Current Student Courses - Rising 10th-12th Grades

List of 14 items.

• Credit Earning with Travel: African Studies (Social Studies/Language)

  This credit-earning Social Studies or Language course and travel experience is open to rising Seniors and rising Juniors, if space allows. Students have the option to choose their credit for either a Social Studies elective or a Language credit in French. Enrollment is capped at 20 students.
  
  This course fulfills one semester of a Social Studies elective requirement and is a graded course that will be included in the student’s transcript and calculated into the student’s GPA. During the school year, students must minimally enroll in at least five courses at any given time and all students must be sure to complete the Social Studies graduation requirements.
  
  If a student decides to opt for a credit in French, this credit is above and beyond regular language credits and does not replace or exempt students from a year long language class during the school year. All students must be open to learning basic French and Wolof to facilitate interactions with Senegalese locals.
  
  African studies will explore the rich history of the continent with a focus on Senegal during the pre-colonial, colonial, and post-colonial eras. The course will be structured around literature, history, cultural practices and perspectives, as well as languages of West Africa. A 10 day field experience including service work at the Jesuit mission in Gandigal, Senegal will assist students as they prepare a final project.
  
  The cost of the course includes tuition, travel to, from, and within Senegal, accommodations, all food, and entry fees/tickets for planned activities. This trip requires the purchase of a travel protection plan including “medical evacuation” coverage and additional “cancel for any reason” coverage, which is not included in the price of the trip. 
  
  Students participating in this course must have a current United States passport and proof of vaccination against Yellow Fever. Medication for malaria prevention in country is required. Due to cultural practice in Senegal, we can not accept students who are allergic to peanuts. Travel to Senegal requires strict adherence to modest dress requirements for Muslim countries. Please visit this site for all information about the trip to Senegal! 
  
  For questions regarding the course or travel logistics, please contact Kellye Guzik, kellye.guzik@ignatius.org or Nate McPherson, nathan.mcpherson@ignatius.org.
  

  The enrollment deadline for this course is November 15, 2026. 

   

  Dates/Times:

  Coursework at Saint Ignatius College Prep: June 1 - June 29, 2027

  9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. daily

  Travel: June 17 - June 27, 2027

   

  Cost: $7100
  
  

  Financial aid is available for credit-earning courses that include a travel component, subject to the following guidelines:

  • Domestic Travel: Credit-earning courses involving travel within the 48 contiguous United States are eligible for financial aid at the same percentage awarded toward the student’s regular school-year tuition. Financial aid is limited to one domestic travel course per academic year.
  • International Travel: Credit-earning courses involving international travel are eligible for financial aid at the same percentage awarded toward the student’s regular school-year tuition, up to a maximum financial aid award of 50% of course fee. Financial aid for an international credit-earning travel course is limited to one course during a student’s four years at Saint Ignatius College Prep.
    For further questions regarding Financial Aid, please contact tuition@ignatius.org.

• Credit Earning with Travel: Science - Great Ecosystems of the World

  This credit-earning Science course is open to rising Seniors and rising Juniors, if space allows (Classes of 2028 & 2029). Enrollment is capped at 15 students.
  
  

  Great Ecosystems of the World seeks to connect the fundamental principles of Earth science, ecology, and environmental biology with immersive, hands-on experiences in some of the country's most diverse and ecologically significant landscapes. Students will explore the major biomes of the world and examine the abiotic and biotic factors that shape and sustain their ecosystems. The course will emphasize ecological principles including energy flow, population dynamics, speciation, and interactions between organisms and their environments. Students will investigate the influence of geography, weather, and atmospheric conditions on the distribution of biomes, as well as the effects of changing global climates on ecosystems. Through field research, students will collect and analyze ecological data, observe biodiversity, and investigate environmental challenges such as coastal erosion, invasive species, and climate change. The course will culminate in a field experience and research trip to Cape Cod, Massachusetts, the White Mountain National Forest in New Hampshire, and Lake Champlain in Vermont. During the trip, students will experience and compare a variety of ecosystems, including coastal salt marshes, maritime forests, alpine tundra, and freshwater environments. Students will apply the scientific principles learned during the course to investigate the ecological characteristics and environmental challenges of these regions and present their research findings upon returning to campus.
  
