Admissions Profile An insight into Cary Academy’s success Our mission is to create a learning community dedicated to discovery, innovation, collaboration, and excellence. 1500 N. Harrison Ave. Cary, NC 27513 Ph: 919-228-4634 | caryacademy.orgEXPERIENTIAL LEARNING CENTER FOR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT (CCE) The CCE brings together experiential learning, service learning, entrepreneurship, and diversity and inclusion work to build powerful new opportunities for learning and growth. Through immersive experiences that fully engage students as active collaborators and co-creators of knowledge, the CCE empowers students to thoughtfully engage with their community in meaningful ways, both on-campus and beyond. DISCOVERY TERM & WORK EXPERIENCE PROGRAM Coordinated by the CCE, these immersive two-week programs give Upper School students opportunities to investigate areas outside of the regular curriculum in authentic environments, such as outdoor wilderness backpacking or “mini-internships” with local businesses. WORLD LANGUAGE EXCHANGE All tenth-grade students travel abroad through exchange programs with partner schools in Argentina, Chile, France, and Germany. STEM PROGRAMMING Whether pursuing an academic interest in one of 15 different levels of math courses in the Upper School or conducting hands-on experiments in the state-of-the-art science labs in the Center for Math and Science, there is no shortage of programming to interest your budding scientists, technologists, engineers, and mathematicians. Students might choose to participate in three levels of FIRST Robotics (we’ve qualified for state and world championships), a campus chapter of Women in Science and Engineering (WISE), the Advances in Medical Technology Program, the US Association for Young Physicists’ Tournament, or the Science Olympiad, to name a few options. SPEECH AND DEBATE The Upper School Speech and Debate program is ranked nationally, with students competing annually at top-tier tournaments at George Mason University, Harvard University, and Yale University, among others. IN THE CLASSROOM (AND BEYOND) COMMUNITY AND CLASS SIZE In 2020-2021, there are 315 students in the Middle School and 469 students in the Upper School. Average classroom size is 16 students. FACULTY EXPERTISE 77% of faculty hold advanced degrees. VARIED PEDAGOGICAL APPROACHES “Own your learning.” It’s a phrase our students live by. Students develop self-awareness and learning management through a combination of direct instruction, project-based learning, hands-on experimentation, and self-directed study. TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION We employ technology as a tool and provide students an opportunity to learn in fully online and mixed-platform environments. All students are issued a tablet PC with inking capabilities. We have adopted Microsoft Office 365, Exchange Online and SharePoint Online as the school’s cloud platform, allowing for anytime, anywhere collaboration and sharing. HONORS AND ADVANCED COURSEWORK We offer 35 different ADVANCED (ADV) courses in lieu of Advanced Placement (AP) courses; ADV courses are taught with the challenge and expectation of AP courses, but give teachers the flexibility to adjust their course to meet student interest. Many students enrolled in ADV courses take the corresponding AP exam offered by The College Board. In May 2020, CA students took 608 AP exams in 26 different subjects. 88% scored a pass rate of 3 or higher; 66% earned a score of 4 or 5. VIRTUAL CURRICULUM Upper School students can follow their passions by taking courses not offered at CA through Virtual High School, the Global Online Academy, and other online platforms. 16 AVERAGE CLASS SIZE 77% OF FACULTY HOLD ADVANCED DEGREES 100+ STUDENT CLUBS 35 ADVANCED COURSESHOLISTIC AND HEALTHY APPROACHES NO RANKING/GPA POLICY Our graduating classes are small, our programs highly challenging, our range of grades narrow, and our students enter competitive four-year colleges. This approach leads to a more collaborative learning environment. COUNSELING SERVICES Two full-time counselors are available to assist students and to support the school’s mission to educate the whole child by focusing on the social and emotional development of students. LEARNING SUPPORT Two dedicated learning specialists offer support by consulting with teachers and parents and facilitating the implementation of accommodations for students with documented learning differences. AFFECTIVE EDUCATION Focusing on the core values of respect, integrity, and compassion, comprehensive affective education programs in both divisions equip students with social and emotional