Cary Christian School is not a college prep school.
Wait, what?
Now, before any of you begin to question the robustness and efficacy of our academic program here at Cary Christian School, let me explain.
A plethora of college prep schools exist here in the Triangle area. Each of these institutions, through the implementation of rigorous academic programs and extracurricular opportunities, seeks to prepare students for higher education. These schools work diligently to increase the competitiveness of their students in the college admissions process. But with a mission focused on producing the next generation of university attendees, these schools also perpetuate the false assumption that students must obtain a college education to reach their full academic potential and to enjoy future financial security. Ask any high schooler today and they will readily admit the cultural pressure they feel to attend college right after high school. It is assumed that any student who chooses to serve in the military, or to attend vocational school, or to just work after high school is choosing a second-best option. College prep schools, by definition, focus on ensuring that each student matriculates into a four-year university upon graduation from high school.
At Cary Christian School, we aim to graduate wise, eloquent, and elegant men and women prepared to fulfill God’s calling on their lives, whether that calling be to attend university, to attend vocational school, or to enter military service or the workforce. We strive to instill in our students a love for learning, teaching them how to think and reason well. We disciple students, instructing them on how to live as followers of Christ in a world that no longer even recognizes the existence of absolute truth. And so no, Cary Christian School is not a college prep school. Cary Christian School is so much more!
The academic program at Cary Christian School more than prepares students for collegiate study. Our coursework teaches students to think critically, to solve problems, and to articulate arguments winsomely. Graduates of Cary Christian School have attended some of the most prestigious universities in the United States of America. I cannot tell you how many times alumni have reached out to me expressing gratitude for the challenging coursework they received in our classes. Unlike college prep schools, Cary Christian School does not exist for the sole purpose of preparing students for college. By providing students with an excellent classical Christian education, Cary Christian School creates graduates who thrive in their collegiate studies.
Cary Christian School also rightly recognizes that not every student should or needs to attend college. As Christians we know that God has created us all with unique and different gifts and talents. He has called us to vocations not for the purpose of financial security and personal fulfillment but for the purpose of redeeming Creation until Christ comes again and makes all things new. God has equipped and called some of our students to serve as skilled tradesmen and artisans. Yes, even master electricians and auto mechanics need to know how to think critically, how to solve problems, and how to articulate arguments winsomely. The education students receive at Cary Christian School prepares students to live as human beings created in the image of God, wise and eloquent, able to evaluate the world around them by the truth of Scripture.
And most importantly, Cary Christian School provides an education founded upon the truth. We teach students to recognize God as the source of all knowledge and wisdom. And we partner with Christian families to train students in righteousness, pointing students to their need of salvation through Christ alone, and calling students to live holy and upright lives.
No, Cary Christian School is not a college prep school. It is a school that prepares students to fulfill God’s calling for their lives.