  

  The Summer 2027 course will culminate with a 7 day field research trip to Cape Cod, Massachusetts; the White Mountain National Forest in New Hampshire; and Lake Champlain in Vermont. The cost includes tuition, airfare, transportation during the trip, lodging, dinners, groceries, and planned activities. 
  
  

  The enrollment deadline for this course is December 1, 2026. 
  
  

  For questions regarding the course or travel logistics, please contact Nicole Episcopo, nicole.episcopo@ignatius.org.

  
  Dates/Times:

  Coursework at Saint Ignatius College Prep: June 1 - June 29, 2027
  8:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. daily 
  
  

  Travel: June 19 - June 25, 2027
  
  

  Cost: $3700
  
  

  Financial aid is available for credit-earning courses that include a travel component, subject to the following guidelines:

  • Domestic Travel: Credit-earning courses involving travel within the 48 contiguous United States are eligible for financial aid at the same percentage awarded toward the student’s regular school-year tuition. Financial aid is limited to one domestic travel course per academic year.
  • International Travel: Credit-earning courses involving international travel are eligible for financial aid at the same percentage awarded toward the student’s regular school-year tuition, up to a maximum financial aid award of 50% of course fee. Financial aid for an international credit-earning travel course is limited to one course during a student’s four years at Saint Ignatius College Prep.
    For further questions regarding Financial Aid, please contact tuition@ignatius.org.

• Credit Earning with Travel: Social Studies - Great Topics Native American History

  Great Topics: Native American History - From the Great Lakes to the Black Hills

   

  This credit-earning Social Studies course and travel experience is open to rising Seniors and rising Juniors (Classes of 2028 and 2029). Enrollment is capped at 20 students. 

   

  This course fulfills one semester of a Social Studies elective requirement and is a graded course that will be included in the student’s transcript and calculated into the student’s GPA.  During the school year, students must minimally enroll in at least five courses at any given time and all students must be sure to complete the Social Studies graduation requirements.

   

  Step out of the textbook and into the curator’s chair to uncover how Indigenous nations shaped—and continue to shape—the American landscape. This hands-on course explores the deep histories, vibrant cultures, and powerful resistance of Native peoples through a dynamic side-by-side comparison of two iconic landscapes: the lakefronts and riverways of the Chicago/Great Lakes region that were home to Chief Black Hawk and diverse Indigenous groups, and the sacred terrain of the Black Hills and Badlands of South Dakota, home to the Lakota Sioux and site of the Sioux Wars.

   

  What You’ll Do & Discover

  Two Regions, Epic Stories: Compare how Indigenous nations across the Great Lakes and the Great Plains built complex societies pre-1492, resisted colonial expansion, and maintain political sovereignty today.

   

  Unfiltered History: Work directly with Indigenous art, reproductions of primary documents, and site-based evidence to challenge traditional colonial narratives and center Native voices.

   

  Experiential Fieldwork: Engage in site-specific discussions, local museum study, and immersive programs led by guest educators and local historians. We will be traveling to the Black Hills region of South Dakota to explore Badlands National Park, Pine Ridge Reservation, DDeadwood, Custer State Park, the Crazy Horse and Mount Rushmore memorials, and more.

   

  Culminating Exhibition Project: Forget traditional final exams. You will collaborate with your peers to design and produce a public-facing, museum-style multimedia exhibition. Integrating historical research, reproductions of primary documents, digital storytelling, and contemporary Indigenous art, your exhibition will reframe how the public understands Native life, memory, and the broader concept of American identity.

  
  The course will include travel, as well as field work, in the Black Hills Region of South Dakota.

  The cost of the course includes tuition, travel to, from, and within the region of travel, accommodations, all dinners, and entry fees/tickets for planned activities.  
  
  

  The enrollment deadline for this course is December 1, 2026.

  
  

  For questions regarding the course or travel logistics, please contact Jane Lennon, jane.lennon@ignatius.org, and/or Dr. Matt Miller, matthew.miller@ignatius.org.  

