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March 5, 2025
Three years after they were chosen from non-selective enrollment high schools as Northwestern Academy for Chicago Public Schools’ inaugural cohort, 48 CPS students are headed to 23 prestigious institutions, ranging from Northwestern University to Brown University and Colorado College.
A college preparation and enrichment program launched in 2013 for students who are diverse, academically talented and who qualify for the free or reduced lunch program, the academy supports CPS students in preparing for success at competitive colleges and universities.
“Northwestern University has been honored to work with the City of Chicago through The Northwestern Academy for Chicago Public Schools to help prepare more CPS students for admittance to selective colleges and universities,” said Northwestern President Morton Schapiro. “To see the first class of students graduate is extremely moving and exciting for Northwestern and for our School of Education and Social Policy, which has taken the lead in this effort. It is particularly exciting to have two of these graduates coming to Northwestern next fall, along with approximately 125 other CPS grads."
“This is a major milestone in Northwestern’s efforts to create innovative partnerships to help expand access for Chicago students to world-class educational opportunities,” he added. “As I said when we launched this program in 2013, Northwestern is deeply committed to supporting Chicago Public School students and providing more options that will prepare these students for college and careers. With this first cohort we are well on the way to fulfilling that promise.”
This year, the program inducted 78 new students from 27 CPS high schools.
Andrew Duarte, a senior at Ogden International High School in the International Baccalaureate program and a Northwestern Academy graduating senior, was accepted early decision at Northwestern University.
“Thanks to the support I received at Northwestern Academy, I am proud to say that I will be graduating and attending Northwestern University this fall,” Duarte said. “I have worked hard in school to get into a great university, but I could not have done it without the teachers I have at Ogden and the support of the friends and mentors I met at Northwestern Academy.”
Northwestern Academy is an extension of the Good Neighbor, Great University initiative to expand college access under the dean’s office in the School of Education and Social Policy. Northwestern University underwrites the Academy program through donations from Northwestern alumni.
The graduating seniors have been accepted to Brown University, Colorado College, DePaul University, DePauw University, Dominican University, Earlham College, Illinois Institute of Technology, Kalamazoo College, Lafayette College, Loyola University Chicago, Macalester College, Marquette University, Morehouse College, Northwestern University, Parsons School of Design – The New School, Savannah College of Art and Design, School of the Art Institute Chicago, St. Olaf College, Swarthmore College, University of Dayton, University of Illinois at Chicago, University of Illinois at Chicago (Honors College), University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and University of Michigan.
The students are graduating from the following CPS high schools: Amundsen High School, Back of the Yards College Preparatory, Benito Juarez Community Academy, Chicago Math and Science Academy, DeVry Advantage Academy, Disney II Magnet High School, Gary Comer College Prep, John F Kennedy High School, Lake View High School, Lincoln Park High School, Muchin College Prep, Nicholas Senn High School, Ogden International High School, Rauner College Prep, Richard T Crane Medical Prep, Schurz High School, Stephen Tyng Mather High School, Von Steuben Metropolitan High School, Whitney M. Young Magnet High School and William Howard Taft High School.
