College Counseling
Four Years of Guidance. The College Counseling Program begins as soon as a student enters Wolcott College Prep. It is comprehensive, engaging, personal, and directed toward the individual priorities of each student and family. The Director of College Counseling has extensive knowledge and personal experience with colleges and universities and is guided by the ethical practices of college admissions.
It’s about Knowing Students’ Strengths and Interests
We work closely with each student and their family to guide them on their college search. Our goals are to:
- Establish a strong academic foundation through 4-year course planning
- Foster involvement in leadership opportunities, extra-curricular activities, and community service that build upon student strengths and interests
- Understand options for standardized testing and secure appropriate accommodations for standardized testing
- Engage with college admissions representatives
- Provide guidance in identifying colleges that meet student priorities, academic, and personal goals
- Support students throughout the college application process
- Prepare students to present articulately and confidently for formal and informal college interviews
- Appropriately advocate for students with the college admissions committees
- Guidance on securing and understanding accommodations at college
- Offer resources regarding financial aid and scholarships
- Prepare students for transition to college and offer continued support in college
- 100% of students admitted to multiple colleges and universities
Throughout the year, we sponsor speakers and practical workshops to explore, demystify, and prepare students and families for the college selection and application process, navigating financial aid, and life beyond Wolcott.
- College Knowledge: Everything You Need to Know About the College Application Process
- Understanding Financial Aid & the FAFSA
- Gearing Up for Senior Year
- The Essay Guy
- Behind the Curtain of College Admissions: Details, Data, and Decisions
- College Support Services for Students with Learning Differences
- An Insider’s Guide to College Success
- Leaving the Familiar: Transitioning to College
Wolcott College Prep
CEEB code 141-376
High School Profile
Wolcott College Preparatory High School
142Total student body
29Seniors, Class of 2027
10Average class size
45Faculty & administrators
70%Hold a master's or above
Wolcott College Preparatory High School, founded in 2013, is Chicago's premier independent college-preparatory high school for talented students who learn differently, seek academic rigor, engage in extraordinary experiences across multiple disciplines, and participate in the culture and volunteerism that Chicago has to offer. Wolcott graduated its first cohort in June 2016, and the school was renamed Wolcott College Preparatory High School in 2020.
Campus & Faculty
Wolcott is located at 524 North Wolcott Avenue in Chicago, near Grand and Damen, and is easily accessible to city and suburban students and faculty. The 30,000 square foot vintage property has undergone complete renovation. A 17,587 square foot Arts & Athletics Center is located on campus at 1950 West Hubbard Street.
The school employs 45 administrators and faculty; 70% hold a master's degree or above. Classes meet four days each week for 50 minutes on a rotating modified schedule, and all curriculum is at the college preparatory or honors level.
Accreditation
- Independent School Association of Central States (ISACS)
- National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS)
- Lake Michigan Association of Independent Schools (LMAIS)
- Illinois State Board of Education Recognition (ISBE)
- Illinois High School Association (IHSA)
- National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC)
- Illinois Association for College Admission Counseling (IACAC)
- Association of College Counselors in Independent Schools (ACCIS)
- Registered with the NCAA Eligibility Center
Highlights
Student Achievement
- Class of 2026 awarded over $3 million in college scholarships
- TEDx Youth License; 2026 TEDx Talks: The Power of Gratitude
- Bionic Wolves Robotics: selected to speak at the 2023 FIRST National Championship conference in Houston, and featured in Galactic Builders, a YouTube series produced by Lucasfilm
- Student selected to serve on the Education Collaboratory's National Advisory Board, helping shape research on inclusive SEL for students with learning differences
