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Take the first step to becoming a McNicholas Rocket!
The admission application for 9th grade students for the 2024-2025 year is open from September 1 – November 30, 2023. Transfer students, please contact our admissions office to discuss your interest in McNicholas.
McNicholas High School admits qualified young men and women of any race, color, nationality, and ethnic origin. The Enrollment Committee looks for students who are committed to spiritual growth, service to others, and academic achievement. Students must demonstrate the ability to be successful within the McNicholas High School curriculum and possess a satisfactory disciplinary record.
Please follow the steps below to begin the application process.
Application Process
Incoming Freshmen
- STEP 1: Take the HSPT
- Step 2: Learn about State Scholarships
- STEP 3: Submit an Application
- STEP 4: Apply for Financial Aid
- STEP 5: Apply for McNicholas Scholarships
- STEP 6: Submit a Records Release Form
- STEP 7: Submit an art portfolio, if interested
STEP 1: Take the HSPT
The Archdiocese of Cincinnati requires all 8th grade applicants to take the High School Placement Test (HSPT). For students applying for the 2024-25 school year, the test will take place the morning of Saturday, November 18, 2023. Students may take the HSPT at any high school and designate 3 schools to which to send their scores. McNicholas High School is a testing site.
Students sign-up through the Archdiocese registration portal. Cost for the test is $30. Registration for the HSPT is open from August 1 – November 15, 2023.
HSPT Registration
Students requesting accommodations on the HSPT must indicate the request when registering and submit the accommodation plan to the testing site coordinator along with an Accomodation Form signed by your grade/middle school principal. Accommodation requests are due by November 4, 2023.
Interested in HSPT Test Prep classes? Visit our HSPT page to learn more.
Step 2: Learn about State Scholarships
McNicholas High School accepts both EdChoice and Jon Peterson Special Needs Scholarships funded by the state of Ohio. These are separate scholarship programs and students are eligible to apply for one or the other. Students must reside in the state of Ohio to qualify.
All students enrolled at McNicholas are required to apply for a state scholarship for the 2024-25 school year.
Please read below to learn more about your eligibility:
EdChoice
After the passage of House Bill 33 on June 30, 2023, ALL Ohio students are eligible for a state-funded, reduced, or full EdChoice Scholarship. EdChoice Scholarships range from $950 to full tuition and are applied to tuition only (fees cannot be covered by the EdChoice Scholarship).
There are two types of EdChoice Scholarships: Traditional and Expansion.
Traditional Scholarships are awarded to students whose residential school district is on the State of Ohio’s designated list of schools in academic distress. The full Traditional Scholarship amount for the 2023-24 school year is $8,407. A family’s adjusted gross income is not a factor in receiving a Traditional Scholarship; it is based solely on residential school district.
EdChoice Expansion Scholarships are based on a family’s adjusted gross income and are awarded to families who reside in any Ohio school district. There are 2 types of EdChoice Expansion scholarships:
- For families with an adjusted gross income above 200% of the Federal Poverty Level, the scholarship amounts for high school students for the 2023-24 school year range from a minimum of $950 to the full award amount of $8,407.
- For families with an adjusted gross income below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level, the scholarship will cover full tuition at McNicholas.
The application and scholarship award amounts for EdChoice for the 2024-2025 school year will be published in early spring 2024. More information on how to apply will be provided after enrollment at McNicholas.
The Income Eligibility Requirements for EdChoice Expansion for 2023-2024 are avialable here.
To learn more about EdChoice, please visit the Ohio Department Education’s website.
Jon Peterson Special Needs Scholarship or Jon Peterson Special Needs Autism Scholarship
The Jon Peterson Special Needs (JPSN) Scholarship Program through the Ohio Department of Education provides scholarships to students who have an Individualized Education Program (IEP) from their district. To qualify, a student must have a current IEP from his or her district of residence and all parties, including the parent, must be in agreement with the IEP.
The scholarship typically covers the price of the SAIL Program.
For more information on the scholarship and award qualifications and amounts, please visit the Ohio Department Education’s website.
STEP 3: Submit an Application
Applications for the 2024-2025 school year are open September 1, 2023 through November 30, 2023. Please click on “Apply Now” below and create a parent portal account to access the application.
If you are applying to the SAIL Program, you must also submit a separate SAIL Application, which you will find on your parent portal after applying to McNicholas.
For questions about the application, please contact
STEP 4: Apply for Financial Aid
Thanks to the generosity of the McNicholas community, we are able to offer financial assistance to families. McNicholas expects EdChoice Scholarship funds to be the first dollars applied towards a family’s need for tuition assistance as demonstrated through FACTS. McNicholas financial aid funds will be applied toward helping with demonstrated need that remains after the EdChoice Scholarship has been applied.
Students must apply to McNicholas before submitting a financial aid application.
The financial aid application for the 2024-2025 school year is open from September 1 through November 30, 2023.
For questions about financial aid, please contact
STEP 5: Apply for McNicholas Scholarships
Because McNicholas believes in providing opportunities for students with a wide range of passions and talents, we offer four types of scholarships and awards for the incoming Class of 2028.
The scholarship application is open from September 1 – November 15, 2023 for the 2024-25 school year.
Scholarship applicants must apply to McNicholas High School to be considered for a scholarship. Once your admissions application is received, the scholarship application and any related recommendation forms will appear in your Parent Portal checklist to complete.
All McNicholas scholarships may be used for tuition only. The total amount of state and McNicholas awarded scholarships will not exceed the published tuition amount for 2024-25.
Academic Merit Scholarships
Academic Merit Scholarships are awarded based on High School Placement Test scores and grade/middle school performance and records. No additional application is required. The essay from your admission application will be reviewed as part of scholarship consideration.
