PREPARING TO APPLY
Review the following information for admission to St. Thomas High School, Houston’s premier all-male, college-preparatory high school. Learn more about St. Thomas High School’s admission requirements, note important dates, RSVP to upcoming events, and more.
FRESHMAN APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS
2023-2024 Freshman application will go live on August 1, 2022.
TRANSFER APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS
Please Note: St. Thomas High School’s open admissions and financial aid policies do not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnic origin, disability, or similar factors.
The application is a two-part process. Fill out the demographic portion of the application, pay the application fee, and submit the application. This process will funnel the application into our system and generate an admissions checklist. The checklist must be completed by January 15, 2023.
MONDAY, AUGUST 1, 2022
- Incoming Freshman Application is Live
MONDAY, AUGUST 1, 2022
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2022
- Independent School Entrance Exam (ISEE) Testing
- St. Thomas School Code is #571055
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2022
- Open House
SATURDAY, JANUARY 7, 2023
- Independent School Entrance Exam (ISEE) Testing
- St. Thomas School Code is #571055
SUNDAY, JANUARY 15, 2023
SUNDAY, JANUARY 15, 2023
- Complete Blackbaud Financial Aid Management Application and be in the “Verified Status.”
- Most recent tax return information and supporting documentation must be received by Blackbaud Financial Aid Management (do not send any information directly to STH)
FRIDAY, MARCH 10, 2023
- Admissions Decision Day
MID-MARCH 2023
- Financial Aid and Scholarship Award notifications will be sent to admitted families
FRIDAY, MARCH 24, 2023
- New Eagle Welcome
FRIDAY, MARCH 31, 2023
- Common Reply Day
SATURDAY, APRIL 1, 2023
- Priority Transfer Application Deadline
- Last day to submit the Priority Transfer Application and supporting admissions documents (Transcripts, Letters of recommendation, Resume, and Student Statement)
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5, 2023
- Registration Night
SATURDAY, APRIL 22, 2023
- Freshman Placement Testing
THURSDAY, JUNE 1, 2023
- Complete Application (Freshman and Transfer) Deadline for the 2023-2024 Academic School Year
TRANSCRIPTS & RECOMMENDATIONS
To access the required recommendations and transcript request forms, please download copies from the following links and submit them to your school’s registrar after December 1, 2022. You may also send the recommendations directly to your teachers via your application portal.
- Transcript Release Request (PDF)
- Math Teacher Recommendation (PDF)
- English Teacher Recommendation (PDF)
Please do not request transcripts until after the fall semester has ended. It is very important that your current grade’s transcript reflect a complete semester. We must receive these completed documents directly from your current school by the January 15, 2023 deadline.
St. Thomas High School has chosen to provide the Houston Association of Independent Schools (HAIS) Recommendation forms; however, St. Thomas High School will accept the HAIS recommendation forms or the Catholic High School Recommendation forms that other high schools provide.
ENTRANCE EXAM
St. Thomas High School requires all freshman and sophomore applicants take the Independent Schools Entrance Exam (ISEE) and submit their score as part of the application process.
ISEE REGISTRATION
- The Independent School Entrance Examination (ISEE) will be offered at St. Thomas High School on Saturday, November 12, 2022 and Saturday, January 7, 2023 at 8:00 am. Pre-registration is required to take the test at St. Thomas High School, please register at ISEE REGISTRATION (iseeonline.erblearn.org).
- If you are interested in taking the exam here at St. Thomas High School on either date, please use our school code #571055 for easy registration. As the date gets closer, St. Thomas High School will provide more information.
- If not taking the ISEE at St. Thomas High School, please be sure to include St. Thomas High School as a score recipient. Our school code is #571055.
TUITION
Tuition for the 2022-2023 school year is $21,900. Tuition payments can be made annually, semi-annually or monthly. A non-refundable, tentative registration of $600 and a $500 non-refundable tuition deposit are due at the time of registration. All freshman will have an additional Camp Aquinas registration fee of $600. Tuition for the upcoming 2023-2024 year is officially set and announced in February, 2023.
St. Thomas High School uses Blackbaud Tuition Management (aka Smart Tuition) to invoice tuition and fees. If you have any questions about Blackbaud Tuition Management (aka Smart Tuition), please contact Blackbaud Tuition Management (aka Smart Tuition) at 888-868-8828. Other questions can be directed to Susan Krus in the St. Thomas High School Business Office at 713-864-6348.
Books are purchased new or used from MBSDirect for approximately $250-$750 yearly.
