Upper School
With a strong preparation in the lower grades, USJ's Upper School students are provided a curriculum that prepares them for success in college and beyond college. All of USJ's graduates meet college entrance requirements. The Upper School curriculum offers regular, honors, and Advanced Placement courses in a challenging and supportive educational environment.
The Upper School curriculum consists of an honors and a non-honors track. Both tracks prepare students to do well in college and demand a strong and consistent work ethic to be successful. Students are required to take six classes during their first three years (core classes in mathematics, English, science, history and foreign language, and an elective) and five classes during their senior year, including one in math and English.
Honors and Advanced Placement classes require a higher order of thinking and analyzing skills and move at a more rapid pace than non-honors classes. Teacher recommendations, standardized test scores, and class averages are considered in the decision of whether a child should take honors and AP courses. The content of non-honors classes is also demanding and challenging, though basic skills and concepts are reviewed and addressed in greater depth than in honors classes. Both tracks provide USJ students with a strong core of basic skills, along with the ability to reason, think, solve problems, manage time, organize information and data, be creative, and understand how to prepare for a variety of assessment techniques.
Upper School Grade Charts
What courses will your child take each year in Upper School? Go to the grade charts to learn more...
Preparing for College
USJ's college advisors work closely with Upper School students. More information about preparing for college…
School Profile
USJ's School Profile is sent to colleges along with a student's application. It explains the coursework, grading scale, and graduation requirements at USJ and provides a snapshot of the class scores, including SAT, ACT, and quintile averages. It also shows grade distribution for AP and Honors courses, AP scores, and a look at colleges that USJ graduates have been accepted at and then attended. To download a copy of the School Profile in pdf format, click here. You can view it in Adobe Acrobat Reader. You can also get a copy of the School Profile from the college advising office.
AP/Honors Courses
Placement in all AP and Honors courses is determined by grades, standardized test scores, and teacher recommendation. AP and Honors courses are weighted for class ranking. All students who take an Advanced Placement course are expected to take the AP examination in the spring with the hopes of earning college credit. More…
In Upper School, your child will:
• experience a comprehensive college preparatory curriculum
• not slip through the cracks
• maximize his or her ACT and SAT scores
• have increased college scholarship opportunities
• learn in a safe, clean, and extraordinary facility
• have ample personal and individualized counseling and attention
• receive an exceptional academic preparation
• be expected to meet high academic standards
• take only college preparatory classes
• have the opportunity to practice respect, tolerance, responsibility, and other virtues every day
• have the opportunity to develop a strong personal relationship with an adult advisor
• take classes with low average class size
• make a commitment to academic excellence
• learn to manage time and stay organized
• learn to be responsible and accountable
• have a strong and consistent work ethic
• display a postive attitude and behavior
• gain respect for self and others
• practice tolerance and gain an appreciation for differences
• learn how to make good personal decisions and choices
• have fun by participating in one or more of the many available extracurricular activities
• have many opportunities to be involved wih service learning projects
• have the opportunity to utilize continuously updated technology and other learning resources
• have the opportunity to participate in a comprehensive and highly competiive athletic program
• have the opportunity to participate in a comprehensive and highly competitive fine arts program
