Local Catholic High Schools Hold Entrance Exam for Eighth-Graders, Saturday, Jan. 14

CHICAGO, IL -- This Saturday, thousands of eighth-grade boys and girls will be rolling out of bed and rubbing the salt from their eyes for the time-honored tradition taking their entrance exam for Catholic high school.

The test is traditionally held on the second Saturday in January at the 50 or so Catholic high schools across the Chicago region. This year’s test for the incoming Class of 2021 will take place at 8 a.m. on Jan. 14.

Catholic high schools in the Archdiocese of Chicago have used the second Saturday in January for incoming freshmen to take the entrance examination for the past 40 or 50 years although next year the protocol may change, says Edward Leiser, a 2004 alumni and admissions director for St. Rita of Cascia High School in Chicago.

Young men and women will take the High School Placement Test, which is offered by the Scholastic Testing Service program. The HSPT consists of five sections in the subject areas of Verbal Skills, Quantitative Skills, Reading, Language, and Science. The HSPT offers a free guide.

“Most students at the area Catholic schools are accepted, so the ‘entrance’ exam turns into more of a ‘placement’ exam,” Leiser said. “Students in the lower percentile are at risk of not being accepted or being placed in the lower-level programs, which is fine, because most schools offer some type of programs for students with hole in their academic backgrounds.”

Tuition at private Catholic high schools can be pricey, so parents must commit to joining mothers’ and fathers’ clubs to help raise funds and volunteering at their children’s school. In turn, families benefit from the close community of a Catholic high school fostering friendships that last a lifetime.

In addition to offering a rigorous, challenging curriculum, Catholic high schools offer smaller class sizes, allowing faculty to know students’ individual learning styles.

“It is definitely an investment, no question,” Leiser said. “We always say that parents’ investment now can lead to lower college costs in four year.”

For example, Leiser said St. Rita’s 147 seniors from the graduating class of 2016 earned $16.2 million in college scholarships, an average of about $108,000 or $109,000. Like many Catholic high schools, more than 98 percent of graduates move on to college or other higher education.

“Parents will often reap the benefits of the high school sacrifice in a big way,” Leiser added.

Many area Catholic high schools have been enticing students with shadow days, where eighth-graders get to experience what a day at the school will be like by shadowing an older student. Others are offering ice-breaking events or sports clinics.

Students are encouraged to take the entrance exam at the high school they wish to attend for the next four years. For most schools it's required; however students may opt to transfer their entrance exam score to another school. Catholic high schools recommend that students test at their school of preference, so they get first crack at financial aid and scholarship opportunities.

Many area Catholic high schools have been enticing students with shadow days, where eighth-graders get to experience what a day at the school will be like by shadowing an older student. Others are offering ice-breaking events and sports clinics.

The entrance exam fee to test at a Catholic high school is $25. Students are also asked to bring two No. 2 pencils. Calculators are not permitted. There is no pre-registration needed or required to take the entrance exam at any of the area Catholic high schools. Parents should check the website or call the admissions office at their school of preference to determine if there are other special requirements.

Following are the area Catholic high schools offering the entrance exam and events. The test starts at 8 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 14. Students should plan to arrive early between 7:30 and 7:45 a.m. Dismissal times vary; the test takes about 3.5 hours.

St. Rita of Cascia High School
7740 South Western Ave., Chicago
Enter through the McCarthy Center doors, from the back (west) parking lot. Call the admissions office at 773-925-7482 if your student has an accommodation plan to receive additional testing time.

Brother Rice High School
10001 S. Pulaski Road, Chicago
Brother Rice has modernized its curriculum to include entrepreneurial classes through First StartUP through the University of Chicago, and a three-year engineering course through Project Lead the Way. The school has also hired an Information Technologies Essentials instructor and will introduce programming. Contact admissions directors Tim O’Connell ’03, (toconnell@brrice.org, 773-429-4312) or Bobby Frasor ‘05, (bfrasor@brrice.org, 773-429-4351) for more information.

Mother McAuley Liberal Arts High School
3737 W. 99th St., Chicago
Enter through the Athletic Center doors
Parents of students with diagnosed learning disabilities or ADD/ADHD are encouraged to contact Julianne Alvarado, Learning Resource Program Coordinator at 773-298- 8808 or jalvarado@mothermcauley.org before the January test date to discuss their daughter's academic needs and any accommodations she has been receiving at her elementary school. Admission decisions will be mailed out on Feb. 15. For more information, contact the Admissions Office at 773-881-6534. Download a free study guide for the test.

Marist High School
4200 W. 115th St., Chicago
Enter through the gym doors located on east end of the school. To be considered a candidate for 2017-2018 admission, prospective students must test at Marist. On Jan. 13, the high school will host a “Meet Marist” event from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., featuring an interactive tour of the campus, beginning with a presentation in the chapel. Prospective families can enjoy a personal and informative evening with faculty, coaches, students and administrators. For more information, contact Alex Brown, director of Admissions, at 773-881-5330.

St. Laurence High School
5556 W 77th St., Burbank
For more information contact Joe Spano, director of Admissions, at 708-458-6900.

Queen of Peace High School
7659 Linder Ave, Burbank
Enter the building through the middle West Entrance Lobby.
Eighth grade girls planning to attend Queen of Peace in the fall must test at Peace to be considered for admission, scholarships and financial aid assistance. Students interested in testing at Queen of Peace must bring a release of records and admission application. Peace academic scholarships, ranging from $1,000 to $5,000 annually, may be awarded to frosh students who have outstanding test scores on the entrance exam. Visit Queen of Peace for more information on academic scholarships and other scholarship opportunities. Contact Alicia Erskine, admissions manager, at (708) 496-4792, or email erskinea@queenofpeacehs.org.