Dominican Academy has been educating young women intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually since 1897. Located in an historic mansion on the Upper East Side, Dominican Academy (D.A.) consistently ranks among New York City’s best high schools. Operated by the Dominican Sisters of Peace and lay staff, D.A. unites academic excellence with a warm, family-like atmosphere. D.A. challenges and empowers young women to be local and global leaders in the 21st century.
The enrollment for this academic year is 215 students. Students travel from the five New York City boroughs, Long Island, New Jersey, and Westchester. D.A. is easily accessible by the E,F,N,Q,R, and 6 trains.
All classes are honors or AP level. D.A. offers 12 AP courses, more than any other Catholic high school in New York City.
A student:teacher ratio of 8:1 ensures personalized attention and fosters opportunities for mentorship. The largest class is approximately 18 students. Ninety percent of faculty has an advanced degree.
The tuition for 2015-2016 is $14,925. There is a select number of full- and partial-tuition scholarships available.
One hundred percent of graduates go to accredited four-year colleges and universities. Members of the Class of 2015 are attending Bard College, Carnegie Mellon, Fordham, Georgetown, Middlebury, Princeton, and the University of St. Andrew’s in Scotland, to name a few.
The study of both classical and modern languages is an integral part of a D.A. education. All students are required to take at least two years of both Latin and either French, Mandarin or Spanish, for a minimum of five years of language.
The entire building is wired for Wi-Fi, and teachers use tablets to integrate electronic resources into their curricula. All students take a Research and Technology course aimed at honing research, citation, and academic writing skills. The newly renovated language lab provides students with increased opportunities to practice conversation and pronunciation.
Dominican Academy partners with the Frick Museum (70th Street and Fifth Avenue) to offer sketching classes taught by art professionals. In addition, upperclassmen are offered art history.
All students take a weekly dance class as their physical education. The class, taught by a professional dancer, introduces students to the basics of ballet, modern, jazz and social dancing, as well as pilates and yoga. D.A. also sponsors a Dance Club.
All freshmen and sophomores take music. Upperclassmen may take Advanced Music or Senior Ensemble (vocal training). Glee Club is open to all grades, and performs at distinguished venues including Carnegie Hall and the New York Athletic Club.
All freshmen and sophomores take drama classes. Upperclassmen may take Advanced Drama. Each year, the Drama Club presents a student-directed play.
D.A. offers over 35 clubs, including campus ministry, Culture Club, Girls Who Code, Literary Journal, Mock Trial and Shakespeare Club. Athletic teams include: basketball, soccer, softball, tennis, track and volleyball.
D.A. sponsors trips both within the city, and abroad (past trips include England and France, Germany and Austria, Greece, Italy, and Spain).
Dominican Academy prides itself in its Catholic identity. The school’s philosophy dictates that well-rounded education must nurture students intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually, regardless of faith or creed. While 80 percent of students identify as Catholic, the remainder are Christian, Orthodox Christian, Jewish, Muslim, or non-religious.
Dominican Academy requires applicants to take the TACHS exam. First, second and third choice applicants are considered, but preference is given to first and second choice. Students interested in being considered for a scholarship must list D.A. as their first choice, or second choice (with a letter of explanation). Prospective students are considered strong candidates when they score 85 percent or better on the TACHS exam, have above average grades in school and wish to strive for excellence in a Catholic, college-preparatory environment.
The school’s Mini Open House is on Wednesday, Oct. 28, 4:30-6:30 p.m. Please contact Madeleine Metzler, director of admissions, with any questions or to RSVP at 212-744-0195, ext. 131 or mmetzler@dominicanacademy.org.
TACHS CODE: 204