Jesuit High School

    JESUIT HIGH SCHOOL, 4133 Banks St., New Orleans – Jesuit High School is a one-of-a-kind high school for young men. Located in the heart of Mid-City, Jesuit is in the business of educating boys who enter as eighth or ninth graders and graduate as young men prepared for college and equipped for the world beyond.
    Jesuit provides an environment that reflects the values of St. Ignatius of Loyola, who founded the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits). At Jesuit, education is not an end in itself but a means to a greater end – our knowing, loving and serving God.
    Jesuit’s 1,384 current students, along with the school’s 13,000-plus alumni, are known as “Blue Jays.” Many Blue Jay alumni – fathers, grandfathers, brothers, cousins, and uncles – live, work, and raise their families right here in New Orleans. Jesuit Blue Jays come from all walks of life and live by the motto “Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam” – “For the Greater Glory of God.”
    “Jesuit provides the stage on which God will bring your talents to light,” principal Michael Giambelluca recently told new Blue Jays at their investiture ceremony. “We want you to repay God’s kindness by creating your own ‘pocket of greatness’ here at Jesuit. That is what our mission statement requires – that you develop the competence, conscience and compassion to enable you to be men of faith and men for others.
    “We don’t want you to use your gifts to be best in the world,” said Giambelluca, who is a Jesuit alumnus (Class of 1982). “We want you to use your gifts and create your ‘pocket of greatness’ to be best for the world.”
    The courses offered at Jesuit are challenging and primarily directed toward providing the student with a well-founded preparation for college and for life. While Jesuit’s academic curricula more than fulfill the entrance requirements of colleges, the school also strives to develop the will and intellect of each student.
    The Class of 2012 produced nine valedictorians, 31 National Merit Finalists and 262 graduates who matriculated to more than 50 colleges and universities across the country with $23 million worth of scholarship offers in hand.
    A day at Jesuit entails more than just the classroom and homework. Interacting as a community is essential to the “Blue Jay experience.” Whether it is daily or monthly Mass, morning assemblies, pep rallies, lunch periods or involvement in any of the school’s 60 co-curricular organizations and 34 athletic teams, Blue Jays participate together. Discover Blue Jay Spirit on the “Student Life” page of the school’s Web site – www.jesuitnola.org. Prospective students and their parents are welcome to take a personalized “morning tour” before or immediately after the annual open house, which is Nov. 7.
    Teachers at Jesuit are distinguished by a passion for their profession and their commitment to the formation of young men. They assume many roles – instructors, advisers, moderators, coaches, mentors and role models. Of the 114 faculty members, 58 hold master’s degrees and eight have earned doctorate degrees in their fields. The faculty includes seven Jesuits and 50 teachers who have taught 10 years or longer at Carrollton and Banks.
    Tuition for current students  is $7,700 for the 2012-13 year, which remains one of the least expensive among private and Catholic high schools in the metro area. Jesuit has never refused to admit a student because of his family’s inability to pay all or part of the tuition. Tuition assistance is available and is based strictly on financial need. Last year, Jesuit families received approximately $528,000 in financial aid.
    The school flourishes because of the generosity of its alumni and parents, who recognize the importance of a Jesuit education and donate more than $2 million every year to offset operating expenses.
    One of the most significant events in the history of Jesuit High School occurred in March 2012 with the grand opening of John Ryan Stadium, the school’s first off-campus athletic facility and the new home field for the Blue Jay baseball, soccer, lacrosse and rugby teams. The $8 million stadium with an artificial turf field and covered grand stand is located on Blue Jay Way (formerly Cold Storage Road), off Airline Drive just over the Orleans-Jefferson parish line, five minutes from the school.
    For all these reasons, and more, Jesuit High School is the school that will change a young man’s life.