Jesuit High School (New Orleans)

Description

The mission of Jesuit High School as a Catholic, college preparatory school is to develop in its students the competence, conscience, and compassion that will enable them to be men of faith and men for others.^[3] A service program is an integral part of the Jesuit High experience.^[4]

More than 99% of graduates go on to colleges and universities. Jesuit ranks among the top private schools in the nation in number of National Merit semifinalists.^[5] Of the 286 seniors in the Class of 2018, 35 of them were named National Merit Semifinalists and eight were named in the National Hispanic Recognition Program.^[6]

Selective admission to Jesuit is based on previous academic performance, recommendations of teachers, principals, and/or church parish pastors, promise of future development, and the desire of the student to profit from the moral, spiritual, academic, and physical programs offered by the school. In the long history of the school, no student has been refused admission because his family could not afford to pay all or part of the tuition. For students who qualify for admission, but whose families cannot afford the tuition, Jesuit has a generous financial assistance program. In the 2012-13 academic year, Jesuit provided families with more than $650,000 in tuition assistance, based on financial need only. Jesuit does not award academic or athletic scholarships.^[7] Tuition is near the lowest among private schools in the New Orleans area,^[8] $9,150 in 2017-2018. Fees are assessed for retreats ($6–$100, varies by grade), for computer class ($50), and for graduation ($100).

In 1967, Jesuit became the first high school in the country to have a Marine Corps Junior ROTC program. For several years this program was mandatory for all students; the combination of Jesuit priests and Marine Corps JROTC instructors made the school's disciplinary system unique among American high schools.

Guest speakers at Assembly have included alumnus Jay Thomas, authors Pat Conroy, Tony Hillerman, Sister Helen Prejean, Orson Scott Card, Dana Gioia, and Chaim Potok, New Orleans mayor Ray Nagin, mayor and alumnus Marc Morial, actor Jim Caviezel, theologian George Weigel, Jesuit Superior General Peter Hans Kolvenbach, ESPN announcer Mike Tirico, theologian and U.S. Ambassador Michael Novak, and President William Howard Taft. More recently, David F. Dixon is one of the very few non-alumni guest speakers invited to address students at Assembly.