Faculty Recognition
- 2026 American Association of Physics Teachers' Robert L. Lipton Memorial Award
- 2026 National Science Teaching Association Maitland P. Simmons Award
- 2026 ISBE Award of Special Recognition through the Those Who Excel program
- 2026 Zvi Dank Continuing Education Grant for Spanish language instruction
- 2025 CHADD (Children and Adults with ADHD) Educator of the Year
Scholarship, Research & Partnership
- National Science Foundation grant; faculty member selected for the Illinois School Leader Pipeline Program sponsored by the Illinois Principals Association
- Partnership with the Education Collaboratory at UMass Amherst to advance research-based SEL practices for students with learning differences
- Faculty serving on the National Science Teaching Association High School Committee and the Shedd Aquarium Teacher Advisor Council
- Faculty presenters at the 2025–2026 National Art Education Convention and the Illinois Association of Teachers of English Conference
- Faculty member served as MC at the FIRST Robotics Competition Einstein Finals
Athletics, 2025–2026
- IHSA Lakeshore Athletic League Conference champions: Boys and Girls Cross Country, Boys and Girls Track and Field
- Individual conference champion titles in Boys and Girls Cross Country and Track and Field
- IHSA State qualifiers: Boys Cross Country team and Boys Track and Field team
- Lake Shore Athletic League Conference Boys Basketball Coach of the Year
College Counseling Department
- Marybeth Kravets, Dean of College Counseling: Past President, NACAC and IACAC; recipient of the 2026 Margaret E. Addis Exceptional Service to NACAC Award
- Julie Nelson, Director of College Counseling: Past President, IACAC
- Linda Jamrozy, College Counseling Assistant
Transcript Information
- Grade Point Average
- Wolcott reports unweighted GPA on a 4.0 scale, including honors courses, and calculates GPA each semester. The grading system includes all courses taken with the exception of those taken Pass/Fail.
- Class Rank
- Not calculated by Wolcott College Prep.
- Honors Courses
- Highest level of courses offered. Enrollment is based on prerequisites and recommendations.
- Rotating Modified Schedule
- Classes meet 4 days each week for 50 minutes.
- Academic Year
- Two semesters. Official grades reported in late January and mid June.
- Test Scores
- Not included on transcripts or released to post-secondary institutions.
- Disciplinary Records
- Not shared by Wolcott College Prep.
- Transfer Grades and Credit
- Academic grades of transferring students are listed as Pass or Fail and earned credit is reported on the Wolcott transcript. Transfer grades are not included in the GPA.
- Dual Credit
- Approved students may earn both high school and college credit for successfully completing college level courses when enrolled at a college or university. Grades and credit earned are reported on the Wolcott transcript.
- Additional Academic Courses
- 12th-grade students may request an exemption from Physical Education to enroll in an additional academic course. The course must align with the student's academic goals and fit the existing schedule. Overall course load must remain at eight courses. Waivers are evaluated and approved by administration.
Class of 2027 Performance
Unweighted GPA distribution, 29 students
Lowest3.00
Average3.67
Highest3.96
Grading Scale
| Grade | Percentage | G.P.A. |
|---|---|---|
| A | 93-100 | 4.00 |
| A- | 90-92 | 3.66 |
| B+ | 87-89 | 3.33 |
| B | 83-86 | 3.00 |
| B- | 80-82 | 2.66 |
| C+ | 77-79 | 2.33 |
| C | 73-76 | 2.00 |
| C- | 70-72 | 1.66 |
| D+ | 67-69 | 1.33 |
| D | 63-66 | 1.00 |
| D- | 60-62 | 0.66 |
| F | 59 and below | 0.00 |
Students may repeat a course where the original grade is C- or below. Only the higher of the two grades counts toward the GPA. Both courses appear on the transcript; the lower grade is replaced with the non-credit symbol "R".
Transcript Abbreviations
- I
- Incomplete
- P/F
- Pass/Fail
- DC
- Dual Credit
- *R
- Replacement
- W
- Withdraw
- WP
- Withdraw Passing
Graduation Requirements
| Discipline | Credits |
|---|---|
| English | 8 |
| Mathematics | 8 |
| Science | 6 |
| Social Studies | 7 |
| World Language | 4 |
| PE, Health and Wellness | 8 |
| Learning Strategies | 8 |
| Electives (any discipline) | 2 |
| Total credits | 51 |
Students complete a minimum of 51 credits to graduate. One credit is earned for each semester of study. All curriculum is at the college preparatory or honors level.
