HOUSTON -- Imagine a school where all of the seniors are accepted to a four-year college -- not only because they want to, but also because it's a graduation requirement.

KRPC Local 2 went inside the Chinquapin School as part of its commitment to being Your Education Station.

Only about one in four who apply are accepted into the school, located at 2615 E. Wallisville Road.

The school's motto is "quid pro quo," meaning "something for something." The school provides a first-class education, but the students are required to spend long hours tackling a rigorous course load.

"It's very tiring, but it's worth it, and you have plenty of opportunities. You think about all the scholarships and everything I've gotten already from this school, and it's worth it, the hours," student Leticia Farrera said.

There's one other requirement. All of the students come from families living below the poverty line.

"If I hadn't come to this school, I probably would have gone on to my neighborhood school, and that is not a good school," student Venezia Gallardo said.

Chinquapin was the dream of Robert P. Moore and his wife who built it 38 years ago with a grant from the Brown Foundation.

"There are plenty of poor kids in Houston that are able and motivated, and we can give them a prep school education, get them into college, get them scholarship money and make sure they get through. We watch them through college, too," said Betsy Phillips, the director of development for the Chinquapin School.

The school is funded through donations. Most of the students are on scholarships.

Chinquapin is a real prep school. Male students and faculty live on campus. The girls are bused in every day. It creates an atmosphere between teacher and students that simply doesn't exist in public schools.

The curriculum does not include preparation for the TAKS test. Classes are small, with about one teacher for every 10 students. Ninety percent of them make the honor roll.

"We send kids to Smith, Columbia, Moorehouse, Notre Dame, UT plan 2, UH -- all over the United States we send these kids, and there are lots and lots of success stories," Phillips said.

Chinquapin combines academics, the arts, and athletics for a classic education.

"I'm going to be Courtnie Pensoe, graduate, have my degree and be somebody who makes a difference in this world, not somebody who just sits there," student Courtnie Pensoe said.

Chinquapin is a small school that cultivates minds and hope -- hope for a better future than most of these students could expect without it.

One hundred and fifty students attend the school.

The student body is 78 percent Hispanic, 18 percent black, 2 percent Asian and 2 percent white.