What REACH Actually Is
REACH (Recruiting Excellence in Academics for Catholic High Schools) is a free, three-year leadership and academic program run by Regis High School for Catholic boys in grades 6-8. Operating alongside middle school, it features summer residential sessions and 20 annual Saturday sessions. Designed to help students compete for scholarships at Regis and other selective Catholic high schools, the program boasts a 97% success rate, with nearly all recent graduates receiving financial aid at their core schools.
REACH stands apart from typical test-prep programs because it isn’t primarily about test scores. The program is organized around five stated principles: Openness to Growth, Intellectual Skill, Becoming More Loving, Becoming More Faithful, and Service to the Community. Candidates begin the summer between 5th and 6th grade with a three-week residential program at Fordham University in the Bronx, introducing them and their families to REACH’s academic pace and leadership focus before committing to the full three-year track.
Why a Residential Summer Component?
Starting REACH with an overnight program is a deliberate design choice: it tests whether a student and family are ready for an accelerated academic pace away from home while giving REACH staff an early, realistic look at each candidate’s readiness before the multi-year commitment begins.
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How the 3-Year Timeline Works
After the initial Fordham summer, REACH members complete a six-week summer session at Regis itself, running Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and ending with a Summer Celebration Ceremony. Successful completion earns full REACH membership. The following two summers take place at the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania, a residential program that continues building academic and leadership skills alongside recreation and field trips. Throughout the school year, all REACH members attend 20 Saturday sessions at Regis, split evenly between fall and spring.
| Program Stage | When | Location |
| Introductory Summer | Between 5th and 6th grade | Fordham University, Bronx (3 weeks, residential) |
| First Full Summer | After Fordham introduction | Regis High School, Manhattan (6 weeks, day program) |
| Second & Third Summers | Following years | University of Scranton, PA (residential) |
| School-Year Sessions | Fall and spring, 6th-8th grade | Regis High School (20 Saturdays per year) |
What Happens After 8th Grade
In the fall of a REACH member’s 8th grade year, REACH administrators work directly with families to support applications to the program’s partner Core Schools, which include Regis but also extend to other selective Catholic high schools in the region. Regis reports that 97% of recent REACH graduates have earned scholarships or financial aid at these schools. Support doesn’t end at placement: REACH alumni continue to receive academic and leadership programming, class reunions, and eventually college and professional networking opportunities through a dedicated Graduate Support Program.
REACH Is Not a School
It’s worth being clear about what REACH is not: it doesn’t replace a student’s regular middle school. All REACH programming happens on Saturdays and during school breaks, meaning participating families are managing two academic tracks simultaneously for three years.
The Bottom Line for Families
REACH is a genuine multi-year commitment, not a short test-prep course, and its value shows up as much in leadership formation and family support as in raw admissions results.
Elite families considering REACH should weigh the three-year time commitment (summers included) against their son’s schedule and interests well before the 5th-to-6th-grade entry point, since starting late isn’t an option once the cohort begins.
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