Laurel Springs School: Private High School Spotlight

April 19, 2024

Looking for a high school experience that is personalized and innovative, yet centered around academic excellence? One that provides a college-bound culture? That immerses you in a passionate and curious social community? If you’re wondering where this utopia exists, the answer is Laurel Springs School, a fully accredited, online private high school accessible from anywhere in the world. With top-tier academics, highly qualified faculty, and individualized counseling services, Laurel Springs helps students thrive in the here and now and lift their gaze to what’s ahead, a dual focus that leads to incredible student outcomes. In today’s blog, we’re covering every detail of the personalized, premier education that Laurel Springs delivers to its global student body.

What makes Laurel Springs School unique?

Laurel Springs is a fully accredited, online private high school that has been a pioneer in online education since 1991. For more than 30 years, they’ve successfully graduated over 5,500 students. They’ve also worked with families in all 50 states and more than 100 countries. The school features part-time, full-time, single-course, and dual enrollment programs – with 80% of students attending Laurel Springs full-time and 20% enrolled in a part-time experience.

With a flexible model, diverse curriculum offerings, and personalized support, Laurel Springs students are empowered to create an academic experience tailored to their ambitions and goals. Furthermore, Laurel Springs’ online learning model is immersive and engaging, and each individual is supported by highly qualified, experienced teachers. Students engage independently with their curriculum at any time and place of their choosing. Additionally, teachers provide personalized, constructive feedback and guidance to support students as they master content and skills.

Most importantly, Laurel Springs’ students are always in the process of building, whether it’s their love for learning, their confidence, or their futures. Accordingly, Laurel Springs’ dedicated in-house counseling department features strategic college and career advisory, generating excellent admissions results. Graduates regularly attend highly selective institutions and achieve their own personal versions of postgraduate success, from Division I athletic recruitment to entrepreneurial ventures and performing arts careers (more on this below).

What can I expect from a Laurel Springs online high school experience?

At Laurel Springs, you’ll have the option of two learning pathways.

Laurel Springs High School is fully self-paced and asynchronous, meaning you’ll engage with your work on a schedule of your own choosing and can revisit the interactive lessons and modules as many times as you like. The program features an extensive catalog of college-prep curriculum, including Honors and AP courses, dual-credit courses, and electives. You’ll also have the opportunity to participate in plenty of hands-on activities, reach out for individualized support at any time, and interact with other Laurel Springs students via 30+ clubs and activities.

Alternatively, The Academy at Laurel Springs offers a pathway designed for 6-12th graders seeking a high-touch and further immersive educational experience. In addition to the rigorous, asynchronous curriculum that Laurel Springs offers, you will also have access to courses with weekly live workshop sessions as well as other unique live learning experiences, like their Symposium course. The Academy also partners with other organizations, such as Harvard Student Agencies, to provide additional enriched learning opportunities that support student passions and career readiness. Moreover, Academy teachers are highly qualified and experts in online education, and Academy counselors take on smaller caseloads to offer more personalized support. If you’re a student who is nervous about transitioning to a remote learning experience, The Academy’s collaborative, hybrid environment could be the perfect bridge.

Whether you are a High School or Academy student, Laurel Springs’ faculty will support you every step of the way. Moreover, every Laurel Springs student has 24/7 access to live tutoring via Tutor.com in all subject areas.

Who attends Laurel Springs?

Laurel Springs’ incredibly diverse student body is composed of students from nearly every area of the world, with all different types of learning preferences and styles, outside passions, and academic ambitions. Since their passions and goals are as diverse as their backgrounds, every Laurel Springs experience starts with a customized academic pathway that centers around each individual student’s interests and aspirations.

Accordingly, you’ll be the force behind your own education, guided by experienced advisors and educators. Your passions will be championed and supported, and you’ll be encouraged to fully embrace what drives you, both inside and outside the classroom. Most excitingly, you’ll be freed from the demands of a traditional schedule and have the ability to fully pursue the things you love doing most.

