Preparing for the future

Some schools believe that their mission is to prepare the path for their students, some type of guaranteed continuum of achievement that points them to college and everything that follows.

York’s approach is a little different: we work to prepare our students for the path. Over the next 50 years, as our graduates continue their education, set out into the world, and pursue their passions, it will be increasingly likely that there isn’t just one path to “success.” Some of them will be predictable, but others will be winding, or take unusual twists and turns.

Our goal is to help prepare them for many different futures by helping to develop important skills like the ability to think critically, to communicate well, to look outside themselves, to adapt to changing circumstances, and to embrace the world around them.

Graduates of York School are exceptionally well prepared for college. 100% of them are headed to four-year programs and we help them find schools that are a good match for their skills and interests. Our graduates consistently return to tell us that they hit the ground running as college freshmen because they learned how to think, how to talk with teachers, and how to challenge themselves—before they left high school.

The most important factor in predicting success in college, according to a 30-year longitudinal study, is the rigor of a student’s high school program. So it’s not a surprise that 98% of York alums earn their college degrees within six years or less, the current benchmark for college completion, vs. 45% of high school graduates in California.

Click here for some more details on the characteristics of York graduates.