School Spotlight: Saint Ignatius College Prep
Leading up to the HSPT on December 5th, Test Prep Chicago is spotlighting some of Chicago’s top Catholic high schools on our blog. This week, we’re taking a closer look at Saint Ignatius College Prep.
Saint Ignatius College Prep stands out for its deep Jesuit roots, its rigorous academics, and a historic campus unlike any other in the city. The school was founded in 1869 by Fr. Arnold Damen, S.J. (who is also the namesake of Damen Avenue), making it Chicago’s first Jesuit school. Its original building on Roosevelt Road is one of the few structures in Chicago that predates the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, and the campus was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1977 and designated a Chicago Landmark in 1987.
In its early years, Saint Ignatius offered both a high school diploma and a college degree; its college division grew into what is now Loyola University Chicago, which had largely become a separate institution by 1922. After educating only boys for more than a century, Saint Ignatius welcomed girls in 1979; today more than 1,475 students from roughly 245 grammar schools and 130 zip codes call the school home. As a Jesuit school, Saint Ignatius is dedicated to educating students for lives of faith, love, service, and leadership. That mission comes to life most clearly in the Senior Service Capstone, which sets aside time during the second semester of senior year for students to serve at partner organizations throughout the community.
Academically, Saint Ignatius offers 28 Advanced Placement (AP) courses, more than 70 honors electives, and a 15:1 student-to-teacher ratio, giving students plenty of opportunities to challenge themselves, get individualized help from teachers, and potentially earn college credit before graduation. In the classroom, faculty follow the Ignatian Pedagogical Paradigm, a Jesuit approach to teaching built around a cycle of experience, reflection, and action, giving students a strong, rigorous academic foundation.
Outside the classroom, Saint Ignatius offers more than 70 clubs and activities, including Scholastic Bowl, Model UN, debate, cultural clubs, service groups, and the Harlequins theater program. On the athletic side, Saint Ignatius has been making history. In 2024, the girls’ cross country team won the IHSA Class 2A state championship, becoming the first Chicago-based school ever to win an IHSA girls’ cross country state title in any classification. The following June, the girls’ soccer team captured the program’s first IHSA Class 2A state championship with a 1–0 win over Peoria Notre Dame. These titles join back-to-back IHSA Class 2A state championships in boys’ golf in 2021 and 2022 and a girls’ water polo state title in 2013.
Overall, Saint Ignatius College Prep offers students a well-rounded Catholic high school experience: a demanding college-prep curriculum, a strong Jesuit service mission, a thriving extracurricular and athletic scene, and a one-of-a-kind historic campus in the heart of the city. It tends to be a great fit for students who want a challenging academic environment within a faith-based, diverse, and service-minded community.
Admission to Saint Ignatius is based in part on the High School Placement Test (HSPT), the entrance exam used by Catholic high schools across the Archdiocese of Chicago, which will be given on Saturday, December 5th. A short, timed personal essay is also required after completing the HSPT at Saint Ignatius. Additionally, the school strongly encourages students to take the HSPT on its own campus, as students who test there are given preference for admission, and only students who take the HSPT at Saint Ignatius are eligible for its academic scholarships and financial aid. Because Catholic high schools also use HSPT scores for scholarships and class placement, a strong score can make a real difference. If your student is interested in attending Saint Ignatius or another Catholic high school, Test Prep Chicago can help your student prepare for the HSPT, helping them develop the knowledge, skills, and strategies needed to succeed on all five sections of the exam. Students can now enroll in our online HSPT prep courses (sign up here), one-day Palooza workshops (sign up here), or individual tutoring sessions (sign up here), which all include HSPT content and test-taking strategies. With the December 5th test date just a little less than eight weeks away, sign up now to help your student prepare!