New Home & Bigger Dream: Erie Prep Welcomes Students for 2026–2027

ERIE, PA. — The suitcases arriving at Erie Preparatory Academy this fall carried more than just clothes and school supplies. They carried pieces of home and the ambitions that brought students to Erie in the first place.

For some, home is only a few hours away. For others, it is thousands of miles away. Students representing more than 20 countries and territories are part of the Erie Prep community this school year, bringing different languages, cultures, and experiences together on one campus.

Leaving Home, Pursuing More

Choosing that opportunity can also mean choosing independence earlier than most.

Students leave their families, familiar routines, and communities to pursue academic and athletic goals in Erie. Behind that decision are families making sacrifices of their own, trusting that time away from home will move their children closer to the futures they are working toward.

At Erie Prep, students do not have to pursue those ambitions alone.

Preparing for College and Beyond

With 95% of faculty holding advanced degrees, students are supported through college-preparatory academics, personalized academic advising, and honors-level coursework. Qualified students can begin earning college credit through Erie Prep’s dual-enrollment partnership with Erie County Community College. At the same time, the Academy’s postgraduate program provides an additional year for students seeking to strengthen their academic profiles and gain further collegiate athletic exposure.

For Dana Bearer, Director of Recruitment and Admissions, those opportunities are part of what makes Erie Prep’s educational experience distinctive. Students receive a Pennsylvania-standard education while also having the opportunity to begin college-level coursework as early as their junior year, at no additional cost through the Academy’s partnership with Erie County Community College.

“A student who starts early could actually get an associate’s degree by the time they graduate from Erie Prep. That’s a huge benefit,” Bearer said.

Faith, Character, and Growth

Bearer also pointed to the role of faith in the academy's educational experience. While private Christian education may not be the right fit for every student, she said, Erie Prep offers students the opportunity to combine a strong academic foundation with a Christian component that is not found at many schools. For Bearer, that combination is part of what makes Erie Prep unique, because students can pursue Pennsylvania academic standards and college-level opportunities while developing within an environment centered on faith, character, and personal growth.

Learning Beyond the Map

The experience also extends beyond academics. Bearer said Erie Prep’s small, intimate environment allows students to build strong relationships with their classmates and teammates while learning alongside peers from different backgrounds and cultures.

“Instead of learning about Portugal on the map, they can learn about Portugal from the kids sitting next to them,” Bearer said.

She also emphasized the accessibility of an Erie Prep education.

Education Within Reach

As families consider the cost of private education, Bearer said the Academy remains one of the most competitively priced coeducational Christian preparatory schools in the country, making its combination of academics, athletics, and Christian education accessible to more families.

For international students adjusting to a new language and culture, Erie Prep’s English as a Second Language program provides individualized English support while students participate in academics, athletics, and campus life. Across the academy, faith is woven into the educational experience, with an emphasis on developing not only academic ability but also character, discipline, and purpose.

More Than a Classroom

Athletics form another part of that experience. Students train and compete while completing their academic programs, allowing student-athletes to pursue competitive goals without separating athletics from their college preparation.

For Victor, a 10th-grade student from Guariba, São Paulo, Brazil, his first impressions were shaped by the small moments that can make a new place begin to feel like home.

“A comida é muito boa. A cidade é muito bonita. E eu gosto muito do campo de futebol.”

“The food is really good. The city is very beautiful. And I really like the soccer field,” Victor said.

Erie Prep graduates have continued their education at 30 colleges and universities, including New York University, Northeastern University, Rutgers University, Pepperdine, the University of Rochester, Penn State Behrend, Rochester Institute of Technology, West Virginia University, and universities within the University of California system.

Where the Journey Begins

College may be the destination Erie Prep is preparing students for, but much of that preparation happens in the everyday experiences of the school year.

It happens in classrooms and practices, in conversations with classmates from different parts of the world, and in the growing independence that comes with pursuing an education away from what is familiar.

For students who arrived in Erie with academic goals, athletic ambitions, or both, the year ahead offers time to grow into those aspirations.

By the time they take their next steps, they will carry with them more than academic preparation or athletic experience. They will have spent a year learning alongside people whose lives may look very different from their own, navigating new responsibilities, building relationships, and discovering what they are capable of.

The suitcases that arrived this fall carried dreams that began long before students reached Erie, dreams that may eventually take them to colleges, universities, and opportunities far beyond it. For now, the suitcases are unpacked, those dreams are taking shape, and Erie Prep is home.