St. Joseph Hill Academy Admissions Profile for Parents

St. Joseph Hill Academy is an all-girls college preparatory school located on Staten Island. It was founded in March of 1919 by Reverend Mother M. Kostka Bauer, who began her first classes in May of the same year. There were 25 children at that first summer program, which eventually grew into the high school. The first year of the official high school was in 1930 with the first commencement exercises in 1934.

The Academy is affiliated with the Catholic University of America and was fully accredited by the Board of Regents of the University of the State of New York in 1938. Since then, this Staten Island high school has continued to grow and evolve to provide an ever improving experience for the girls who attend the program.

St. Joseph encourages their students to live by the mission of ‘in keeping with Christian values and the traditions of the Daughters of Divine Charity, seeks to educate and empower young women to be confident independent thinkers with strong character and leadership qualities, who stand ready to meet society’s challenges.’

St. Joseph Hill Academy Quick Facts

Percentage of students accepted to college	100%
Yearly tuition	$9,000
Number of clubs and organizations	40
Number of sports and athletic teams	14
Student to teacher ratio	11:1
Average Class SIze	18
Religious foundation	Catholic
Student body	All-girls
Average SAT score	1230
Average ACT score	28
St. Joseph Hill Academy Admissions Exam	TACHS
TACHS Choice Ranking	Any choice Scholarship applicants looking for a full scholarship must select Hill as their 1st choice. Students cannot place St. Joseph Hill 3rd and receive a scholarship!
St. Joseph Hill Academy Scholarship Exam	Similar to the HSPT. – Dec 2, 2020, offered in early December each year Hill Scholarship Opportunities
Virtual Tour	https://highschool.stjosephhillacademy.com/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=953228&type=d&pREC_ID=1279515 – the virtual tour seems unavailable but you can try again in the future. https://highschool.stjosephhillacademy.com/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=781519&type=d&pREC_ID=1191306  currently gives visuals of the campus
Website	https://highschool.stjosephhillacademy.com/
Test Dates, Open House Dates, Information Session Dates	https://highschool.stjosephhillacademy.com/apps/events/

 

St. Joseph Hill Academy Scholarship Offerings and Financial Information

Tuition rates for St. Joseph Hill will vary slightly each year. For 2021, tuition is $9,000. This does not include an activity fee of $900 or the $250 acceptance fee for incoming freshman. There is also a re-registration fee for sophomore, junior, and senior students, which is also $250. This does not include uniform costs, shoes, laptop computers and admission to any student activities.

There are several scholarship opportunities available to reduce the cost further for this excellent Staten Island high school. Students who are interested in a scholarship must select St. Joseph Hill as either their first or second choice on their TACHS exam. Students who select St. Joseph Hill as their second choice will be eligible only for a partial scholarship while those who select St. Joseph Hill as their first choice are eligible for full scholarships.

St. Joseph Hill Scholarships

St. Joseph Hill Academy offers merit based scholarships for students who select the school as either their first or second choice on the TACHS exam and sit for the scholarship exam. SJH awards scholarships based on the results of the scholarship test, TACHS scores, middle school grades, and state test scores. The exam is $75 and there is no financial aid application or process.

Hill is one of the most difficult schools to earn to a scholarship. If your daughter is aiming for a full scholarship to Hill, you may also want to consider other excellent all-girls high schools in the NYC area, such as Notre Dame Academy, Convent of the Sacred Heart High School, Marymount High School in Manhattan, Fontbonne Hall Academy in Brooklyn, or The Mary Louis Academy in Queens.

St. Joseph Hill Academy Academics

St. Joseph Hill ranks as one of the top high schools in New York, with all students being placed on track to earn an Advanced Regents Diploma. Students are also all placed on a college preparatory track that includes working with a counselor throughout their entire four years at the school to get ready for admission to college.

There are two tracks that students are invited to follow when they join St. Joseph Hill Academy. Both programs will include all required courses for the New York State Regents and will include the school religion requirement which is completely identical. Students are also able to switch between the programs during their freshman and sophomore years; however, they are locked into one choice following their sophomore year.

Students may also complete courses from the other pathway as electives no matter their selection and both programs offer College level, Honors, and AP courses.

