Fontbonne Hall Academy Admissions Profile for Parents

Fontbonne Hall Academy is an all-girls college preparatory school that is founded on the philosophy and charism of the Sisters of Saint Joseph. It is based on an educational program of empowering and creating women with confidence and compassion.

Founded in 1937, this all-girls Catholic high school in Brooklyn works to create leaders in their community who are committed to promoting the love of God in their community and responding to all of the needs of their time.

They challenge students to achieve their intellectual and creative potential in areas that include science, math, humanities, and the arts in order to give them the tools that they will need to achieve success in their chosen future careers. The school stresses not only academic growth and excellence but also spiritual growth.

 

Fontbonne Hall Academy Quick Facts

Percentage of students accepted to college	100%
Yearly tuition	$13,300
Number of clubs and organizations	28
Number of sports and athletic teams	13
Student to teacher ratio	11:1
Average class size	18
Religious foundation	Catholic – Sisters of St. Joseph
Student body	All-girls
Average SAT score	1160
Average ACT score	26
Fontbonne Hall Academy Admissions Exam	TACHS
TACHS Choice Ranking	Any choice, preference to those who choose Fontbonne Academy Halls as their 1st choice
Fontbonne Hall Academy Scholarship Exam	Canceled for 2020. Late November-early December. This exam is similar to the HSPT.
Virtual Tour	https://www.fontbonne.org/about/campus
Website	https://www.fontbonne.org/
Test Dates, Open House Dates, Information Session Dates	https://www.fontbonne.org/admissions-copy/admissions-calendar

 

Fontbonne Hall Academy Scholarship Offerings and Financial Information

Tuition rates for Fontbonne will slightly each year, but for 2021 the rates are confirmed at $13,300 per student. This does not include activity and sports fees of $350 per student, FACTS fees, which may add $45, Chromebook insurance at $25 and graduation of $450. Students who need a Chromebook will pay $400 for the laptop and insurance.

There are several tuition payment plans available at Fontbonne to help make the cost slightly easier for parents. If there are multiple girls in the household attending Fontbonne there is a multi-student discount of $2,000 to for two students or $3,000 for three students.

Tuition can be paid in a single amount, due in May, and receives a discount of $150. It can also be split into three payments due in May, October, and January. Tuition can also be split into 10 payments of $1,330, which are due in May, June, and September through April.

Fontbonne Scholarships

Fontbonne Hall Academy offers merit based scholarships for students who sit for the scholarships exam. For the 2021 year, Fontbonne canceled the scholarship exam. Students will still be awarded merit-based scholarships based only on their applications, letters of recommendation, transcripts and TACHS scores. Financial aid is also available for students who qualify.

Approximately 10% of students at Fontbonne receive financial aid with the average package accounting for $1,500. Information about merit-based scholarships offered is not available; however students must exhibit academic excellence to receive these scholarships.

You can find information about scholarships and financial aid here: https://www.fontbonne.org/admissions/tuition-and-financial-aid

Fontbonne is a difficult school to obtain a full scholarship. You may also want to consider other excellent all-girls high schools in the NYC area, such as Notre Dame Academy, St. Joseph Hill Academy in Staten Island, Convent of the Sacred Heart High School, Marymount High School in Manhattan, or The Mary Louis Academy in Queens.

Fontbonne Hall Academy Academics

Fontbonne Hall Lab School ranks in the top 20% of private schools in New York for having the most AP courses available. There are 17 AP courses available to the girls at this school. These include courses in English, computer science, math, statistics, science, history, psychology, and Spanish.

Students are also able to take the AP Seminar and AP Research courses to enhance their abilities and can complete the AP Capstone Program by completing at least 4 AP courses with a score of 3 or higher. This awards an AP Capstone diploma. Students who complete AP Seminar and AP Research with a score of 3 or higher will earn a certificate for their achievement.

Fontbonne prides themselves on being ‘in the forefront of innovations in teaching and learning across all disciplines.’ They do this through the course of their Fabrication Lab, offering iPads with AR and 3D scanners, 3D printers and camera drones as well as robotics.

Students at this school are also given access to an ever increasing array of technological advancements as the school continues to work toward their new designation as a ‘Lab School.’

