Academics

College Preparatory Program

A rigorous four-year curriculum designed to develop critical thinkers, confident communicators, and lifelong scholars prepared for the most selective colleges and universities in the nation.

Ashford Ridge students studying in the library
Program Overview

Built for the Ambitious Student

Ashford Ridge’s college preparatory program is the cornerstone of our academic mission. Beginning in the ninth grade, students follow a carefully sequenced curriculum that balances breadth and depth across the humanities, sciences, mathematics, and world languages.

Classes are capped at 14 students and taught using the Harkness discussion method, where every voice matters and intellectual risk-taking is expected. Faculty advisors meet with each student weekly to set goals, track progress, and build the mentoring relationships that define an Ashford Ridge education.

Students in a Harkness seminar discussion
Curriculum

Three Pathways to Excellence

Students choose from three academic tracks that can be combined to create a personalized course of study.

Advanced Placement

Twenty-two AP courses spanning English, history, mathematics, sciences, world languages, and studio art. Eighty-four percent of our AP students score 3 or higher on their exams.

Honors Track

Accelerated coursework with deeper primary-source engagement, extended research requirements, and seminar-style discussion for students seeking additional rigor before advancing to AP.

Senior Capstone

A year-long independent research project mentored by faculty and presented to a panel of educators and community leaders — the culminating academic experience at Ashford Ridge.

Results

Where Our Graduates Go

98%

Four-Year College Acceptance

72%

Admitted to Top-50 Universities

$4.2M

Scholarships Earned (Class of 2025)

14

AP Scholar Awards (2025)

Faculty advisor meeting with a small group of students
Student Support

The Advisory Program

Every student is paired with a faculty advisor who serves as their primary academic mentor throughout all four years. Weekly one-on-one meetings help students set goals, navigate challenges, and build the self-advocacy skills that are essential for success in college and life.

College Counseling

Guidance from Day One

Our three dedicated college counselors begin working with families in the ninth grade, building a four-year roadmap that includes course selection strategy, standardized test preparation, essay coaching, and interview practice. By senior year, students submit confident, polished applications to schools that are the right fit academically, socially, and financially.

College counselor reviewing applications with a student
The Harkness method at Ashford Ridge taught me how to think — not what to think. When I arrived at Princeton, I was already comfortable defending an argument, admitting when I was wrong, and asking the kind of questions that move a conversation forward. That’s an advantage no textbook can give you.
Photo of Thomas Ainsley
Thomas Ainsley, Class of 2019 Princeton University ’23, Economics

Ready to Challenge Yourself?

Join a community of ambitious scholars who believe that the best preparation for life begins with the courage to be challenged every day.