Parent Guide

Applying to Catholic High School: the complete parent guide

The Catholic high school application process is shorter and earlier than most families expect — most of it happens in one four-month window of 8th grade. Here is the whole path, in order.

The timeline at a glance

Step 1: Build the school list (7th grade)

Most metro areas with a strong diocesan system — Chicago, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, the Bay Area, Boston, St. Louis — have more good options than families realize. Look at academics, distance, cost, culture, and whether the school offers merit scholarships. Two safety notes: confirm each school’s entrance exam (most use the HSPT; New York City Catholic schools use the TACHS instead, and many independent schools use the ISEE or SSAT), and confirm whether the school lets you sit the exam at their campus only or accepts scores from another school’s sitting.

Step 2: The entrance exam — the HSPT

The High School Placement Test is a roughly 2.5-hour, ~300-question multiple-choice exam covering five sections: Verbal Skills, Quantitative Skills, Reading, Mathematics, and Language. Schools use it for admissions, course placement, and — at many schools — merit scholarship decisions. Read the full breakdown in What is the HSPT? and the scholarship angle in HSPT scores & scholarships. Parents comparing schools mainly for cost should also read how to get HSPT scholarships.

Because the test lands in late November through January, the prep window is the fall semester. Short daily practice over 8–12 weeks beats a cram month — the Quantitative and Verbal sections especially reward familiarity with question types most 8th graders have simply never seen (analogies, number series, logic items). See the 8-week study plan for the week-by-week schedule, and try sample questions from every section. Applying to independent schools too? HSPT vs ISEE vs SSAT covers how the tests differ.

Step 3: Open houses and applications (September–November)

Open houses matter more than they look: many schools track interest, and your student’s reaction to a campus is real data. Applications typically open in early September and close in mid-November. Expect to provide grades and standardized test history, a student essay or short answers, and sometimes a teacher or principal recommendation. Application fees commonly run $50–$100.

Step 4: Test day (late November–January)

Register through the school where your student will sit the exam — usually the first-choice school. Many schools share scores with other schools you apply to, but confirm each school’s policy. There is no penalty for wrong answers on the HSPT, so students should answer every question.

Step 5: Decisions and scholarships (January–March)

Acceptance letters typically arrive mid-winter, often with merit scholarship offers attached — and at many schools those offers are tied directly to HSPT performance. If costs matter to your family, ask each admissions office two questions early: what score range earns merit aid, and whether need-based aid requires a separate application (it usually does, often via FACTS or a similar service).

School-by-school details

Test dates, deadlines, and admissions specifics vary by school — see our school pagesfor available details, and always confirm dates with the school’s admissions office.

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