Frequently Asked Questions Admissions Process Visiting St. Xavier Athletic Recruiting Technology About St. Xavier Admissions Process What kind of admissions criteria does St. Xavier use? There is no simple formula for gaining admission to St. Xavier. Typically, St. Xavier looks at young men who are A/B students and score well on standardized testing (usually in the top 30%). While strong academic achievement is very important, St. Xavier also looks closely at extracurricular involvement, community service, and other leadership opportunities. In addition, the admission committee relies on teacher recommendations to get the fullest possible view of the student. How many students take the entrance test? While the number varies from year to year, St. Xavier receives about 1,200 test scores. Of those students 750 to 800 typically will complete the full application process. How many students are admitted? This number varies from year to year, depending on the number of applicants. As a general guideline, St. Xavier admits about 55 to 60% of those students who apply. Those students who are accepted generally enroll at a rate of about 75%. What entrance test do you give? The High School Placement Test (HSPT) is the standardized test that the archdiocese uses for placement in many high schools and entrance for St. Xavier. The HSPT practice test book can be found in most major book sellers. How does a student report his test scores? All students who take the HSPT will have the option to send their scores to three schools. They merely need bubble in the correct school codes (which will be given to them on the day of the test), and the scores will be sent to the appropriate location. If a student wants a fourth school to have his scores, the family must contact the Catholic Schools Office at the Archdiocese, and the CSO will then have to request the scores from the testing service.
Is there a minimum test score that students must achieve? While there is no definitive minimum, the school feels that students who have scored at the 70th percentile or higher on the HSPT have the best chance of succeeding at St. Xavier. Is there a waiting list? Any student that scores in the 70th percentile on the HSPT or has scored consistently above 70 on other standardized testing will be considered for the waiting list, assuming he has met our other admissions criteria. The wait list is not ranked. In most years students are accepted off the waiting list; however, there are years when no one has been accepted. If students from the waiting list are accepted, they will be contacted by phone within days of the registration deadline. How important is legacy in gaining admittance to St. X? Legacy is only one of the criteria used in the application process. All legacy students must meet the same admissions standards as non-legacy applicants. While 48% of our student body have legacy, only half of these students were admitted using their legacy status. What grades does a student need to be considered for admittance? In general the admissions committee wants to see students who achieve A s and B s while recognizing that each grade school varies in grading policies. Students with limited C marks still have the opportunity for acceptance. Can students transfer high school credits accumulated from grade school? Yes. Students can test into higher levels of math and foreign language in the spring before their freshmen year. Can a student transfer to St. X? Yes. Each year a limited number of spaces are available for transfer applicants. Students who would like to transfer to St. Xavier can download a transfer application online or contact the enrollment office any time throughout the year. St. Xavier will send an admissions application to those families who have expressed interest in transferring. The school will render a decision within two weeks of receiving the completed materials. What is the tuition? Tuition for the 2015-16 academic year is $13,320. What scholarship opportunities are there for students? The top 20 test takers will receive a $2,500 scholarship for one year. The Miguel Pro Scholarship is one-year scholarship awarded to one incoming freshman who takes the entrance exam, demonstrates financial need, is of Hispanic descent and completes an essay explaining why he desires to attend St. Xavier High School. All other tuition assistance is need-based. Does St. X offer financial aid? For the 2015-16 school year St. Xavier disbursed 3.8 million dollars for tuition assistance. Thirty-two percent of the student body receives tuition assistance, with an average gift of approximately $6,000. Eighty-seven percent of applicants received some type of award.
Visiting St. Xavier How do I set up a shadowing day? Shadowing can be set up online by going to the "Visiting St. X" page of the admissions web site. Prospective families will be asked to set up an account and then enter the shadowing portal. How long does shadowing last? A shadowing day lasts the majority of an entire school day. We ask that students arrive by 7:45 a.m., 15 minutes before classes begin. They will remain with their ambassador or admissions representative for most of the school day and be dismissed at 2:15 p.m. Where does a student get dropped off and picked up for shadowing? Students need to be dropped off at the main entrance (the doors behind the statue of St. Francis Xavier). An admissions representative will meet the prospective student and his family there. The easiest place to pick up students is at that location as well. What are X-perience Nights and do I need to make a reservation for them? X-perience Nights are a great opportunity for prospective families to learn more intimately about the charisms that make St. Xavier a unique high school. The evening is intimate and designed to help parents and students determine whether St. Xavier is the "best fit."