APPLY FOR FINANCIAL AID
St. Thomas High School uses Blackbaud Financial Aid Management, an online portal, to gather and assess financial and personal information in making financial aid decisions. St. Thomas High School will only review your financial aid application once your application in Blackbaud Financial Aid Management is complete. You must ensure you have completed the application fully. The Blackbaud Financial Aid Management application for the 2023-2024 school year will be available on the school’s website on or about August 1, 2022. Please note that no applications will be accepted directly at St. Thomas High School.
AWARDING FINANCIAL AID
Applications and documentation for financial aid for the 2023-24 school year must be completed and in the “Verified Status” by January 15, 2023. Please review the 2023-24 Blackbaud Financial Aid Management Parent Instructions (PDF) for the application and required documents. Applications submitted without documentation or after the deadline will not be processed.
For additional Blackbaud Financial Aid Management information, instructions, and requirements, please review the following link:
- 2023-24 Blackbaud Financial Aid Management Parent Instructions (PDF) – will be updated by Summer
FINANCIAL AID CONTACTS
If you have any questions regarding the financial aid application, please contact Blackbaud Financial Aid Management directly. The Blackbaud Financial Aid Management Help Desk is available at the toll-free number or email below; Blackbaud Financial Aid Management is available 24 hours a day to assist you with your application. Unfortunately, St. Thomas High School is unable to assist with the application process.
Contact Blackbaud Financial Aid Management first: 800-360-8027 (FREE) OR financialaidsupport@blackbaud.school
FINANCIAL AID TIMELINE
Sunday, August 1, 2022
- Blackbaud Financial Aid Management Application is LIVE
Sunday, January 15, 2023
- Complete Blackbaud Financial Aid Management Application and be in the “Verified Status.”
- Most recent tax return information and supporting documentation must be received by Blackbaud Financial Aid Management (do not send any information directly to STH)
Mid-March 2023 (after March 10, 2023)
- Financial Aid and Scholarship Award notifications will be sent to admitted families.
Friday, March 31, 2023
- New student registration is due
- Students not enrolled by this date may forfeit financial aid
SCHOLARSHIPS
St. Thomas High School has a long tradition of providing a Basilian Catholic education to students from all socioeconomic backgrounds. The Basilian Fathers remain committed to assisting those families who may not be in a position to pay full tuition to attend St. Thomas High School. Each year, nearly one-third of our students receive academic scholarships or financial aid.
ACADEMIC SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
Merit-based academic scholarships are awarded annually to the top performing students in each grade level at St. Thomas High School. For incoming freshmen, merit scholarships are awarded for the first year based on a student’s score(s) on the Independent School Entrance Exam (ISEE). In following years, these academic scholarships are based on academic standing, attendance and discipline.
GABEL SCHOLARSHIP
The George Clifford and Mary Theresa Gabel Scholarship was created to allow students with exceptional academic potential but limited financial means to fulfill the dream of an outstanding education. The scholarship is valued at 80% of the yearly tuition per year. Typically, two incoming freshmen are named Gabel Scholars every year.
BASILIAN FATHERS’ SCHOLARSHIP
In addition, the Basilian Fathers’ at St. Thomas High School may award one scholarship to a qualified top student at each of the twelve archdiocesan designated inner-city Catholic schools listed below.
Assumption Catholic School
Holy Ghost School
Our Lady of Guadalupe School
Resurrection School
St. Augustine School
St. Christopher School
Our Lady of Fatima – Galena Park
LEARNING ENRICHMENT CENTER
The LEC is a free resource for all students and is open daily during school hours and for extended lunches for students to seek assistance, conduct independent research, study, and work collaboratively. Full-time LEC specialists provide tutoring in math, science, writing, and world languages as well as support for the development of executive functioning skills.
The St. Thomas High School Learning Enrichment Center facilitates the following classroom accommodations for students who meet the required criteria set forth by St. Thomas High School.
- Preferential seating
- Note-taking assistance
- Extended time on quizzes and tests (up to 50% additional time)
- Learning Ally use for audiobooks
- Computer use for essay portions of tests
For more information about accommodations, please contact The LEC Director, Caroline McRoberts at Caroline.McRoberts@sths.org or 713-864-6348 Ext. 161.
Please Note: St. Thomas High School’s open admissions and financial aid policies do not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnic origin, disability, or similar factors.
