Catholic HS Application Process — any insight?

[Anonymous]

DC is applying to Catholic HS this Fall as I’m realizing how little I know about this. Does anyone out there in DCUM know:

1. How may schools can students send HSPT scores to —
3 total — including both Arlington and DC schools or from each diocese?

2. Is there a set number of slots that each HS allots to each parochial?
We are at an Arlington diocese school and I hear rumors that there are 2 slots for Visitation, 2-3 slots for SJC
And a fixed but not exactly known number of slots for
BI, DJO etc. is this nonsense of based on
Kind of fact or at least anecdotal experience?

3. What role does the school Principal play of any?

Thanks in advance for any insight!!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DC is applying to Catholic HS this Fall as I’m realizing how little I know about this. Does anyone out there in DCUM know:

1. How may schools can students send HSPT scores to —
3 total — including both Arlington and DC schools or from each diocese?

2. Is there a set number of slots that each HS allots to each parochial?
We are at an Arlington diocese school and I hear rumors that there are 2 slots for Visitation, 2-3 slots for SJC
And a fixed but not exactly known number of slots for
BI, DJO etc. is this nonsense of based on
Kind of fact or at least anecdotal experience?

3. What role does the school Principal play of any?

Thanks in advance for any insight!!!

I have similar questions - but our DD is coming from 9 years of public school. How much of a disadvantage is that? And what percentage of the class (assuming the school is just 9-12th grade) is public?

[Anonymous]

It's been a while since my kids applied (and not across dioceses) so I won't answer that first one since I'm not positive if it has changed.

There is no "quota" by high schools. You may notice rough ideas but the high schools understand that an elementary school may have 5 boys in 8th grade one year and 17 the next year. They also have years where there may be fewer applications from a school for other reasons as some come into/fall out of favor with specific groups. In our parish a few schools are consistently favorites. My kids attended a school not often applied to by their schoolmates though. For a few years after several kids attended but I notice this year there is no one. Last year a few kids went to a school no one had ever gone to because it was far away, but this group of friends formed a carpool and all the group went.

Principals play a big role, particularly if they are long-serving and admissions offices know them. They could have up to 10 years of insight on an applicant so their impressions carry weight.

There will always be a strong encouragement to accept students from parish schools. While most of the high schools operate independently of the diocese, they understand they are part of the Catholic education system as a whole. Families that spend 8-10 years in a parish elementary school are showing with their time, talent, and treasure that they are committed to that model.

[Anonymous]

From what I remember, and it’s been a couple of years, I think you can only send HSPT scores to 4 schools. This is why some of the schools take SSAT scores like Stone Ridge and Georgetown Prep. This way you can apply to multiple schools.

Also, PP is right, there is no quota. Some years Visi may take 1 girl, other years they may take 5. Varies year to year.

Yes, the principal plays a huge role. Especially if your DC gets waitlisted. A good head of school can help get them off the waitlist.

[Anonymous]

There are definitely kids that go from public to Catholic hs - my two kids both did.

[Anonymous]

OP - lots of threads on this from last year.

1. DC applied to 5 schools though one requires SSAT.
2. Agree with PP, there is no quota. Some years we had 4 students other years more than 10 going to one school.
3. Also agree that HOS is crucial particularly if DC ends up on the waitlist.

Sorry, I can’t answer f/u Question regarding public school application. Unfortunately, this was a weird year and likely next year will be the same.

[Anonymous]

OP here — thx for all the helpful responses. From reading prior threads on there topic I had come away with the impression that the Applicaipj max was 3 schools within a certain diocese. My DC came home from the practice HSPT at Ireton and noted there were only 3 slots to send scores on the form.

Re HOS/Principal involvement — we came a few years ago but my kids are not lifers and I’m definitely not on h th e inside track with admin like some other families seem to be. Hopefully my kid will be an easy admit on the HS side and not waitlisted bc I’m not sure how much the HOS would go to bat for them.

[Anonymous]

My kid only applied to 2 Catholic HSs from Arlington public and got into both. One is notoriously hard to get into. He had straight As 6-8 grades, 98 HSPT score, good recs. We have zero connections- at church or school.

I knew nothing about the process prior.

[Anonymous]

Georgetown Prep and Stone Ridge take the SSAT so that doesn’t count against the number of schools you can send the HSPT to. St. Anselm’s Abbey administers a completely different test in house (OLSAT and SCAT) so it also would not count. My DS came from non-parochial and got into all the Catholic HS he applied to. Did not apply to Prep. Mid 90s HSPT with mostly As in 7-8.

I think there may be limits on the number you can apply to but I’m not sure. I’m guessing the diocesan websites explain it.

I doubt there are hard quotas from parochial schools. But I’m equally sure that if 2 candidates are otherwise indistinguishable, the one coming from a parochial who sends a lot of applicants there will get the edge.

[Anonymous]

This past year the Archdiocese of Washington allowed you to send HSP test scores to up to 4 schools plus one additional school in either Archdiocese of Baltimore or Arlington. You could also email the Archdiocese of Washington if you wanted to send to more Archdiocese of Washington schools (we did and got it sent to a 5th ADW school at a cost of $15). Each Archdiocese has its own approach. Check their website and take the HSPT with the Archdiocese that best fits the location of the schools you are applying. https://adwcatholicschools.org/high-school/placement-tests/hspt-dates-locations-fees/

No quotas per se but I do think competitive schools overall try to get a diverse group of incoming schools so perhaps there is an informal cut off based on applicant pool.

You don't need straight As or strong HSPT scores to get into most of these Catholic high schools (exceptions are Prep, Abbey, and the like). They look at whole child profile. It helps if you play an instrument or have something else that stands out along with good recommendation letters etc.

[Anonymous]

The Catholic high schools and the Catholic grade schools are dependent on one another. So the high schools are very interested in distributing places in the freshman class among these schools that have consistently supplied students.

The strong relationship that exists between these schools mean that the high school can be relatively confident in the recommendation of the middle school. No such relationship exists between the Catholic high schools and the public schools. Catholic middle schools care that their graduates get into their choice of Catholic high schools and they work at that.

The more Catholic high schools you apply to the lower your chances at any one. These schools want to be your number one choice and not just one of the schools you are considering.

[Anonymous]

My son was admitted to Gonzaga and SJC from public this year and we are not Catholic. All A's in public middle school. HSPT 98% on math sections, about 85% verbal. Strong extracurriculars (debate, student government, etc) and an athlete but not a future D1 recruit.

Prep was test optional and his friend was admitted there from the same public. All A's in middle school or may 1-2 A- or B+ (he was not on the top honor roll every quarter but final grades may have been all A's). Non-Catholic. No real extracurriculars to speak of but a very nice kid.

[Anonymous]

Does being Catholic help when applying to Gonzaga from a non-Catholic k-8? How high do the HSPT scores need to be?

[Anonymous]

My DS just graduated from a MoCo parochial. The test fee for HSPT included sending the scores to up to 3 schools in the Archdiocese of Washington. If you wanted to apply to more than three schools or to a school outside of ADW, there was an additional fee.

I agree with there not being "quotas" at the schools, but some of them do aim for a population from a diverse set of feeder schools. At a session we attended at SJC in the fall, the HOS mentioned something about more than 100 feeder schools and they didn't like to admit more than 15-16 from any one school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does being Catholic help when applying to Gonzaga from a non-Catholic k-8? How high do the HSPT scores need to be?

Yes, being Catholic helps. And Gonzaga is fairly competitive. I would guess at least 85th percentile with a strong all around application (grades, essay, recommendations, extracurriculars).