Meet Our College Counselor
Mary Catherine Smoke | College Counselor
marycatherine.smoke@heritageprep.org
CLASS OF 2025 HIGHLIGHTS
- 100% Class of 2025 engage in community service accruing at least 60 hours
- 100% Class of 2025 engage in extracurricular activities including athletics, fine arts, and clubs
- 100% Class of 2025 develop a year-long senior thesis which includes a written paper that is a minimum of 5500 words and an hourlong oral presentation and defense of their position
- Class of 2025 ranked 1st nationally in the Classical Learning Test (CLT-10)
- Class of 2025 average ACT is in the 95th percentile
College Representative Campus Visits
Thank you for your interest in Heritage Preparatory School. We welcome college representatives to visit with our students on campus.
What Makes Us Unique
Each Heritage Prep High School student will have read 75 great works of literature before high school graduation. A classical education provides an opportunity to learn from and stand on the wisdom of the many great minds who have gone before us. From works of great fiction such as Steinbeck, Fitzgerald, and Hemingway to world-changing pieces from the likes of Sun Tzu, Plato, Marx, and Marcus Aurelius to foundational writers of faith such as Augustine, Aquinas, and Lewis, students have studied a plethora of perspectives and ideas. In addition to their reading load, 12th-grade students undertake a year-long senior thesis which includes a written paper that is a minimum of 5500 words and an hourlong oral presentation and defense of their position in front of a panel of faculty and subject matter experts from the community. Finally, HPS graduates leave the school with advanced knowledge of Latin, Art, and Classical Music.
While Heritage’s academic standings are consistently excellent, the approach to testing is thoughtfully crafted. An intentional choice has been made not to offer AP classes as part of the core curriculum. Students may choose to sit for AP exams in addition to their regular course load but they prepare for these exams on their own and without taking the AP courses. For instance, in 2023 nine students opted to sit for AP History and averaged in the 90th percentile. Additionally, the average ACT score for this inaugural class is in the 90th percentile.
To learn more about our high school and curriculum.
Foundations for a Lifetime Ahead
Heritage seeks to build a foundation for students from which they will live out the purpose and plans God has prepared for them beyond graduation. We provide college guidance for each of our students to equip them in the university selection and application process.
8th Grade
9th Grade
10th Grade
11th Grade
12th Grade
Individual annual academic advising with both the dean of academics and the college counselor is offered.
College Coffees are events held in the fall and spring, bringing together parents and students. These gatherings aim to outline our college counseling plan, offer relevant information, and provide resources for college selection, tailored to the student's current stage in the process.
The Vocation and Calling Sidecar Course helps individuals discover God's purpose in work and rest, learn how to discern calling, and explore how He uniquely designed each of us. The course includes the administration of a spiritual gifts inventory, the YouScience aptitude test, and TruMotivate motivational assessment.
In this grade, we hold individual appointments with students and parents as well as financial planning and scholarship meetings. College essay writing is also incorporated into the humanities curriculum, along with a Common App workshop for students.
Step-by-step counseling throughout the college application process, including applying for scholarships and financial assistance.
College Guidance and Admissions Professional Membership
