Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)
Where is Walsh Jesuit? How can I get there? What are my transportation options?
Walsh Jesuit High School is located in Cuyahoga Falls, OH. The school is in a northern suburb of Akron and is located in the southern part of Northeast Ohio. WJ is located about thirty minutes from Cleveland, thirty minutes from Canton, thirty minutes from Medina, thirty minutes from… You have many options on how to get to WJ.
DRIVE Many students choose to drive themselves, and often a friend, sibling, or group of friends, to school. There is ample parking, though a parking pass does cost $100. CARPOOL We can provide families the opportunity to obtain the contact information of other students living in or near their zip code area, in order to facilitate the process of finding families with whom to carpool. Walsh Jesuit is a short distance from Ohio Route 8- and subsequently near Interstate 80, 271, and 77. BUS Local school districts provide bus service from many neighboring communities. These include Aurora, Kent, Copley-Fairlawn, Revere, Woodridge, and Twinsburg. Many of these communities, and the ones just beyond them, are serviced by Walsh Jesuit buses. Walsh Jesuit bus service costs $1350 per year, with seasonal passes available. Service goes to Brecksville-Broadview Heights, Strongsville, Medina, Brunswick, Bainbridge, Chagrin Falls, Solon, Independence, North Royalton, Hinckley, Richfield, University Heights, Shaker Heights, and more. PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION The Akron Metro services Walsh Jesuit High School. Route #33 State/Wyoga Lake stops right at Walsh Jesuit. The bus stops at Walsh Jesuit at 7:51 a.m. each school day.
What makes a Jesuit school unique?
Jesuit schools are incomparable. They draw from the incredibly deep well that is Ignatian Spirituality and aim to help students achieve metanoia, or the complete conversion of mind, body, and soul. This metanoia takes form through a document called “The Profile of a Walsh Jesuit Graduate at Graduation”. The Grad at Grad highlights the characteristics that we hope students will begin to embody by their graduation. These are loving, religious, intellectually competent, open to growth, and committed to doing justice. The idea is that the Grad at Grad will inspire and impact students for life.
What distinguishes Ignatian spirituality is that it emphasizes a strong relationship with Jesus- as well as with Christ. St. Ignatius sought to emphasize Jesus as a man- as opposed to understanding Christ as a purely divine creature. Working within this framework, St. Ignatius developed theSpiritual Excercises. He also emphasized that the Society of Jesus (as opposed to the Society of Christ) be an active order that would ‘work in the vineyard of the Lord’ as Jesus worked in the world. St. Ignatius’s spirituality attempts to help students “see God in all things” and to always choose the path that will more closely bring an individual into communion with God- this is referred to as magis.
A Jesuit school is unique because of a 500 year tradition of excellence, an adherence to the liberal arts, and the shared goal of working for the Greater Glory of God. Once you’ve attended a Jesuit school, you come to share a bond with men and women from around the world.
Is it hard to get into Walsh Jesuit?
Walsh Jesuit typically receives more applications than there are spaces available. The exact number varies from year to year, and there is no way of knowing how many individuals will apply in any given year. Most of our applicants are talented and qualified. Each year, the admissions committee reviews over 400 files and our 9th grade has approximately 280 students. When students apply, the Admissions Committee looks at the following criteria: grades from 7th and 8th grade classes, committed involvement in extracurricular activities; standardized test scores, an entrance exam score, and teacher recommendations.
Is there any special treatment in the Admissions Committee? Do you give consideration to legacies or to Catholic grade school students?
WJHS gives special consideration to children of graduates and siblings of current or graduated students. WJHS also gives special consideration to Catholic students at Catholic grade schools. Additionally, WJHS is committed to a diverse student population- including ethnic, socio-economic, religious, and geographic.
How much homework is there every night?
Honestly, there is no one answer. Many students at Walsh Jesuit do lots of homework each night. Many students also do not. The amount of homework will depend on the course load a student takes as well as on the student’s work habits. Advanced Placement and Accelerated (Honors) classes usually require more work and additional time. Many students say they average about 1.5 hours of work each night. The workload is manageable and will assist you in your efforts to prepare for college.
What kind of classes will I take?
