School Profile
2020-21
DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS OF A PRIORY EDUCATION
For more than 60 years, the monks and lay faculty of Saint Louis Abbey, guided by the Rule of Saint Benedict, have taught young men the intellectual skills and disciplines inherent in a comprehensive liberal arts program of study. Centered in the spirit of Christian love and committed to service of all its members, Saint Louis Priory School welcomes students of all faith backgrounds from over 65 different zip codes. More than 40% of the entire student body receives financial aid.
PROGRAM OF STUDY AND CURRICULUM
Course of Study — Students typically enroll in 8 courses each trimester in the freshman and sophomore years and 7 in the junior year. Courses meet from 2 to 5 class periods each week. Without exception, a student may enroll in no more than 4 AP courses in the junior year and 3 AP courses in the senior year. The senior year has five academic core disciplines in the first term, an intentional structuring that more closely resembles the first year of university studies, with an increase in instructional time in each discipline.
(* Students may select only one elective course from the appropriate list; Italicized courses are available in honors.)
| Grade 9 Theology; English; Latin III or Latin for Transfer; French II or Spanish II; Geometry; Biology; World History I Electives*: Greek I or Fine Arts (Medieval or Theatre Arts, Photography, Studio Art, or Vocal Music) |
| Grade 10 Theology; English; French III, Spanish III, or Mandarin I; Pre-calculus or Algebra II; Chemistry; World History II; Seminar Elective One*: Latin IV or Web App Development, or Elective Two*: Greek II or Fine Arts (Medieval Arts, Mass Media & Video Production, Photography, Studio Art, Vocal Music) |
| Grade 11 Theology; English; French IV, Spanish IV, or Mandarin II; AP Calculus BC or AB or Precalculus; AP Physics or Physics; AP U.S. History or U.S. History; Art History (one term); Electives*: AP Latin, Latin V, Vocal Music, Visual and Performing Arts, or Study Hall |
| Grade 12 Theology (two terms); English: Thesis I in first term and Electives in the winter and spring; Thesis II Honors (winter term only); AP Statistics and Multivariable Calculus, AP Statistics and Probability, or AP Calculus (AB); Electives* (students choose one class each from two of the categories below):
|
| Thesis — All seniors complete the senior thesis, a product of scholarly, scientific, or artistic work of high academic quality. The character of the work leading to the senior thesis is expected to be more advanced than normal course work and should involve an unusually high level of initiative, independence, organization, and effort. In the second term of the senior year, Thesis II is an independent, honors level course. |
The Mission of Saint Louis Priory School is to provide a Catholic, Benedictine college preparatory education of the highest excellence so as to help talented and motivated young men develop their full potential as children of God.
ADMINISTRATION
- Father Cuthbert Elliott, O.S.B., '02, Headmaster
- Mrs. Janice Bailey, Assistant Head of School for Mission Advancement
- Mrs. Laurie Krieger, Assistant Head of School for Facilities and Finance
- Mrs. Judy Mohan, Assistant Head of School for Intellectual Formation
- Mr. Mike Nickolai, Assistant Head of School for Human and Spiritual Formation
ACCREDITATION
Independent Schools Association of the Central States
Priory is the only high school in the country with a fully-functioning medieval arts guild and curricular medieval arts courses.
All students learn the history and beauty of medieval arts, including calligraphy, stained glass and heraldry.
Outside of class, interested students may progress through the Guild system, with those achieving Master status sealing his personal coat of arms onto the Craftsman Table.
GRADING POLICY AND HONORS
Transcript, Grading, and Rank — Courses are offered for either a single trimester or for the entire year. All courses, except Art History, have a final grade incorporating work from each of the three trimesters for students; some courses also include a comprehensive final exam.
Separate trimester grades are recorded in all subjects for seniors with no final grade. We do not rank our students. Our grading scale is:
A+ = 4.5 B + = 3.5 C + = 2.5 D = 1.0
A = 4.3 B = 3.3 C = 2.3 F = 0
A - = 4.0 B - = 3.0 C - = 2.0
Passing Mark is a 60.
Weighting — Students who earn a B- or better in an honors course receive an additional .3 for that course. Students who earn a B- or better in an AP course receive an additional .5 for that course.
Honor Roll — At the end of each year, students who earn a 4.00 or better un-weighted cumulative GPA for the year with no C for an
end-of-year grade are awarded First Honors.
Students who earn between a 3.50 and 3.99 un-weighted cumulative GPA for the year with no C for an end-of-year grade are awarded Second Honors.
Discipline — Saint Louis Priory School reports academic and behavioral infractions that result in a serious disciplinary response from the school.
Distance Learning Program (DLP) — Please contact the College Counseling Office for a supplement explaining the DLP during the spring 2020 term. Information about grading policy changes for the spring 2020 term is included on student transcripts.
College Counseling Outcomes and Data
ADVANCED PLACEMENT EXAMS
Priory offers 14 AP courses in the junior and senior years. Junior and senior students may enroll in a maximum of three AP courses per year.
