What does a Global Prep Academy possible acceptance interview include?
 • An overview of the program by a member of the committee.
 • Interview questions from the committee panel, which is scored by a rubric.
 • A handwritten essay by the student, which is scored by a rubric.
 • Both the parent and student must be present.

What is the course load?
Middle school students take their entire course load, core classes and electives, at Global Prep Academy inside the B.R. Johnson Career & Tech Center. High school students typically, but not exclusively, have a blended schedule that might include main campus, dual credit or CTE courses. However, there are some high school students who do take their entire course load through GPA.
 
What are the academics?
The academic options at Global Prep Academy are rigorous, but tailored to fit the academic desires of the student. We offer a wide range of at-level, Pre-Advanced Placement (AP) and AP courses. We offer courses that cannot be taken anywhere else in the district, including Chinese (Mandarin), Japanese and Latin language options.
 
GPA also has a few distinct academic characteristics: 
 • Our classes are graded by the semester, not by marking periods. That means the work put in on day one is just as important as the last day of the semester. 
 • All classwork is done online, but you have an actual teacher for each course. They can be communicated with through phone or email. 
 • Students occasionally participate in "Live Lessons" where they video-conference with their teacher and other students for direct instruction.
 • Live tutors are available in all course subjects, even in the evenings.
 • Coursework can be completed anywhere there is an internet connection, but the time on campus is prioritized for this.
 • Students can also work ahead to complete coursework. However, they cannot work ahead into the next semester.
 
What is the student experience like at GPA?
Global Prep is a unique environment. Our classrooms are more laid-back and resemble a student lounge more than a typical classroom setup. We have three classrooms that each have a different "personality" that are based on both social and academic needs. 
 
On a typical day a student will come in, get comfortable and log-in to their coursework. They are then responsible for reading daily messages, mastering their lesson content and completing all assignments for that day. If the students needs to take a mental break, that is allowed. As long as work is being completed excellently, students can socialize with each other, but we do value and prioritize completed work.

What if my student struggles with time management? 
Proper time management is vital to success in Global Prep Academy. While we are often described as a "self-paced" learning environment, our students have a daily checklist of assignments that they must complete each day. If those assignments are not completed, they are added to the next day's list of assignments. Students who need a large amount of extra time to complete assignments or find themselves easily distracted, tend to struggle in this program. However, students who do well with budgeting their time, staying focused and delaying gratification excel.
 
How hard are the academics? 
Global Prep Academy prides itself on providing a highly-rigorous academic environment where every learning objective is fully covered. What makes GPA unique is that students are completely in the driver's seat of their learning. The students are in charge of learning the material on their own, keeping up with assignments, staying on track, communicating with teachers and executing assignments. While there are many supports available to the students, their success is ultimately their own. 
 
Will my student have access to the cafeteria and gymnasium? 
Global Prep students are held to high ethical, behavioral and academic standards. With those standards being met, we do give our students some freedoms. Our students have access to the cafeteria during the standard morning and lunch hours. Students also have access to a Global Prep designated break room that is equipped with microwaves, a toaster oven and a refrigerator. As for the gymnasium, we have at least two designated periods each week where students can get out of the classroom, go to the gym and play games (basketball, football, dodgeball, etc.).
 
Can my student participate in Homecoming, prom, etc. at their attendance zone home high school campus? 
High school students can participate in all high school activities and extracurricular options, including athletics. Some events, such as pep rallies, may not be available to the student if they are not current on their school work or if transportation is not available due to the timing of the event. At this time, middle school students are not able to participate in athletics or other extracurricular options at their main campus.
 
Are middle school student secluded from high school students? 
GPA students often find that a distinct characteristic of the program is that it feels more like a family than just a classroom. With that said, we do combine our classrooms and have a mixture of different ages. Older students often mentor and assist our younger students, which builds a camaraderie across grade levels. 
 
From a campus perspective, middle school students are mostly separated from the rest of the high school population at BRJ. Middle school students must have a high school Global Prep student escort them if they are going across campus. Also, while middle school students are able to buy their lunch in the cafeteria, they are required to eat in our GPA break room or in the classroom.