Walsh Jesuit offers a broad array of classes for you to take. We have courses in English, Fine Arts, Math, Science, Physical Education, Social Science, Theology, Foreign Language (Latin, Spanish, Chinese, and French), and more. Check out our curriculum guide for specific classes and to see what electives are available. Our goal is to offer an academic program that aims to help you reach intellectual competence, but also to develop intellectual curiosity. We also want to help you lay the moral foundation that will help you to be successful in college and beyond.
What kinds of opportunities will I have to explore Fine Arts at Walsh Jesuit?
Whatever your artistic talents or interests might be, we have something for you at Walsh Jesuit. Students interested in drama and the stage can take acting classes, theater production classes, perform in our spring musical or fall play. We have an award winning Show Choir, an award winning Liturgical Choir (also an elective class), multiple bands (Stage, Concert, and Brass Ensemble). Band is typically a scheduled arts class, but can also be an extracurricular. Students who play any instrument are welcome. Art classes range from visual (Drawing, Ceramics, or Sculpture) to the high tech (Computer Graphic Design). We have had students matriculate to the Cleveland Institute of Art, Rhode Island School of Design, and other elite art programs. Even if you aren’t interested in exploring the arts, you will get to experience our newly renovated theater and excellent arts offerings.
Can I be part of a Walsh Jesuit sports team?
Walsh Jesuit offers 26 varsity sports- 14 for men, 12 for women. There are tryouts for many sports at Walsh Jesuit, but there are also many no-cut sports. Oftentimes, the more competitive sports teams will have multiple levels of competition- freshman teams, junior varsity, and varsity. Walsh Jesuit also has an intramural program allowing students to be involved in sports without the formalized structure of interscholastic competition. Many of our students also participate in CYO (or GOYA) sports through their former schools or local parishes/faith communities.
What kinds of activities does Walsh Jesuit offer?
There are activities for every type of student. Whether you are interested in sports, the arts, or something else, you can find an outlet at Walsh Jesuit. There is a school newspaper, the Pioneer; a school yearbook, the Trek; a Mock Trial club; Academic Challenge (a quiz/trivia club); an incredibly active Justice League (Social Justice club); an investment/Stock Market Club; an Improv Club; Foreign Language Clubs; academic area subject clubs (Math Club, Science Club); Chess Club; and more! Essentially, if you can dream it, there’s an activity for it - sports, student leadership, ethnic/cultural, community service, and more. There are more than 30 clubs available and more are formed each year.
Will my family be able to afford Walsh Jesuit?
Walsh Jesuit’s tuition for the 2011-2012 school year is $9,935 with a $400 general fee. Significant Tuition Assistance is available. Granted based solely on need, Walsh Jesuit provided over $1,000,000 in Tuition Assistance for the current school year. Families are notified of awarded tuition assistance prior to the application deadline.
What does the phrase "men and women for others" mean?
Fr. Pedro Arrupe, former Superior General of the Jesuits, coined the phrase “man for others” in a speech he delivered in 1973. The phrase has since become the motto of the Jesuit schools and has been updated to include both “men and women for others.” Arrupe explained that the challenge of Jesuit schools is to foster “men and women who cannot even conceive of love of God which does not include love for the least of their neighbors; men and women completely convinced that love of God which does not issue in justice for others is a farce.” This view requires Walsh Jesuit students to reach beyond what they know and what they expect in order to live in solidarity with the poor, to begin creating a more just society, to reach out to the poor or disadvantaged in the community through the Labre Project. It is in the service of faith in the promotion of justice, whether in matters big or small, that defines being a “man or woman for others.”
Will I fit in? Will I feel comfortable?
One of the biggest concerns expressed by prospective students is whether or not they will fit in. The thing to remember about this question, and the uncertainty behind it, is that when you get to high school, everyone is the new kid. Though there are, inevitably, small groups of students who know each other from grade school, the majority of students are new to one another. Understanding this, and working with it, the members of the Walsh Jesuit community reach out and embrace each and every student as an individual. The idea is called cura personalis, a Latin word meaning “care for the individual”. This idea runs its course through the Admissions process, through your classes, through the sports and clubs, and through graduation and beyond. At Walsh Jesuit, we care about you. Where you come from, why you are here, who you are. We want you to be comfortable, we want you to feel at home. We do what we can to make you feel like a part of the community. It is important to us because we truly believe that at Walsh Jesuit- we are a family.