Athletic Recruiting Why don t St. Xavier coaches call and/or approach my son about attending St. X to play sports? According to by-law 4-9-1 of the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA), "A student is considered a prospective athlete after enrolling in the seventh grade...any attempt to recruit a prospective student-athlete for athletic purposes shall be strictly prohibited" As such, St. Xavier coaches will never: Meet in a private home with a student-athlete Initiate contact with a student athlete to encourage them to attend St. Xavier solely for athletics Call/text/email/tweet/ Facebook prospective students to talk about our athletic programs Call/text/email/tweet/Facebook prospective students to encourage them to attend an open house Give tickets or special seating arrangements to prospective students for an athletic contest Write a prospective student a letter or email with a focus on athletics Follow up with a prospective student even after he has visited the school Give a tour of the school on a shadow day Promise financial assistance, playing time and/or position on an athletic team Give a prospective student a personal workout in the weight room, fields, or gymnasium Have former players or current players call, text, or email a potential student-athlete Recognize a student-athlete for his athletic accomplishments during halftime of a game Promise a prospetive student anything or speak to how the student would fit into our athletic program Give gifts of any kind Accordingly, St. Xavier coaches are permitted to: Speak with a student about our athletic programs on a day they shadow. For example, this is how we train or this is the type offense we run Focus on St Xavier as a whole and not just athletics when speaking to prospective students Encourage a student-athlete who initiates contact with them to contact the Office of Enrollment for more information or to register for a shadow day
Technology What do I do if I have a problem logging on to the application portal or other links in the website? If you have a problem, please contact Caren Hoelker at 513-618-3258. Are there any fees associated with the application? No. The only fee associated with the enrollment process is for the HSPT registration, which is $30. The applicant can pay online using any major credit card. What if I can t pay online? Please contact Caren Hoelker at 513-618-3258 or by email at choelker@stxavier.org where alternative payment arrangements can be determined. Must a student complete his application online? No. There is a downloadable PDF version available on our website. However, we encourage applicants to use the online version. What if I forget my log-on name and password? Your log in name is usually your email address. Assuming that is the case, there is a "forget password" link that will send your password to your email address. When will St. Xavier have a laptop program? Beginning with the Class of 2018, St. Xavier requires students to have an ipad. ipads in the classroom will seamlessly interact with our state-of-the-art interactive white boards that includes connection with Apple TV. Students can connect to the Guest wireless network available throughout the school. This network is filtered so that it cannot be used to access inappropriate sites. Students can use their devices anytime and anywhere unless a teacher informs them that use is inappropriate for a specific class segment. St. Xavier is a learning-centered community. ipads are simply tools which enables students and faculty together to explore how to use technology to advance learning. Teachers, with support from the Technology Integration Specialist, will experiment with ways to leverage learning through ipads and other devices that students bring into the classroom. Through this exploration, students will discover ways that technology assists them to learn. Read a letter from Principal Tyrrell about the ipad Program for the 2014-15 school year. FAQ about the ipad Program St. Xavier is a relationship-centered community, where student interaction with teachers and other students is central. We will educate students to use ipads and other devices in ways that promote relationships with their teachers and classmates, and we will hold them accountable when they use them in ways that disrupt relationships or interfere with learning, such as by playing games, texting to friends, or accessing off-task websites during class. Key to St. Xavier s philosophy of education is that students learn responsibility by being given freedom to demonstrate that they can act responsibly, with corresponding curbs on freedom for individuals who show they are not ready for it.
About St. Xavier What is the average class size? The average class is 25 students. The highest number of students in any class for the 2012-13 school year was 30; many classes have fewer than 10. What is the student/teacher ratio? 15:1 What are the required freshmen courses? Freshmen are required to take the following full year courses: Algebra I or II; freshmen English; a foreign language (Chinese, French, German, Latin, or Spanish); World Cultures; and Scriptures. In addition students will take one semester of Oral Communications/Information Processing, freshmen science, and a fine art. Physical education is taken in the sophomore year. Is there a bus service? Ten local school districts transport students to St. X in addition to a private bus serving students in Mason, Fairfield, West Chester and Liberty Township. Five Metro bus routes also serve St. Xavier. Further information can be obtained in the Assistant Principal s office. What percentage of the student body is minority? The school has a 12% minority enrollment. The class of 2019 has a 12% minority population. Does St. X provide services for students with disabilities? Yes. We have limited accommodations, ranging from extended time to preferential seating. If you have more specific questions, please contact the enrollment office. How successful are St. X students in gaining admission to college? Virtually 100% of our students enroll in four year colleges. For the class of 2015, 84% received $49,000,000 dollars in scholarships and averaging $159,000 per gradate; 82% of graduates in the Class of 2013 were admitted into their first-choice college/university. Is St. Xavier religiously diverse? Approximately 82% of St. Xavier s students are Roman Catholic, 15% identify themselves as Christian, and under 3% are Hindu, Muslim, or Jewish. What are the religion requirements? The religious education program is a four year program. Students will take one year each of Scriptures, Faith and Sacraments, and Morality and Justice. Seniors have a variety of electives from which to choose. Is Mass offered regularly? Mass is offered daily at the beginning of the student lunch period. Over the course of the school year there are also four all-school masses and three all-school services. In addition, class masses are required at least once a quarter. What is the attrition rate? Over the course of four years, a class will lose about 6% of its population: 3% between freshman and sophomore years; 2% between sophomore and junior; and 1% between junior and senior. Do you require community service? No. Community service is not required at St. X although 75% of our students voluntarily participate in service activities.
How old is St. Xavier? How many alumni are there? St. Xavier was founded in 1831 at the 7th and Sycamore Street site and has been at the Finneytown campus since 1960. St. Xavier has more than 18,000 living alumni in every state in the United States and abroad. How many faculty members have advanced degrees? Eighty-six percent have a masters degree or higher.