Learn More about St. Ignatius College Prep

As we lead up to the High School Placement Test on December 6th, Test Prep Chicago is featuring some of the top Parochial schools in Chicago. This week, we will be spotlighting St. Ignatius College Prep!

St. Ignatius was founded in 1869, and is well-known for its Ignatian philosophy, academic rigor, and incredible campus. Its main building survived the Great Chicago Fire, making it one of the few pre-fire structures still standing in the city. For this reason, it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and recognized as a Chicago Landmark. The campus now spans more than 20 acres, and is located in the Near West Side neighborhood. The school’s philosophy is deeply rooted in Ignatian values; reflection, service, and social justice are central to its identity. Students are encouraged to develop academically, socially, and intellectually, preparing them to think critically and act compassionately. 

St. Ignatius also offers a rigorous college-preparatory curriculum, including 28 Advanced Placement courses. The student-teacher ratio is approximately 15:1, allowing for personalized attention and strong relationships between students and faculty. Student life at Ignatius is also very vibrant; the school supports more than a hundred clubs, spanning academic, social, service, and community engagement interests. Their athletics program includes teams across many sports, and students compete in well-respected Catholic athletic conferences. The school is well known for its football and cross country teams!

Admissions to St. Ignatius is competitive. The school makes significant investments in financial aid, distributing millions of dollars in tuition assistance each year, making it a highly sought after program for high schoolers. If you or your child are looking to attend St. Ignatius or another Catholic high school, the High School Placement Test (HSPT) is a central part of the application process, and Test Prep Chicago can help you succeed! We are now offering one-day workshops for students looking for extra practice with the HSPT (click here). Students can also sign up for individual tutoring for HSPT prep anytime (click here), in which they will be given access to thorough prep materials targeting each section of the HSPT. Our curriculum includes practice tests, and step-by-step solutions and strategies aligned with the HSPT format. We also support students preparing for other high school entrance exams like the ISEE and CPS HSAT! 

An Overview of St. Ignatius College Prep

One of five extant public buildings dating back to before the Chicago Fire of 1871, Saint Ignatius College Preparatory School is one of the oldest Jesuit Catholic preparatory schools in Chicago. Located between Chicago’s Near West Side and Little Italy neighborhoods, St. Ignatius is on the National Register of Historic Places. Notable alumni include stand-up comedian John Mulaney; former Chief of Staff under Barack Obama, William M. Daley; and actress Gina Rodriguez among others.

According to their website, “the academic experience at Saint Ignatius is characterized by rigor, reflection, and personal responsibility.” The school offers 40 honors class electives as well as 25 different Advanced Placement classes to choose from in order to begin gaining college credit in high school. Impressively, 90% of their teachers have a master’s degree or higher, with a student to teacher ratio of 17:1. In addition, they boast a 1:1 iPad program that allows for classroom experiences which are “enhanced by state-of-the-art technology.”

Within each department, students have a wide range of classes from which to choose. In addition to more traditional courses, students can choose electives like Shakespeare, Chicago Authors, or African American Literature within English or Microbiology: Viruses, Bacteria, and Fungi; Earth Science; or Engineering within the science department. Similar elective courses can also be found in other departments. Furthermore, there is a vast array of music, visual art, and religion courses available as well as foreign language courses in French, Spanish, Mandarin Chinese, Latin, and Greek. Students interested in sports can choose from football, soccer, field hockey, volleyball, tennis, and swimming and diving among others.

Since St. Ignatius is a Catholic school, students must apply to be admitted. Thus, students must take the High School Placement Test (HSPT) on the first Saturday of December in their 8th-grade year for a chance at going to a Catholic or Parochial school. Unlike with selective enrollment, however, Catholic schools such as St. Ignatius look at the student as a whole (resume, transcript, as well as test scores) to decide whether or not a student will be admitted.

In addition, to attend St. Ignatius, tuition is required. In the 2019-2020 school year, tuition was reportedly $19,500 (per year). However, scholarships and financial aid are available and according to their website, approximately 28% of students at St. Ignatius receive some kind of tuition assistance. In the 2019-2020 school year, $4.5 million was pledged to help students who have a financial need. In order to be eligible for scholarships at St. Ignatius, however, students must sit for the HSPT at St. Ignatius.

For more information about courses, athletics, extracurriculars, or tuition visit the school’s website at https://www.ignatius.org/.

Lauren Lynch, Tutoring Coordinator
lauren@testprepchicago.com
(312) 848-1266