Villa Duchesne/Oak Hill School is one of 21 Schools of the Sacred Heart in the United States. Each of these schools is committed to an educational mission established by its foundress, St. Madeleine Sophie Barat more than 200 years ago. Schools of the Sacred Heart commit themselves to educate to:

Goal One: a personal and active FAITH in God
Goal Two: a deep respect for INTELLECTUAL VALUES
Goal Three: a SOCIAL AWARENESS which impels to action
Goal Four: the building of COMMUNITY as a Christian value
Goal Five: PERSONAL GROWTH in an atmosphere of wise freedom

Applications for the 2008-09 school year are now being accepted.  We encourage you to contact our Admissions department with any questions that you may have.

• Application (pdf)  Please print out this application and release form, fill them out, and mail the forms to us to apply for grades JK-12.
• Apply Online Alternatively, if you are applying for grades 5-12, you may choose complete the online version of the application.  When submitting the online application, please print the release form and teacher recommendation form when prompted and take them directly to your child's school.

Oak Hill Admissions Process

• Parents are invited to register for an Oak Hill Parent Tour on October 8, 2008, November 19, 2008 or January 14, 2009.
• A student visit day should be scheduled for all applicants for grades 1-6 between October and January. 
• A parents' meeting should also be scheduled with Admissions between October and January.   
• Applications are due by Friday, January 23, 2009.  Late applications will be accepted with priority given to all applications received on or before January 23, 2009.
• Oak Hill Testing for grades 1-6 applicants will take place on Saturday, February 21, 2009.
• Junior Kindergarten and Kindergarten Screenings on Saturday, January 10, 2009 and Saturday, February 7, 2009.
• Decision letters will be mailed on Thursday, March 12, 2009.
• Enrollment contracts for Junior Kindergarten through grade 6 are due by Monday, April 6, 2009, with a $1,000 non-refundable deposit toward tuition.

Middle School Admissions Process

• Parents should register for a Middle School Panel Discussion on Tuesday, January 13, 2009 from 8:30 AM to 9:45 AM or Thursday, January 15, 2009, from 7:00 PM to 8:15 PM.
• A student visit day should be scheduled for all applicants for grades 7-8 between October and January.  Students will be matched with a current 7th grade student who will serve as a hostess for the day.  Informal interviews will take place during the visit day.
• A parents' meeting should also be scheduled with Admissions between October and January.  
• Families are encouraged to attend both a High School Night presentation and our grades 7-12 Open House on Sunday, November 2, 2008.
• All applicants must register for ISEE testing.  See our Admissions Timeline for details.
• Applications are due by Friday, January 23, 2008.  Late applications will be accepted with priority given to all applications received on or before January 23, 2009.
• Decision letters will be mailed on Thursday, March 12, 2009.
• Enrollment contracts for grades 7-8 are due by Monday, April 6, 2009, with a $1,000 non-refundable deposit toward tuition.

Ninth Grade Admissions Process

• A student visit day should be scheduled for all applicants for 9th grade to take place between the last week of September and the second week of November.  Students will be matched with a current 9th grade student who will serve as a hostess for the day.  Informal Admissions interviews will take place during the visit day.
• A parents' meeting should also be scheduled with Admissions between the last week of September and the second week of November. 
• Families are encouraged to attend both a High School Night presentation and our grades 7-12 Open House on Sunday, November 2, 2008.
• Sister Mary Gray McNally Alumnae Association Scholarship Applications (for grade 9 alumnae applicants) and Saint Rose Philippine Duchesne Scholarship Applications (for grade 9 applicants from the Academy of the Sacred Heart in St. Charles) are due by Thursday, November 3, 2008.
• Archdiocesan Catholic High School Applications (for all grade 9 applicants) and the Villa Duchesne/Oak Hill School Applications for grade 9 are due by Wednesday, November 12, 2008 (both applications are required).  Late applications will be accepted with priority given to all applications received by November 12, 2008. 
• All Catholic High School grade 9 decision letters will be mailed on Friday, February 6, 2009.
• Enrollment contracts for grade 9 are due by Monday, February 23, 2009, with a $1,000 non-refundable deposit toward tuition.

In making admissions decisions we look for the following:

• Self-motivated, self-disciplined and involved students as evidenced during the visit day, interviews, teacher comments on report cards and teacher recommendation forms
• Because we believe that learning is a shared process, we carefully consider the special gifts and talents the applicant will bring to our school community.
• As and Bs on report cards
• Annual standardized testing records above the 70th percentile in both cognitive and achievement scores
• Oak Hill Admissions testing results above the 70th percentile in both cognitive and achievement scores
• Strong attendance records
• Strong parental support for the goals of Sacred Heart education

Please contact the Admissions Department with any questions or concerns about our Admissions process or criteria.

Grades junior kindergarten, kindergarten, seven and nine are the main points of entry into Villa Duchesne/Oak Hill School.  In the 2009-10 school year, approximately 35 qualified new students will be joining the seventh grade (in addition to girls coming up from our sixth grade); approximately 45 qualified new students will be added to the ninth grade (in addition to girls coming up from our eighth grade).  All applicants are asked to schedule a day to visit our classrooms and have an informal interview.  Seventh and eighth grade applicants must register to take the ISEE, an entrance exam used by most of the Independent Schools of St. Louis.

In accordance with St. Louis Archdiocesan policy, ninth grade applicants are not required to take an entrance exam, but must complete the Catholic High School application form in addition to Villa's application. The Catholic High School application form may be obtained from parish schools and PSR programs. If the student is not enrolled at a parish school or PSR program, please contact the Admissions Office in November to request the necessary forms.

New students will be admitted to other grades as space is available.