  
  

  Dates/Times:

  Coursework at Saint Ignatius College Prep: June 1 - June 29, 2027

  9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. daily

  
  Travel: June 14 - June 18, 2027

  
  Cost: $3700
  
  

  Financial aid is available for credit-earning courses that include a travel component, subject to the following guidelines:

  • Domestic Travel: Credit-earning courses involving travel within the 48 contiguous United States are eligible for financial aid at the same percentage awarded toward the student’s regular school-year tuition. Financial aid is limited to one domestic travel course per academic year.
  • International Travel: Credit-earning courses involving international travel are eligible for financial aid at the same percentage awarded toward the student’s regular school-year tuition, up to a maximum financial aid award of 50% of course fee. Financial aid for an international credit-earning travel course is limited to one course during a student’s four years at Saint Ignatius College Prep.
    For further questions regarding Financial Aid, please contact tuition@ignatius.org.

• Credit Earning with Travel: Theology - On Holy Ground

  This credit-earning Theology course and travel experience is open to rising Seniors (Class of 2028) and fulfills the senior one semester Theology elective requirement.  It is a graded course that will be included in the student's transcript and calculated into the student's GPA. This course also counts as the student's senior retreat requirement. During the school year, students must minimally enroll in at least five courses at any given time and all students must take the senior World Religions semester course during the school year. If a student chooses, they may still enroll in a Theology elective and/or attend another senior retreat during the school year in addition to this Theology elective credit.  Enrollment is capped at 15 students.

   

  On Holy Ground: Catholic Spirituality and God's Creation seeks to connect the traditional Catholic spiritual practices of prayer and contemplation with experiences of the beauty of God’s creation. Students will be prompted to consider the beauty of the natural world as reflections of God’s own beauty and goodness. The course will emphasize the experience of wonder and awe as an experiential gateway to Catholic spirituality and theology. Students will be prompted to critically examine the challenges of developing a rich spiritual life in a continually advancing consumerist and technologically centered society. Students will be introduced to an incarnational spirituality that seeks to find God’s presence in the natural order. The course will center on classical and contemporary works of Christian spirituality and theology. The course will culminate in a formative camping and hiking trip in which students will experience the country’s most beautiful and awe-inspiring landscapes.

   

  The Summer 2027 course will culminate with a 8 day hiking and camping trip to Yellowstone & Grand Teton National Park.

   

  The cost of the course includes tuition, airfare, transportation during the trip, tents, most meals, and entry fees/tickets for planned activities.

   

  The enrollment deadline for this course is February 15, 2027

   

  For questions regarding the course or travel logistics, please contact Tom Weiler, tom.weiler@ignatius.org.

   

  Dates/Times:

  Coursework at Saint Ignatius College Prep: June 1 - June 29, 2027

  8:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. daily

  Travel: June 21 - June 29, 2027

   

  Cost: $3500
  
  

  Financial aid is available for credit-earning courses that include a travel component, subject to the following guidelines:

  • Domestic Travel: Credit-earning courses involving travel within the 48 contiguous United States are eligible for financial aid at the same percentage awarded toward the student’s regular school-year tuition. Financial aid is limited to one domestic travel course per academic year.
  • International Travel: Credit-earning courses involving international travel are eligible for financial aid at the same percentage awarded toward the student’s regular school-year tuition, up to a maximum financial aid award of 50% of course fee. Financial aid for an international credit-earning travel course is limited to one course during a student’s four years at Saint Ignatius College Prep.
    For further questions regarding Financial Aid, please contact tuition@ignatius.org.

• ACT and SAT Preparation

  Saint Ignatius, in partnership with Academic Approach, is offering a three-week ACT preparation course and a three-week SAT preparation course for Saint Ignatius students. Each student will receive highly customized classroom teaching from expert tutors. Twenty-four hours of classroom instruction and three diagnostic tests are included. There are twenty seats available in each class and a minimum of ten students are required to run a class. 
  
  The three-week courses will be offered in Summer 2026. Specific dates are TBD.

