Program of Studies

Academic Dean: John Cusson (860.236.4221, or jcusson@nwcath.org)

The focus of academics at Northwest Catholic is on college preparation. Our hallmark is the personal attention given to each and every student. Our student-faculty ratio is 12:1, and the average class size is 18 (many are smaller). More than 75% of our teachers hold Master's degrees; one has a J.D., and two have Ph.Ds.

Students must complete 22 credits to graduate; beginning with the Class of '14, the requirement is 24 credits. Our Program of Studies includes an extensive list of Honors classes, as well as 15 Advanced Placement classes. Of the 163 students in the Class of ’12, 99% are college bound, headed to schools like Boston College, Colgate, Cornell, NYU, Trinity, Tufts, and UConn, to name just a few. Click here for a complete list of the colleges and universities to which Northwest Catholic graduates were accepted, and here for the list of the members of the Class of '11.

Four members of the Class of 2012 were honored by the National Merit Scholarship Program for exceptional performance on the PSAT/NMSQT taken in October 2010, when they were juniors. Elizabeth O'Neill '12 was a National Merit Finalist. Brian Farley '12, Jack Ferrell '12, and Andrew Stephens '12 were Commended students.

High-achieving students may earn a spot on the Northwest Catholic honor roll at the end of each quarter. To achieve First Honors, students must have a GPA of 3.67 or higher; for Second Honors, it must be 3.33 or higher; and for Honorable Mention, students must have no grade lower than a B-. Each fall and spring, the school hosts an Honors Breakfast, featuring a guest speaker, to which students with a 3.67 GPA for the semester are invited.