Greetings from Episcopal. The holiday season is a magical time at Episcopal. The campus is a buzz with Christmas parties, musical concerts and spiritual reflection. Students are busy completing assignments before they embark on a much earned two week break and faculty are working to finish the first semester on a high note.

We know that admission deadlines get lost in the hustle and bustle of the holiday season; we’ve therefore listed a few important Episcopal admission deadlines below.  While our offices will be closed December 22nd through January 6th, the online application is available at any time and we look forward to answering any of your questions when we return on January 7th.

May your home be filled with joy, love and peace during this holiday season.

Narrowing the list of schools you are interested in applying to for your child can be an overwhelming task. Once you have completed your research, contacted each school’s Admission Office and completed the campus tour, you are faced with the next task: completing each school’s admission application process. Not to worry - here at Episcopal, admission staff members are only a phone call or email away and stand ready to walk alongside you throughout the application process.

Each year prospective parents ask a myriad of questions related to their child’s consideration for admission. Primarily questions relate to their child’s school visit to the school: what can we expect and what should we do to prepare our child? Regardless of the age or grade of your child, there is a shared purpose of his or her admission visit: this on-campus experience is intended to help us get to better know your child while giving you and your child the opportunity to get to know us better.

Below you will find specific details related to the Episcopal campus visit along with general admission visit tips. To help your child prepare for his or her time on campus, we invite you to share as much - or as little - of the information as you see fit. You know your child best, so follow your parental instinct as you help prepare your child for the visit.

To learn more about the Episcopal admissions process, contact a member of our Admission Team.

• Eight National Merit Finalists/Four Commended Scholars (Class of 2018)
• 90% of students who took the College Board AP exam scored a three or higher (2017-2018)
• 81 AP Scholars (2017-2018)
• 66% of 7th graders qualify for Duke TIP (2017-2018)

Episcopal students are raising the bar with their recent achievements. With an engaged student body, led by passionate and highly-qualified faculty, there is no limit to how far future students will go.

Whether you have been a member of the Episcopal community for generations or your family has just begun the education journey here, you likely already know the benefits of an Episcopal education: small class sizes, a commitment to academics, arts, athletics and service, and a vibrant, inviting community.

Pick up a magazine or newspaper and you will likely see an ad for a school open house or tour now that fall admission season is underway. Episcopal is once again launching the Test Drive Tuesday events to share the spirit and passion of the community with families and students considering the school. However, Test Drive Tuesday is not your average open house. The events are intentionally kept small so that they can be personalized to the interests of those in attendance. Test Drive Tuesday is a two-hour event that offers families a tour of campus, which is conducted in tandem with admission team members and Episcopal students. After the tour, families have the opportunity to ask questions and discuss details with key faculty and staff.  

Admission Director Elena McPeak says Test Drive Tuesday feedback has been quite positive. One reason for the program’s success is the involvement of Episcopal students. Student Ambassadors are present to provide honest, unscripted testimonials regarding their school experience. McPeak says the ambassadors truly get to the heart of why Episcopal is a great place to learn, grow and achieve.

​Statistics and Stories: Measuring “The Best”

Cars. Healthcare. Cities. Sports teams. Doctors. Electronics. Vacation destinations. Schools. We live in a culture that wants “the best.” While Webster tells us to be best is to “excelling all others,” it invites two subjective and rather personal questions: what is “best” to you, and to what are you making the comparison?

While hosting a coffee for prospective families last month, one parent said, “I know Episcopal has a reputation for being the best school in Baton Rouge, but what makes it the best?” Specifically, she wanted numbers to support this label of superiority. It’s a question I enjoy answering – certainly there are many statistics available to affirm our reputation: 100% of our graduates are college-bound. Our average student to faculty ratio is 13:1. We offer 21 AP courses. Our Athletic Program boasts 112 state championship titles across 14 sports. 77% of our faculty hold advanced degrees. More than one fourth of our 3rd through 12th graders are featured in one of two annual theater performances each year. Our average ACT score is 27. The list goes on.

But in considering how we stack up against the competition, our tape measure stretches far beyond Baton Rouge. While we certainly strive to be among Baton Rouge’s best in education, what truly determines our success is how well-prepared our students are for life beyond Episcopal. Each year our graduating seniors go on to compete for college placement against millions of other college-bound students worldwide. Our goal is to make each Episcopal graduate competitive among his or her peers. Our College Counseling staff begin working with students as early as 8th grade to initiate our thoughtful approach to college preparedness. Each year they continue to raise the bar, welcoming more and more college recruiters to campus and connecting Episcopal students to schools and scholarships across the country.

Parents rely on this type of information to establish Episcopal’s credibility and value. And while achievement-based statistics are certainly important, we believe experiences play an equal if not greater role in measuring “the best.” Deeper than knowing Episcopal will provide their child a firm and lasting academic foundation, parents want to know we will tend to their child’s heart and mind. They want their child to be known, to be challenged, to be celebrated and to be encouraged. It is our stories that bring our statistics to life.

How then should you as a parent measure the success and impact of our mission and ministry? By experience, of course! Arguably, there are few environments that provide more joy than schools. I find delight each day in walking our campus and receiving hugs and high-fives from our youngest to our oldest students. But beyond the general sense of happiness you will feel at Episcopal, I believe you will be moved by the teaching and learning you witness here. Join us. Tour campus. Meet our students and faculty. We look forward to answering your questions and sharing our stories as you determine if we are the best school for your child.
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The Admission Office will be hosting Open House events in November and campus tours weekly. For more information on experiencing Episcopal, visit our website.