North Shore Catholic schools offer new testing and admissions flexibility to 8th grade girls

LAKE FOREST, Ill. – An innovative collaboration among three Catholic high schools on Chicago’s North Shore is reshaping the testing and admissions experience for incoming freshman girls and their families.

Woodlands Academy of the Sacred Heart in Lake Forest, Regina Dominican High School in Wilmette, and Loyola Academy in Wilmette have entered into an exclusive, first-of-its-kind agreement allowing eighth-grade girls to take the High School Placement Test (HSPT) at any of the three schools and opt in to share their scores with the others. The new arrangement offers girls and their families unprecedented flexibility in the competitive Catholic high school admissions process.

The HSPT, administered annually to eighth graders across the Archdiocese of Chicago, will be held this year on Saturday, Dec. 6. Scores remain a key factor in determining admission to Catholic high schools for the upcoming academic year. Historically, students were required to take the test at the single Catholic high school they intended to apply to, and those scores were not shared among institutions. That practice effectively locked students to the choice of one school.

Under the new agreement, eighth-grade girls may sit for the exam at any of the three participating schools and request that their scores be shared with one or both other schools. Families can then apply to multiple schools concurrently, widening their options and easing the “all-or-nothing” pressure typically associated with test day.

This flexibility may also broaden the options for academic and co-curricular paths available to prospective students, particularly those who want to compare school cultures, programs and support structures before committing to a single high school.

“Traditionally, a student’s Catholic high school choice was, in effect, being made as soon as she registered for the HSPT in November, before she even sat for the exam,” explained Woodlands Academy Head of School Dr. Susan Dempf. “Providing the opportunity to extend the timing for making that choice gives eighth-grade girls and their families the time they need to reflect and make a decision that is consistent with each student’s growing maturity and understanding of her academic interests. This additional time allows every girl to select the environment where she can thrive across her high school years.”

The agreement applies only to Woodlands Academy, Regina Dominican and Loyola Academy, and each school may continue to limit eligibility for merit scholarships to students who take the entrance exam on its own campus, consistent with longstanding practice.

The schools entering into this agreement have done so as evidence of a shared commitment to supporting girls and their families seeking a Catholic high school education as they navigate an increasingly complex admissions landscape. Providing a choice between coeducational and all-girls high schools is important, as each setting offers distinct advantages and serves students differently. By preserving this range of options, the schools are better positioned to support girls as they seek an environment in which they feel most confident, supported and challenged.

“Whether a family is seeking academic rigor, leadership opportunities, or a particular community culture or faith tradition,” continued Dempf, “having options allows the family to choose the school that best aligns with the goals they share for their daughter.”

The HSPT will take place simultaneously at all Catholic high schools in the Archdiocese of Chicago. Registration is now open. Students planning to test at Woodlands Academy, Regina Dominican or Loyola Academy may register through each school’s website.

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Woodlands Academy of the Sacred Heart is a Catholic, independent, day-and-boarding, college-preparatory school for young women of all faiths in grades nine through 12. Founded in Chicago in 1858 and located in Lake Forest since 1904, Woodlands is part of a worldwide network of Sacred Heart Schools that spans the United States and 40 other countries on six continents. To learn more, visit woodlandsacademy.org.