Chesterton Academy Of St. James

Chesterton Academy of St. James describes its teaching philosophy as a joyfully Catholic, classical liberal arts education aimed at helping students pursue a "culture of life" and resist materialism and despair. Its model centers on three pillars—intellect, character, and spirituality—teaching the classics and the interrelationship of ideas, cultivating the cardinal virtues, and integrating students' understanding of their purpose in knowing, loving, and serving God. (chestertonstjames.org)

Applicants start by submitting the online TADS application for grades 9-12; the school also encourages families to first fill out an interest form, attend an info session, and schedule a shadow visit. (chestertonstjames.org) After the application is complete, the headmaster meets one-on-one with the family and student, and all students are required to take a placement exam, using CLT 8 for incoming 9th-10th graders or CLT 10 for incoming 11th-12th graders; an optional Latin exam is also offered. (chestertonstjames.org) The site does not publish a formal application deadline or decision-release calendar, but it says admissions events run throughout the year, and the events page lists admissions dates on October 12, 2025, October 29, 2025, and February 19, 2026. (chestertonstjames.org) As of March 19, 2026, the website appears to mix admissions cycles: the admissions page says it is accepting applications for 2025-26 and mentions limited places for Fall 2025, while the same page also mentions limited places for Fall 2026 and the homepage advertises 2026-2027 info sessions and shadow visits. (chestertonstjames.org) I did not find any published waitlist policy or priority admission categories on the school pages I reviewed. (chestertonstjames.org)