At the Preparatory (7th Grade) level, students build on foundations established in 6th grade and develop the skills and confidence to challenge themselves in academic and arts courses.

Preparatory English emphasizes writing, critical thinking, and great works of literature. Project Citizen, the social studies course, helps students understand the roots of civic thinking in the United States and develop the ability to participate effectively in our government. In this class, students volunteer with a non-profit organization to learn about community engagement. Students may also take a semester of Speech and Debate.

Preparatory Science studies the physical sciences, with one semester focusing on chemistry and one on physics. The schedule is rounded out with Theatre, Music, Media Arts, and Dance. As an extension of their studies in Project Citizen and the novels they read in English, students have a fall retreat focusing on poverty and sustainable food practices. In math, students are evaluated and placed according to their skill level, typically in Math Foundations, Pre-Algebra, Algebra 1, or Geometry. In Learning Lab, students continue to work with an instructor to develop their organizational and study habits. Students may take an optional world language course, including Mandarin, Spanish or French, at the Introductory through Fluent levels.