Why Does ACA Have Uniforms?

Uniforms focus students on learning: In many schools, what you wear defines who you are as a person. Our students are much, much more special than their clothing. We want each of our students’ talents and intellect to be the primary way in which they define themselves, not by the outfits their families were able to afford. By removing this competition, we put focus on what’s going on in the classroom, not what we’re wearing.

Uniforms teach professional attire: As a school committed to ensuring students not only graduate college but go on to lead rich, fulfilling lives, we see it as integral to our mission that students learn the unspoken expectations of the professional world. By requiring our students to dress for success, we equip our students with tools to conquer the working world.

Uniforms are economical: For many families, clothing can be a stressful part of their teenager’s life. With increasing social pressure to wear designer clothes at early ages, insisting on a uniform provides families with an affordable, four-year plan for student clothing. In addition, when items are outgrown, they can be passed down to siblings for future years.