(Source: http://adw.org/education/edu_applic.asp)
Shadow Visits
At the start of the school year, students should schedule shadow visits for prospective high schools. See individual websites for information about these visits. It is usually preferable to shadow a student with similar interests and academic goals. Shadow visits are excused absences. Remember, students are responsible to make up all assignments.
Open Houses
Each fall, high schools host Open Houses for prospective students. This is an opportunity for students and parents to learn about the programs, activities, and facilities of each school.
Application Process
The information below is for students applying to these high schools, all of which use the High School Placement Test (HSPT) in their admissions process:
· The Academy of the Holy Cross
· Archbishop Carroll High School
· Bishop McNamara High School
· Elizabeth Seton High School
· Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School
· DeMatha Catholic High School
· Gonzaga College High School
· Our Lady of Good Counsel High School
· St. John’s College High School
· St. Mary’s Ryken High School
· St. Vincent Pallotti High School
Seven other schools in the Archdiocese of Washington – Connelly School of the Holy Child, Don Bosco Cristo Rey High School, Georgetown Preparatory School, The Heights School, St. Ann’s High School of St. Ann’s Infant and Maternity Home, St. Anselm’s Abbey School and Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart – have separate admissions procedures and should be contacted directly.
Criteria for Admissions
Students must complete a high school’s own application form. (Usually an essay is part of the application; students should take time and care when writing their essay.) Grades, test scores, teacher recommendations and, in some cases, an interview are used in considering applications. The HSPT is required for admissions for most of the Catholic high schools in the archdiocese.
High School Selection
On the HSPT answer sheet, students may select up to two Catholic high schools in the Archdiocese of Washington that use the HSPT test to receive their test scores. Only two schools may be listed. Additionally, students may request that the score report be sent to one additional school in either the Diocese of Arlington or the Archdiocese of Baltimore. NOTE: Any student indicating a third choice school in the Archdiocese of Baltimore or Diocese of Arlington must pay an additional nominal processing fee, as indicated on the HSPT Registration Form.
Test results are sent only to the school(s) filled in on the student’s HSPT answer sheet and will be mailed to parents and guardians in February 2011.
Additionally, students may also apply to any of the schools that don’t use the HSPT.
Students Attending a Catholic Elementary School in the Archdiocese of Washington
ADW schools give 8th grade students a High School Placement Test (HSPT) Registration Form in the fall. Students return the completed form, along with a minimal processing fee, to their 8th grade teachers by October 8, 2010.
Principals also give 8th grade students a High School Choice and Authorization to Release Records Form. Parents must:
- Indicate two schools on the form to which their child intends to apply for admission in fall 2011.
- Sign the form authorizing the elementary school to release their child’s records to the two schools.
- Return the form to the child’s 8th grade teacher by November 23, 2010.
Students take the HSPT, the official entrance test published by Scholastic Testing Service, Inc., at their schools on Wednesday, December 1, 2010.
Accomodations for Students with Special Needs
Parents/guardians must submit appropriate documentation of requested accommodations with the HSPT Registration Form. Those who do not include documentation with this form may not be provided testing accommodations. During the admissions/enrollment process, parents should provide the high school(s) with similar information regarding their child’s specific educational needs to ensure accurate placement.
Notice of Acceptance
High schools mail acceptance letters to students on or after February 24, 2011, as well as information to complete registration for September 2011.
Tuition Assistance
Each high school and the Archdiocese of Washington offer a variety of tuition assistance and academic and arts scholarship programs. Check individual schools for information about applying and auditioning. Applying for tuition aid has no bearing on whether a student is admitted to a school. Tuition aid application deadlines are as early as December so families will know their tuition aid grants when they receive their notification letters from high schools in the spring.
Archdiocesan Tuition Assistance
Applications for tuition assistance from the archdiocese may be obtained in mid-October from any Catholic elementary or high school in the archdiocese or at www.CatholicSchoolsWork.org. The deadline to apply for tuition aid for fall 2011 is December 3, 2010.
All tuition assistance obtained through the archdiocese is based on financial need. Tuition assistance from the archdiocese is open only to students currently enrolled in or applying to Catholic schools located in the archdiocese, which includes Washington, D.C., and five Maryland counties (Montgomery, Prince George's, Charles, Calvert and St. Mary's).
Other Sources of Assistance
For information on tuition assistance for programs listed below, please see http://www.adw.org/education/fin_asst_index.asp.
Washington Scholarship Fund
FitzGerald Program
Capital Partners for Education
Latino Student Fund
Black Student Fund
