For the third consecutive year, 100 percent of the graduating seniors from the  Urban Prep Academy, the nation’s first all-boys public charter high school, have accomplished what some thought impossible – every single one of these 85 students has been accepted to a four-year college or university.

As of last week, the Englewood campus’s 2012 graduating students have been accepted to 128 different four-year colleges and universities, including: Bates College, Georgetown University, Morehouse College, Northwestern University, Syracuse University and the University of Virginia. In total, this year’s seniors have been awarded more than $3.5 million in scholarships and grants to date.

Also good news, a follow-up study of former graduates of the African-American student body shows they are staying in college beyond their first year at record rates: 83 percent of Urban Prep graduates persisted in college compared to only 71 percent for Chicago Public School alumni and 35 percent for African-American males nationally.

“I’m incredibly proud,” said Tim King, founder and CEO, Urban Prep Academies. “Critics didn’t believe that a bunch of boys in the hood could be boys doing good.”

Urban Prep is committed to the ongoing success of its alumni, and has allocated resources for supporting students once they graduate high school, with regular contact, mentoring and guidance.

Urban Prep Academies was founded in 2002 by Tim King and a group of African-American education, business and civic leaders who wanted to improve the educational opportunities available to urban boys.

(WATCH a video below from ABC-7 News or READ their story)