life skills that foster individual well-being, promote a healthy community, and help students navigate transitions during their formative years. DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION Cary Academy recognizes, respects, and embraces the richness of diversity in its many forms, including, but not limited to, ability, age, appearance, gender, national origin, personal qualities, race, religion, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic status. Our community is comprised of 51% students of color and 19% faculty of color, which makes us one of the most diverse schools in the Southeast. Our vision is to nurture and sustain an equitable and inclusive environment where everyone feels valued and can participate fully. Over 15 affinity groups support these efforts, bringing students (and parents) together around various identifiers and offering opportunities to work collaboratively across them. We offer $1.9M in financial aid annually, supported by a $20M aid endowment. OUTCOMES ACADEMIC RECOGNITION In 2020, 73% of seventh-graders qualified to take the SAT for the Duke Talent Identification Program. In 2020, 30% of twelfth graders were recognized by the National Merit Program. COLLEGE ACCEPTANCE The Class of 2020’s 118 students were accepted into 130 different schools and are attending 50 different colleges and universities in 18 states and Washington, DC. MERIT SCHOLARSHIPS In the last five years, CA students have accepted commissions to the U.S. Air Force Academy, Military Academy and Naval Academy. They have also been offered top scholarships – that’s full tuition or full-ride – at Duke University, Emory, Fordham, North Carolina State University, Salem College, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, University of Southern California, Wake Forest University, and Washington University in St. Louis. Specifically, within the Triangle over the last five years, three Chargers have been offered the Morehead-Cain Scholarship at University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill; 2 Chargers have been offered the Roberson Scholarship at Duke University or University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill; and two Chargers have been offered the Park Scholarship at North Carolina State University. CAMPUS LIFE CAMPUS We have 65 acres for inquisitive minds to roam. Highlights include a modern athletic complex, including a best-in-class track and weight room; Center for Math and Science with a brilliant makerspace that includes 3D computers, a laser cutter, and a waterjet; arts building with mainstage and black-box theaters, design lab, and multimedia discovery studio; a library with open, collaborative spaces that incorporate the school’s café; and an always green quad for throwing a ball, enjoying some sun, or kicking back in our hammock hangout (BYOH). STUDENT CLUBS AND ACTIVITIES Over 100 different student clubs and organizations offer students diverse opportunities to acquire new abilities, engage in self-expression, develop leadership skills, share interests, and provide service to the community. ATHLETICS 80% of CA students participate in our competitive athletics program. We field 47 teams in 14 different sports for boys and girls—that’s 8 basketball teams. ARTS All students are required to take fine arts courses. Across the divisions, the Fine and Performing Arts Department features courses in fine arts, digital arts, video production, dance, chorus, band, orchestra, and theater. 51% STUDENTS OF COLOR 80% OF STUDENTS PARTICIPATE IN ATHLETICS 32% OF THE CLASS OF 2018 RECOGNIZED BY NATIONAL MERIT PROGRAM 100% ACCEPTANCE TO COLLEGE EVERY YEAR Agnes Scott College (1) American University (1) Appalachian State University (4) Bates College Belmont University (1) Berklee College of Music Boston College (2) Boston University (2) Brandeis University Brown University (5) Bucknell University Butler University (1) California College of the Arts California Institute of Technol- ogy (1) Campbell University Capital University Carleton College Carnegie Mellon University (1) Case Western Reserve University (2) Claremont McKenna College Clemson University (2) Colgate University College of Charleston (1) Colorado College (1) Columbia University (2) Cornell University (3) Dartmouth College (1) Davidson College (9) Denison University (1) DePaul University DePauw University Dickinson College (1) Drexel University (1) Duke University (16) East Carolina University Eckerd College Elon University (5) Emerson College Emory University (3) Florida Southern College Florida State University Fordham University Franklin University Switzerland Furman University George