Founded in 1964, Prep’s Higher Achievement Program (HAP) has provided an unforgettable summer experience for some 7,500 young men from Jersey City and beyond in the months between their seventh and eighth grades. This unique five-week enrichment program combines academics, athletics and creative classroom techniques while teaching that learning can be fun and exciting.

The 15 full-time classroom teachers include current Saint Peter’s Prep faculty members, faculty of other high schools, and current college students. All are supervised by program director John Irvine, ’83, P’11, Prep’s Director of Admissions, who took the reins from the program’s original director, the late Fr. John Browning, S.J., ’46, in 1994.

Aiding the HAP faculty are 40 tutors who are HAP graduates currently enrolled at Prep. They provide one-on-one instruction and manage the afternoon athletic activities.

The program attempts to reach as many boys as possible, with the goal of preparing the students for eighth grade while challenging some students with accelerated work. It provides a chance for academic and social growth, for maturity, and for making new friends in a small classroom environment.

Subjects include English, mathematics and writing, with “option” courses provided three afternoons each week. These are mini-courses on topics chosen by the teachers, with each student selecting the class that interests him. Option classes have included Science Lab, History vs Hollywood, Sports Literature, and Star Wars & Storytelling to name a few.

The program concludes with a graduation ceremony, complete with diplomas and awards. For almost every boy who graduates, the five weeks pass much too quickly!