Honors Courses
- English II (H)
- Advanced English III (H)
- Advanced English IV (H)
- Algebra II (H)
- Geometry (H)
- Pre-Calculus (H)
- Calculus I (H)
- Calculus II (H)
- Chemistry (H)
- Advanced Biology (H)
- Advanced Chemistry (H)
- Advanced Physics (H)
- U.S. History (H)
- Economics (H)
- Advanced Spanish V (H)
Matriculation
Classes of 2016–2026, 329 graduates
Institution Type
- 97% 4-year college
- 3% 2-year college
Public / Private
- 63% Private
- 37% Public
Location
- 70% Out of state
- 30% In state
Military and workforce each under 0.03%.
Wolcott by the Numbers
142Total students as of August 24, 2026
100%Of students take part in extracurricular activities or clubs
54%Of students receive need-based financial assistance
22Students inducted into the National Honor Society in 2026
91Course selections offered
15Honors level courses
10Average class size
1:1Laptop program for every student
Racial & Ethnic Backgrounds
- 70% White
- 13% African American / Black
- 8% Hispanic / Latino
- 7% Multi-racial
- 2% Asian
Students Matriculate From
86Private independent schools
41Public schools
14Religious-affiliated independent schools
1Homeschool
Wolcott serves students from across Chicago and the suburbs. Over the past 13 years students have matriculated from more than 180 public, private and religious-affiliated independent schools, including schools in 10 other states and internationally from Singapore, Malaysia, England and France.
Where Wolcott Students Live
53Zip codes
represented
represented
- Bartlett
- Berwyn
- Chicago
- Clarendon Hills
- Elmhurst
- Evanston
- Forest Park
- Hammond
- Highland Park
- Itasca
- Kenilworth
- LaGrange
- Naperville
- Northbrook
- Oak Park
- Orland Park
- Park Ridge
- River Forest
- Riverside
- Skokie
- Warrenville
- Westmont
- Wilmette
- Whiting
28%Suburbs
72%Chicago
Athletics & Activities
Boys IHSA Athletics
Basketball, Cross Country, Soccer, Track & Field, Volleyball
Girls IHSA Athletics
Basketball, Cross Country, Track & Field, Volleyball
Co-ed Athletics
Golf
Clubs & Activities
- Asian Student Union
- Basketball Club
- Bee Club
- Bionic Wolves
- Black Student Union
- Casa de Raza
- DJ Club
- e-Sports
- Fashion Club
- Feminist Club
- Gender & Sexuality Alliance
- Jewelry Making Club
- Jewish Student Connection
- Marvel Club
- Mathletes
- Model UN
- National Honor Society
- PAWS Service Club
- RC Club
- Service Club
- Social Club
- Spark Sisters Robotics
- Student Council
- Tabletop Gaming
- Trading Card Club
- Trivia Club
College Acceptances
381Colleges & universities
2016–2026Graduating classes represented
Wolcott College Prep students have been accepted to the following colleges and universities since 2016.
