Wake Young Women’s Leadership Academy: Programs, Admissions, and Student Experience
Wake Young Women’s Leadership Academy is a public all-girls early-college school in Raleigh, North Carolina, serving students in grades 6 through 13. Students spend grades 6–10 at the Governor Morehead campus before moving to Shaw University, where they combine high-school classes with tuition-free college coursework.
Students may earn up to 64 college credits, although each university determines which courses it will accept and how they will apply toward a degree. The optional 13th year gives eligible students additional time to complete college classes rather than functioning as a conventional extra year of high school.
The school’s combination of a small student body, leadership education, and early access to university classes creates an experience that differs significantly from a traditional middle or high school.
What Is Wake Young Women’s Leadership Academy?
Wake Young Women’s Leadership Academy, commonly shortened to WYWLA, is part of the Wake County Public School System. Established in 2012, it combines a single-gender learning environment with an extended early-college pathway.
The school serves approximately 50 to 60 students at each grade level. Its relatively small enrollment gives students the opportunity to remain in the same academic community from middle school through the early-college years.
Students in grades 6–10 attend classes on Ashe Avenue at a campus shared with the Governor Morehead School for the Blind. Beginning in 11th grade, WYWLA students attend both high-school and college classes at Shaw University in downtown Raleigh.
WYWLA is a public choice school rather than a private academy. Families must apply through the district’s choice-school process, and placement is not guaranteed because the number of applicants normally exceeds the number of available seats.
How the Grades 6–13 Academic Pathway Works
The program is organized as a gradual progression. Students spend the earlier grades completing middle- and high-school requirements before moving into university coursework with continued support from WYWLA teachers and counselors.
Academic Preparation in Grades 6–10
Students do not begin college classes immediately after entering the academy. Grades 6–10 are used to build the subject knowledge and study habits needed for the early-college phase.
The typical middle-school course sequence includes an honors mathematics pathway through Math 6 Plus, Math 7 Plus, and high-school Math I. Students also generally complete high-school Spanish I during eighth grade.
Middle-school classes operate on an alternating A/B schedule with four core classes each day. The high-school program uses semesters, allowing its schedule to align more closely with the university calendar.
WYWLA does not follow the traditional Wake County school calendar. The academic year normally begins in early August and finishes in May, while spring break is coordinated with the college partner’s schedule. Families with children attending different WCPSS schools should compare calendars before the year begins.
The Early-College Program at Shaw University
Beginning in 11th grade, students take a combination of WYWLA high-school courses and classes offered through the school’s partnership with Shaw University. The college courses are tuition-free and become part of the student’s college transcript.
Students from WYWLA and Wake Young Men’s Leadership Academy share a designated early-college home base on the Shaw campus. WYWLA teachers continue to provide courses needed for high-school graduation, including subjects such as American History and Economics and Personal Finance.
Seminar classes, advisory meetings, and individualized planning help students coordinate their two sets of academic requirements. This structure allows them to experience university instruction while retaining regular access to high-school faculty.
College Credits and the Optional 13th Year
According to the school’s early-college program information, students may earn up to 64 college credits. Most complete approximately 48 to 60 credit hours by the end of 12th grade, with much of the coursework focused on general education subjects.
These courses are designed to support transfer, but acceptance is not automatic. A receiving university may apply a class to a major requirement, count it as an elective, or decline to accept it. Students should examine the transfer policies of colleges they are considering before estimating how much time the credits could save.
Eligible students may remain for a “Super Senior” year. During this optional 13th year, the student works with the dean of students to create an academic plan and complete additional college courses at no cost.
The additional year is intended to extend the early-college opportunity. It is not a remedial year or an indication that the student failed to complete high-school requirements on time.
How WYWLA Approaches Leadership Education
Leadership at WYWLA is taught through classes, projects, mentoring, service, and daily participation in the school community. The district’s leadership-academy model emphasizes communication, collaboration, ethical decision-making, civic engagement, mentorship, and service learning.
Girls Leadership Class
Girls Leadership Class introduces leadership through a grade-based sequence. Sixth graders study leadership foundations and self-discovery. Seventh graders apply those skills in positions of influence, while eighth graders focus on service and community involvement.
Students also complete grade-level capstone experiences. These projects require them to move from discussing leadership to planning and carrying out an activity with a clear purpose. One example described by the school involves eighth graders organizing a schoolwide Women’s History Month celebration.
WISE and Peer Support
WISE stands for Women Inspiring Success in Each Other. In middle school, students rotate through sessions involving academic enrichment, creative work, movement, service, and personal development.
In high school, WISE becomes more closely connected to academic assistance and peer leadership. Activities may include course support, tutoring, and student-led programs.
Community partnerships can also introduce students to professional settings and women working in different fields. These experiences help students see leadership as a combination of responsibility, cooperation, and service rather than simply holding a title.
