Founded in 1964, Prep’s Higher Achievement Program (HAP) has provided an unforgettable summer experience for some 7,500 young men from Jersey City and beyond in the months between their seventh and eighth grades. This unique five-week enrichment program combines academics, athletics and creative classroom techniques while teaching that learning can be fun and exciting.
The 15 full-time classroom teachers include current Saint Peter’s Prep faculty members, faculty of other high schools, and current college students. All are supervised by program director John Irvine, ’83, P’11, Prep’s Director of Admissions, who took the reins from the program’s original director, the late Fr. John Browning, S.J., ’46, in 1994.
Aiding the HAP faculty are 40 tutors who are HAP graduates currently enrolled at Prep. They provide one-on-one instruction and manage the afternoon athletic activities.
The program attempts to reach as many boys as possible, with the goal of preparing the students for eighth grade while challenging some students with accelerated work. It provides a chance for academic and social growth, for maturity, and for making new friends in a small classroom environment.
Subjects include English, mathematics and writing, with “option” courses provided three afternoons each week. These are mini-courses on topics chosen by the teachers, with each student selecting the class that interests him. Option classes have included the History of Rap, Warriors of History, a HAP newspaper, chess, and a sports clinic for boys who wish to learn basic athletic skills, to name a few.
The program concludes with a graduation ceremony, complete with diplomas and awards. For almost every boy who graduates, the five weeks pass much too quickly!
HAP 2024 Details
For our 60th anniversary summer, HAP will run from June 25-July 26, 2024.
HAP applications are now available. Applications are distributed through some of Prep’s feeder schools. Teachers or counselors can provide an application for any interested student. Any student or parent can request an application directly from Prep, regardless of where they reside.
The HAP entrance exam is given in the spring.
For more information, or to request an application, please call 201-547-6389.
Learn more about HAP 2024 in the pamphlet below…
A Few Testimonials From HAP alumni…
What I liked about HAP was the introduction to the great teachers I would later have and the friends I made. I had fun exploring the campus, partaking in activities with my peers, and learning about the policies that make Prep so enjoyable.
Patrick Cansino
What I enjoyed the most about HAP were the friends I made. Most of these Friends have become my good friends here at Prep
John Halleron