Wilmington Christian Academy

Our students are academically prepared to use their God-given ambition, talent and motivation to pursue His will for their lives. In any given year 95% or more of our students continue their education at the college level. Although WCA encourages students to consider post-secondary work in Christian colleges, we fully prepare them to excel in private secular and state colleges.

CURRICULUM

Believing that Christian education should be available to students of various ability levels, WCA offers four high school programs: Resource, General, College Preparatory, and Honors. Although some of our students may pursue trade programs, most of our graduates attend four year colleges and universities.

The College Prep Program requires students to complete the following credits:

The Honors Program requires students to complete all the requirements for the college prep program plus a third year of foreign language, a fourth year of science and obtain a final grade point average of 3.8 or higher.

WCA’s College Prep and Honors programs ensure that students meet and exceed the UNC system course requirements for freshmen college admission which are among the most respected in the nation.

Students select classes from those listed below:

TEST SCORES

Stanford Achievement Test Each year WCA students take the Stanford Achievement Test, a nationally standardized assessment. The results of this testing allow us to compare our students with their counterparts across the United States. In contrast, students who take the NC Public School assessments (EOC, EOG) are only compared with students from North Carolina. In 2007 WCA’s senior class scored in the 98% nationally, while the junior class scored in the 90% and the sophomores in the 97%. As an example, this information indicates that 98% of the senior classes tested across the United States scored lower than our WCA students!

American College Test (ACT) As a requirement for graduation, all juniors at WCA must take the ACT (American College Test), which is the preferred college entrance test in the majority of US states. In 2007 the ACT test was administered over one million times. WCA’s average composite score was 21.7 which exceeds state and national average scores. To put this information into perspective, consider the upcoming minimum score requirements for the UNC system: 2009, 15; 2010, 16; 2013, 17.

Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) Virtually all colleges in the US accept both ACT and SAT scores; therefore, we do not require students to take the SAT. Some students may benefit by taking both tests. Resources are available for these students.

President’s Education Award for Academic Excellence Each year numerous freshmen and seniors receive this award from the US Department of Education in recognition of outstanding grades and achievement test scores.

GRADE POINT AVERAGE (GPA)

GPA is very important for college acceptance. WCA students can earn final grade point averages well over 4.0 because honors and advanced classes are awarded additional credit due to their difficulty. To place this in perspective, consider the upcoming minimum GPA requirements for the UNC system: 2009 2.0; 2011 2.3; 2013 2.5.

GUIDANCE COUNCELING SERVICES

WCA students have access to far more individual counseling opportunities than most students in our area. The Administrator, High School Principal and Registrar form a knowledgeable and effective team to prepare our high school students and parents for college. The opportunity for personal attention at WCA stands in stark contrast to schools where one counselor may serve hundreds of students in one grade level alone. Here are some of the services provided by the WCA counseling staff:

    Personal /Family counseling appointments
    Evening college seminars for parents
    Student group sessions during school
    WCA Alumni Forum (coming 2008-09)
    College Representative Visits

Through these opportunities parents and students glean pertinent information on the following subjects:

    High school orientation and course selection
    Academic counseling
    GPA calculation and importance
    Career counseling
    College selection process
    College entrance requirements
    College entrance testing
    College application process
    Financial aid opportunities and procedures

Many colleges today also evaluate applicants’ extra-curricular activities as a part of the acceptance process. To assist colleges in making a decision based on a comprehensive view of our students’ strengths, our registrar prepares professional transcripts that include necessary academic information and other accomplishments, such as athletic participation, awards, community service and training conferences. Unlike the large public high schools in our area, WCA’s size allows students to actively participate in athletic, fine arts, and leadership opportunities.

Academy students can earn credits for college while in high school. Our AP (Advanced Placement) courses prepare students to take AP exams. College credits are awarded based on these AP test scores. Students may also pursue dual enrollment in local colleges and universities. After graduation, students are encouraged to take subject placement tests at the college they will attend. WCA students taking these tests consistently score well enough to waive freshman level courses and are placed in more advanced classes.

COLLEGE ACCEPTANCE

Since our inception, WCA graduates have successfully gained acceptance into state, private and Christian colleges. Our graduates frequently secure college scholarships for athletic and academic achievement. WCA alumni have successfully completed advanced degrees in many fields such as ministry, medicine, law, business, education, journalism, law enforcement, technology, engineering and the military. Below is a partial listing of colleges where WCA alumni have been accepted.