Considering High Schools in Houston? See How St. Agnes Empowers Young Women
Parents of teenagers must choose between several top-tier high schools in Houston when making plans for their children’s future. Learn why St. Agnes is one of the most widely celebrated all-girls Catholic schools in the Houston area.
For young women of all backgrounds, a high school education serves as a critical stepping stone toward future success, happiness, and satisfaction. Choosing the right high school for your child can be a difficult and overwhelming decision with far-reaching consequences or benefits.
St. Agnes Academy is one of the premier all-girls, private Catholic high schools in Houston, Texas. We stand firmly on the belief that young women should have access to academic environments designed with their unique needs in mind.
Rooted in the Catholic, Dominican tradition, St. Agnes challenges students through exceptional academic preparation and transformational experiences. We also provide a highly focused learning environment free from many of the common distractions present in co-ed facilities.
Let’s discuss in detail how St. Agnes fosters integrity, joy, and a commitment to social justice in its students while empowering young women to lead with confidence and compassion during high school and beyond.
St. Agnes: One of the Most Historic High Schools in Houston
St. Agnes Academy was founded in 1906 and has been serving the Houston community for over a century. Since its founding, the academy has sought to provide a top-tier education for the young women who are destined to shape our nation’s future.
Our school originally operated as a K-12 boarding school that provided an insular environment for young women looking to advance their education. Since 1939, however, St. Agnes has been operating as a day school for students in grades 9 through 12.
Since its inception, St. Agnes has graduated over 10,000 students who have become invaluable members of their local and global communities. Currently, approximately 930 students are enrolled at St. Agnes, and each of these young women demonstrates an unparalleled dedication to becoming a well-rounded, socially conscious citizen of the world.
Academics at St. Agnes
Academic excellence is a major cornerstone of the St. Agnes experience. The school’s curriculum is designed to prepare students for success in high school, college, and beyond.
Throughout their time at St. Agnes, students will be given ample opportunities to hone their strengths and round out their academic skill set, laying a solid foundation for their future endeavors.
The average student/teacher ratio at St. Agnes Academy is 10:1, which means students can maximize the value of their relationships with our expert faculty and dedicated staff. Our academic curriculum is designed with the intention of helping students become versatile, engaged learners while honing the skills they need to be successful in their higher education pursuits and professional endeavors.
Throughout their time at St. Agnes, students focus on core subject areas like theology, English, mathematics, science, history/social science, and world languages. Students may also choose to explore elective and advanced coursework in other disciplines like art, music, computer science, and more.
Overall, students are held to high and rigorous academic standards throughout their high school journeys and are always encouraged to aim higher, be better, and think outside the box.
Core Values: Leadership and Social Justice
In addition to our intensive academic curriculum, St. Agnes offers students many opportunities to grow as individuals and as members of their larger communities.
The St. Agnes motto, “veritas,” reminds students to seek truth in all they do. This desire for truth and integrity permeates into every component of campus life. Inside and outside the classroom, students are implored to maintain a high level of social awareness and engage in the never-ending pursuit of justice for all.
To that end, all St. Agnes students are required to complete 100 hours of community service between their junior and senior years. These servant leadership projects integrate with key concepts from students’ theology courses and are designed to teach critical lessons about Morality and Catholic Social Teaching.
Students are expected to work directly with the poor and vulnerable over the course of their project so they can develop a more expansive awareness of the diverse needs within their communities.
Diversity and Inclusion
There is a pervasive misconception that Catholic schools and single-sex schools are overly homogenous and do not value diversity. In reality, this could not be further from the truth. Research shows that the minority population accounts for almost 20% of the overall Catholic school population, and over 17% of Catholic school students do not identify as Catholic.
St. Agnes is a dynamic community of believers from various walks of life and faith traditions, and our faculty is committed to fostering equity and inclusivity in all we do. This dedication to diversity is evident in our course curriculum, social justice teachings, servant leadership requirements, and overall campus culture.
While enrolled at St. Agnes, students are encouraged to demonstrate tolerance for values, beliefs, and opinions that may differ from their own while feeling empowered to openly express their own worldviews and lived experiences.