CARPOOLTOSCHOOL
Dear Parents,
We are so excited to inform you that St. Thomas High School is joining CarpooltoSchool! We will now be providing the CarpooltoSchool web and mobile apps for parents to make it easier to meet and create carpools or even walk to school together. Please stay tuned as there is more to come about this new platform for our parents and families! We hope you take advantage of this great new resource as we make it even easier for your students to get to and from school!
CONTACT
For more information, please email Cindy.Martini@sths.org.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
All qualified students are welcome at St. Thomas regardless of religious affiliation. Because we are a Catholic school, all students must take Catholic Theology classes, attend class retreats and worship with the St. Thomas community at liturgies and prayer services. We believe that every young man is going on his own unique journey of faith.
Additionally, there is a Metro bus line stop in our front yard and many students take advantage of this convenience.
Students do not wear a uniform, but they do have a dress code that requires khaki dress slacks with a belt, a shirt with a collar and dress shoes.
Classes are held from 7:50 a.m. to 3:10 p.m. Buildings and offices are open from 7 to 4 on most week days. Please call ahead to confirm hours for any specific office or day.
A student must score at or above grade level on the ISEE Test, have a strong academic record and receive an excellent recommendation from his Junior High School in order to be accepted to St. Thomas. A strong essay on the application and familiarity with the school also help a student’s application. A student must meet all of the above criteria in order to be well prepared for and successful in our rigorous college preparatory program.
St. Thomas offers many extracurricular clubs that sponsor activities for our students and the students from our sister schools: St. Agnes Academy, Duchesne Academy, and Incarnate Word Academy. Likewise, St. Thomas students are invited to activities those schools sponsor, so there are ample opportunities to mingle with girls. St. Thomas and its sister schools also host a variety of dances throughout the year. Other opportunities include: Band, Drama, Spirit Clubs, Sporting Events, Pep Rallies, as well as numerous TAPPS academic events.
Most classes average about 20 students: some classes are as small as 8, while the largest classes are limited to 25.
Tuition can be paid in three ways. All payments are made directly to Smart Tuition:
- One annual payment made on July 1st for the full amount.
- Semi-annual payments made on July 1st and December 1st.
- Ten monthly payments made between July 1st through April 1st.
At St. Thomas our educational program heeds the ancient motto “a sound mind in a sound body.” Interscholastic athletics are an important part of that idea.
The St. Thomas Eagles, compete in football, baseball, basketball, track, soccer, tennis, cross country, wrestling, swimming, rugby, lacrosse and golf.
All sports are available on the freshmen, junior varsity and varsity levels. All students are encouraged to try out for any team or become a team manager or trainer. Many other opportunities are available through an ongoing intramural program. We have a long, proud history of championship sports. We have earned state titles in rugby, cross country, football, basketball, baseball, soccer, tennis, track, basketball and golf.
TAPPS – Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools
Every St. Thomas student participates in service. Freshmen have a 20-hour service requirement and all Sophomores complete their service while on their retreat. Juniors and Seniors are expected to perform a minimum of 40 hours of service in each of those two years. All students have served over 100 hours by the time they graduate.
Approximately 95% of St. Thomas students participate in one or more of the many clubs and organizations available at St. Thomas. These include campus ministry, foreign language clubs, art and music, speech and debate, student government and student publications.
We are accredited by the Texas Education Agency, the Texas Catholic Conference, the Southern Association of Schools and Colleges and the National Catholic Education Association.
SUBSCRIBE TO THE EAGLE FLYER
The Eagle Flyer is the monthly St. Thomas High School Admissions e-Newsletter for prospective students and families. Subscribe below and stay up to date on the admissions process, important dates, events, and more. Click here to view past issues.
INQUIRY FORM
Thank you for your interest in St. Thomas High School, one of the premier single gender college preparatory schools in Houston! If you would like to stay connected with upcoming events, or have specific questions regarding our application process or visits, please click below to complete the form.
CONTACT ADMISSIONS
Dr. Maxwell M. Holmes, Director of Admissions
Maxwell.Holmes@sths.org | 713-864-6348 Ext. 337
Claudia Walker, Assistant Director of Admissions
Claudia.Walker@sths.org | 713-864-6348 Ext. 175
Jaren Murphy, Assistant Director of Recruiting
Jaren.Murphy@sths.org | 713-864-6348 Ext. 146
If you have any questions, you may also reach the Admissions Office at 713-864-6348 ext. 175 or at Admissions@sths.org.
ADMISSIONS E-NEWSLETTER
The Eagle Flyer is the monthly St. Thomas High School Admissions e-Newsletter for prospective students and families. Subscribe by clicking the button below and stay up to date on the admissions process, important dates, events and more.
