How to get ready for Catholic high school coming from public

[Anonymous]

Our kiddo is currently a 7th grader in MCPS. We have been mostly happy with MCPS but are considering private Catholic high school for him. I am aware that kids need to take the HSPT as part of the admissions application process. When does he need to take this? Get ready for this? Should he start studying/preparing for it this summer? A neighbor gifted us the books, any tips on how to help him prepare? He is taking pretty "high" level courses in MCPS such as Algebra 1 in 7th grade (mention in case if this would help at all with being prepared for the test). Thank you!

[Anonymous]

You might have missed the dates already. Usually in the fall is when applications are and then you take the test December to February and then they let you know in March or April. Check the schedule in your area and apply to a school soon if you want to be considered in the regular round.

[Anonymous]

Oh I see. High school. Yes study jn the summer or fall for the test. A lot of schools give tuition off for high test scores

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You might have missed the dates already. Usually in the fall is when applications are and then you take the test December to February and then they let you know in March or April. Check the schedule in your area and apply to a school soon if you want to be considered in the regular round.

OP here. He is currently in 7th grade.. Wouldn't we have to apply this coming fall for entrance in fall 2026?

[Anonymous]

The try is early December 2025 for 2026 entrance. I would just start doing vocab words now. Take a class this summer if he has time.

[Anonymous]

Students take the test Dec or Jan of their eighth grade year for applications for the following school year. The admissions timelines for the area schools don’t vary much year to year so you can look at their websites now to see this year’s important dates as they will be about the same next year.

The prep books are pretty good and you can also take a prep course or just a few sessions of prep. A lot of people say kids from public don’t have a lot of experience with the grammar section so that is a good area to study.

A few area HSs offer a pre-HSPT in the spring of seventh grade or the summer after seventh grade. It’s a good opportunity to practice in an actual testing environment and get a baseline to use to identify the areas you need to study. But you need to find out where and when these tests are because they do fill up. Google Ireton pre-HSPT.

GL!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Students take the test Dec or Jan of their eighth grade year for applications for the following school year. The admissions timelines for the area schools don’t vary much year to year so you can look at their websites now to see this year’s important dates as they will be about the same next year.

The prep books are pretty good and you can also take a prep course or just a few sessions of prep. A lot of people say kids from public don’t have a lot of experience with the grammar section so that is a good area to study.

A few area HSs offer a pre-HSPT in the spring of seventh grade or the summer after seventh grade. It’s a good opportunity to practice in an actual testing environment and get a baseline to use to identify the areas you need to study. But you need to find out where and when these tests are because they do fill up. Google Ireton pre-HSPT.

GL!

OP here, thank you! Super helpful

[Anonymous]

I wouldn’t bother with a course. Get a book from Amazon. My kid in public did a couple of the practice tests the month before and read the grammar rules. That was it and scored in the 99 percentile.

[Anonymous]

I highly recommend taking the pre-test. It really helps the kids figure out how the test works. It’s scored like the real thing, broken down so you can see areas of strength and weakness and know where to study. Check the school websites - there’s usually a spot to register your interest in the pre-test.

Most high schools do spring theatre productions. We attended those in the 7th grade year. It’s a nice way to get a sense of the school community.

In the late summer, check for open house dates for your target schools so you don’t miss those. And see what they say about signing up for shadow days. Those were especially helpful for my ds in discerning what school was right for him.

[Anonymous]

Some HS admissions are more difficult than others. Grades and the HSPT score are most important, but some also require letters of recommendation and/or an essay. You can look into the requirements for admission at the schools you are applying to and start brainstorming some ideas over the summer.
Finally, most students are in a sport or other activity, but Catholic schools also put a lot of value on volunteering. It does not have to be many hours, but you may want to find an organization that is meaningful to DC and do some hours over the summer..

[Anonymous]

Having been in the same situation a few years ago, I would recommend you focus on vocabulary words to start. You can start that now. Then over the summer, take a practice HSPT test. You can do this free of charge through some tutoring organizations like Prepmatters. Then you can see weak spots and decide if you want to hire a tutor or prepare on your own.

But from my experience in making the transition, my kid was initially very well prepared in mathematics and but was weak in English. Most of his prep was in that area.

For the vocab prep, we used flash cards that we purchased from Prepmatters, but you can probably use these. https://www.amazon.com/COOP-TACHS-Vocabulary-Flash-Cards/dp/098596605X/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2VP2Z0PJT6HFR&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.vYqi4CxieIHgo0_kIpC19rUTApxc1PH0NHJw-Uw6ycVFoWkr4zcVRZanVBaTtil8ApQ_OqwoomOTF4oAmi0t-XSQGIU0phjSMyalva8P4OMfjnbp_4wFDvMFuHcvBCwu-92Qajycd0SlW9G7YX3HXg.VdrVDMi6r2KinXwlfjHaefUOQwtwyMhW8Zgzr0Kw5MY&dib_tag=se&keywords=hspt+flash+cards+vocabulary&qid=1738846394&s=books&sprefix=hspt+flash+cards+vocabulary%2Cstripbooks%2C87&sr=1-1

[Anonymous]

Sign up for the admissions mailing lists on a few of the schools you are considering - the diocesan schools in VA offer a practice HSPT in the summer, but they often fill up. Thus the mailing list.

[Anonymous]

Just an FYI- If your child gets in, they will usually need to take a test to test out of algebra 1 in 9th grade. Even if your kid got straight As in algebra 1 in MS, your kid will still need to pass the test. Lots of people complain about it but Catholic schools don't care about straight As from public school. GL!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just an FYI- If your child gets in, they will usually need to take a test to test out of algebra 1 in 9th grade. Even if your kid got straight As in algebra 1 in MS, your kid will still need to pass the test. Lots of people complain about it but Catholic schools don't care about straight As from public school. GL!

Or straight As from Catholic school. At schools that do placement tests, every student takes placement tests for math and foreign language.

[Anonymous]

Our kid did HSPT tutoring over the summer before 8th grade. It let him just focus on the test and not have to worry about other work. We used that time to shore up some vocab. But the most helpful part was doing a few practice tests to master timing and reading directions. He did a few additional tutoring sessions during the school year to keep things fresh and reinforce a few concepts, but spent most of that time doing his HS applications (and confirmation stuff, not an issue if you're not Catholic).