381 colleges and universities
- Adelphi University
- Agnes Scott University
- Alabama A&M University
- Alabama State University
- Albion College
- Allegheny College
- American University
- Appalachian State University
- Arizona State University
- Arrupe College
- Auburn University
- Augsburg University
- Augustana College
- Aurora University
- Austin College
- Ball State University
- Bard College
- Barry University
- Bates College
- Beacon College
- Belmont University
- Beloit College
- Bennington College
- Berklee College of Music
- Berry College
- Boise State University
- Boston University
- Bowling Green State University
- Bradley University
- Brandeis University
- Bucknell University
- Butler University
- California College of the Arts
- California Institute of the Arts
- California Polytechnic State University
- Calvin University
- Canisius University
- Carnegie Mellon University
- Carroll University
- Carthage College
- Case Western Reserve University
- Centenary College of Louisiana
- Central State University
- Chapman University
- Chatham University
- Chicago State University
- Citadel Military College
- City Colleges of Chicago
- Clark Atlanta University
- Clark University
- Clemson University
- Cleveland University
- Cleveland Institute of Art
- Coastal Carolina University
- Coe College
- Colby College
- College for Creative Studies
- College of Charleston
- College of DuPage
- College of Lake County
- Colorado College
- Colorado School of Mines
- Colorado State College
- Columbia College Chicago
- Columbia College-Missouri
- Cornell College
- Cornell University
- Cornish College of the Arts
- Creighton University
- Culinary Institute of America
- Curry College
- Davidson College
- Dean College
- Denison University
- DePaul University
- DePauw University
- Dickinson College
- Dillard University
- Dominican University
- Dominican University of California
- Drake University
- Drexel University
- Duquesne University
- Earlham College
- Eastern Illinois University
- Eastern Kentucky University
- Eastern Michigan University
- Eckerd College
- Edgewood College
- Edward Waters College
- Elmhurst University
- Elon University
- Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
- Emerson College
- Emory and Henry College
- Fairfield University
- Fashion Institute of Technology
- Ferris State University
- Fisk University
- Florida A&M University
- Florida Atlantic University
- Florida Southern University
- Fordham University
- Fort Valley State University
- Fox Valley Technical College
- Franklin and Marshall College
- Franklin University Switzerland
- Full Sail University
- Furman University
- George Fox University
- George Mason University
- George Washington University
- Georgia Institute of Technology
- Georgia State University
- Gettysburg College
- Gonzaga University
- Goshen College
- Goucher College
- Grambling State University
- Grand Valley State University
- Grinnell College
- Guilford College
- Gustavus Adolphus College
- Hampton University
- High Point University
- Hobart Williams Smith College
- Hofstra University
- Hope College
- Howard University
- Huntington University
- Illinois Institute of Technology
- Illinois State University
- Illinois Wesleyan University
- Indiana State University
- Indiana University Bloomington
- Indiana University Fort Wayne
- Indiana University Indianapolis
- Indiana University South Bend
- Iowa State University
- Ithaca College
- James Madison University
- John Carroll University
- Johnson & Wales University
- Johnson C. Smith University
- Kalamazoo College
- Kennesaw State University
- Kent State University
- Kenyon College
- Kettering University
- Knox College
- Lafayette College
- Lake Forest College
- Landmark College
- Lawrence Technical University
- Lawrence University
- Lehigh University
- Lesley University
- Lewis & Clark College
- Lewis University
- Liberty University
- Lipscomb University
- Life University
- Long Island University
- Longwood University
- Loras College
- Louisiana State University
- Loyola Marymount University
- Loyola University Chicago
- Loyola University Maryland
- Loyola University New Orleans
- Lynn University
- Macalester College
- Maine Maritime Academy
- Manhattan University
- Manhattanville University
- Marian University
- Marist College
- Marquette University
- Massachusetts Maritime Academy
- McPherson College
- Mercyhurst Northeast
- Miami University-Oxford
- Michigan State University
- Michigan Technological University
- Middlebury College
- Middle Tennessee State University
- Mills College
- Milwaukee School of Engineering
- Minnesota State University
- Missouri State University
- Missouri University of Science & Technology
- Mitchell College
- Montana State University
- Morehouse College
- Mount Holyoke College
- Muhlenberg College
- Muskingum University
- New York University
- North Carolina A&T State University
- North Central College
- North Park College
- Northeastern Illinois University
- Northeastern University
- Northern Arizona University
- Northern Illinois University
