All 135 graduating seniors at a majority-Black high school have been accepted into colleges across the nation, with several receiving full-ride scholarships.
Every senior in the Class of 2026 at Southland College Prep Charter High School in Illinois, which is about 88% Black, received college acceptance letters and a combined $54 million in merit- and need-based scholarships, according to Fox 32 Chicago.
This marks the 13th consecutive year in which every senior at Southland Prep achieved 100% college acceptance. Students collectively earned more than 1,300 college acceptances from institutions nationwide. Seven received full-ride scholarships from California Polytechnic State University, while three received full-ride scholarships from Washington University in St. Louis.
“In December of my senior year, I was blessed with the privilege of receiving a full-ride scholarship to Washington University," Terrill Chambers, President of the National Honor Society at Southland Prep, told the outlet.
"It alleviated a lot of the stress my family and my mom would have had to cover for college expenses. I’m able to pursue my dreams in the business school without worrying about graduating with a large amount of debt.”
Valedictorian LeiLani Barnes plans to attend the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign to pursue a dual degree in kinesiology and dance, while salutatorian Loren Rounds is headed to Northwestern University to study political science and public health.
Several students in the class also made history across the school’s prestigious programs in academics, athletics, and the arts.
Members of the Southland College Prep Film Club received the school’s first-ever state championship in the Short Film category with the production Soul Music for the 2026 IHSA Short Film Competition.
The school choir also earned gold recognition at the 2026 New York City Heritage Festival in March, and the marching band performed in the National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade in Washington, D.C., on April 11.
“Admissions to the top schools are important, but equally important is that every student finds a school that is right for them,” Robert Lane, Southland’s Director of College Admissions, said in a statement. “That has always been the mission here – to make sure every child leaves Southland with a pathway to success.”
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