Academics
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 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, 24 credits will be required. Our Program of Studies includes an extensive list of Honors classes, as well as 14 Advanced Placement (AP) classes. In the Class of 2009, 98% of the students continued their education after graduation (96% at four-year institutions). Members of the Class of '09 enrolled in some of the most prestigious colleges in the country, including Brown University, the University of Notre Dame, Boston College, and Whitman College, to name just a few.
According to The College Board, 25 NWC students -- the most in school history -- were named AP Scholars for 2009, based on exceptional achievement on the Advanced Placement tests they took in May 2009.
Seven members of the Class of 2010 were honored by the National Merit Scholarship Program for exceptional performance on the PSAT/NMSQT taken in October 2008, when they were juniors. Michael Deneen '10 was a National Merit Finalist; Alexis Dahlem '10, Caroline Garger '10, Luke Pelton '10, and Emily Peters '10 were Commended students; Joel Adifon '10 was named an Outstanding Participant in the National Achievement Scholarship Program; and Kelsey Vega '10 received Honorable Mention in the National Hispanic Recognition Program.
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.
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