College Partnerships

There is also an opportunity for students to benefit from university partnerships through Fontbonne and several other colleges and universities in the area.

The pre-college program with Brown University and St. John’s University allows students to take online courses at Brown University while attending Fontbonne Hall Academy.

The non-credit nursing seminar with St. Francis College allows students to visit and participate in workshops with the program. They can also complete dual enrollment courses through this program.

Students who are looking to pursue child studies are able to take courses at St. Joseph’s College, starting with those required for this major.

Students who are looking to pursue a B.S. in Health Sciences and complete a degree in a health field are able to complete dual enrollment with Long Island University. These students must declare their major in health science in their 9th grade year but can earn up to 36 credits through AP courses and dual enrollment.

Finally, the cooperation with Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory allows students to complete several hours of lab instruction and witness scientists working in labs. This cooperation also allows for the use of many pieces of equipment for the school.

College Preparation Program

All students are encouraged to push themselves in their courses, which is reflected in the variety of college partnerships that Fontbonne Hall Lab School offers. There are also 17 different AP courses. 100% of Fontbonne girls will go on to be accepted to college.

Academic counselors advise the girls from their first day at the school about college. They give assistance in everything that they need to prepare for and to apply to college. Students are also given access to a program called Naviance that will help them with searching for colleges that fit their aspirations and interests.

Scores on SAT/ACT and College Matriculation

Students from Fontbonne Hall Academy go on to schools like St. John’s University, New York University, and Fordham University. They study programs such as nursing, business and biology. On average, these students achieve a 1160 on the SAT and a 26 on the ACT.

Fontbonne Hall Academy Student Life

Fontbonne Hall Academy is located on 99th Street and Shore Road, putting it right alongside Shore Road Park and the Belt Parkway. This large school encompasses several buildings over a single city block, taking up the entire space between the buildings and the parking area.

Fontbonne Hall Academy Sports

There are plenty of sports teams at Fontbonne throughout the year, with 13 different teams available in a range of different sports offered throughout the school year. Students at Fontbonne are very athletic and most girls engage in at least one sport available at the school. Most sports have several varsity and JV teams.

• Basketball
• Cheer
• Golf
• Lacrosse
• Soccer
• Softball
• Swimming
• Tennis
• Track
• Volleyball
• AD

Fontbonne Hall Academy Extracurriculars

There are 280 extracurricular events, clubs, and activities available through Fontbonne, which vary from interest clubs to philanthropy and everywhere in between. These include:

• Adventure Club
• Art Club
• Bonnie Beats
• Bonnie’s Bluestockings
• Creative Writing
• Cyber Girls
• Drama Club
• Girls Who Code
• Global Citizenship Club
• High School Democrats of America
• History Bowl
• Political Issues Club
• Plus and Allies
• Social Justice Club
• Speech and Debate
• Step Team
• The Folio (Newspaper)
• The Green Team
• The Tusks
• Women’s Empowerment
• Yearbook Club
• Fontbonne Fights Against Cancer
• Magnify
• Respect Club
• Students for Soldiers
• National Honor Society
• SAC
• Social Studies Honor Society

Fontbonne Hall Academy Famous Alumni

Over 7,000 people have graduated from Fontbonne since their very first class and these women have gone on to excel in their chosen fields.

• Judith Del Rey Grimaldi, lawyer, class of ‘66
• Marina Re, actress, class of ‘71
• Janice Mazzallo, businesswoman, class of ‘82
• Jennifer Milone-Tock, businesswoman, class of ‘90
• Rosa Pietanza, Senior Legal Council, class of ‘93
• Maria A. Aronova, scientist, class of ‘94

Fontbonne Hall Academy Admissions Process

The application process for Fontbonne Hall Academy begins with the online application, which is due in November every year. The deadline for this is strict and students or their families must have an online account in order to apply.

Students must complete the TACHS exam in order to apply. The TACHS occurs every years in early November, before the deadline for applications. While preference for scholarships and entrance is given to students who mark Fontbonne as number one, students who list Fontbonne are considered.

