Higher Achievement Program (HAP)

The Higher Achievement Program (HAP) was founded in 1964 at St. Peter's Prep in Jersey City, New Jersey. In the years since, HAP has been offered by a number of Jesuit high schools throughout the northeast United States.  This unique five-week program for boys entering eighth-grade combines academics, athletics and creative enrichment activities that prepare participants for 8th grade, the high school application process, and beyond.

Read more about the HAP Advantage in The Journal News.

Applications for the summer of 2023 are now open.  Please read the instructions below carefully and contact us at hap@fordhamprep.org with any questions.

HAP Application Summer 2023

1. Submit an application for your son using the HAP Application Google Form
2. Download a copy of the HAP School Evaluation Form
3. Send the School Evaluation Form to an administrator, teacher, or counselor at your current school
4. The administrator, teacher, or counselor will return the form directly to Fordham Prep using the HAP@fordhamprep.com email address

Decisions are made on a rolling basis.  Once we have received both the Application Form and the School Evaluation Form, we will contact you.  If you are accepted, there will be a separate registration form along with your required payment.

Space is limited.  The deadline to submit both items is March 17, 2023.  

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ACADEMICS

Every morning, students take three courses designed to improve their academic performance on the TACHS (Test for Admission to Catholic High Schools): Critical Thinking Through Reading, Math, and Writing.

Critical Thinking Through Reading

• Foundations in reading comprehension and study skills
• Work prepares boys for the rigors of high school level work and questions encountered on the TACHS exam
• Activities include group discussions, vocabulary review, independent reading, and critical analysis of texts
• Students must complete a final project

Math

• Reviews topics covered in most 7th grade courses and explores topics covered in 8th grade as well as a few in 9th grade
• Goal is to prepare students for 8th grade math and math problems include on standardized admissions exams
• Topics include; solving algebraic equations, working with inequalities, graphing, simple geometry, and the techniques of solving word problems

Writing

• Focuses on the key elements of quality writing
• Tasks are worked in both individually and collaboratively
• Coaching includes writing purpose and audience, use of effective vocabulary, sentence structure and sentence variety
• Activities will focus on short stories, personal narratives, poetry, biological writing, and descriptive, persuasive, and informational paragraphs

GROUP ACTIVITIES

Each afternoon our HAP groups participate in a series of sports and games including

Basketball
Dodgeball
Touch Football
Softball
Soccer
Track and Field
Board Games
 

SPECIAL ACTIVITIES

HAP also provides access to a series of unique activities designed to enrich our participants both inside and outside of a classroom setting.  In past years, our special activities have included

Music Enrichment
Studio Art Workshops
Intro to Classical Mythology
Science Exploration & Enrichment
Culinary Arts
Theater Arts
Speech & Debate
Foreign Languages
Astronomy
Computer Science
Service Project

The balance of academics in the morning and the choice of sports, activities and other enrichments in the afternoon is conducive to an educational environment that strives to foster the Jesuit ideal of cura personalis (care for the individual).
 

SERVICE

Fordham Prep strives to produce “men for others” and service is a required of all Fordham Prep students.  HAP participants are also asked to spend some time during the program in the service of others.

In 2022 HAP participants raised over $1,000 for Part of the Solution (P.O.T.S) by performing small acts of service in their home communities in return for a small donation.
 

PAST YEARS 

2018 Photo Gallery

2017 HAP Newsletter #1  2017 HAP Newsletter #2

2016 HAP Newsletter #1   2016 HAP Newsletter #2

2015 Bronx Times Article   2015 Catholic New York Article