About Northwestern Preparatory School

Northwestern is a civilian preparatory school devoted exclusively to developing successful candidates for our nation’s Service Academies. Our comprehensive development program equips our students not only with the academic proficiency and physical conditioning needed to gain admission, but also with personal skills and maturity to excel in the demanding environment of a Service Academy.

Northwestern’s picturesque campus is set high in the mountains near Lake Arrowhead, California. Our dormitories are an attractive combination of brick, glass and wood; each with its own laundry facility and sitting area with fireplace. In addition to our classrooms, kitchen, and dining hall, we also have a physical conditioning room filled with a wide variety of exercise and weight training equipment, including a Nautilus machine and free weights. Our entire facility meets and exceeds all government health and safety requirements. Recreational activities include swimming, basketball, volleyball, hiking, running, table tennis, and billiards. Although our program is in an informal setting, standards of conduct and personal appearance remain at a high level.

We are pleased to have you visit our facility, but it must be by appointment only. This should be arranged through our office at least two weeks in advance. Our facility is used year round and drop-in visitation is not possible.

Our recommended two-part program is for recent high school graduates. From late August through December, we concentrate on the academic areas of English, math, and science, along with study skills and interpersonal relations. Visit our Curriculum webpage for a more detailed description.

By early January, our students’ Academy application packages are complete and the respective Academy Admissions Offices begin offering appointments. Our students return home to attend a local Community College and gain college-level academic work as a continuation of our program. This provides the best of both worlds, Northwestern’s exceptionally thorough skill development, plus a semester of pre-planned college experience. Together, these two phases provide an extremely comprehensive Academy preparation.

If your dream is to become a commissioned officer in the Armed Forces of America, there is no educational opportunity better than a Service Academy. An Academy appointment is equivalent to a full scholarship to one of the best universities in the world and has been valued at over $120,000. According to the Princeton Review, two of the top three most selective schools in America are Service Academies. Only Harvard University is more competitive than the US Air Force Academy and the US Naval Academy. All five Service Academies are amongst the top ten.

Don’t feel discouraged if you are not selected while in high school. It is an honor even to be considered for a Service Academy appointment. More importantly, do not lose sight of your dream. The US military does not want "quitters". They value tenacity and the Academy Admissions Offices recognize perseverance. If you provide the energy and motivation, we can help you achieve your goals.

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