Applying to Collegiate Academy

Can you tell me a little bit about Collegiate Academy?

Northwest Pennsylvania Collegiate Academy is an urban magnet school providing rigorous, college preparatory academics. Admission requirements include a minimum grade point average of 3.0, national standardized test scores at the 75th percentile or above, and two teacher recommendations. Collegiate Academy serves students in grades nine through twelve, and each year over 500 applicants vie for approximately 225 openings. The majority of the fifty-five member teaching staff hold master's degrees, and all are committed to student-centered learning.

Northwest Pennsylvania Collegiate Academy is currently one of Pennsylvania's top-ranked high schools in terms of state assessment scores, SAT results, and four-year college acceptance (97%). Collegiate Academy graduates have consistently scored above the SAT national average in critical reading, math, and writing. The class of 2008 received $13 million in college scholarship offers.

How do I apply to Collegiate Academy?

Attend the Recruitment Open House on Sunday, December 7, 2008, from 1:00 to 3:00; applications will be available there. If you cannot make it to the Open House, pick up an application from the main office any day after the Open House. You can also call the school (874-6300), and we will mail you an application. The application deadline is Friday, January 9, 2009.

What will I need to include with the application?

You will need to get the following things:

• The applicant's most recent standardized test scores. You can submit the scores of whichever test your current school gives, such as the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA), Iowa Test of Basic Skills, or the Stanford.
• The applicant's final seventh-grade report card and the first quarter of his or her eighth-grade report card. We look only at the grades in core subjects: math, science, reading/language arts, and social studies. We do not consider elective classes.
• Two teacher recommendations. (These forms are included with the application.)

Your current school's guidance counselor should be able to get these materials for you.

Where should I submit the completed application?

Please submit the completed application packet to Collegiate Academy's main office by Friday, January 9, 2009.

How does the school decide whom to admit?

The school has a numerical rating system; applicants earn a certain number of points for the quality of their grades, standardized test scores, and teacher recommendations. After all applications have been scored, we determine a cut score. Students who score at or above this score are admitted to Collegiate Academy.

When will I know whether my son or daughter has been accepted?

We send letters out in early February.

What about out-of-district applicants?

Collegiate Academy can only admit a certain number of students from each outside district; this per-district cap is determined by the number of students in that district. We are at cap for many of the districts already.

Any out-of-district student who meets the acceptance criteria but cannot be accepted because of the cap can elect to pay tuition. Tuition for the 2008-2009 school year is approximately $3100.

How can my child shadow a current Collegiate Academy student?

Once you have submitted a completed application, you can call the school, at 874-6300, to schedule a shadowing day for your child. Shadowing a current student gives him or her a chance to see what a typical day at Collegiate Academy is like.

I still have some questions. Whom should I talk to?

Please e-mail our dean, Dr. Lori Gornall, at lgornall@eriesd.org. You can also call the school: 874-6300.