STEM Program

The first is the STEM program, which focuses on science, math, technology, engineering, and art. This program offers 3D CAD, programming, and robotics to start students on a path for chemistry, environmental science, biomedical engineering, calculus, forensic science, advanced physics, and biology. This is alongside art and humanities electives such as theater, music, psychology, law, and language. Select courses are required for this program.

Humanities Pathway

The second option is the Humanities pathway, which focuses on history, literature, language, social sciences, and art. This program offers a focus on developing speakers, readers and writers by utilizing persuasive, analytical, dramatic and journalistic skills. This course includes a sequence of fine arts and music appreciation courses and provides additional opportunities for STEM based electives. Students focus on humanities courses including speech and writing, theater arts, classics, and music appreciation.

College Preparation Program

St. Joseph Hill Academy offers a variety of advanced courses of different levels. These include Honors courses in English, mathematics, religion, and science. These courses are advanced over what is offered with the regular courses but they are not quite as advanced as the AP or college courses.

The Staten Island high school offers courses in English composition, English literature, biology, European history, psychology, U.S. history, U.S. government, macroeconomics, calculus, art history, and more. Students who take AP courses are able to earn college credit or may be able to earn advanced placement status with the college or university of their choice. Courses are also offered in some areas to aid students in preparing for their future plans. Girls from St. Joseph Hill will work together to achieve their goals for their future careers.

Hill offers college courses in foreign language, mathematics, and science through the College Advancement Program. These university credits are accepted at approximately 200 different colleges and universities and can be earned by both juniors and seniors at St. Joseph Hill.

St. Joseph Hill prides themselves on being advanced in the offerings available to their students including 3D printers, a new gymnasium, distance-learning lab, art studio, and more.

All students at St. Joseph Hill Academy are put into a college preparatory program that puts them on track for an Advanced Regents Diploma. This course is supported by assistance from the school, which helps prepare students from their first days for entrance into college. The students are also encouraged to pursue the pathway that works best for them and their future plans.

Scores on SAT/ACT and College Matriculation

Recent students from St. Joseph Hill Academy received a 1230 on their SAT and an ACT score of 28. Also, 100% of them attend college. Students go on to attend schools like St. John’s University in New York, New York University, and Seton Hall University. They study programs such as nursing, biology, and psychology.

St. Joseph Hill Academy Student Life

St. Joseph Hill Academy is located on 17 acres on Staten Island. The campus was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, who designed Central Park in the 1890s. The campus is connected to the St. Joseph Hill Academy Elementary School, which offers education for students from preschool through 8th grade until they are ready to begin at St. Joseph Hill Academy High School.

Special education students in the elementary grades are also taught at Mother Franciska Elementary School, which is also on the grounds of the other two schools. There is also the St. Joseph Hill Convent at the center of campus, the Sal Gerardi Sports Field, and the newly updated Madonna Hall, complete with art studio.

The school is surrounded by greenery and is located near Fort Wadsworth, Verrazzano Narrows Bridge, and South Beach.

Saint Joseph Hill Academy Sports

There are 14 different teams offered throughout the year at St. Joseph Hill. Students are allowed to participate in one activity per season. This affords them the opportunity to engage with three different sporting activities during the course of the school year. These include the following:

• Cheerleading
• Cross Country
• Soccer
• Tennis
• Volleyball
• Basketball
• Bowling
• Indoor Track
• Swimming
• Flag Football Intramurals
• Golf
• Outdoor Track
• Softball
• Lacrosse

Saint Joseph Hill Academy Extracurriculars

There are also 40 different extracurricular activities that students can participate in, which offer programs in everything from academic to cultural opportunities, volunteer organizations to student publications, and more.

• American Cancer Society Club
• Amnesty International
• Art Club
• Asian Culture Club
• Autism Awareness Club
• Dance Team
• Diabetes Club
• Drama Club
• Fashion Club
• Film Club
• Forensics Team
• Friends of Staten Island
• French Club
• Girls Learn International
• Habitat for Humanity
• HILL TV
• Italian Club
• Junior Lay Associates
• Koalas for Kids
• Lifestyles/Special Olympics Club
• Literary Club
• Math League
• Mock Trial Team
• Monsignor Farrell Band
• Music Club
• National Honor Society
• Operation Fairy Dust
• Photography Club
• Project Hospitality
• Robotics Club
• Seton Foundation Sports
• Spanish Club
• Joseph Hill Singers
• Student Council
• Summit Productions
• The Summit
• Trashbusters
• Tunnel to Towers
• Yearbook – Print
• Yearbook – Video

Christian Service at Hill

Students can volunteer for a variety of services that give back to the community through the Hill’s Angles, including hospitals, senior centers, food banks, parks, cultural centers, Special Olympics, Habitat for Humanity, and more.

