The Spartan Sword and Shield Honors program at Pace High School offers a challenging and collegial environment for highly motivated and academically competitive students. This selective program is designed for the accelerated learner as students are enrolled in honors, Advanced Placement, and dual enrollment courses.
In addition to a stringent academic curriculum, Spartan Sword and Shield students belong to national honor societies, participate in seminars, and are provided with individualized support services. They are also expected to be actively involved in extra curricular activities, community service programs, and must maintain a minimum of a 3.75 grade point average. Although the curriculum in this program is rigorous and challenging, it enables students to be at the top of their class, and opens the door for them to enter Ivy League institutions.
Since 2011, Sword and Shield students have been accepted into 59 colleges and universities. Notably, these students have been accepted into six of the eight Ivy League schools, and into 28 of the top 50 universities in the United States.
Spartan Sword and Shield students can currently be found in the classrooms and on the campuses of Princeton University, Brown University, Cornell University, the College of William and Mary, Florida International University, Georgetown University, Northwestern University, the University of Chicago, the University of Florida, the University of Miami, Villanova University, and Washington and Lee University.
The Spartan Sword and Shield legacy continues beyond undergraduate commencement ceremonies. Pace distinguished alumni can presently be found in various graduate programs: Georgetown University Medical School, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, University of Florida Law School, Florida International University Graduate School, and University of South Florida Graduate School, or commencing their careers throughout the Northeast as journalists and communication specialists in New York City, or as a software engineer at ESPN Connecticut.
The Spartan Sword and Shield tradition of excellence can be seen, felt, and heard. It is one of Pace’s greatest attributes and one of its greatest sources of pride. From the hallways of Pace to the hallways of Princeton University, the program’s alumni are the living embodiment of Pace High School.