Why kids are not curious

Hi there,

This newsletter will take you 4.5 mins to read. (promise)

Since announcing Forge Prep 4.5 weeks ago, we’ve had 1000+ families express interest in an educational model built for 2040, not 1940.

So today, we’ll share some of the research we’ve been digging into and share some updates on the school.

Quick updates:

• Early decision applications are due January 15th. Reminder: there are only 30 5th-8th grade spots. More on what we look for in students & families is here. Ready to get started? Start your application here.

• If you have a rising 5th to 8th grader and are interested to learn more, please book a time here or respond to this email with any questions you have. Our team’s schedules are packed given the interest so book soon to get a slot.

Maybe traditional school is the problem?

Look at the graph above.

And ask yourself, what kills curiosity?

At home, kids ask dozens of questions per hour

Then school starts.

By preschool, questions drop to a couple per hour. By upper elementary, they often drop to near zero.

School quietly teaches them that questions are a distraction.

That they should not follow their curiosity.

To comply. To conform. To do as you’re told.

This is one of the insights that shaped how we’re building Forge Prep.

It’s also why we think the 5th-8th grade years are the last pivotal time to reignite that curiosity in students.

Our beautiful campus

For those that I’ve not spoken to yet, I'm excited to announce the location of our first Forge Prep school (5th-12th).

The former Aquinas Academy campus in Livingston, NJ. (Campus image above)

For 73 years, this campus served students well.

Now, with a $5 million investment we're making to renovate and modernize the facility, we're excited to build the school's next chapter.

A school for 2040, not 1940.

A school that develops them into makers, not test-takers.

Your child’s brain is not a warehouse to fill with facts

Most schools believe learning happens through information transmission.

It works like this:

1. The teacher lectures.

2. The students pretend to absorb.

3. Then they retransmit it back on tests & worksheets.

4. After the test, they forget 90% of it.

If you’re a parent, you know the drill from experience: dates of battles, parts of the body, the three branches of government.

Schools teach information, not knowledge.

School works like the hot dog eating contest at Coney Island.

Cram as much in as possible and hope it was all worth it.

At Forge Prep, we teach students that the world runs on systems and not trivia.

We focus on 6 systems. We break them down and the why behind them here.

That 4.0 GPA is increasingly useless

84% of high school grads now attending a 4 yr college had an A average

Yes, welcome to America
Where everyone is exceptional

What happened was simple:

▪️ The township next door started inflating grades.
▪️ So your school had to match due to pressure.
▪️ Then the township next door pumped their grades more
▪️ And your school outdid them

This was the logical end to this arms race where everyone "wins"

Colleges have awakened to this

That's why they're looking elsewhere: portfolios, projects, outcomes that speak to actual capability.

A model organized around challenges that demonstrate proof of capability is more valuable than one that tracks over-inflated grades.

Because, unfortunately, being a straight A student no longer means what it used to.

That’s all for today.

If you have questions or want to see us cover other areas in future newsletters, let me know.

Have the best 2026.

Forge ahead,

Anand

Co-founder, Forge Prep

P.S. Reminder that there are only 30 Founding Family slots for September 2026. Early decision applications are due by January 15th.

P.P.S. If you respond to this email, I get it. So feel free to send any questions, ideas, etc to me directly.