Applying to a Catholic High School

A placement test is required by all Catholic high schools unless otherwise indicated by the high school. The information below is for students applying to the following Catholic high schools in the Archdiocese of Washington, all of which use the High School Placement Test (HSPT) in their admissions process:

• Academy of the Holy Cross
• Archbishop Carroll High School
• Bishop McNamara High School
• DeMatha Catholic High School
• Elizabeth Seton High School
• Georgetown Visitation Preparatory 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

Nine other Catholic high schools in the Archdiocese of Washington have separate admissions procedures and should be contacted directly. For testing instructions for the Catholic high schools that do not require the HSPT, please refer to the school’s website: 

• The Avalon School
• The Brookewood School
• 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
• Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart

Criteria for Admissions
Students apply to a Catholic high school by completing the high school’s application form. Grades, test scores, and in some cases, an interview is considered by Catholic high schools in determining admission for each student.

Each Catholic high school is unique and so is their admission process. Learn more about each Catholic high school by visiting their website.

Students Attending a Catholic School
Students attending a Catholic school take the HSPT, the official entrance test published by Scholastic Testing Service, Inc., at their school on Wednesday, November 28, 2012. Principals in Archdiocese of Washington elementary schools provide 8th grade students with instructions on how to register for the High School Placement Test in September. HSPT online registration opens on Monday, September 10, 2012. HSPT registrations are to be completed and submitted online by Wednesday, October 31, 2012.

Principals also provide 8th grade students the Authorization to Release Records Form which is due by November 20, 2012. The authorization form allows the elementary school to release the student’s records to the schools indicated on the HSPT Registration Form.

Students Not Enrolled in a Catholic School
Students not enrolled at a Catholic school may register online beginning Monday, October 1, 2012 for one of the published testing dates (see below), or obtain an HSPT Registration Form from a Catholic high school that requires the test. Please note that registration can fill up early.

Upon receipt of registration and payment, a confirmation letter will be emailed to the student’s parent/guardian.

Print a copy of the email confirmation. The confirmation letter must accompany the student on the day of the test.

Accommodations for Students with Special Needs

Parents/guardians must submit appropriate documentation of requested accommodations with the HSPT Registration Form. Those who do not submit 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. For additional information about testing accommodations, please contact the Director of Special Education at 301-853-4569.

Acceptable documentation includes any of the following:

• Recent IEP
• Recent SP
• Recent 504 plan
• Recent psycho-educational evaluation
• Any comparable document written by your child’s current school indicating the need for accommodations

Not all testing sites will offer accommodated testing conditions. Students with identified special needs requiring testing accommodations should register to take the test at one of the following locations:

• Saturday, December 1, 2012
  Academy of the Holy Cross
  
  or

• Saturday, December 8, 2012
  Bishop McNamara High School
  Elizabeth Seton High School

Selecting Schools to Receive Test Results
On the HSPT Registration Form, students will select up to two Catholic high schools that are located in the Archdiocese of Washington to receive their test scores. Additionally, students may request that a score report be sent to one additional school in either the Archdiocese of Baltimore or the Diocese of Arlington. Please note that there is an additional processing fee to have the HSPT scores sent to a third choice school located in the Archdiocese of Baltimore or Diocese of Arlington as indicated on the HSPT Registration Form.

Students must provide their high school selections online on their
HSPT Registration Form by Friday, December 14, 2012.

Notification of Test Results
Test results are sent only to the school(s) listed on the student’s HSPT Registration Form. Test results will be mailed to parents/guardians in March 2013.

Notice of Acceptance
High schools will mail acceptance letters to students on or after February 28, 2013.

Tuition Assistance
Each high school and the Archdiocese of Washington offer a variety of tuition assistance and scholarship programs. Applying for tuition aid has no bearing on whether a student is admitted to a school. The tuition assistance application deadline is December 7, 2012 so families will know their tuition aid grants soon after they receive their high school notification letters from high schools.

MAKE-UP TEST DATES DUE TO WEATHER OR ILLNESS

Severe weather: If a test must be postponed due to severe weather, the Archdiocese will contact WTOP radio/website (www.wtop.com) and TV news stations to make an announcement. Call 301-853-4598 for testing updates. Severe weather make-up dates: December 1, 2012 will be made up on December 8, 2012, and December 8, 2012 will be made up on December 15, 2012.

Illness: To reschedule a missed HSPT date due to illness, please contact the HSPT office by telephone at (301) 853-5387 or email at HSPT@adw.org within 24 hours of the scheduled test date.

Please note that make-up tests are not possible after the last scheduled testing date.