  
  Where: Classroom in main school building (TBD)
  Cost: $849 (Financial aid is available. Contact Mr. Schmidt with questions.)
  
  

  REGISTRATION FOR THE ACT PREPARATION COURSE IS AVAILABLE HERE AND ALSO THROUGH A HYPERLINK IN THE WOLFPACK POST UNDER THE COLLEGE COUNSELING SECTION. QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS COURSE SHOULD BE DIRECTED TO MR. KURT V. SCHMIDT, DIRECTOR OF COLLEGE COUNSELING AT 312-432-8352.

• Algebra II/Trigonometry Survey

  ENROLLMENT IN THIS MATH COURSE IS BY RECOMMENDATION ONLY
  
  If you have questions, contact Ms. Sheila Walsh (sheila.walsh@ignatius.org).

  
  

  This is a summer school option that allows eligible students to take Algebra II/Trigonometry during the entire month of June and advance into PreCalculus the following school year.  Algebra II/Trig Survey covers an entire year of Algebra II. Students will be expected to complete asynchronous online modules prior to the in-person course. During the month of June, students will attend class in person for 3 hours a day and need to complete additional assignments outside of class.  This class provides an opportunity for acceleration for students who have completed a Geometry course and want to take Calculus in their junior or senior year.  This is a non-credit advancement course.  Students must earn a minimum grade of a B in order to qualify for advancement into PreCalculus.
  
  Students are encouraged to speak with their current math teacher or counselor as they plan their classes for next year.  Specific details of this course can be found in the Curriculum Guide on Blackbaud.  
  
  Approval from the Mathematics Department is required for all enrollees.
  
  Dates: June 1 - June 26 (No class on June 19), 2026
  Times: 8:00 am - 11:00 am OR 11:00 am - 2:00 pm

  Cost: $700

• AP Biology Prep

  This four week course will be offered online or in-person and is a non-credit advancement opportunity for students wanting to take AP Biology in their junior year.  This course is by recommendation of the Science Department.
  
  Dates: June 1 - June 26 (No Class on June 19), 2026
  Times: 9:00 am - 11:00 am OR 11:30 am - 1:30 pm
  Cost: $550 in person; $400 online

• College Application Workshop

  Rising seniors are invited to join College Counseling in a summer workshop that will help students complete the Common Application, build an activities list, and effectively navigate Naviance. We will also spend time brainstorming essay approaches and unpacking how an application is read from the perspective of a College Admissions Officer.  College Counseling is hosting three separate workshop sessions listed below.  For all of these workshop dates, a student who is interested may take the Writing the College Essay in the morning during the same week as their College Application Workshop.
  
  Dates:
  June 9-11
  July 28-30
  August 4-6
  
  Time: 10:15 am - 12:15 pm
  

  
  Cost: $40

• English: Major Authors Seminar - Jane Austen

  This credit-earning English course is open to all rising Seniors and rising Juniors. It fulfills one semester of an English elective requirement and is a graded course that will be included in the student’s transcript and calculated into the student’s GPA. This course is offered for College Prep or Honors credit pending the student’s completion of the Honors work. During the school year, students must minimally enroll in at least five courses at any given time and all students must be sure to complete the English graduation requirements.  Enrollment is capped at 20 students.

  
  

  The Major Author Seminar is intended to give students the time and space necessary to take a deep-dive into the creative works of one specific author — Jane Austen. Through a survey of some of her most popular works, excerpts from several of her other texts including her adolescent writings, and intentional, critical viewing of multiple adaptations of these works (generally in film), this course seeks to convey how an author’s voice can shift over time in reaction to particular personal and historical contexts. The course will incorporate particular focus on secondary sources of literary criticism and the way in which these sources can supplement and expand a student’s own arguments. The course is designed around the following units: (1) Introduction to Jane Austen and Adaptation; (2) Sense & Sensibility; (3) Mansfield Park and; (4) Self-Selected Text – Persuasion OR Northanger Abbey.

  
  

  The enrollment deadline for this course is March 20, 2026.

  
  

  For questions regarding Financial Aid, please contact tuition@ignatius.org.  For questions regarding the course logistics, please contact Ali Meehan, alicia.meehan@ignatius.org.

