Admissions & Application Process
Step 1: Express Interest
Fill out our interest form below. A member of our team will contact you to answer your questions and provide more info.
Step 2: Visit our School
We host open houses and shadow days for prospective parents and students. Ask questions, meet faculty, and connect with other parents.
Step 3: Apply to Enroll
We are accepting applications for the 2025-26 school year. Apply online today. Priority enrollment ends January 17th. Applications will be reviewed on a case by case basis after January 17th.
Visit Chesterton
Attend an Open House
Saturday, October 26
12:00-2:00 PM
Please join us for your personal tour to learn about our integrated, classical curriculum and to meet our faculty, students, and parents.
Schedule a Shadow Day
Come and experience Chesterton Academy for yourself! We encourage prospective students to shadow for a day so you can experience our unique curriculum and joyfully Catholic culture! Shadows will be scheduled on Mondays and Tuesdays. Let us know which days works best for your family.
An Affordable Education
Tuition & Fees
Chesterton Academy is committed to offering an outstanding high school education at an affordable cost to families. Tuition for the 2024-2025 academic year is $9,100 per student plus a $325 supply fee. Families with siblings at Chesterton Academy receive a tuition discount of $1,500 for one additional sibling and $2,500 for a third sibling.
Related costs for attending the Chesterton Academy of Notre Dame include fees related to the use of FACTS and student uniforms. These costs will not be charged by the school, but will be incurred by our families.
Because tuition does not cover the full cost of an education at Chesterton, families are expected to aid in fundraising efforts throughout the school year.
Financial Aid
Tuition assistance is available to families who apply and qualify. Chesterton Academy utilizes the services of FACTS to help us allocate fairly our limited aid dollars. An admissions application must be completed before being considered for aid.
Scholarships
There are selection of scholarships available.
Scholarships
gILBERT sCHOLARSHIP
The Gilbert Scholarship was started by an anonymous family who wished to further the mission of the Chesterton Academy of Notre Dame because they believe that it will help students become good Catholics (saints) who will make a difference in the world.
This scholarship can be awarded to students who may not qualify for other scholarships that require stricter academic or other criteria, but who the Headmaster believes would benefit and flourish by attending Chesterton.
+Criteria
- Display a financial need through the FACTS Financial Aid Application
+How to Apply
- Complete the FACTS Financial Aid Application. Applications open March 1st and close April 1st each year.
- Student must be willing to write a thank you to the anonymous donors.
bRIAN o’rOURK mEMORIAL sCHOLARSHIP
The Brian O’Rourk Memorial Scholarship Fund serves as a scholarship designed to assist students who have recently experienced the tragedy of the loss of a parent, but who aspire to attend Chesterton Academy and have a financial need. Inspired by the example of Brian O’Rourk, a husband, father, coach, board member, and a founding family, who tragically passed away in June of 2024, the fund is committed to supporting students with a genuine eagerness to be part of a joyful, Catholic, classical high school. Beyond academic pursuits, the fund aims to provide opportunities for these students to embrace and experience a life of faith and holiness within the enriching environment of the extracurricular activities offered by Chesterton Academy of Notre Dame.
+Criteria
- The student has recently experienced the loss of a parent.
- The student’s family must complete the financial aid form through FACTS and show a need for financial assistance
- The student must write a 500 word or less essay on one of the following topics:
- Choice 1 - the importance of actively living one’s Catholic faith through participation in an extracurricular school activity, such as athletics or an academia team (like debate).
- Choice 2 - Read a one page biography on Brian and his impact on the Catholic community. Then write a reflection on the impact a person can have on others through living out one’s Catholic faith and working to bring glory to God in all things like Brian O'Rourk modeled.
- The student must be a practicing Catholic
+How to Apply
- Complete the FACTS Financial Aid Application. Applications open March 1st and close April 1st each year.
- Submit essay to School Office by April 1st for review.
St. iSABEL sCHOLARSHIP
The St. Isabel Fund serves as a scholarship fund designed to assist children aspiring to attend Chesterton Academy but facing financial constraints. Inspired by the example of St. Isabel, a woman known for her sharp intellect and dedication to prayer, fasting, and serving the poor, the fund is committed to supporting students with a genuine eagerness to learn. Beyond academic pursuits, the fund aims to provide opportunities for these students to embrace and experience a life of faith and holiness within the enriching environment offered by Chesterton Academy.
The scholarship is for the amount of: $1,500 per year for four years.
The scholarship is only available to new families to Chesterton.
+Criteria
- The family must be new to Chesterton Academy of Notre Dame
- Family income must meet the Federal guidelines for qualifying in the Free or Reduced Lunch Program. (https://www.fns.usda.gov/cn/income-eligibilty-guidelines)
- Complete the essay as, no longer than 500 words outlined below
- About yourself and your family
- Why you would like to attend Chesterton Academy of Notre Dame
- Your favorite saint and why
- The student does not have to be a practicing Catholic but must abide by the Chesterton Academy of Notre Dame Handbook.
+How to apply
- Complete the FACTS Financial Aid Application. Applications open March 1st and close April 1st each year.
- Submit essay to School Office by April 1st for review.
Have Questions?
Contact the school office, 509-242-3750 or by email at office@chestertonacademyofnotredame.org.
Placement Exam
All students are required to take a placement exam as part of the application and enrollment process. The placement exam 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.
Chesterton Academy administers the Classic Learning Text 8 as its placement exam for incoming freshmen. The placement exam covers:
Verbal reasoning skills
Grammar and writing skills
Quantitive reasoning skills
An optional Latin exam is also offered
Frequently Asked Questions
Life at Chesterton Academy
+ What's your daily schedule?
The school day at Chesterton Academy of Notre Dame is from 7:35 a.m. to 2:40 p.m. The school attends Mass at 12:00 p.m. on campus, at St. Patrick Parish followed by lunch and lyceum.
+ Is lunch provided?
Students bring their own cold lunch and may use school microwaves to heat meals.
+ How are the "houses" in the house system assigned?
During a special ceremony on a first week of school, new students sorted into a house and are welcomed by their new housemates. Siblings are assigned to the same house, unless otherwise requested. Once a house has been chosen for a student, they will remain in that house until they graduate.
+ Does Chesterton accept transfer students?
Chesterton Academy welcomes transfer students each year who come from public, private, homeschool, and online high school environments. Our Headmaster will work closely with each transfer student to ensure their success as they transition to Chesterton.
+ What is the homework policy?
Chesterton Academy works to limit assigned homework to an hour and a half of homework per evening. We seek to be efficient in the learning process such that students have time in the evenings to spend with their family and to commit to extracurricular activities and after-school jobs. We also build the class schedule to include two free periods per week to accommodate our students. They may use this time to study or to take a break as needed.
Preparing for Your First Day
+ What is the uniform policy?
The tradition of school uniforms goes back to Medieval times when caps and gowns were required at universities. Thus, all students regardless of background would dress alike, and all would show an outward sign of their dedication to the task of learning together within the university community. In other words, from the very beginning, uniforms have been in support of three goals: modesty, professionalism, and community, or school spirit. Our uniform policy aims at the same three goals. We will inform all of families prior to the start of school as to where uniforms can be purchased.
+ What is the summer reading requirement?
Chesterton students are required to read a classical work over the summer each year. Reading assignments are available online. All students will have a quiz on their assigned book within the first week of the school year in their literature class.
+ What school supplies are needed?
The school supply list is released in July together with details on summer reading assignments.