What does this look like in real life? Perhaps you’re a student who learns best in a home environment with fewer distractions and access to home support. Maybe you’re a competitive athlete, artist, or musician who needs to be able to create your own academic schedule amidst demanding practices, performances, and competitions. Or, perhaps you’re an aspiring environmental studies student who does best when you can work outside, a world traveler who’d like to stay grounded in the US education system, a nonprofit founder, or a budding computer scientist with an affinity for machine learning. From archery champions and competitive dancers to serious researchers, rock climbers, authors, and everything in between, Laurel Springs’ students and alumni experience tremendous academic and professional success across a wide variety of sectors.

What types of courses can I take?

Laurel Springs’ course catalog is extensive, with more than 200 college-prep courses, 20+ AP and dual enrollment classes, and 100+ electives. Laurel Springs’ offerings also include the AP Capstone Program, which is rarely found at online high schools. Honors Shakespearean Literature? African American History? Discrete Mathematics? Honors Marine Science? Photojournalism? Walking Fitness? No matter your interests, you’re guaranteed to find options that excite you within Laurel Springs’ diverse array of offerings. Unique electives range from Game Design and Military Careers to Sports Officiating, Veterinary Science, and AP Computer Science Principles.

Academy students have earlier access to advanced, AP, and dual-credit classes, as well as opportunities to take many of their core courses “with Workshop.” Workshop courses provide students the benefit of the asynchronous curriculum supplemented with a weekly live class with their teacher and a cohort of other students. Within these live classes, they’ll discuss, debate, and explore course topics in more depth.

Hoping to earn college credit in high school? Laurel Springs has you covered with a robust array of dual enrollment courses available through their partnership with Baylor University and Syracuse University.

Language buff? Laurel Springs offers six world languages at multiple levels. These include American Sign Language, Chinese, French, German, Latin, and Spanish. AP Spanish Language and Culture is offered as well.

What types of social activities can I participate in?

Social engagement and peer connection are integral to the teenage years. At Laurel Springs, your social development is fully supported through an extensive array of clubs and activities. More than thirty are available across different interest areas, including Animal and Pet Club, Budding Artists Club, Creative Computing, Drama and Student Performers Club, Modern UN, National Honor Society, and Yearbook Club, to name a few. Virtual field trips occur regularly, and Class Connection Assemblies take place three times per year. In addition, Laurel Springs’ high school students and parents have access to a secure, private social network. Here, they can make new friends, find study partners, participate in discussion threads, and receive additional updates about upcoming events.

If you’re eager to meet your peers and teachers outside of the classroom, you’re in luck! Laurel Springs offers in-person meet-ups, field trips, and travel learning opportunities on a regular basis. Meet-ups and field trips take place in various locations around the country and travel learning is planned in coordination with WorldStrides. These experiences can be anywhere from a few days to a week-plus, and typically focus on service to the community, the environment, history and civics, or self-actualization and leadership. Upcoming experiences include an immersive trip to Quebec, where students will explore the French language, culture, and traditions, and a regional field trip and meet-up in Seattle, Washington, where participants will venture on an underground tour and ride the monorail to a workshop at the Museum of Pop Art.

Finally, the connections you make at Laurel Springs won’t stop once you graduate. Laurel Springs’ thriving alumni network is a place where you can connect with classmates, expand your professional network, and offer mentorship to new graduates.

How does academic advisory work at Laurel Springs?

Laurel Springs is one of the only online high schools with dedicated, in-house college and career counseling support for every student. This support begins as early as eighth grade, and students receive one-on-one advisory about everything from course selection and placement to best-fit colleges and career pathways. Student-athletes also benefit from a dedicated athletic advisor who provides guidance in the realm of NCAA academic eligibility, the recruitment process, social media branding, and even relationship-building with college coaches.

Most importantly, Laurel Springs counselors and advisors are skilled in supporting a range of post-secondary trajectories. These include the transition to college, competitive sports, a gap year, the military, a career, or vocational training. Every counselor holds membership in the National Association of College Admissions Counseling (NACAC) and stays up-to-date on trends in education and career counseling.