  
  

  Dates:

  Coursework at Saint Ignatius College Prep: June 1 - June 26, 2026 (No classes on June 19)
  
  

  Time: 8:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
  
  

  Cost: $700

• Introduction to Python

  This non-credit enrichment course is designed to provide Saint Ignatius College Prep students entering 9th through 12th grades with an introduction to programming using Python. The course will provide basic instruction for beginners and will guide learners through skills culminating in a final project. A foundation in Python is invaluable for students who might be interested in a variety of career paths in growing industries. The goal of this class is to introduce students to programming so that they can pursue our more advanced classes during the school year in Computer Science with confidence and excitement.  The class is capped at 20 students.
  
  Location: IHMC Computer Lab
  
  Dates: Monday, June 8 - Friday, June 26 (No June 19)
  Time: 8:00 am - 10:00 am
  Cost: $350

• Personal Finance Boot Camp

  The Wolfpack Personal Finance Boot Camp is intended to provide students entering their sophomore, junior, or senior year with a basic understanding of key economic transactions.  The course will be hands-on and will provide students with an understanding of the fundamentals of budgeting, the use of credit, legal issues related to landlord-tenant relationships, and getting, keeping and succeeding in the workplace (including an understanding of taxes, benefits and workplace culture).  The goal of the course is to provide students with tools for managing the next steps in their personal, academic and professional lives.
  
  Dates: 
  Monday, June 1 - Friday, June 5, 2026
  Monday, June 22 - Friday, June 26, 2026
  
  Time: 1:00 pm - 3:30 pm
  
  Cost: $40

• Precalculus Survey

  ENROLLMENT IN THIS MATH COURSE IS BY RECOMMENDATION ONLY
  
  If you have questions, contact Ms. Sheila Walsh (sheila.walsh@ignatius.org).

  
  

  This four week June session course covers the prerequisite content from PreCalculus in order to be prepared to take Calculus in the fall. The course is intended for students who perform at an A- level (or better) in College Prep Algebra II/Trigonometry or who perform at a B+ level (or better) in Honors Algebra II/Trigonometry. Students who complete this summer survey course with a B or better will enroll in College Calculus (MA 550) in the fall and will earn a grade of “Pass” for PreCalculus. Students who finish with an A or better can enroll in AP Calculus AB (MA 549) in the fall. The grade earned from this survey class will determine placement, but it will not factor into the student’s overall GPA. Approval from the Mathematics Department is required for all enrollees.
  
  Dates: June 1 - June 26 (No Class on June 19), 2026
  Times: 8:00 am - 11:00 am or 11:00 am - 2:00 pm
  Cost: $700

• SILS: Student Ignatian Leadership Seminar

  The Student Ignatian Leadership Seminar (SILS) is an overnight seminar for building leadership skills with hands-on experiences and community building. Part of this robust leadership development experience takes place at the Go Ape high ropes course and students will stay overnight at the Carmelite Retreat House in Darien. Each cohort is limited to 40 students who are entering sophomore, junior, or senior year at Saint Ignatius College Prep. SILS certification is a significant factor if you wish to hold leadership positions at Saint Ignatius College Prep in the future.
  
  Dates:
  Thursday, June 18 - Friday, June 19 *OVERNIGHT seminar
  Wednesday, August 5 - Thursday, August 6 *OVERNIGHT seminar
  
  Times: Departure and return times TBD
  
  Cost: $300
  
  Financial Aid is available.  Please email tuition@ignatius.org for more information.

• Writing the College Essay

  This one-week workshop is designed to help students write their main college application essay and draft a supplemental essay.  The workshop includes brainstorming, pre-writing, drafting, and revising essays.  Students must obtain the book "College Essay Essentials" by Ethan Sawyer prior to class and bring it for class as a reference.
  
  Dates:
  Monday, June 1 - Friday, June 5
  Monday, June 8 - Friday, June 12
  Monday, July 27 - Friday, July 31
  Monday, August 3 - Friday, August 7
  
  Time: 8:00 am - 10:00 am daily
  
  Cost: $150