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Ignatian Scholars Program

The Ignatian Scholars Program is a two-year program designed for intellectually gifted and academically motivated young men who want to maximize their high school learning experience. The Ignatian Scholars pursue a rigorous course of honors study and, if they continue to excel, are invited to take the many Advanced Placement courses Xavier offers. All Ignatian Scholars take Honors English, History, and Science for their first two years. At a minimum, freshmen Ignatian Scholars take Honors Algebra, although many start in Honors Geometry. Most Ignatian Scholars apply to and are accepted into the National Honor Society.

As part of the program, Xavier invites Ignatian Scholars to attend lectures from special guest speakers, visit some of New York City’s many cultural and artistic landmarks, and attend theatrical events in New York City. We are intent on making sure that our Ignatian Scholars build deep and lasting connections, both among themselves and with our alumni. We typically have alumni come to meet with our Scholars or our Scholars will connect with our alumni who are involved in a variety of careers across New York. We want our Ignatian Scholars exposed to the broad range of opportunities that New York City affords. In recent years, Ignatian Scholars have visited the East Coast Headquarters of Google and Facebook. They participate annually with Basecamp Expeditionaries, a social entrepreneurship course.

Admission into our Ignatian Scholars Program is extremely competitive, and approximately 15% of accepted applicants are offered an acceptance into our Ignatian Scholars Program. All applicants who wish to be considered for Ignatian Scholar are required to have straight-A grades in 6th, 7th, and 8th grades. Applicants accepted into the Ignatian Scholars Program score above 90% on the HSPT, with all sections typically above 90% as well. Students must take the HSPT to be considered for a merit scholarship. Approximately one-half of Ignatian Scholars admitted into our freshman class earn an academic scholarship upon their acceptance. They are automatically placed into our Ignatian Scholars Program. Approximately one-half of all Ignatian Scholars accepted into the program do not receive merit scholarships.

Ignatian Scholars embarking on a Classic Harbor Line boat tour in October 2022

If you have specific questions about this program, please contact a member of our Admissions Team at admissions@xavierhs.org. If you have questions about the co-curricular opportunities of the program, please contact the Director of the Ignatian Scholars Program, Michael Aprea '06.