Students at all-boys’ prep school excel in academics, athletics

The Saint Joseph High School Class of 2027 admission’s cycle is already one for the record books, with a 24 percent year-over-year increase in total number of accepted students as of December 2022, with more expected in the coming months.

A total of 73 of the currently accept ed students were part of the Saint Joseph Early Action Program, a weeklong Sum mer institute for rising eighth-graders held every July. The program offers inter ested students the opportunity to prepare for and take the Saint Joseph Entrance & Scholarship Exam.

Early Action Program students receive their Saint Joseph High School admission decision in early September. Of those students, 58 have already committed to Saint Joseph High School leaving just shy of 100 seats available for the recently accepted students to claim.

Many of the recently accepted students participated in the Saint Joe’s Entrance & Scholarship Test Prep Course. Multiple sessions are offered each year beginning in mid-October. Taught by experienced Saint Joseph faculty, students learn specific test taking strategies and acquire greater expertise in verbal and mathematical skills.

“Here at Saint Joe’s, we pride ourselves in putting our students in a position to be successful during and after high school,” said Miguel Cabrita, director of Admissions and a 1991 graduate of the school. “We offer strong academics, successful athletics and an excellent extracurricular activity program that sets Saint Joe’s apart from its competition. Our faith-based and family centered school has proven time and again to be a difference maker in our students’ lives.”

Saint Joe’s students continue to set the bar higher and higher each year. Aside from obtaining a 100 percent college acceptance rate, 95 percent of the Class of 2022 earned a total of $34.8 million in college scholarships. These stats equate to 81 percent of the class earning a college award that exceeds their fouryear Saint Joseph High School tuition.

More than 20 percent of the Class of 2022 and Class of 2023 are recognized as AP Scholars, while Class of 2022 Salutatorian Matthew DaSilva, was a National Merit Scholarship winner.

The Falcons’ athletic programs are competing at levels not seen in nearly a decade.

The Class of 2022 sent 24 students into the collegiate athletics arena. With more than 20 current seniors expected to play at the next level this coming fall.

Saint Joe’s Bowling team has been ranked No. 1 in New Jersey since the second week of the season. As a group, the team has not lost a single game in any of their matches and are the current favorite to win the NJSIAA Group 2 title. Four members of the squad (juniors Devon

Giovanni Alejandro, right a senior at Saint Joseph High School, has been one of the wrestling team’s top performers this season. —photo courtesy of Saint Joseph High School

Kiessling and EJ Chin and freshmen Kai Struthers and Will Cunningham) are expected to qualify for the exclusive NJSIAA Individual Championships in late February. Kiessling is one of five bowlers in the state to throw a perfect game this season.

On the mat, the Saint Joe’s wrestling team continues to launch onto the scene as a new state powerhouse. Five years since its relaunch, the Falcons currently sit as one of the top 12 programs in New Jersey. With a key dual victory over No. 20-ranked South Plainfield in early January already on their resume, the Falcons dream of a successful run in February and March is close to coming to fruition. Senior Giovanni Alejandro, a top-10ranked wrestler in the 138-pound weight class, leads the squad.

With an endless array of co-curricular and extracurricular activities, Saint Joe’s has something for every student to enjoy and gain leadership skills away from the classroom.

Recent successes include 13 awards at the YMCA Model United Nations Conference in Hershey, Pa., and a first place with Special Merit award for the Vignette Literary and Art Magazine from the American Scholastic Press Association. The Falcons Robotics Team continues its preparation for upcoming local, state and regional competitions this coming spring.

“Saint Joe’s is committed to providing a well-rounded, Catholic education to all of our students,” said Anne Rivera, principal. “Through challenging academics, inclusive clubs and activities and a nationally recognized athletics program, a Saint Joe’s education more than prepares students for college. It creates a foundation for a lifetime of success.”

Anyone interested in learning more about Saint Joseph High School’s Journey to Excellence, visit www.StJoes.org/ admissions.