A Holistic Approach to Student Development
High school and early college are often some of the most developmentally significant years in a young woman’s life. During these years, many women begin to learn more about who they are and what they believe, as well as how they relate to the world around them.
St. Agnes takes a holistic approach to student development by encouraging Academy Women to engage in a wide range of experiences, opportunities, and resources during high school.
In addition to our robust academic curriculum, St. Agnes has a thriving extracurricular community that provides students with safe and encouraging environments within which they can explore new interests and build upon existing strengths. Students have the chance to participate in extracurricular activities centered around:
- Athletics
- Music
- Theatre
- Dance
- Art
- Computer science
- Ministry
Students also have a variety of clubs and organizations available to them depending upon their specific goals or interests. High-achieving students may be eligible to join certain academic honors societies and other application-based organizations. All of these extracurricular offerings build upon the values and concepts students are learning in class and contribute significantly to the well-roundedness of academy graduates.
Additionally, St. Agnes is, first and foremost, a Catholic educational institution. In addition to holding on-campus Mass every Thursday, St. Agnes observes all Holy Days of Obligation, as well as feast days that celebrate our Dominican Heritage.
Students can also choose to participate in prayer retreats each year that correspond thematically to students’ coursework in their theology classes. St. Agnes offers a myriad of opportunities for students to get involved with Campus Ministry programming in which they can serve as faith leaders for their community.
Empowering Female Voices During High School Years
In a recent study, 83% of all-girls school graduates report that they are better prepared for college than their co-ed and public high school counterparts. At St. Agnes, we take this to heart. As a single-gender learning environment, St. Agnes fosters self-respect and self-confidence, equipping students with the tools they need to transform the world proactively.
Our faculty and staff are committed to elevating the voices of our female students to strengthen their willingness to advocate for and express themselves in outside environments. Students have access to a vast network of faculty, staff, and alumni and are encouraged to establish healthy, engaged relationships with their academic mentors inside and outside of school.
Student Support Services
We believe that healthy, prepared students are happy and successful students. That’s why we offer a variety of student support services to help students seamlessly navigate their most crucial developmental years. Here is a quick overview of our student support departments.
1. The Wellness Center
The Wellness Center strives to create a safe, nonjudgmental, and confidential environment for students as they manage their academic and personal lives at St. Agnes.
The school counselors in our wellness center provide students with a wide variety of workshops, events, and preventative programming that relate directly to common experiences for young women in this developmental stage. The Wellness Center also handles academic advising for freshman and sophomore students who are still adjusting to high school life.
2. The Student Success Center
The Student Success Center provides a place for students with various learning differences to attain skills in study techniques, time management, organizational strategies, and goal planning. It also provides reasonable accommodations for students to ensure their full participation in academic programs.
The highly trained specialists in the Student Success Center collaborate with teachers and counselors to ensure academic support for students is aligned and applicable to coursework and student goals.
3. The College Counseling Center
Junior and senior students receive the bulk of their student support services from our College Counseling Center.
Our college counseling team has a collective 80 years of experience in higher education academic advising, college admissions, and college admissions counseling. We strive to make the college search and application process thoughtful, individualized, and truly valuable to our students and families.
With input and support from our college counselors, students can more confidently navigate the college application and admissions processes and more effectively achieve their higher education goals.
St. Agnes Academy: Where Young Women Thrive
St. Agnes is more than a school; it is a community that empowers young women to lead lives of truth, passion, and purpose. We recognize that young women have the ability to set and achieve remarkable things when they are given adequate resources and support.
Through exceptional academic preparation, a commitment to social justice, and a nurturing, safe environment, St. Agnes equips its students with the skills and confidence they need to make a positive impact on the world around them.
If your family is in the process of finding the right academic fit for your daughter, St. Agnes might be precisely the environment for her to thrive. To learn more about why St. Agnes is one of the most celebrated high schools in Houston for young women, reach out today to speak to a member of our admissions team. We would appreciate the opportunity to speak with you!