Two letters of recommendation must be received at the same time as the online application. One of these must be a current teacher in a core subject, including English, history, science or math. The second should be a teacher, principal or non-family member. The second letter should reflect on the character, academic excellence, athletic skills, artistic skills, or community service involvement of the applicant. Other positive traits and skills are also encouraged.

Students currently enrolled in public school must submit a TACHS applicant record sheet to their public school or request transcripts for their grades from 6-8. These must then be submitted separately to Fontbonne. Students who attend Catholic schools already will have these grades included on their standard TACHS.

Fontbonne requires a separate exam for students applying for a merit-based scholarship. The Fontbonne Hall scholarship exam is similar to the HSPT. Students who are prepared for the HSPT typically do very well on this scholarship exam. For the 2021 year this scholarship exam has been waived. Students will be considered for merit-based scholarships on the basis of their other application materials.

There is also a separate application for financial aid, which students and their families will need to fill out each year.

Taking the TACHS as Entrance Exam for Fontbonne Hall Academy

Students who wish to attend Fontbonne Hall Academy must complete the TACHS exam for admission consideration. This exam is a standard for Catholic schools in the area. Fontbonne must be listed as one of the student’s choices on their exam. Their results from the exam must be provided to the school directly from the testing facility.

The best way to prepare for the TACHS exam is through practice tests. We offer TACHS practice tests almost year round. The practice exams make sure that students do not face any surprises on test day.

You can signup and see our full schedule of practice tests here. The earlier you start, the more prepared your child will be as we begin with more straightforward exams and work our way to more difficult ones as we near the actual exam.

I work with students throughout their middle school careers to strengthen their academic skills. My students have earned over $12.8 million dollars in scholarships to NYC’s top private high schools.

Full Breakdown of Scholarships 2022

Taking the Fontbonne Hall Academy Scholarship Exam (HSPT)

Any students who wish to be considered for a scholarship from Fontbonne must complete their official scholarship exam. The exam is not the only piece to getting a scholarship as the student’s TACHS scores, letters of recommendation, overall application, and grades will play a role in getting (or not getting) a scholarship. It is very similar to the HSPT, so that is likely the best practice and preparation for the Fontbonne scholarship exam.

You can find information about scholarships and financial aid here: https://www.fontbonne.org/admissions/tuition-and-financial-aid

Prep for the Fontbonne Hall Academy Admissions Process

Anyone who is looking to get into Fontbonne or to get their child into Fontbonne will want to get started early. The school is very competitive. Doing well on the TACHS exam is crucial to being accepted. Not only that, but the school requires excellence in middle school, reflected on student transcripts and grade reports, to be considered for admission and for scholarships. High-level accomplishments in middle school will be a big part of getting into Fontbonne Hall Academy.

Advanced tutoring, and especially sessions with small groups or even individually, will help students who are looking to get into Fontbonne to get the help they need to give them a leg up. All provided material throughout the tutoring process is cumulative, so the earlier your student starts, the better off they will be when it comes time to apply to Fontbonne.

As someone who scored in the 99th percentile on these exams and earned full scholarships to all high schools I applied, I know the preparation and commitment it takes to succeed in getting into a private high school. My tutoring team offers group and private tutoring sessions to boost your student’s academic performance and self-confidence for the rigorous private high school admissions season.

Individual and Group Tutoring Sessions

My students have earned admission to some of the most prestigious schools in the country, including Regis, arguably the most prestigious high school in the country. I work with students to improve their academics to make sure they achieve success in their exams and beyond, even when they already excel.

My students have also earned large scholarships to high-level schools, earning over $12.8 million in financial assistance through merit-based scholarships with forty-two students passing the rigorous  Regis exam as of 2022. In addition to the countless students we’ve helped earn admission to Fontbonne Hall Academy, we have helped students earn over $261,000 to Fontbonne Hall Academy and tutored many others to earn millions in scholarships since 2015.

$3.8 million in scholarships to high school in 2022.

Most students take a TACHS or HSPT practice exam before their first lesson to identify areas of improvement and potentially group similar students with similar goals. We also use this to compare to future practice tests to determine what is working and what isn’t. Call, text, or email us to discuss the best options for your daughter, including individual one-on-one tutoring or in a group. Online group sessions have rolling starts year-round. You can view availability for groups and tutoring at Book Me.

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