St. Joseph Hill Academy Famous Alumni

With approximately 100 graduating seniors in each class, St. Joseph Hill Academy has graduated over 7,000 students in its 75 years. These students have gone on to become distinguished professionals in a range of different fields, including:

• Evelyn R. Runer, MD – Class of ‘87
• Michelle Gliumenta, DDS – Class of ‘87
• Stephanie Sammarco, LPC – Class of ‘91
• Cathryn Basile, Broadway actor – Class of ‘00
• Rita Jerome, U.S. Air Force – Class of ‘19
• Brenda Jordan, Staten Island Sports Hall of Fame – Class of ‘60
• Lynn Kelly, Executive Director of New Yorkers for Parks

St. Joseph Hill Academy Admissions Process

The application process become a Hilltopper is quite simple. Students must complete the TACHS exam and must select St. Joseph Hill Academy as one of their choices. Students who wish to be eligible for a scholarship must place St. Joseph Hill as either the first or second choice on their application. If SJH is placed first, students will be eligible for full scholarships while students who place St. Joseph Hill second will only be eligible for partial scholarships.

The TACHS exam must be completed in the 8th grade year to ensure that it is received by St. Joseph Hill at the appropriate time. The Archdiocese of New York gives the TACHS exam every year during the first week of November.

Students must also select the pathway that they wish to begin when they attend St. Joseph Hill. They can change this pathway freshman and sophomore years. They cannot change it once junior year begins. More information is available about each of these pathways to help you make the right choice starting out.

Finally, students must take the scholarship test if they wish to be considered for any sort of merit-based assistance. The scholarship exam is offered in December of each year and requires an application. The application fee is $75.

Students who wish to transfer to St. Joseph Hill Academy must submit, not only their high school record and standardized test scores, but must also contact the school to find out more about availability.

Taking the TACHS as Entrance Exam for St. Joseph Hill Academy

Students who wish to attend St. Joseph Hill Academy must complete the TACHS exam to be considered for admission. This exam is a standard for Catholic schools in the area. Students must list St. Joseph Hill as one of the student’s three choices on their test. Their results must be provided to the school directly from the testing facility.

The best way to prepare for the TACHS exam is through practice tests. Students take their first high school entrance practice test with us between November the prior year and April. From that point, we differentiate into TACHS, HSPT, SHSAT, ISEE, or SSAT practice exams depending on the student’s goals. The practice exams make sure that students do not face any surprises on test day.

You can schedule a practice test below, or you can see this schedule of practice tests to find out more. The earlier you start, the more prepared your child will be.

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 2020 including a full scholarship to St. Joseph Hill Academy

Taking the St. Joseph Hill Academy Scholarship Exam

Any students who wish to be considered for a scholarship from St. Joseph Hill must complete the official scholarship exam. Students must not only complete the exam but must also submit their TACHS scores, state test scores, and middle school grades in order to be considered. The St. Joseph Hill scholarship exam is very similar to an HSPT. Students who we have prepared for the HSPT have done excellent on the Hill scholarship exam, with many receiving full scholarships.

More Information about scholarships at Hill

Prep for the St. Joseph Hill Academy Admissions Process

Anyone who is looking to get into St. Joseph Hill or to get their child into St. Joseph Hill will want to get started early. The school is very competitive, and 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 report cards, to be considered for admission and scholarships. High-level accomplishments in middle school will be a big part of getting into St. Joseph Hill Academy.

Advanced tutoring, and especially sessions with small groups or even individually, will help students who are looking to get into St. Joseph Hill to get the help they need to give them a leg up. All 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 St. Joseph Hill.

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 entrance to some of the most prestigious schools in the country, including Regis High School, arguably the most prestigious 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 over twenty students passing the rigorous Regis exam. In addition, students I tutored have earned over $175,000 in scholarships to St. Joseph Hill Academy, with countless others earning admissions to St. Joseph Hill Academy.

John Zaborskis and associated tutors have helped students earn over $3.8 million in scholarships to high school in 2022.

Most students take a TACHS practice test 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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