Urban Prep Academies in Chicago continue to exemplify excellence in education. For the fifth year in a row, all seniors have been accepted into nearly 200 four-year colleges and universities.
In Urban Prep tradition, 240 seniors, all African-American males, celebrated their success on Tuesday April 8 at a ceremony where they exchanged their red uniform ties for a red and gold striped tie, a symbol of their new accomplishment. 
"The tie represents to me moving on from a boy to becoming a young man and actually doing something with my life," graduating senior Dumar Harris told NBC Chicago. 

At the event, the students received encouragement from a few Urban Prep alumni of the school's first graduating class, who are graduating from college this spring. A check of $10,000 from Chicago native and NBA star Dwyane Wade was also presented to the seniors to help offset the costs of their prom. 
The number of Urban Prep's college bound students has increased this year from 167 in 2013. The students have also amassed more than $11 million in scholarships and grants.
Alabama A&M University, Cornell University, Howard University, Morehouse College and Oberlin College were a few of the dozens of colleges and universities that accepted the students. The full list is on the school's website.
Follow Natelege Whaley on Twitter: @Natelege.
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(Photo: Urban Prep Academy)