Find Your Brilliance Scholarships
McNicholas is dedicated to guiding students to find their brilliance through inspiration and support from teachers and classmates. McNicholas Find Your Brilliance Scholarships attract and reward members of the Class of 2028 who have already demonstrated brilliance, students who are proven thought and action leaders, committed to setting the pace for excellence for their classmates.
- Brilliant Art + Design & Performing Artist
- Brilliant Bible Scholar
- Brilliant Community Builder
- Brilliant Compassionate Leader
- Brilliant Hard-Working Learner
- Brilliant Linguist
- Brilliant Orator
- Brilliant Reader
- Brilliant STEM Achiever
These scholarships are renewable for four years, provided that recipients demonstrate continued growth as positive examples for their classmates. HSPT scores are not used in the evaluation of Find Your Brilliance awards.
In some instances, you will be asked to interact with our faculty, either virtually or in person, or provide teacher recommendation letters. Please refer to the scholarship guide for details.
Named Scholarships
Named Scholarships are awarded based on review of the written scholarship application, with qualifications specified by our generous scholarship donors.
- Alumni Association “Heritage” Award
- McNicholas Marching Band Scholarship
- Military Memorial Scholarship
- Polly Powers Sandmann Memorial Scholarship
- Lt. David Wolfangel Memorial Scholarship
To be eligible for Named Scholarship, all applicants must complete a FACTS (financial aid) application.
All named scholarships require additional information and qualifications. Please refer to the scholarship guide for details.
Legacy Awards
To recognize our bond with our alumni, $500 Legacy Awards are given to applicants with at least one parent who is a graduate of McNicholas High School. All that is required is to indicate your parent(s) alumni information on the Admissions Application.
Please note: This award does not apply if a student receives a scholarship or other financial award valued at 50% of tuition or higher.
STEP 6: Submit a Records Release Form
McNicholas requires academic records from the current or prior school of all applicants. 8th graders applying to McNicholas from an Archdiocese of Cincinnati grade school will be provided a Records Release Form in the fall from their current school and records will be sent directly to McNicholas.
Applicants attending a non-Archdiocesan school will need to complete a Records Release Form. Please download the form below and submit it to your student’s current school. Your school will send the records directly to McNicholas High School.
Release of RecordS FOR 8TH GRADE STUDEnTs
Release of RecordS FOR TRANSFER STUDEnTs
STEP 7: Submit an art portfolio, if interested
Incoming freshmen who are considering a four-year art education are encouraged to submit a digital portfolio. A portfolio is a collection of your work, which shows how your skills and ideas have developed over a period of time. It demonstrates your creativity, personality, and abilities. The art portfolio is only used to place you in the appropriate course.
Please login to your parent portal account to access the Art Portfolio submission form and to learn more. The Art Portfolio submission form is listed under “Optional” admissions checklist items. You will be able to upload your pieces on this form.
The deadline to submit an art portfolio is January 30, 2024.
For questions about the art portfolio, please contact
Transfer Students
If you are currently in 9th grade or above, please contact our Admissions Team to discuss your interest in transferring to McNicholas High School.
Please note that McNicholas does not admit transfer students entering their senior year from the Greater Cincinnati area unless the student has moved or there are extenuating circumstances necessitating a transfer.
Transfer Student Admission and Enrollment Process
- Submit an Application for Admission. You will first set up an account on our Parent Portal to access the application.
- If you are interested in our SAIL program, submit an additional SAIL Application which will be reviewed by the SAIL Director and faculty. Students must first apply to McNicholas before submitting a SAIL application. After applying, the SAIL Application and other requirements will appear on your Parent Portal checklist to complete. Visit our SAIL page to learn more about this program.
- Provide copies of current academic records and standardized test scores by submitting a Release of Records Form to your current high school. Your school will send the records directly to McNicholas.
- Participate in an admissions interview with the Enrollment Team.
- Receive an acceptance decision.
- Upon acceptance to McNicholas, sign our Enrollment and Tablet PC Contract, create a FACTS account, and set up a meeting to schedule your courses.
Please contact our Admissions Team.
SAIL Students
The SAIL Program addresses the needs of identified students of all academic levels whose learning styles require tutorial assistance to learn the material presented in a mainstream classroom. Full-time SAIL intervention specialists work 1:1 with students to achieve the best from their learning styles and improve their strengths.
If you are interested in applying for our SAIL Program, we ask that you first apply to McNicholas and indicate you are interested in the program on your application. The SAIL application and accompanying requirements will then appear in your Parent Portal checklist for completion. There is a $50 fee to apply to the SAIL Program.
Please contact the Admissions Department for more information about applying to SAIL and program availability.
*There is an additional fee for this program. Visit Tuition & Financial Aid to learn more.
For questions about the SAIL program, please contact
International Students
After you have received your official acceptance letter, please complete each step below to finalize your enrollment.
Enrollment Process
- STEP 1: Submit the Enrollment and Tablet PC Contract
- Step 2: Create a FACTS account
- STEP 3: Schedule your courses
STEP 1: Submit the Enrollment and Tablet PC Contract
Step 2: Create a FACTS account
STEP 3: Schedule your courses
Once we receive your enrollment contract, we will contact you for a course selection meeting. In the meantime, if you would like to learn more about our courses, please visit our Curriculum page.
In This Section
Listen to our students explain why they feel so at home at McNicholas High School.
We love McNick! The sense of community, faith based education, collective leadership of the school, longevity of key teachers, and focus on communication in classes were the top reasons we chose to send our sons here.Suzette, parent of Class of '22 and '24