
• Jabari Brisport — New York State Senator, activist and former public school teacher
• Amina Gautier — writer
• Naima Coster — novelist
• Taha Abdul-Basser — Chaplin at Harvard University
• Evette Rios — television host

Notable faculty & staff

The following person served on the faculty or as a staff member at Prep for Prep:

• Eva Moskowitz — CEO of Success Academy Charter Schools, former civics teacher at Prep for Prep

Notable board members

The following people have served on the Prep for Prep board as trustees or associate council members:

• Arun Alagappan — Founder and President of Advantage Testing Foundation
• Jake Chasan – television personality known for Wahl Street
• James Cole Jr. — Deputy Secretary of Education under President Barack Obama
• Martin Lipton — lawyer, founding partner of law firm of Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz
• Daniel S. Loeb — hedge fund manager, Founder and CEO of Third Point Management
• Harold McGraw III — CEO and Chairman of McGraw Hill Companies (now S&P Global)
• John Vogelstein — venture capitalist at Warburg Pincus

References

References

1. "Prep for Prep FAQ".
2. "Prep for Prep High School Students Spend Four Weeks Discovering The Art World At Sotheby's".
3. (1985-09-25). "In The Press". Education Week.
4. Nussbaum, Debra. (2003-01-05). "Trying To Narrow The Racial Divide". The New York Times.
5. "Prep for Prep: Spotlight on Education".
6. (1993-07-07). "Prep Schools and Minorities: A Place at the Table". The New York Times.
7. Brozan, Nadine. (1979-12-02). "Innovative Program Prepares Minority Pupils for Prep School; 300 Recommended, 37 Chosen". The New York Times.
8. Abdullah, Halimah. (1997-07-16). "Class Notes". The New York Times.
9. (2021-02-01). "Supporting Letter".
10. (1988-10-26). "EDUCATION; The Cream Of the Crop Gets a Lift To College". The New York Times.
11. "About Prep for Prep".
12. "Goldman Sachs {{!}} Press Releases".
13. Cunningham, Vinson. (March 2, 2020). ""Prep for Prep and the Fault Lines in New York's Schools."".
14. "Prep for Prep {{!}} Success Is Better Shared".
15. Heyman, Marshall. "The Lilac Ball, and Celebrating a Singer Who Couldn't Sing".
16. (2015-06-09). "Scene Last Night: A-Rod, Teixeira, Blitzer, Narcisse, Sawhney". Bloomberg.com.
17. (2014-07-18). "SNAPS: Financial leaders raise more than $2M to fight cancer".
18. (2020-02-29). "Prep for Prep and the Fault Lines in New York's Schools".
19. "Prep for Prep Web Site".
20. (1998-09-30). "Prep for Prep".
21. "Build for Everyone - Google Careers".
22. Bellafante, Ginia. (2013-08-23). "A Chance at Learning". The New York Times.
23. Alexander, Reed. "These 4 young people are working to make Wall Street more inclusive by mentoring and empowering others".
24. "Prep for Prep {{!}} College Guidance".
25. (2010-08-26). "Prep's First Judge Appointed".
26. "Apple TV".
27. "Rob Brown throws touchdown with 'The Express'".
28. Ogunsola, Jennifer. (2018-04-03). "I Got A Story To Tell: Angela Yee Got the Juice".
29. Conn, Megan. (2021-02-23). "Jabari Brisport Eyes Leadership Role on Families in New York Senate".
30. "2008 Annual Report".
31. Coster, Naima. (2017). "Halsey Street". Little A.
32. "Family Ties: 2015 Prep for Prep Annual Report by Prep for Prep - Issuu".
33. Wong, Alia. (2017-09-22). "The Most Polarizing Education Reformer in New York City".
34. "Associates Council".
35. "Board of Trustees".
36. Yadav, Shweta. (2023-07-21). "Wahl Street Season 3 Release Date: Is Netflix Giving Fans Another Season Of Their Beloved Show?".
37. (2013-06-10). "President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts".
38. vCard, Download. "Martin Lipton".
39. (2013-05-14). "Third Point's Dan Loeb – shrewd trader from a young age". Financial Times.
40. (2014-10-01). "President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts".
41. "John Vogelstein - Team - Warburg Pincus".