Admissions and Application Process
WYWLA uses the Wake County early-college application process. Requirements and dates can change between admissions cycles, so families should confirm the details on the current WYWLA application page.
Who Can Apply?
Rising sixth- through 11th-grade students living in Wake County may apply, including students who currently attend traditional public schools, charter schools, private schools, or homeschools.
A student who is not already enrolled in WCPSS must first enroll at the base school assigned to the home address. The resulting student identification number must become active before the family can access the application system.
Most available seats are normally in sixth grade, followed by a smaller number of ninth-grade openings. Admission in seventh, eighth, and 10th grades depends largely on vacancies. The school reports that it typically receives about 450 applications for approximately 90 places.
First-Generation Admissions Priority
Wake County’s early colleges and leadership academies are designed partly to expand higher-education access for students who have traditionally been underrepresented in college.
Up to 70% of available seats may be reserved for qualified students who identify as first-generation college-going. This generally refers to a student who would be the first person in the immediate family to graduate from college.
First-generation status does not guarantee admission. Students must still complete the required application and qualify for the applicant pool.
What the Application Includes
The early-college application normally requires several components:
- A student-written essay
- A recommendation from an English language arts teacher
- A recommendation from a mathematics teacher
- A recommendation from a school administrator or counselor
- Previous and current grades
- Available standardized-test results
The essay gives the student an opportunity to explain her goals, interests, work habits, and reasons for choosing the academy. Parents can help with planning and proofreading, but the ideas and final writing should represent the student.
Applications receive points based on the submitted materials. Students who reach the qualifying threshold enter an applicant pool, but qualification does not guarantee a place.
The process is not first-come, first-served. An application submitted within the official window receives consideration regardless of whether it was completed near the beginning or end of that period.
Current Application Timing
The school states that applications for the 2027–2028 academic year will become available in October 2026. The closing date, notification schedule, and requirements should be confirmed once the new application cycle opens.
Transportation should also be examined before applying. Families can use the district’s application-school address lookup to see which schools and transportation options are associated with their home address.
Some students may need family transportation to the campus or to a magnet express stop. Others may have neighborhood bus service but experience a longer ride than they would when attending their assigned base school.
Student Life, Clubs, and Athletics
WYWLA offers clubs and traditions that complement its academic and leadership programs. Organizations may change according to staffing and student interest, but recent offerings have included Student Government, Mock Trial, Science Olympiad, Future Business Leaders of America, performing arts, writing, data science, environmental activities, honor societies, and community-service groups.
School traditions include the Yellow Rose Ceremony, International Day of the Girl activities, Women’s History Month events, student-led conferences, arts programs, block parties, spirit days, and Big Sister/Little Sister activities.
High-school prom and some dances are organized in partnership with Wake Young Men’s Leadership Academy. These shared events give students access to larger social activities while maintaining WYWLA’s all-girls instructional environment.
WYWLA does not operate a complete independent athletics program. Students can currently try out for designated teams at Oberlin Middle School or Broughton High School, with an activity bus transporting participating students to practices. Families should verify current arrangements for the specific sport and season.
The school’s student services team supports academic planning, college and career preparation, goal setting, and student wellness. Counselors become particularly important as students begin coordinating high-school graduation requirements with university courses.
How to Evaluate WYWLA’s Academic Results
Families can use the North Carolina School Report Cards to examine student achievement, academic growth, attendance, advanced-course participation, school size, educator qualifications, and college enrollment.
No single figure provides a complete measure of school quality. Proficiency results show how students performed against state standards, while growth measures indicate whether students made the expected academic progress.
The state also cautions that report cards cannot capture every aspect of a school community, including relationships with teachers, extracurricular involvement, school culture, and the support students receive outside formal instruction.
WYWLA has received recent recognition for its leadership and student outcomes. Dr. Mariah Walker was named the 2026 Wells Fargo North Carolina Principal of the Year.
The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction reported that WYWLA had achieved a 100% graduation rate for four consecutive years and exceeded expected academic growth during the previous two years.
Who May Be a Good Fit for WYWLA?
WYWLA may appeal to a student who prefers a smaller all-girls school and wants a structured path into college coursework. It can also suit students interested in service, mentoring, collaboration, and practical leadership development.
A student does not need previous leadership titles to apply. A thoughtful listener, dependable team member, or student who wants to become more confident may benefit from the program as much as someone already comfortable speaking in front of groups.
The school may be a strong fit for students who:
- Want to begin college coursework during high school
- Prefer a relatively small student community
- Are comfortable with an accelerated academic pathway
- Value mentoring, service, and collaborative projects
- Can adapt to a calendar that differs from many WCPSS schools
- Are willing to participate in a two-campus program
It may be less suitable for a student who wants the wider elective catalog, larger social environment, or complete on-campus athletics program commonly found at a traditional high school.
Families should also consider transportation, the university-based calendar, and the permanent nature of a college transcript. A low grade or withdrawal from a Shaw course may remain part of the student’s academic record beyond high school.
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