Admissions Process & Deadlines
Welcome, Future Belles!
Applying to high school is an important step. At St. Mary's Academy, our Admissions Team is dedicated to guiding you through the application process with personalized, one-on-one support. As you learn more about St. Mary's Academy, we hope you will discover that you belong here. Our school provides an environment in which each young woman not only belongs, but also can find her voice, develop her talents, and pursue her educational goals with determination - preparing her for college and beyond. We invite you to explore St. Mary's and our 136 years long and rich history of academic excellence, sisterhood, and service to the "dear neighbor."
Start your SMA journey by completing our Inquiry Form. Once completed, you'll be able to RSVP for upcoming Admissions events and visit us on campus. Click below for steps detailing how to complete our application process.
We look forward to getting to know you!
A completed Inquiry Form is the first step in the admissions process! It helps our Admissions Team learn more about prospective students and allows us to share admissions information, application deadlines, upcoming events, and opportunities at SMA.
Visiting our campus is an important part of your admissions journey. Join us for a campus tour, a Shadow Day, Open House, and more! Click here to learn more about the many opportunities to visit our campus.
Belle For a Day is a unique opportunity for prospective students to experience a day in the student life of a SMA Belle. To register to attend a shadow day, please complete an Inquiry Form and select your preferred date!
Shadow Days run from 9:30am - 2:20pm, with drop-off starting at 9:00am.
All prospective students are required to fill out an Application for Admission. Our Application for Admission for the 2026-2027 school year will be available September 2, 2025.
Click here to sign in to our admissions portal, or to create your account for the first time, to submit the application and complete the next steps.
Priority Admissions Application Deadline: December 1, 2025
All student-generated items in the Application Checklist must be completed by December 1, 2025 to be considered for priority admission. Please enter all required information and upload all required documents.
The $75 application fee is waived for applications submitted on or before December 1, 2025.
All prospective students are required to fill out an Application for Admission. Our Application for Admission for the 2026-2027 school year will be available September 2, 2025.
Click here to sign in to our admissions portal, or to create your account for the first time, to submit the application and complete the next steps.
Admissions Application Deadline: January 16, 2026
All student-generated items in the Application Checklist must be completed by January 16, 2026 to be considered for admission. Please enter all required information and upload all required documents.
Merit-based scholarships are automatically considered for every applicant. No separate application is required.
Scholarship eligibility is determined by several factors, including HSPT scores, academic performance, and teacher recommendations. The number of scholarships we award each year is based on the size and overall strength of the applicant pool, ensuring that these scholarships are consistently given to the most qualified candidates.
Families interested in applying for financial aid may apply through the FACTS portal. Sign in to the portal, or create an account, to submit a financial aid application. Families must complete the FACTS application by January 16, 2026 to be eligible for financial aid.
Families are still welcome to complete the application after the deadline. All applications received after January 16, 2026, will be reviewed on a rolling basis.
Transcripts
Transcripts provide our Admissions Team with a means of evaluating a student's academic progress at her previous school(s). Please note, transcripts are just one part of our review of an application.
After creating a SchoolAdmin account and submitting an admissions application, log back into your account to submit the required documents. Use the Request Transcripts checklist item(s) to request your transcripts from your previous school(s). We're aware that your final eighth-grade report card won't be ready until after the application deadline.
Freshman Applicants - 6th, 7th & 8th grade transcripts are required
Transfer Applicants - All high school transcripts are required
Recommendations
Freshman and Transfer applicants must submit three recommendations: one each from the student's current English and Math teachers, and the student's Principal or Counselor. Please login to your application portal to send the recommendation requests to the teachers and Principal or Counselor directly.
Once the teachers and Principal/Counselor have completed and submitted the recommendations, they will be sent directly to our Admission Office. Your Application Checklist will then be updated to show that the recommendations were received.
The High School Placement Test (HSPT) is required for all applicants. We will offer this test in-person, on campus, on Saturday, January 31, 2026. Please note, although encouraged, it is not mandatory to take the HSPT at St. Mary's Academy. An RSVP is required.
As part of the admissions process, prospective students and their parents or guardians are required to have an in-person interview at SMA with a member of our Admissions Team. This meeting provides us with an opportunity to get to know you.
We look forward to meeting with you!
Congratulations, Class of 2030!
Criteria for Admission:
Selection of incoming students to St. Mary's Academy is made by the Admissions Committee and is based on careful consideration of the following:
- Completed application for the 2026-2027 school year
- Recommendations from the student's current English Teacher, Math Teacher, and Principal or Counselor
- Official transcripts for 6th, 7th, and 8th grades (for incoming freshmen) or all of high school (for transfer students)
- HSPT results
- Student/Parent Interview
- Excellence in character and conduct
- Demonstrated interest and desire to belong to the SMA community
Non-discrimination Policy:
St. Mary's Academy does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, or national and ethnic origin in its admission policies nor in the administration of its educational policies, scholarship and tuition assistance program, and athletic or other school-administered programs.