Parent Info/Admissions

Upland students spend their time at school being kids. We honor the vision of the founding faculty to, “protect, nurture and defend the innocence of childhood.” Time spent forging deep connections with their peers, their community and the natural world around them gives our students the childhood everyone deserves. Our curriculum is research based and time-tested. We offer a balanced and comprehensive program emphasizing experience, exploration, depth and creativity in learning. We believe the onslaught of homework young students receive in traditional settings doesn’t pay off and, in fact, leads to disengaged learners later on. Homework at Upland begins in what would be about 4th-5th grade. The rich learning experiences our students have means that they have time to imagine, to observe and to really witness and be a part of something they are excited to know and share. Rarely will you find a student at Upland who isn’t excited about school.

Our program endeavors to educate the whole child. In younger classrooms the focus is highly social/emotional. Awareness of yourself in the context of a group - how to have a friend and how to be a friend - is foundational to developing healthy self-esteem. Agency, resilience, creative problem solving and self advocacy are attributes of healthy self-esteem that contribute to students realizing their learning potential. This component is present throughout our program, while the academic curriculum increases with age.

We recognize that development is not linear. Students spend either one or two years in each group. We intentionally are a non graded system where students progress through the school in accordance with their social, emotional and academic development. This process is lead by the teachers in partnership with families.

GRADUATES

When students complete our program, ready to enter high school, they are self-aware, independent and well prepared academically. We hear from the high schools they attend that our students are intellectually curious and engaged learners, ready for new challenges. They arrive with the ability to advocate respectfully and with confidence for themselves. They are kind.
Certainly, any local high school environment will differ in significant ways from the Upland experience. But experience has shown us that strong, grounded self-awareness travels well in a wide variety of settings.
Our graduates continue their educational journey at private and public high schools.

Last five years UHS graduates attend:

• Lake Orion High School
  
• Oxford High School
  
• Stoney Creek High School
  
• Art Academy in the Woods - Fraser, MI
  
• Notre Dame Prep
  
• Cranbrook-Kingswood
  
• International Academy

Parents/guardians express their interest by filling out the following form. The next step is to schedule a campus visit and spend an hour meeting with the director and touring the campus. Parents may also request a video conference in lieu of an in-person visit. If, following the visit, the family and school are interested in continuing the process, the prospective student will then be invited to spend three consecutive days visiting the school. After the student’s visit, the faculty meet to determine whether the school and student are a good fit for each other. If the decision is made to offer enrollment, the family is notified and a contract will be emailed.

•  Admissions Form
  
• Campus visit/meeting (Parents only)
  
• 3 day student visit
  
• Teachers/staff meet to discuss student placement and if we are the best fit for the student
  
• Enrollment offered

Tuition
Tuition for the 2024-25 school year is $15,540 for full days and $11,655 for half days. Each additional sibling receives a discount.

Affording UHS
We have a healthy annual tuition assistance fund to support our families who request it.

Schedule
School begins each year after labor day and ends the second week of June. Our day begins at 9:00am and ends at 3:30pm. Students may be dropped off between 8:30-9am. We do not currently offer before or after school care.

Transportation

Students who live within the Lake Orion School District are eligible to ride a bus that is specifically designated for Upland Hills School. Families should call the Lake Orion Transportation office at (248) 391-5455 for more information. Bus service is not offered on days when Lake Orion Schools are not in session.

Car Pooling: Many families carpool with those near them and our office is happy to connect families who are interested in organizing and/or joining a carpool.

Schedule

School begins each year after labor day and ends the second week of June. Our day begins at 9:00am and ends at 3:30pm. Students may be dropped off between 8:30-9am. We do not currently offer before or after school care.