Admissions

Admissions & Application Process

  • Step 1: Express Interest

    Fill out our interest form below. A member of our admissions team will contact you to answer your questions and provide more info.

    Inquire

  • Step 2: Visit our School

    We host open houses and shadow days for prospective parents and students. Ask all your questions, meet faculty, and connect with other parents.

    Visit

  • Step 3: Apply to Enroll

    As of October 1st, 2023, we are accepting applications for the 2024-25 school year. Apply online today.

    Apply

Whom We Seek

Chesterton Academy of The Holy Family seeks students who are eager to pursue truth, goodness, beauty, and virtue through a classical liberal arts curriculum rooted in the Catholic intellectual tradition.

  • Chesterton Academy of The Holy Family has a holistic admissions process. What do we look for in an applicant? We look for applicants who are open to seeing the goodness, beauty, and truth in creation, who seek to lead a virtuous life in service to God. We look for applicants who are willing to give their all to being Saints, and to helping and encouraging their classmates and others to become Saints. 

    Academic ability, though important, is secondary to character in this process: students of diverse talents and gifts will be accepted. The process is competitive, and not everyone who applies will be accepted. Components of the application include: statements by applicants and their parents, character and academic recommendations, report cards, a writing sample, and scores from the High School Proficiency Test (“HSPT”) given at the school each December. 

  • Chesterton Academy of The Holy Family admits students of any race, color, or national or ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, or national or ethnic origin in administration of its admissions policies, educational policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic or other school-administered programs.

The Cost of a Chesterton Education

Chesterton Academy is committed to offering an outstanding high school education at an affordable cost to families. Because tuition does not cover the full cost of an education at Chesterton, families are expected to volunteer for the Fleur-de-Lis Gala, our only fundraising event of the year.

  • Tuition for the 2023-2024 academic year is $8,000 per student with a $615 book and supply fee.

  • G.K. And Frances Chesterton Scholarships are available to families who apply and qualify. Chesterton Academy utilizes a third-party aid platform (TADS) to help us fairly allocate our scholarship dollars. Scholarship awards are based on need and the scholarship award application is only reviewed after it is completed and the audit status is good. The student application process and enrollment must be completed in full before being considered for a scholarship award.

Visit Chesterton Academy

Attend An Open House 

  • Prospective students are required to attend an open house or take a private campus tour with at least one parent. You can also join us for Mass! You'll meet our faculty and students, learn about our curriculum, and explore our sports programs and student activities.

  • Prospective students and their families are also warmly invited to join us at school events, concerts, sports, and plays.

Shadow a Chesterton Saint

  • All prospective students are invited to come for a shadow day. You will have the chance to meet our student ambassadors and experience our joyful campus atmosphere.

  • Contact our Admissions Department at admissions@cathf.com or 630.442.1424 to schedule a shadow day.

Placement Test

Purpose of the High School Placement Test

Chesterton Academy of The Holy Family (CATHF) will administer the HSPT (High School Placement Test).

All incoming students are required to take a placement exam, in the late spring, which is used as a diagnostic tool to ensure students are placed in the appropriate section of math or Latin, and to help identify areas of academic strengths and opportunities for growth.

  • Resources for Preparation

  • You must complete an Application for Freshman/Transfer Admission and submit required materials before the exam date. There is a $35 application fee for freshman and a $75 application fee for transfer students. This fee is required whether you take the HSPT test at Chesterton Academy of The Holy Family or elsewhere.

  • No, but you are responsible for uploading score reports taken at another site to your admissions application as soon as possible, so that your application may be reviewed. Test scores are electronically scored by Scholastic Testing Services and should arrive in 4-6 weeks, at which time we will upload them to your admissions file.

  • Plan on arriving to campus by 8:00am. Enter through Door #1. Students will be escorted to their assigned room for the test. Students should dress modestly (no leggings) and comfortably, as the test is several hours long. A short break will be provided. You may bring a small snack (granola bar, fruit, etc.) and a water bottle for the break. The test will end at 12:00pm.

    On the day of the HSPT, representatives from the school will be holding the required parent interviews.

  • Students should not bring a calculator. The use of calculators and dictionaries are prohibited. Pencils and paper will be provided. Cell phones must be powered off and watch alarms disabled. Cell phones are not allowed to be used at all from 8:00 AM until you leave the school building.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Students bring a bagged lunch.

  • During a special ceremony during the first week of school, new students are placed in a house and are welcomed by their new housemates. Siblings are assigned to the same house. Once a house has been chosen for a student, they will remain in that house.

  • Chesterton Academy welcomes transfer students each year who come from public, private, homeschool, and online high school environments. Our academic dean works closely with each transfer student to ensure his or her success as they transition to Chesterton. We welcome all inquiries and visitors. Please call to schedule a meeting at 630-442-1424.

  • Yes. We do require daily Mass attendance for all students as well as four years of Catholic theology; the curriculum is infused with Catholic thought throughout the classes. However, all are welcome! CATHF admits students of any race, creed, or national origin.

  • Yes, we have several students who take the BNSF train to and from the Lisle station.

  • Uniforms must be purchased from Schoolbelles. Please visit the parents' information page for more information on our uniform expectations.

  • Chesterton students are required to read two books over the summer each year. In 2023, we have added a family book to read as well.

  • All new students are required to attend (in uniform) an orientation session for their grade on campus during the first week of school in August. We have an annual picnic for incoming freshman and their families in June.