Why College Prep?

Saint Joseph’s Catholic School

89 Graduates

Class of 2023

100% College Acceptance Rate

1172 SAT 24 ACT Test Averages

92% AP pass rate* *All grade levels

Over $12 Million offered in scholarships

84% Accepted into their first choice college

96% of students received a SC State Scholarship

• Palmetto Fellows Scholarship: 17 students

• Life Scholarship: 54 students

• Hope Scholarship: 14 students

Why College Prep?

Dr. Steven Jones

Saint Joseph’s Catholic School

College preparatory is one of those terms that is used so often to describe so many different things that one can legitimately ask if it has any real meaning. Truth be told, any school can add “College Preparatory” to its title and there’s little to no risk that anyone would object. As critics of the term have pointed out, on some level all schools should be preparing students for college. So again, does the term really mean anything?

At Saint Joseph’s Catholic School, we believe that it does. When we say we are a college preparatory school we mean that our students are ready for the intellectual rigor of advanced study. Think of college preparatory as referencing a toolkit full of the skills and habits that

will contribute to student success at the next level. This includes not only content knowledge in various fields (mathematics, the sciences, literature, etc.), but also the executive functioning skills that students need to thrive in the new environment most of them will encounter in college or university life. An examination of Saint Joseph’s academic record will provide plenty of evidence that our students leave here with the requisite knowledge for the next phase of their education. Our students also learn and practice skills like time management, prioritization, organization, and effective communication so they can show what they know when they get to college. That’s why the best question to ask a college preparatory school is not “where do

the graduates go to college” but rather “how are they doing once they get there”. Are they keeping their scholarships? Do they report back that they are able to manage the workload? Can they work without the safety net mom and dad provided all those years? Saint Joseph’s doesn’t just help our students get into college. It prepares them to thrive once they’re there.

A college preparatory curriculum is earmarked by intentionality, depth, and breadth. As education has become more bureaucratic, it can be very easy for a school to slide into being little more than a credentialing service that focuses

on moving students through a process rather than really educating them. It takes intentional effort to keep this from happening. That’s why Saint Joseph’s has challenged itself through our accreditation process so that we are benchmarked against the best schools in the country. It’s why, year after year, we invest more in the professional development of our faculty so they can keep up with the art and science of teaching. We also regularly review our curriculum standards and our course offerings to make sure that our students are fully prepared for what comes next. A school our size can be more

That’s why the best question to ask a college preparatory school is not “where do the graduates go to college” but rather “how are they doing once they get there”.

nimble and responsive than a larger organization, and that helps us stay on top of all the demands thrown at schools these days. Depth and breadth are also important characteristics of a college preparatory curriculum. A deep curriculum is one that roots students in the best of what has been thought and said from around the world. As an intentionally Catholic school we want our students to be immersed in the intellectual and moral reasoning that the Church provides so they can better sift through the confusing voices that call for their attention. That’s why we require theology courses every year, and it’s also why we teach our classes from a Catholic, Christian perspective. We mean to aggressively engage the world of ideas at the deepest levels so that our students are prepared for the 21st century. Finally, a college preparatory cur-

Saint Joseph’s doesn’t just help our students get into college. It prepares them to thrive once they’re there.

riculum is broad as well as deep. With more and more schools specializing in one or two fields, a true college preparatory school expects excellence across the board. In practice, specialization is always limiting. The problem with that practice is that, when seen correctly, the different academic disciplines in our curriculum actually reinforce one another. Faith and reason, for instance, can actually reinforce one another, and studying them together can prompt

new questions for student inquiry. The Catholic Church has been a leader in unifying the disciplines, believing as it does that God is the author of all truth. At Saint Joseph’s, we push our students to see these connections, and in doing so we also promote the kind of critical thinking skills that our students will need to solve our society’s most pressing problem. That’s not just good preparation for college. That’s good preparation for life.

Dr. Steven Jones is the Director of High School at St. Joseph’s Catholic School. He is a career educator with more than 25 years in classroom and school leadership positions. He is the author or editor of four books on church/state law, including the role of faith-based schooling in American history.

As an intentionally Catholic school we want our students to be immersed in the intellectual and moral reasoning that the Church provides so they can better sift through the confusing voices that call for their attention.

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I wanted to let you both know how well your respective chemistry classes prepared me for General Chemistry this semester at Washington and Lee. I have felt so prepared for every unit we have covered so far due to high school chemistry and the way you both taught. Also, some of the labs have been almost exactly like the ones in AP Chemistry. I am happy to say I received the highest grade in the class on the first exam, and I wanted to write this email to properly thank you both for the amazing education I received under your care.

-Caroline Linen (Class of 2021)