Admissions Procedure

Person Centered Portfolio Approach

Garces Memorial High School is the premier choice for Catholic education in the Central Valley and we have only accepted the finest applicants since our founding in 1947.

Garces Memorial is more than just a school. It is a close-knit family, nurturing community. We offer a wide array of academic, faith, athletic and extracurricular opportunities where student can truly make the experience their own and discover their God-given talents. We have elite college preparatory academics, top-ranked athletics and award-winning performing arts programs, but it is out family atmosphere and life changing faith and character formation that truly sets us apart. At no other school will your child find so many opportunities to explore their passions while surrounded by peers, faculty and staff who care for them.

Our application process is one that truly looks at the whole person and not just a test score. That’s why our test is not a standardized test. Studies show what common sense suggests: Standardized tests mostly just reveal how good a student is at taking standardized tests. Our test, therefore, is designed to help us understand the individual student better by examining proficiencies in math, writing, and reading comprehension (the foundation blocks of a college preparatory education) through tests we create and score. Our process also includes a student essay and an invitation to submit a video introduction. This is important to us because we want to get to know the person who is applying to Garces before that student even comes to Garces. It’s a personalized approach because we value each and every one of our students personally – all part of the family feel that’s so alive in the Garces family!

That holistic approach also grounds our process when we make admissions decisions. The admissions team will take into account every applicant’s abilities, talents, needs and skills. Personal consideration of every applicant then allows us to partner with our families in developing best-fit class schedules so that, upon arrival, every Garces student has been given the best opportunity to achieve academic success.

It is the goal of our admission team to communicate care and attention through the entire admissions process. Please reach out if we can be of assistance in any way. We want to meet you and share what Garces can provide for your student as well as what Garces students and families are doing to help make our community and world a better place to learn and grow!

Incoming Freshmen

STEP 1: Submit Application

STEP 2: Video Introduction Submission

Garces has transitioned away from our previously-offered in person interviewing program and instead encourages applicants to submit a two-minute personal video introduction as an additional component of their application. We believe this approach ensures equity across our applicant pool and allows is to get to know your students in a more personal way.

Information on how to submit your video application will be emailed to you upon submission of your admissions application.

STEP 3: Freshman Placement Exams

This year's placement test for current 8th graders looking to attend Garces Memorial will be held on Saturday, January 27th. You must register your student for the test by Thursday, January 25th. Please note: If you have submitted your students application by the test date, the $20 test fee will be waived.

The English placement test will cover reading comprehension, vocabulary, and grammar. These three components of the English placement will allow us to properly place your student in the correct freshman English class to foster their academic success.

The math placement test will cover beginning, intermediate and advanced components of algebra and geometry so that we can get an accurate assessment and place your student in the correct math class to ensure academic success.

Transfer Students

STEP 1: Submit Application

STEP 2: Video Introduction Submission

Information on how to submit your video application will be emailed to you upon submission of your admissions application.

International Students

Garces Memorial High School welcomes international students. We issue I-20s for students seeking a diploma (F-1). Recent international students have attended Garces from Canada, Korea, China, Czech Republic, Thailand, and South Africa. Please visit the International Students page for more information.

If you have any questions please contact Director of Admissions Tonya Abbott at 327-2578 ext. 118 or tabbott@garces.org

*Garces Memorial High School, mindful of its mission to educate youth to fulfill the mission of Christ, admits students of any race, color, and national and/or ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. The school does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and/or ethnic origin, age, gender, or disability in the administration of educational practices, scholarships and loan programs, athletic and other school-administered programs.