How important is HSPT at Gonzaga?

[Anonymous]

We didn’t do well and this hspt score is our one hole in our application. Son has Great grades, Strong teacher recommendations, good essay, but low hspt. Do we have a chance or is it you must have every category to get in? Not coming from a Catholic school either.

[Anonymous]

Is this his first choice?

[Anonymous]

I think there is another recent thread about this, but GZ is one of the tougher schools to get into if you are not coming out of a parish school especially. The one thing that helps non-Parish school applicants is a high HSPT, so OP, no. I think you chances are very small.

[Anonymous]

I think you are compared to your cohort - same as college applications. DS had good grades and a 89% but was initially WL. There were a lot of legacy, athletic boys from his school, all with similar and likely higher scores applying at the same time. It is not an easy admission for anyone.
Good luck to your son.

[Anonymous]

Gonzaga takes

Alumni kids 1st
Athletes
Catholic school kids from each and every 52 lower schools
Others who are outstanding who would beat out the other 3 in any other place and even some of those kids won’t get in

It’s not about being the best it’s about who you know, being and athlete or being positioned well from a Catholic school,

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think you are compared to your cohort - same as college applications. DS had good grades and a 89% but was initially WL. There were a lot of legacy, athletic boys from his school, all with similar and likely higher scores applying at the same time. It is not an easy admission for anyone.
Good luck to your son.

Was your son coming from a parish school and after getting off waitlist, did he eventually attend Gonzaga?

[Anonymous]

Op, are you and child trying to attend? You keep saying we didn’t do well. Who is we?

[Anonymous]

We’ll find out soon enough on Friday! We are coming from a Catholic school and HSPT scores aren’t great (high 60s). We are already in at two, including first choice, but I’m curious as to whether they’ll get in at SJC and Gonzaga too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Gonzaga takes

Alumni kids 1st
Athletes
Catholic school kids from each and every 52 lower schools
Others who are outstanding who would beat out the other 3 in any other place and even some of those kids won’t get in

It’s not about being the best it’s about who you know, being and athlete or being positioned well from a Catholic school,

From my experience at a parish school, I just note for anyone who cares: legacy preference goes only to sons of alum and brothers of alum/current students. (Grandfathers, uncles, cousins won’t do it). Interesting (to me) was that the legacy boys were many times also the best athletes from our k-8. But still, none of those boys stood out at as athletes once at Gonzaga nor got any other preferential treatment as far as I’ve observed. (My 2 boys were in the last category and have loved their Gonzaga experience, even if they don’t bleed purple).
GL to all the boys waiting to hear. We have a great choices around here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Gonzaga takes

Alumni kids 1st
Athletes
Catholic school kids from each and every 52 lower schools
Others who are outstanding who would beat out the other 3 in any other place and even some of those kids won’t get in

It’s not about being the best it’s about who you know, being and athlete or being positioned well from a Catholic school,

How do parents have this insider information?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Gonzaga takes

Alumni kids 1st
Athletes
Catholic school kids from each and every 52 lower schools
Others who are outstanding who would beat out the other 3 in any other place and even some of those kids won’t get in

It’s not about being the best it’s about who you know, being and athlete or being positioned well from a Catholic school,

How do parents have this insider information?

This is not insider information. I don't know if I would list "athletes" as 2nd, since that is a bit more nuanced, but this is basically the admittance preference for all the local catholic high schools. Gonzaga is especially popular for boys of the generational dc/moco catholic crowd and popular for the catholic k-8 crowd, so, most of their non-alumni, non-catholic school admits are going to have high grades and high hspt.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Gonzaga takes

Alumni kids 1st
Athletes
Catholic school kids from each and every 52 lower schools
Others who are outstanding who would beat out the other 3 in any other place and even some of those kids won’t get in

It’s not about being the best it’s about who you know, being and athlete or being positioned well from a Catholic school,

How do parents have this insider information?

They don't. This PP is making an educated guess, at best. I personally think they're close but not quite right and that it's more complicated. For example, I think there's a hierarchy for admissions for Catholics from Catholic K-8 feeder schools, Catholics from other Catholics k-8s, catholic who don't attend Catholic school and then non Catholics who attend Catholic k-8s. But I'm guessing, too. I also think there's some preference for diversity mixed in somewhere. I very much agree with their last line, though

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Gonzaga takes

Alumni kids 1st
Athletes
Catholic school kids from each and every 52 lower schools
Others who are outstanding who would beat out the other 3 in any other place and even some of those kids won’t get in

It’s not about being the best it’s about who you know, being and athlete or being positioned well from a Catholic school,

From my experience at a parish school, I just note for anyone who cares: legacy preference goes only to sons of alum and brothers of alum/current students. (Grandfathers, uncles, cousins won’t do it). Interesting (to me) was that the legacy boys were many times also the best athletes from our k-8. But still, none of those boys stood out at as athletes once at Gonzaga nor got any other preferential treatment as far as I’ve observed. (My 2 boys were in the last category and have loved their Gonzaga experience, even if they don’t bleed purple).
GL to all the boys waiting to hear. We have a great choices around here.

Yes if you are at a parish school and are a top student someone with connections/alum or college level athletics, they will get in before you do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Gonzaga takes

Alumni kids 1st
Athletes
Catholic school kids from each and every 52 lower schools
Others who are outstanding who would beat out the other 3 in any other place and even some of those kids won’t get in

It’s not about being the best it’s about who you know, being and athlete or being positioned well from a Catholic school,

How do parents have this insider information?

If you are in a parish school you will know.

If not you won’t know.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Gonzaga takes

Alumni kids 1st
Athletes
Catholic school kids from each and every 52 lower schools
Others who are outstanding who would beat out the other 3 in any other place and even some of those kids won’t get in

It’s not about being the best it’s about who you know, being and athlete or being positioned well from a Catholic school,

How do parents have this insider information?

They don't. This PP is making an educated guess, at best. I personally think they're close but not quite right and that it's more complicated. For example, I think there's a hierarchy for admissions for Catholics from Catholic K-8 feeder schools, Catholics from other Catholics k-8s, catholic who don't attend Catholic school and then non Catholics who attend Catholic k-8s. But I'm guessing, too. I also think there's some preference for diversity mixed in somewhere. I very much agree with their last line, though

I worked for a principal at one of the 52 schools for 15 years so it’s an extremely educated opinion.

I don’t really know all the nuances of getting in when not coming from a parish school.