Mason University George Washington University (4) Georgetown University (1) Georgia Institute of Technology (4) Gettysburg College Goucher College (1) Grand Canyon University Guilford College Hamilton College Hampshire College Hampton University Harvard University (1) High Point University (2) Hofstra University Hollins University Howard University Indiana University at Blooming- ton (1) Jacksonville University James Madison University (1) Jefferson University Johns Hopkins University (2) Juniata College (1) Kenyon College Kettering University King’s College London Lenoir-Rhyne University Loyola University Chicago Loyola University Maryland (1) Macalester College Marist College Maryland Institute College of Art (1) Marymount Manhattan College Massachusetts Institute of Tech- nology (3) McGill University Mercer University Meredith College Michigan State University Middlebury College (1) The New School (3) New York University (3) North Carolina A & T State University North Carolina State University (37) Northeastern University (1) Northwestern University (1) Oberlin College (1) Ohio State University Pennsylvania State University Purdue University (1) Queens University of Charlotte Quinnipiac University Regis University Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Rhode Island School of Design Rhodes College Rice University (6) Ringling College of Art and Design Roanoke College (1) Rochester Institute of Technol- ogy (1) Rollins College Rose-Hulman Institute of Tech- nology (1) Rutgers University (New Bruns- wick) Salem College (1) Santa Clara University (1) Sarah Lawrence College Savannah College of Art and Design (3) School of the Art Institute of Chicago (1) School of Visual Arts (1) Scripps College (2) Sewanee: The University of the South Smith College Southern Methodist University (2) Spelman College St John’s College (Annapolis) St John’s University (New York) St. John’s College (Santa Fe) (1) Stanford University (1) Stevens Institute of Technology Swarthmore College Sweet Briar College (1) Syracuse University (1) Temple University Temple University Japan Texas A & M University Texas Christian University Tufts University (5) Tulane University of Louisiana ACCEPTANCE & MATRICULATION LIST (2018-2020) United States Military Academy United States Naval Academy (1) University of Alabama University of Arizona University of British Columbia (1) University of California (Los Angeles) (1) University of California (San Diego) University of California (Santa Barbara) (1) University of California (Santa Cruz) University of Chicago (5) University of Cincinnati University of Colorado Boulder (2) University of Connecticut (1) University of Dayton University of Denver (1) University of Florida (1) University of Georgia (1) University of Illinois at Urba- na-Champaign University of Iowa University of Kentucky (1) University of Lynchburg University of Mary Washington University of Maryland (Baltimore County) University of Maryland (College Park) University of Miami University of Michigan (1) University of Minnesota (Twin Cities) University of Mississippi University of Nebraska (Lincoln) University of North Carolina at Asheville University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (98) University of North Carolina at Charlotte (4) University of North Carolina at Greensboro University of North Carolina Wilmington University of North Texas University of Notre Dame (2) University of Oregon University of Pennsylvania (3) University of Pittsburgh University of Richmond (2) University of Rochester University of San Francisco University of South Carolina (3) University of Southern California (2) University of St. Andrews University of Tampa University of Tennessee (Knoxville) University of Texas at Austin University of Texas at Dallas University of the Arts University of Toronto University of Utah (2) University of Vermont University of Virginia (2) University of Washington (Seattle Campus) University of Wisconsin (Madison) Ursinus College Vassar College Villanova University Virginia Commonwealth Uni- versity Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (1) Wabash College Wake Forest University (11) Washington and Lee University Washington University in St Louis (7) Wellesley College (2) Wesleyan University (1) William and Mary (1) Winston-Salem State University Worcester Polytechnic Institute (1) Yale University (3) Schools in bold indicate matriculation, with the number of students attending in parentheses. In accordance with our mission and the law, Cary Academy does not discriminate on the basis of race, gender, national and ethnic origin, religion, sexual orientation, disability, or age.Next >