4210 HARDING PIKE | NASHVILLE,TN 37205 | STCECILIA.EDU Phone: 615.298.4525 | Fax: 615.783.0566 CEEB Code: 431740
2021-2022 PROFILE Sister Anna Laura, O.P. PRINCIPAL
Sister Elise, O.P.
VICE PRINCIPAL OF ACADEMICS 615.298.4525 ext. 376 srelise@stcecilia.edu
2021-22 ENROLLMENT Class of 2022 Class of 2023 Class of 2024 Class of 2025
64 59 71 49
Total Students
243
St. Cecilia Academy (SCA) is proud of the diversity of its students, both socioeconomically and culturally. Approximately 37 percent of the student body receives need-based tuition assistance. U.S. ethnic minorities comprise 23% of the school population. Traditionally, 100 percent of our graduates enroll in four-year colleges or universities.
John Michael Simpson
VICE PRINCIPAL OF STUDENT LIFE
Margaret Duggan Miller
COLLEGE COUNSELOR 615.298.4525 ext. 388 dugganmillerm@stcecilia.edu
Dr. Carole Taylor
COLLEGE COUNSELOR 615.298.4525 ext. 609 taylorc@stcecilia.edu
Megan Gardner ’08
DIRECTOR OF ADMISSIONS 615.298.4525 ext. 377 admissions@stcecilia.edu
ACCREDITATION
St. Cecilia Academy is accredited by Cognia and holds memberships in The College Board, Independent Schools of the Nashville Area, National Catholic Education Association, Tennessee Association of Independent Schools and the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association. St. Cecilia is also a member of the National Association for College Admission Counseling.
ADMISSION
Acceptance is based on a combination of previous school performance, entrance examination scores, interview, and personal characteristics and qualities of the applicant.
CREDITS FOR GRADUATION 4 credits of religion 4 credits of English 4 credits of math 3 credits of science 3 credits of social science 3 credits of world language 2 credits of fine arts 1 credit of physical education 28 credits required for graduation*
*remaining credits to be satisfied with electives
ST. CECILIA ACADEMY St. Cecilia Academy is a private all-girls Catholic high school owned and operated by the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia Congregation and is the oldest continually operating high school in Nashville. The Academy carries out its mission in keeping with the unique charism of the Dominican Order and the St. Cecilia Congregation, fostering the Gospel spirit of truth and charity while seeking to relate all human culture to the news of salvation. St. Cecilia Academy offers young women an intellectual foundation in the liberal arts that encourages them to love knowledge for its own sake and to excel in scholastic and extracurricular pursuits within the context of a joyful, Christ-centered community.
FACULTY
70 percent of the faculty have earned an advanced degree; 16 percent have earned a doctoral degree.
ACADEMIC PROGRAM
Students are required to carry a minimum of 7 courses within an 8-course schedule. Each class is 85 minutes. Average class size is 14; student to teacher ratio is 6:1. All academic classes are considered rigorous, college-preparatory courses. SCA also offers Advanced Placement and honors classes, as well as classes through approved online programs, including One Schoolhouse’s online all-girls courses.
SCA COURSE OFFERINGS
GRADING
Honors and AP courses are marked in bold type; classes not available during the 2021-22 school year are italicized.
