Morgan Park Academy is a coeducational, college preparatory, independent Pre-Kindergarten-12th grade day school located in the Morgan Park neighborhood on the south side of Chicago, Illinois. Founded in 1863, Morgan Park Academy was formerly known as Mt. Vernon Military Academy, Morgan Park Military Academy (MPMA), and briefly as the Illinois Military Academy, and Morgan Park Academy of the University of Chicago. For a time, the school had a very close connection with the University of Chicago, with the graduates being specifically groomed to enter the new university. The school is committed to providing academic excellence with an emphasis on independent thinking and scholarship. Morgan Park Academy students are consistently accepted into and succeed in the colleges and careers of their choice.