In addition to all of the above, Academy students enjoy special access to personal development tools like ACT Mosaic and YouScience. They also engage in specialized webinars and bootcamps on college admissions and applications.

What are Laurel Springs college admissions highlights?

An incredible 91% of Laurel Springs’ Class of 2023 went on to college while 9% immediately pursued their passions in areas like performing arts, computer science, and environmental advocacy, opted for a gap year, committed to military service, or enrolled in further vocational training. 86% of students scored a 3 or higher on all AP exams, and 77% of Laurel Springs students who applied to college were offered admission to their first-choice school. Additionally, 1 in 4 Academy students were accepted into US colleges and universities with acceptance rates less than 25%. Collectively, Laurel Springs students received a whopping $10.2+ million in scholarship funding.

Laurel Springs students have been accepted to hundreds of colleges and universities worldwide. Highlights from the past three years include Amherst College, Boston College, Boston University, Brown University, Caltech, Carnegie Mellon, Claremont McKenna, Colgate, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Davidson, Duke, Emory, Georgetown, Harvard, Johns Hopkins, Northeastern, Northwestern, Pomona, Princeton, Rice, Stanford, Swarthmore, Tufts, the UCs, UPenn, the University of Southern California, Vanderbilt, and Yale, among many others. Recent Laurel Springs students have gone on to attend elite performing arts colleges like The Juilliard School as well as highly selective service academies like West Point and the Naval Academy.

View Laurel Springs’ School Profile

Can I take individual courses at Laurel Springs?

Yes! Any high school student can take individual courses, which are all completely self-paced. An excellent choice for online AP classes, Laurel Springs has been approved and accredited by the College Board to teach the AP curriculum. They also offer individual college prep, honors, NCAA-approved, and UC A-G approved courses.

To enroll, you may need to meet certain prerequisites. You’ll be responsible for obtaining approval from your current high school for Laurel Springs credits to count toward your graduation requirements.

Is summer programming offered?

If you’re hoping to catch up, get ahead, meet NCAA eligibility requirements, or boost performance in a certain subject area this summer, look no further than Laurel Springs’ Summer Program. By registering for a 4-week course, you can complete a full semester of content. Similarly, by registering for an 8-week course, you can complete a full year’s worth of work. Math, English, Science, World Language Studies, AP and Honors options, and electives are all featured in the High School Summer Catalog!

Special offerings this year include a 6-week hybrid Geometry course that covers a full year of coursework, College Applications 101 and College Essay Writing workshops, and SAT and ACT preparation courses. Moreover, in the College Athletics Bootcamp, you’ll learn more about the NCAA recruitment process and how to navigate it like a pro.

I’m interested in transferring to Laurel Springs. What are my next steps?

You have two options! Reaching out to Laurel Springs directly presents you with a 1-1 conversation about the enrollment process with an Admissions Coordinator. You can also attend a Virtual Open House, where you’ll learn more about everything that sets Laurel Springs apart in the online learning landscape. Here, you’ll meet the Head of School, hear from parent and student ambassadors, and have the opportunity to ask questions in breakout rooms. No matter what next step you choose, Laurel Springs’ friendly and knowledgeable Admissions Team will play an important role in helping with your transition!

Final Thoughts — Laurel Springs School

At Laurel Springs, you’ll have the unique, rare opportunity to create a personalized online high school experience that is empowering, challenging, and completely tailored to your passions and goals. You’ll also receive the unique resources and support you need to approach your next milestone—whether that be college, a career, or an experience of your own design—with confidence, enthusiasm, and purpose.

Looking for additional resources to assist you on your high school journey? If so, you might consider checking out the following:

bookmark

Private High School Spotlight

Kelsea Conlin

Kelsea holds a BA in English with a concentration in Creative Writing from Tufts University, a graduate certificate in College Counseling from UCLA, and an MA in Teaching Writing from Johns Hopkins University. Her short fiction is forthcoming in Chautauqua.