Office of Special Programs-College Prep

The Office of Special Programs - College Prep (OSP-CP) is one of three college readiness programs operating under the Office of Civic Engagement at the University of Chicago that works with area high-school students.

Upward Bound is currently accepting applications for new students. To apply now, access our application here or visit the Apply page for more information.

In 1968, Larry Hawkins founded the OSP-CP to provide support for the academic success of urban high-school students in the academic middle, underserved, and under-resourced populations, including first-generation college students.

OSP-CP activities, including tutoring, academic advising, and workshops, are designed to improve the financial and economic literacy of students. These activities are reinforced through college and career exploration within our programming.

COVID-19 NOTICE: If you are in need, please visit the resource website we created to help assist our community in these difficult times. Click here to go to our resource website.

About Us

Working with the Community to Support Academic Excellence since 1968

For more than 50 years, the Office of Special Programs - College Prep has helped more than 4,000 students prepare for and complete high school and higher education through our Upward Bound programming, the University of Chicago S.T.E.M. Initiative, and The Kovler Foundation Larry Hawkins Career Conference for High School Students.

Learn more

Resources for Students, Parents and Teachers

Find resources that can help with navigating high school and the college admissions process, from study skills and teaching aids to scholarships.

Learn more

Tutor Match

We believe that learning requires personal attention. With Tutor Match, OSP-CP students receive standardized test prep, access to online resources, and one-on-one attention from University of Chicago students in seven core subjects - all designed to help them succeed.

Learn more

The Computing Pipeline: A foundation for diversifying computer science

More than 130 Chicago Public Schools high school students connect with professionals at 11th annual Peter and Judy Kovler Career Conference on UChicago’s campus

After an unprecedented year, Chicago Public Schools students graduating from UChicago college readiness programs prepare for their next chapters

The Examined Life: Winning Words prepares high schoolers for an epic ethics competition

Daweed Abdiel
Office of Special Programs - College Prep

“I didn’t know much about myself and what I found interesting when I started Upward Bound, but the exposure it provided to different things sparked curiosity and engagement for me.”

Jamar Sullivan Jr.
STEM Initiative

Jamar Sullivan Jr. says he is confident that the time he spent through UChicago's STEM Initiative science enrichment program and the University’s Office of Special Programs-College Prep has prepared him to attend UChicago in fall 2020.

Jasmeen Wellere
Office of Special Programs - College Prep

"The Office of Special Programs opened a door for me. I'm a first generation college student, and there is no one in my family that knows this process, that has been through it. If it wasn't for that I feel like I wouldn't have had a plan." -Jasmeen Wellere

Kaylee Flowers
UChicago STEM Initiative

Lindblom Math and Science Academy senior Kaylee Flowers’ love of science and engineering drew her to the UChicago STEM Initiative (UCSI) in 2018.

Naa Ashitey
Office of Special Programs - College Prep

“Getting into UChicago has been the biggest accomplishment of my life thus far. I thank the Office of Special Programs for the guidance they gave me during the three years I was part of the program.” -Naa Ashitey '21

Ruben Nieto
UChicago STEM Initiative

Little Village native Ruben Nieto has always had a passion for science. It’s an interest that grew during his three years participating in the UChicago STEM Initiative (UCSI) — a free science enric...

More profiles

Career Conference

All Chicagoland high-school students are welcome to attend The Kovler Foundation Larry Hawkins 2020 Career Conference for High School Students in July 2020. Attendees will hear from professionals in more than a dozen fields and receive advice they can use as they explore potential career paths.

Learn more

Social

Walter Mendenhall founded @malemogulinitiative (MMI) to teach young men the basics of entrepreneurship, help them identify and strengthen their gifts and passions, and build their leadership skills. “We create opportunities for young men, whether that’s helping them get a job or helping them make one for themselves,” Mendenhall says. “That’s how we’re transforming the way young men live and lead in their communities.”

Check out how a grant from Southland RISE —a joint violence recovery and trauma care program run by @uchicagomed and @advocatehealth— helped support MMI’s “Be a Mogul” program where participants created a clothing line and produced a fashion show. #PartnersInImpact

Ashlyn Sparrow wants young people from Chicago’s South Side to take her job someday. Sparrow, a game designer at UChicago’s @westongamelab, is eager to show young people that they too can turn their personal interests into fulfilling careers. Opening students’ minds to more nontraditional academic and career paths, Sparrow says, can make a campus setting like UChicago’s feel less intimidating.
“It’s hard to imagine yourself in these positions if you don’t know that it’s possible to have a career IN games and don’t see people who look like you are existing in this space,” Sparrow says. Tap the link in our bio to learn more about Sparrow and her work with UChicago’s Office of Civic Engagement to bring @chipubschools students to the lab.

Congratulations to the participants of the 6th cohort of the Civic Actor Studio, a University of Chicago program designed to help strengthen established and emerging South Side civic leaders! The program, led by UChicago's Office of Civic Engagement and @courttheatre , encourages local civic leaders to forge connections and examine the leadership roles they play through theater-based exercises.

Check out photos of the program in action and tap the link in our bio to learn about the latest cohort of civic leaders.

To help address systemic violence, @uchicagomed's Violence Recovery Program is partnering with street outreach organizations like @mpa_chicago embedded in the neighborhoods where patients live. Tap the link in our bio to learn more. #PartnersInImpact