ProfileMount Saint Joseph Academy

History and Tradition: Established in Chestnut Hill in 1858 by the Sisters of Saint Joseph, Mount Saint Joseph Academy is a private, selective day school for young women in grades 9 through 12, offering a college preparatory education in the Catholic tradition and context. The Mount is dually accredited by the Pennsylvania Association of Independent Schools (PAIS) and Middle States Association of College and Secondary Schools and approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Education.

Campus: Mount Saint Joseph Academy is situated on 78 acres in Springfield Township, Montgomery County. The picturesque campus lies just outside Chestnut Hill, a historic, culturally-rich, urban village within Philadelphia. The location is readily accessible to Center City and the surrounding five counties, as evidenced by our student body who commute daily from 27 school districts in the Delaware Valley.

Admission: Admission is through a competitive examination. Approximately 50% of those who apply for Grade 9 are accepted each year. Scholarships for academic achievement, service, and the arts are available. All are based upon merit. Grants are offered to those who qualify for financial aid and meet the requirements of the specific grant. Financial aid is also available for those who qualify.

Students: Enrollment for the 2014-2015 academic year is 553 students; the current student-teacher ratio stands at 10 to 1, and the average class size is 20 students.

Faculty: The faculty at the Mount is composed of both Sisters of Saint Joseph and lay teachers. The majority of faculty members (over 84%) hold advanced degrees.

Administration: President: S. Kathleen Brabson, SSJ, MA Principal: Dr. Judith A. Caviston, EdD Dean of Studies: Mr. William J. Rooney, M.Ed. Dean of Student Affairs: Mrs. Connie D’Angelo, MA

Guidance: Director of Guidance: Mrs. Amy Balcer, MS School Counselor: Lisa Boyle, MS School Counselor: Marybeth Competelli, MA

National Merit Scholarship Program

Class of 2015 4 Semi-Finalists (status until Spring 2015) 16 Commended StudentsClass of 2014 9 Finalists 18 Commended Students

SAT: MSJA v.s. National and PA Overall

SAT Results 2014(Mean)

120 West Wissahickon Avenue, Flourtown, PA 19031 • 215-233-9133 • admiss@msjacad.org • www.msjacad.org

TOP 25 PERCENT

2400

MSJA

National

PA

609

497

497

587

513

504

622

487

480

1818

1497

1481

CriticalReading Math Writing Total

MSJANationalPA

2400

MSJA

National

PA

670

570

570

640

600

580

680

560

550

1990

1730

1700

CriticalReading Math Writing Total

MSJANationalPA

SAT: MSJA v.s. National and PA Overall

2000

1500

1000

500

0

2400

2000

1500

1000

500

0

Grade Quality Point Equivalent QPE Honors QPE AP Numerical

EquivalencyA 4.0 4.3 4.7 100-94

A- 3.7 4.0 4.3 93-91 B+ 3.3 3.7 4.0 90-88

B 3.0 3.3 3.7 87-85 B- 2.7 3.0 3.3 84-82

C+ 2.3 2.7 3.0 81-79C 2.0 2.3 2.7 78-76

C- 1.7 2.0 2.3 75-74 D+ 1.3 1.7 2.0 73-72

D 1.0 1.3 1.7 71-70F 0.0 0.0 0.0 69-

American UniversityBoston CollegeBoston UniversityBrown UniversityBryn Mawr CollegeBucknell UniversityCarnegie Mellon UniversityCatholic University Of AmericaClemson UniversityColgate UniversityCollege of the Holy CrossCollege of William and MaryColumbia UniversityCornell UniversityDartmouth CollegeDrexel University

Duquesne UniversityFashion Institute of TechnologyFordham UniversityFranklin and Marshall CollegeGeorgetown UniversityGeorge Washington UniversityGeorgia Institute of TechnologyHarvard UniversityHaverford CollegeIthaca CollegeJames Madison UniversityLafayette CollegeLa Salle UniversityLehigh UniversityLoyola College In MarylandMassachusetts Institute of Technology