Based on faculty and assistant headmaster approval, a limited number of juniors are allowed to enroll in 4 APs.
From 2017 to 2019, Priory students have scored a 3 or better on 80% of the tests taken. A total of 56% of 2019 graduates were recognized with an AP Scholar or higher designation.
In May 2020, 123 students (88% of all juniors and seniors) sat for 269 exams. A total of 100% of Priory students will complete an AP class before graduating.
NATIONAL MERIT SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
On average, the National Merit Scholarship Corporation has recognized approximately 24% of our seniors as a National Merit Finalist, Semi-Finalist, or Commended Student, or as a National Hispanic Scholar.
TESTING RESULTS: THREE-YEAR PROFILE
Total Students, Classes of 2018-20: 196
(2018: 65; 2019: 67; 2020: 64)
ACT Composite Data
# Tested: 192; Mean: 30; Middle 50%: 30-33
OFFICE OF
COLLEGE COUNSELING
Mrs. Beth Collier,
Director
bcollier@priory.org
Mrs. Nikki Hostnik,
Associate Director
nhostnik@priory.org
College Admission
Graduates from the classes of 2018-2020 were admitted into at least one of the following colleges and universities. Bold indicates at least one student matriculated.
Priory CEEB Code: 260782
To schedule a high school visit, please visit www.RepVisits.com
University of Alabama
Arizona State University-Tempe
University of Arizona
University of Arkansas
Auburn University
Augustana College
Ave Maria University
Baylor University
Bellarmine University
Belmont University
Benedictine College
Bentley University
Berry College
Boston College
Boston University
Bradley University
Bucknell University
Butler University
California Institute of Technology
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
University of California-Davis
University of California-Irvine
University of California-Los Angeles
University of California-Riverside
University of California-Santa Barbara
University of California-Santa Cruz
University of California, San Diego
Case Western Reserve University
Catholic University of America
Chapman University
University of Chicago
Christendom College
University of Cincinnati-Main Campus
Clemson University
Colgate University
Colorado School of Mines
University of Colorado Boulder
University of Connecticut
Creighton University
University of Dallas
Dartmouth College
University of Dayton
Denison University
University of Denver
DePaul University
DePauw University
Dominican University
Drake University
Drexel University
Drury University
Elon University
Emory University
University of Evansville
Fairfield University
University of Florida
Fordham University
Franciscan University of Steubenville
Furman University
George Washington University
Georgetown University
Georgia Institute of Technology
Gettysburg College
Gustavus Adolphus College
Hamilton College
Harvard College
Haverford College
High Point University
Hillsdale College
College of the Holy Cross
Hope College
University of Houston
Illinois Institute of Technology
Illinois Wesleyan University
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Indiana University-Bloomington
Iowa State University
Kansas City Art Institute
Kansas State University
University of Kansas
University of Kentucky
Kenyon College
Kettering University
Knox College
Lafayette College
Lehigh University
Loyola Marymount University
Loyola University Chicago
Loyola University New Orleans
Marian University - Indianapolis
Marquette University
University of Maryland-College Park
Maryville University of Saint Louis
Miami University-Oxford
University of Miami
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
University of Mississippi
Missouri University of Science and Technology
University of Missouri-Columbia
University of Missouri-Kansas City
University of Missouri-Kansas City (School of Medicine)
University of Missouri-St Louis
Murray State University
New York University
North Carolina State University at Raleigh
Northeastern University
Northwestern University
University of Notre Dame
Nova Southeastern University
Oberlin College
Ohio Wesleyan University
University of Oklahoma
Oxford College of Emory University
University of Pennsylvania
Pitzer College
University of Portland
Presbyterian College
Princeton University
Providence College
Purdue University
Regis University
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Rhodes College
Rice University
University of Richmond
Ripon College
Rochester Institute of Technology
University of Rochester
Rockhurst University
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
Saint Ambrose University
Saint Anselm College
Saint Joseph’s University
Saint Louis University
Saint Mary’s College of California
Samford University
University of San Diego
University of San Francisco
Santa Clara University
Sewanee: The University of the South
University of South Carolina - Columbia
University of Southern California
Southern Methodist University
Spring Hill College
St Olaf College
St. Louis Community College
St. Mary’s University
Stanford University
Syracuse University
University of Tampa
Temple University
Texas A&M University
Texas Christian University
University of Texas at Austin
The Ohio State University
Trinity College
Truman State University
Tufts University
Tulane University of Louisiana
University of Tulsa
United States Naval Academy
University of Utah
Vanderbilt University
Villanova University
University of Virginia
Wabash College
Wake Forest University
Washington and Lee University
Washington University in St Louis
Webster University
Wesleyan University
Westminster College - MO
Wheaton College
William and Mary
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Wittenberg University
College of Wooster
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
University of Wyoming
Xavier University
Yale University