- Northern Michigan University
- Northwestern University
- Oakland University
- Oberlin College
- Occidental College
- Ohio State University
- Ohio Wesleyan University
- Pace University
- Pennsylvania State University
- Pepperdine University
- Pitzer College
- Point Loma Nazarene University
- Point Park University
- Pratt Institute
- Princeton University
- Purdue University
- Purdue University Fort Wayne
- Quincy University
- Quinnipiac University
- Radford College
- Reed College
- Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
- Rhode Island School of Design
- Rochester Institute of Technology
- Roger Williams University
- Rollins College
- Roosevelt University
- Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
- Rutgers University-Camden
- Rutgers University-Newark
- Sacred Heart University
- Saint Edward’s University
- Saint Francis University
- Saint Louis University
- Saint Mary’s College
- Saint-Mary-of-the-Woods College
- St. Mary’s University of Minnesota
- Saint Norbert College
- Saint Xavier University
- San Diego State University
- Santa Clara University
- Sarah Lawrence College
- Savannah College of Art & Design
- School of the Art Institute of Chicago
- Scripps College
- Seattle University
- Seton Hall University
- Simmons University
- Skidmore College
- Southern Illinois University Carbondale
- Southern Methodist University
- Southern New Hampshire University
- St. Catherine University
- St. Olaf College
- St. Ambrose University
- St. John’s College-Santa Fe
- St. John’s University-New York
- Stetson University
- Stevens Institute of Technology
- Stillman College
- Suffolk University
- SUNY, Binghamton University
- SUNY at Purchase College
- SUNY College of Environmental Science & Forestry
- Susquehanna University
- Syracuse University
- Temple University
- Tennessee State University
- Texas Christian University
- Texas Tech University
- The College of Wooster
- The Landing School
- Towson University
- Tufts University
- Tulane University
- Union College
- University College of Dublin
- University of Aberdeen
- University of Akron
- University of Alabama
- University of Arizona
- University of California-Davis
- University of California-Irvine
- University of California-San Diego
- University of California-Santa Barbara
- University of California-Santa Cruz
- University of Cincinnati
- University of Connecticut
- University of Colorado-Boulder
- University of Dayton
- University of Delaware
- University of Denver
- University of Dubuque
- University of Edinburgh
- University of Findlay
- University of Florida
- University of Hartford
- University of Hawaii
- University of Illinois Chicago
- University of Illinois-Springfield
- University of Illinois-Urbana-Champaign
- University of Indianapolis
- University of Iowa
- University of Kansas
- University of Kentucky
- University of Maryland
- University of Massachusetts-Amherst
- University of Miami
- University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
- University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
- University of Mississippi
- University of Missouri-Columbia
- University of Missouri-St. Louis
- University of Nevada-Las Vegas
- University of New Hampshire
- University of New Mexico
- University of North Carolina-Asheville
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- University of Oregon
- University of Pennsylvania
- University of Pittsburgh
- University of Portland
- University of Puget Sound
- University of Redlands
- University of Rhode Island
- University of Rochester
- University of San Diego
- University of San Francisco
- University of South Alabama
- University of Southern California
- University of South Carolina
- University of St. Andrews (Scotland)
- University of St. Francis
- University of St. Thomas-Minnesota
- University of the Ozarks
- University of the Pacific
- University of Tampa
- University of Tennessee-Chattanooga
- University of Tennessee-Knoxville
- University of Texas – Austin
- University of Toledo
- University of Utah
- University of Vermont
- University of Victoria
- University of Washington
- University of Wisconsin-Madison
- University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
- University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh
- University of Wisconsin-River Falls
- University of Wisconsin-Stout
- University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
- Utah State University
- Valparaiso University
- Vanderbilt University
- Vassar College
- Villanova University
- Virginia Commonwealth University
- Virginia Polytechnic Institute
- Wake Forest University
- Washington University in St. Louis
- Wayne State University
- Wesleyan University
- West Virginia University
- Western Colorado University
- Western Illinois University
- Western Michigan University
- Westminster College
- Westminster College-UT
- Wheelock College
- Whitman College
- Whittier College
- Wofford College
- Worcester Polytechnic Institute
- Xavier University
- Xavier University of Louisiana
- Yeshiva University