New York UniversityNortheastern UniversityNorthwestern UniversityParsons the New School for DesignPenn State UniversityPrinceton UniversityRensselaer Polytechnic InstituteRhode Island School of DesignSaint Joseph’s UniversitySarah Lawrence CollegeSchool of the Museum of Fine ArtsStanford UniversitySwarthmore CollegeSyracuse UniversityTemple UniversityTufts University

Selected Recent College Acceptances:Tulane UniversityUnited States Military AcademyUnited States Naval AcademyUniversity of ChicagoUniversity of MiamiUniversity of Notre DameUniversity of North Carolina, Chapel HillUniversity of PennsylvaniaUniversity of PittsburghUniversity of RichmondUniversity of ScrantonUniversity of South CarolinaVassar CollegeVillanova UniversityWake Forest UniversityYale University

Course WeightingCourses are weighted according to the degree of challenge presented to students. Major courses are classified as Advanced Placement, Honors/Accelerated, or College Preparatory. An overview of these course types are as follows:

Advanced Placement Courses• AP courses are offered to grades 10, 11, and 12• AP Test is mandatory• Block Scheduling limits the number of AP courses that each student can take

Honors/Accelerated Courses• Offer more in-depth study of specific subjects• Expanded opportunities for independent work• Freshman students are limited to three honors courses

College Preparatory Courses• Provides students with the skills and knowledge imperative for college success• All major courses not otherwise designated are College Preparatory

Block Scheduling

In September 1997, Mount Saint Joseph Academy adopted “block,” or intensive, scheduling. The school year is divided

into two terms; students take 3 or 4 subjects per term for a total of 7 or 8 credits per school year. Students are assigned their courses each year and may not choose which semester to take certain courses. Most AP courses are held in an intensive block on alternating days for the length of the entire school year.

Class Rank

Mount Saint Joseph Academy does not rank its students. This decision was derived from a

philosophy which encourages care for the individual. As the Mount has a selective student body and a rigorous college preparatory program, class rank is not an accurate measurement of individual achievement. Further, class rank can also be misleading in determining a student’s ability to successfully complete college work.

Honors CoursesAdvanced Drawing & PaintingAlgebra IAlgebra IIAmerican LiteratureBiologyBritish LiteratureChemistry I, IIColonial HistoryConcepts of PhysicsEurope: 19th & 20th CenturiesFilm II: Films of the 50’s & 60’sGeometryGovernment Policy & EconomicsIndependent ArtIntroduction to Writing and LiteratureLanguage III, IVMultimedia TechnologyMusic TheoryPhysicsPhysiologyPre-CalculusU.S. History from 1877Women as FoundersWorld History

GraduationRequirements

English (4 Years)Physical Education (4 Years)Theology (4 Years)Mathematics (3 Credits)Science (3 Lab Sciences)Social Studies (3 Credits)Foreign Language (3 Consecutive Years/ Same Language)Fine Arts (1 Credit)Computer Literacy (.5 Credit)Health Education (.5 Credit)

Advanced PlacementPrograms

Art HistoryBiology (2 Credits)Calculus ABCalculus BCEnglish Literature & CompositionEuropean History French LanguageLatin LiteratureMusic TheoryPhysics C: Mechanics PsychologySpanish LanguageStatisticsStudio ArtU.S. Government & PoliticsUnited States History

Advanced Placement Examinations 2014

Total Candidates: 227Total Exams: 463Grade of 5: 117Grade of 4: 133Grade of 3: 124 All AP students must take the AP exam. Results, by law, may only be released to colleges and universities by students.

Diocesan Scholars’ ProgramThe Diocesan Scholars’ Program offers eligible seniors the opportunity to take up to two courses per semester on the campus of a participating college or university. Participation in this program is highly selective.