GRADING SCALE
ENGLISH English 1 English 1 Honors American Literature American Literature Honors English Rhetoric & Composition AP English Language & Composition British Literature AP English Literature & Composition Journalism 1 & 2 (semester classes) Yearbook 1 & 2
MATHEMATICS Algebra 1 Honors Geometry Geometry Honors Algebra 2 Algebra 2 Honors Functions and Data Analysis AP Calculus AB AP Calculus BC AP Statistics Multivariable Calculus (online) Differential Equations (online) WORLD LANGUAGES
French 1, 2, 3 French Pre-AP (Honors-level course) AP French Language Spanish 1, 2, 3 Spanish Pre-AP (Honors-level course) Spanish Culture & Conversation AP Spanish Language Latin 1, 2, 3 AP Latin
SCIENCE
Physics Physics Honors Chemistry Chemistry Honors Biology Biology Honors Engineering & Coding Anatomy & Physiology 1 & 2 (semester classes) AP Physics 1: Algebra based AP Chemistry AP Biology Scientific Research (Honors-level course)
SOCIAL SCIENCES
Western Civilization I (World History) Western Civilization II (European History) Western Civilization II Honors U.S. History AP U.S. History AP U.S. Government & Politics (semester class) AP Psychology Current Global Issues (semester class)
FINE ARTS
VAP (Visual & Performing Arts) Visual Arts (Intermediate, Advanced, & Masters) Portfolio Studio Arts 35mm Photography (semester class) Digital Photography (semester class) AP Art History AP 2D Art and Design AP Drawing Speech & Drama (Intermediate, Advanced, & Masters) Dance (Intermediate, Advanced, & Masters) Introduction to Choral Music Advanced Chorus Chamber Ensemble (semester class)
RELIGION
Religion 9 (Christ & Scripture) Religion 10 (Redemption & the Sacraments) Religion 11 (Encountering Christ in the Church) Religion 12 (Moral & Spiritual Theology)
COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY (all semester classes)
Academic Applications Layout & Design Introduction to Programming
PHYSICAL EDUCATION (all semester classes)
Wellness Weight Training/Conditioning
SCA does not use letter grades. Instead, exact number grades are used throughout. The school’s passing mark is 70. 92 — 100 A 84 — 91 B 75 — 83 C 70 — 74 D
WEIGHTING OF GRADES
Semester grades that appear on the official school transcript are not weighted. Weighted grades are used only when determining the cumulative weighted GPA. An additional 2 points are added to each AP class semester grade; honors classes are given 1 additional point each semester. All coursework taken at SCA is included in the GPA computation; grades from other schools, including online classes, are not included in the GPA at this time. Cumulative weighted and unweighted GPAs are also displayed on a 4.0 scale on the transcript.
CLASS RANK
SCA does not provide class rank. This policy reflects the academy’s position that rank does not fully communicate a student’s level of achievement or aptitude for college-level work.
ADVANCED PLACEMENT
Seventeen (17) AP courses and 12 honors-level courses are available, with additional advanced online courses offered according to student interest. All students enrolled in an AP course must sit for the exam. In 2021, 81 SCA students took 182 AP examinations in 11 different subjects, with an overall pass rate of 85%.
AP SCHOLAR STATS 2017-2021
AP Scholars: 70 AP Scholars with Honor: 46 AP Scholars with Distinction: 50 National AP Scholars: 2
CLASS OF 2022 ACADEMIC STANDING 20
(Due to COVID restrictions, requirements were reduced for 2021, and remote learning was an option.)
18 16
16
14
COMMUNITY SERVICE
12 10 8
10
11
11
10
6
6
4 2
Students are required to volunteer 60 hours of service, 20 hours each year beginning in the sophomore year. Person-to-person service work is an integral part of the St. Cecilia Academy experience and ranges from tutoring children and working at homeless shelters to field work on various service trips.
FINE ARTS
0
(98-100) (96-97)
(94-95)
(92-93)
(90-91)
(85-89)
(64 students, based on six-semester weighted GPAs. Transfer students’ GPAs from previous schools are not included.)
COLLEGE ENTRANCE EXAMS
Test results are the average for 2017 - 2021. SAT RESULTS (57 students tested)
MEAN MID-50% RANGE
Evidence-based reading & writing 641 580-700 Math 615 550-680 TOTAL 1256 1130-1370
ACT RESULTS (224 students tested)
CO-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
SUBJECT
MEAN
MID-50% RANGE
ACT Composite 26.1 23-30 ACT English 27.6 23-32 ACT Math 23.6 20-27 ACT Reading 27.8 23-33 ACT Science 25 21-27
MEMBERS OF THE CLASS OF 2021
The 51 members of the class of 2021 are attending 32 different colleges in 18 states and were offered more than $10.2 million in scholarships. Ninety-six percent of the class of 2021 will attend four-year institutions immediately after graduation. One student is serving in the United States Marine Corps.
