Academics

Academic Dean: John Cusson (860.236.4221, x136)

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 15 Advanced Placement (AP) classes. In the Class of 2012, 99% of the students continued their education after graduation at schools like Princeton, Williams, Boston College, UConn, William and Mary, and Holy Cross, to name just a few. Click here to see the complete list.

NWC students are remarkably high achievers on standardized tests and in the classroom. Click here for links to some of the honors accorded NWC students.

For instance, 43 NWC students were named AP Scholars for 2012, based on exceptional achievement on Advanced Placement tests, according to The College Board.

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.