Upper School

Upper School

Our high school (we call it “upper school”) curriculum is designed to provide students with the opportunity to test their talents and to develop their skills in a variety of academic disciplines. We require students to take courses in English, science, history, mathematics, modern language, fine arts, digital media and communications, and physical education. 

We also offer students the opportunity to pursue their academic interests in-depth, either in elective courses in the various disciplines, including innovation and design, or via independent study and our Odyssey Scholars Program.

With approval, students may take specific dual credit courses at the University of New Mexico (UNM) or Central New Mexico Community College (CNM) through our dual enrollment program. Students taking non-dual credit courses at any college or university must get the approval of the Assistant Head of School for the Upper School prior to their application to that college or university.

“I love the productions in the theater; the musicals are my favorite. The experiences are so fun, and the community is great. I also enjoy science and math and seeing how things work. History is so much fun too, because of all of the things that connect and lead up to the present.”
- Olivia, Class of 2025

Curriculum Guide Cover

Preparing for Life

Throughout our honors-level courses, higher-level cognitive skills are developed with a curriculum that emphasizes design-thinking and innovation. Prep students aren’t just preparing for college, but for life.

Click here to view the 2024 - 2025 Curriculum Guide

Graduation Requirements

The required class load is seven courses per year for grades 9 - 11 and six courses per year for 12th grade. While the school makes no guarantee that additional classes may be scheduled, exceptions may be made. A 2.00 grade point average (GPA) is the cutoff grade for promotion.
 

Classes of 2025, 2026, & 2027
Students must have 23.5 school credits and a cumulative GPA of at least 2.00 to graduate. 

Class of 2028
Please note for the Class of 2028, students will be required to earn 1 credit, up from 0.5 credit, in Digital Media & Communication (DMC). In addition, students must earn a minimum of 24 credits for graduation, up from 23.5 credits.
 

Classes of 2029 and beyond
Please note for the Classes of 2029 and beyond, students will be required to earn 2 credits in Digital Media & Communication (DMC) OR Design & Innovation. Students must earn a minimum of 25 credits for graduation.
 

View a breakdown of graduation requirements



Distinguished Scholar (Certificate of Distinction)

Sandia Prep’s Distinguished Scholars Program recognizes those students who embrace learning on an advanced level. Distinguished Scholars earn distinction in one or more of the following disciplines: History, Science, Math, Modern Languages, Digital Media and Communications, Performing Arts, Visual Arts, and Design & Innovation. (There is no Distinguished Scholar designation in English.) 

Distinguished Scholars must meet the following criteria: 

● graduate with 28 or more credits 

● earn an overall 3.5 GPA or higher 

● meet advanced qualifications and have a 3.5 GPA in courses specific to one or more disciplines


Our Graduates

Rigorous courses and college counseling beginning in ninth grade translates to 100% of our seniors being accepted to four-year colleges. 


Senior Experience

The final month of senior year is devoted to allowing Prep students to pursue their particular passions. Each senior chooses a project to complete or a topic to research and works independently off campus under the guidance of a faculty supervisor. Senior Experience culminates with a night of student presentations for the school, parents, and the community, who gather to listen to the seniors share the lessons they learned, the music or book they wrote, the connections they made, and the new awareness and insights they gained.
 

Recent Senior Experiences Include:

  • Attending a language immersion school in Malaga, Spain, while staying with a host family
  • Shadowing a clerk at the state Supreme Court and writing an opinion about a case 
  • Creating a business and operations manual for the student-run Pitchfork Café and examining the value of experiential education 
  • Volunteering behind the scenes at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science
  • Holding a guitar concert
  • Shadowing the Director of Compliance at UNM Athletics 
  • Building a valveless pulse jet and then changing the shape of the exhaust to see how it changes the power output
  • Shadowing two surgeons to learn more about their day-to-day lives and the pros and cons of their profession
  • Learning how to weld
  • Shadowing at a mortuary to compare the processes of anatomy and mortuary practices
  • Learning American Sign Language
  • Shadowing a structural engineer to learn about the engineering process, drafting, and 3D modeling
  • Studying for the CompTIA A+ certification for IT

     

senior experience presentation


Scott Jeffries

Assistant Head of School for Upper School

sjeffries@sandiaprep.org