Wolcott College Prep

What Wolcott College Prep does

Wolcott College Prep is a private, nonprofit, independent high school in Chicago that educates students in grades 9–12 with diagnosed learning differences, including dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, ADHD, and executive functioning challenges. Founded in 2013 (originally as Wolcott School) and rebranded as Wolcott College Prep, the school operates two Chicago locations — the main building at 524 N Wolcott Avenue and an Arts & Athletics Center at 1950 W Hubbard Street — and serves families from more than 30 Chicago-area communities. Its core instructional architecture is a required four-year Learning Strategies course (5:1 student-to-teacher ratio) that delivers direct instruction in executive functioning, organization, time management, and self-advocacy, layered onto a college-preparatory academic curriculum, with supplemental supports including Academic Coaching labs (STEM, Literacy, Spanish, Supervised Study), assistive technology (text-to-speech, audiobooks, digitized text), and a four-year College Counseling program reporting a 100% college acceptance rate.

The school is built around a strength-based pedagogical model and differentiated instruction delivered by trained faculty (every Learning Specialist holds a graduate degree, and all teachers are trained in ADHD-informed instructional practices). Student-facing technology is a stack of standard educational and assistive tools — PowerSchool for SIS, Google Classroom for LMS, Jamf School and Apple Classroom for device and classroom management, plus extensions such as ReaderMode.io and Beanote — with ChatGPT used in history classes as a research and critical-evaluation tool. Adjacent offerings include over 25 student clubs, the annual unPacked literary magazine, and the Tyree Institute, a multi-year career and internship coaching program for current students and alumni.

Wolcott generates revenue primarily through recurring annual tuition (rates not publicly disclosed; financial assistance available), supplemented by Summer Programs, Facility Rentals, and branded Apparel/Merchandise. Distribution is direct-to-family via inquiries, admission events, open houses, campus visits, and applications through wolcottcollegeprep.org, with marketing leaning heavily on word-of-mouth referrals, parent and alumni testimonials, and community reputation across the Chicagoland area. The institution is governed by a Board of Trustees, holds memberships in ISACS, NAIS, LMAIS, and the Association of Learning Differences Schools, and has no parent company, venture capital, or PE ownership.

Name

Wolcott College Prep

Legal name

Wolcott College Prep

Website

https://wolcottcollegeprep.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Wolcott College Prep is a Chicago-based nonprofit private high school (founded 2013) serving grades 9–12 students with diagnosed learning differences — including dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, ADHD, and executive functioning challenges — through a strength-based, college-preparatory program with a required four-year Learning Strategies course and a 5:1 specialist ratio.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Special Education Private High School

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Math Intervention (Dyscalculia Support) (EDAKAJAF)

Keywords

• Special education high school
• College preparatory education
• Learning differences support
• Executive function coaching
• Private school tuition

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Tuition: Private school tuition for college-preparatory education for students with diagnosed learning differences. Financial assistance and scholarships are available.
2. Summer Programs: Revenue from summer program offerings for students.
3. Facility Rentals: The school rents out its facilities through a dedicated rentals program.
4. Apparel and Merchandise: Sale of Wolcott-branded merchandise through their online store.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Wolcott College Prep is a private college-preparatory high school in Chicago delivering a strength-based curriculum for grades 9-12 students with diagnosed learning differences (dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, ADHD, executive functioning challenges). Its core is a required four-year Learning Strategies course (5:1 student-to-teacher ratio) teaching executive functioning and self-advocacy, complemented by Academic Coaching after-school labs, four-year College Counseling, Experiential Education, the Tyree Institute career coaching program, and Summer Programs.

Product overview

Wolcott College Prep is a private college-preparatory high school for students with diagnosed learning differences, offering a unified educational program built around its core Learning Strategies curriculum (a required four-year course with 5:1 student-teacher ratio), supplemented by Academic Coaching (after-school support labs in STEM, Literacy, Spanish, and Supervised Study), four-year College Counseling, and Experiential Education. The school fosters a vibrant community through 25+ student clubs and activities, publishes the annual unPacked literary magazine, and operates the Tyree Institute for career development and internship coaching. Summer Programs extend learning beyond the academic year.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Tyree Institute: Career and internship coaching program providing long-term career support for students and alumni.
• Learning Strategies
• WolfNet
• Academic Coaching

Quantifiable outcome

• Average ACT reading scores increased from 19.2 in 9th grade to 27.6 by 11th grade
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration10 records

AI capability1 record

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Yay LunchminorOthersYay Lunch provides the school lunch program for Wolcott College Prep. Families order lunches through a unique login system on the Yay Lunch website.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• The Gow School: Private college-prep boarding school in western New York for students with dyslexia and other language-based learning differences. Comparable LD-specific college-prep mission and small-class differentiated instruction.
• AIM Academy: Private K-12 school in the Philadelphia suburbs specifically designed for students with language-based learning differences such as dyslexia. Comparable in strength-based pedagogy, assistive technology integration, and selective-college placement outcomes.
• Lawrence School: Private school in Cincinnati, Ohio serving students with learning differences including dyslexia and ADHD across elementary through high school grades. Operates in the same Midwestern private LD niche with similar small-class structure and college-prep focus.
• The Forman School: Private boarding/day school in Litchfield, Connecticut exclusively serving students with diagnosed learning differences including dyslexia and ADHD. Similar small-class, individualized instruction model targeting college readiness for LD students.
• Churchill School and Center: Private K-12 school in New York City serving students with language-based learning disabilities such as dyslexia. Comparable in mission (LD-specific private school), tuition-based revenue model, and small-class differentiated instruction approach.
• The Gateway School: Private K-8 school in New York City serving students with learning and processing differences, with a strength-based approach and small classes. Operates a comparable niche private-school model targeting families seeking alternatives to public LD placements.
• The Lab School of Washington: Private K-12 school in Washington, DC specializing in students with learning differences including dyslexia, ADHD, and other LDs. Operates a similar model of small classes, individualized learning plans, and college-prep outcomes, making it the closest conceptual analog to Wolcott outside Chicago.

Broad incumbents

• Francis W. Parker School: Prominent private K-12 independent school in Chicago serving college-prep students broadly. Not LD-specific but competes for the same Chicago private-school family segment, including those who might consider Wolcott for differentiated learning support.
• Latin School of Chicago: Large, established private K-12 college-prep school in Chicago. Competes for the same affluent Chicago families evaluating private high school options, though without Wolcott's LD specialization.

Regional players

• Polaris Charter Academy: Chicago-area charter elementary school with a personalized-learning model. A regional Chicago competitor for families seeking non-traditional educational environments, though Wolcott's LD specialization and high-school grade range are differentiators.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/WolcottMedia
• Facebookfacebook.com/WolcottSchoolChicago
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wolcott-college-prep

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Wolcott College Prep