Admissions

Admission is competitive and spaces are open to young men who complete the eighth grade with strong scholastic records, who receive recommendations from their sending schools, and who have earned a qualifying score on the CBA entrance examination.

CBA accepts qualified students of all creeds and backgrounds.

Open House is held each October. Check our admissions homepage for the upcoming date.

Private guided tours are available by contacting the admissions office. The Future Colt program is available for eighth graders to spend a half day with a CBA freshman.

In an average year, CBA accepts students from 80 or more sending schools in a three-county area. CBA’s students come from Catholic, independent, and public middle schools and grammar schools. The qualifications of the individual student remain key in the admissions process.

Encourage your son to take his education in grades 6 and 7 very seriously. The academic records he accumulates in those years have much more bearing on his entrance exam performance and acceptance than any specific “preparation” prior to the entrance examination.

CBA’s entrance exam is distinct from the assessments used for admission to the high schools of the Diocese of Trenton.

Many parents ask about hiring a tutor to prepare for the entrance exam. We believe that a student of above average intelligence who has had a solid foundation in mathematics, reading comprehension, English usage, and grammar should be able to earn a qualifying score on the entrance exam without recourse to tutors or other programs of exam preparation.

Ultimately, CBA’s admissions policy is driven by one overriding criterion: will a boy admitted be likely to succeed in a rigorous and competitive college preparatory program?

Generations have sacrificed to make a Christian Brothers Academy education available to their sons. At the present time, though, CBA is fortunate to be able to offer a limited number of academic scholarships to the most highly qualified students.

In addition, need-based specific scholarships and financial aid are available through an application process using objective criteria to assess individual need. This information is available under our Finance & Tuition section.

Last year, over 70 separate scholarships, combining for a total of just over $1.7 million, were awarded to incoming freshmen and current Academy students to help fund their CBA education. These scholarships are in addition to the over $800,000 in financial aid that the Academy awards annually to nearly 140 students.

CBA does not provide transportation. Local school board policy governs transportation to private schools and that is subject to annual review by those school boards. When you register your son as a student at CBA, you will be given a Transportation Request Form to complete. This form will then be submitted to your School District by CBA. Your local Board of Education will contact you during the summer months with busing information.

The application process for CBA is quite simple. Once a student has registered and paid for the entrance exam, the admission process has begun. Upon taking the exam, students will receive a link to create an account in our online application system to complete their CBA admissions application. The application deadline is mid-November.

After submitting their application, families will be prompted to download the “CBA Request for School Records” form. This form is to be brought to the students’ current middle school and will be submitted directly to CBA by a school official. These forms are due to CBA by the first week of December.

CBA offers certain modifications for students with an existing 504. We now offer a program for students with language-based learning differences. This program, Colt PLUS, will require a second application in addition to the traditional CBA admission application.

In addition, specific subject tutoring is available to students through the National Honor Society and individual subject teachers outside of class time. Some families will also use the services of professional tutors, either members of the CBA faculty or from outside agencies.

Immunizations are mandatory for admittance to CBA.

A current physical is required and must be submitted prior to attendance. There will be a mailing regarding this after registration.

The Admissions Committee announces its decisions in writing in early January.

Some students will not be offered admission if the Academy’s program is clearly not for them. Others will be accepted outright, conditionally, or placed on our waiting list.

Students who choose to remain on the waiting list are not provided information as to rank or position. When a place appropriate for an individual student becomes available, he will be notified of possible acceptance to CBA. Likewise, we do not release the results of the entrance examination.

Many students initially placed on the waitlist do go on to enjoy successful careers at CBA.

An initial, non-refundable deposit of $300 is due in mid-January in order to secure a student’s spot in the freshman class. A $1,000 tuition deposit is due mid-February and is refundable up until the due date. As dates change each year, families will be notified of the specific dates and deadlines that pertain to their son’s application process.

Each spring, Christian Brothers Academy considers a limited number of applicants for admission, generally into the sophomore year. The first concern in a transfer admission is that there be a space available in the class. The second concern is the student’s qualifications, both academically and in terms of discipline and conduct.

Students will be required to take the Transfer Admissions Exam, complete an application, submit current school records and have an interview with the Director of Enrollment Management. The transfer application process begins in April each year and applications are accepted until early June.

Students moving from out-of-area who have demonstrated clear success in a comparable college preparatory educational program will receive due consideration if they apply for transfer admissions.

CBA does not accept local transfers into grade 12.

Learn more about our Transfer Admissions process.

Yes, tuition deposits for upperclassmen are refundable until July 15th. Thereafter, 50% until the outset of the school year.