Sandia Prep has always stood apart by offering a unique array of rigorous courses that challenge and motivate learning. Our advanced
curriculum is tailored to our students, not a standardized test. We are a founding member of the Independent Curriculum Group, as we prize
our independence and innovation too highly to ask our teachers to use a nationally standardized curriculum.
Our independent curriculum promotes deep, student-centered learning within and beyond the classroom. English students can explore indepth
electives such as Philosophies of the East, which samples works such as Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu and Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse,
and Contemporary Apocalyptic Scene, which examines the struggles of characters in works such as Life of Pi and Peace Like a River. Another
elective, Literature of the American West, examines works such as A River Runs Through It, The Collected Works of Billy the Kid, and
Reservation Blues. Popular history electives include American History Through Film, Eastern Philosophy, and Global Studies, the latter in which
students examine current events within a historical perspective.
All upper school courses at Sandia Prep are honors level. Newsweek profiled the school in its 2005 “America’s Best High Schools” issue. The
article, entitled “Other Winning Equations,” profiled one of our seniors who completed an internship at NPR’s “All Things Considered” during
the school’s Senior Experience program. Sandia Prep’s academic program has also been featured in education articles in theWashington Post
and other national publications. Our innovative curriculum distinguishes our 100% college bound seniors as among the best prepared in the
nation.