NATIONAL MERIT SCHOLARS Classes of 2017-2021 U.S. Presidential Scholar Candidate National Merit Scholar Finalists National Merit Commended Students National Hispanic Recognition Scholar
1 5 10 2
St. Cecilia is the patron saint of the arts, and SCA takes pride in its long tradition of excellence in the arts, reflected in its extensive fine arts offerings. All freshmen are required to take a full-year introductory survey course, Visual and Performing Arts (VAP), which includes a study of dance, drama, choir and the visual arts. Advanced classes in speech & drama, art (including digital and 35mm photography), dance and music performance are available for interested students. The music program includes both beginning and advanced chorus and chamber ensemble, with private music lessons available in voice and various instruments including piano, clarinet, violin, and guitar. SCA’s highly competitive fine arts and forensics programs consistently bring home honors in regional, state and national competitions.
ATHLETICS
Approximately 60% of the student body participates in at least one sport, and 26% play on multiple teams. 12 varsity sports include rowing, volleyball, cross country, soccer, basketball, swimming & diving, track & field, softball, golf, lacrosse, bowling and tennis. We currently have 17 athletes participating in College sports.
INTERIM
Each January, all SCA students participate in an Interim program offering nontraditional learning through travel, internships or special on-campus classes. Students who remain on campus can explore a variety of subjects. Those who intern shadow community leaders and professionals with the goal of experiencing various career options. In recent years, students have also had the opportunity to intern in cities like New York and D.C.. Travel destinations have included Austria, Germany, Spain, Italy and Costa Rica.
COLLEGES OFFERING ADMISSION TO THE CLASSES OF 2017 – 2021 A representative sample of colleges that have admitted SCA students in the last five years University of Alabama
University of Georgia
Rhodes College
American University
Georgia Institute of Technology
Rice University
University of Arizona
Gettysburg College
University of Richmond
Auburn University
Gonzaga University
University of Rochester
Ave Maria University
Haverford College
Saint Louis University
Bard College
High Point University
Saint Mary’s College
Baylor University
College of the Holy Cross
Samford University
Belmont University
Howard University
University of San Diego
Benedictine College
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Santa Clara University
Birmingham-Southern College
Indiana University Bloomington
Savannah College of Art and Design
Boston College
Kalamazoo College
Sewanee: The University of the South
Boston University
University of Kentucky
Skidmore College
Brown University
Kenyon College
University of South Carolina
Bryn Mawr College
Lafayette College
University of Southern California
Butler University
Lawrence University
Southern Methodist University
Carnegie Mellon University
Lehigh University
Spelman College
Case Western Reserve University
Louisiana State University
Spring Hill College
Catholic University of America
Loyola Marymount University
Stanford University
Centre College
Loyola University Chicago
St. Olaf College
College of Charleston
Loyola University Maryland
Syracuse University
Clemson University
Loyola University New Orleans
University of Tennessee Chattanooga
University of Colorado Boulder
Macalester College
University of Tennessee Knoxville
Colorado School of Mines
Marist College
Texas A&M University
Columbia University
University of Maryland College Park
University of Texas Austin
University of Dallas
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Texas Christian University
Davidson College
University of Miami
Trinity College
University of Dayton
University of Michigan
Trinity University
Denison University
Mississippi State University
Tulane University
DePaul University
Mount Holyoke College
United States Naval Academy
DePauw University
University of Mississippi
Vanderbilt University
Dickinson College
New York University
Villanova University
Duke University
University of North Carolina Chapel Hill
University of Virginia
Eckerd College
North Carolina School of the Arts
Virginia Tech
Elon University
North Carolina State University
Wake Forest University
Emerson College
Northeastern University
Washington University in St. Louis
Emory University
Northwestern University
Wellesley College
Fordham University
University of Notre Dame
Willamette University
Franciscan University of Steubenville
Oberlin College
University of Wisconsin Madison
Franklin & Marshall College
The Ohio State University
College of William and Mary
Furman University
Pepperdine University
College of Wooster
Georgetown University
Providence College
Xavier University of Louisiana
George Washington University
Purdue University
Yale University
4210 HARDING PIKE | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE 37205 | 615.298.4525 | STCECILIA.EDU