Admissions Procedure

Person Centered Portfolio Approach

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

Garces Memorial is a close-knit 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. Still, it is our family atmosphere and life-changing faith and character formation that truly sets us apart. At no other school will your student find so many opportunities to explore their passions while surrounded by peers, faculty and staff who care for them.

Our application process truly looks at the whole person and not just a test score. That’s why Garces opts to use a placement test 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 application process also includes a student essay and a personal meeting with our applicants and their families. This is important to us because we want to get to know the student who is applying to Garces. It’s a personalized approach because we value every one of our students.

That holistic approach also grounds our process when we make admissions decisions. The admissions team will take into account each applicant’s abilities, talents, skills and needs. Looking at the whole student 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 throughout the entire admissions process. Please reach out if we can be of assistance in any way.

Incoming Freshmen

STEP 1: Submit Application

STEP 2: Personal Interview

Garces has returned to in person interviews with our applicants and their families. Once the student's application has been submitted, our admissions department will send you an email with available dates and times to schedule the interview. We believe this approach ensures equity across our applicant pool and allows is to get to know you and your student in a more personal way. It gives us a clearer picture of their reasons for selecting Garces Memorial.

STEP 3: Freshman Placement Exams

The placement exam for the Class of 2029 will take place on Saturday, February 1st. You must register your student for the test by Thursday, January 30th. Please note: If you have submitted your application by January 30th, the $20 test fee will be waived.

The English portion of the placement test will cover reading comprehension, vocabulary, and grammar. These three components of the test will allow us to properly place your student in the correct freshman class. The math placement test will cover beginning, intermediate and advanced components of algebra and geometry so we can get an accurate assessment and place your student in the appropriate class based on their level of knowledge.

Immediately following the placement test, Garces invites all students and their families to attend the Ram Showcase. The showcase will give students and families the opportunity to meet a variety of athletic coaches, club moderators, current students, faculty and staff and learn more about the many extracurricular programs we offer our students.

Transfer Students

STEP 1: Submit Application

STEP 2: Schedule Personal Interview

Garces Memorial has gone back to conducting in person interviews with all of our applicants and their families. It's our way of getting to know a little more about the student, their interests and their desire to attend Garces Memorial High School. Once the application has been submitted, the Admissions Department will contact you with available dates and times to schedule the interview.

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.