Frequently Asked Questions

At The Mary Louis Academy, our admissions process is holistic, meaning we consider multiple factors to get a full picture of each applicant. We don’t just focus on a single test score—we take into account academic performance, demonstrated interest, and individual circumstances to ensure that every applicant receives a fair and thoughtful review.

Key Admissions Criteria (in order of priority):

1. Standardized Test Scores – We consider the highest score from:
   • TACHS Exam
   • Grade 7 NYS ELA/Math Exams (averaged)
   • Grade 8 iReady Assessment
2. Grades – We review Grade 7 report cards and the most recent Grade 8 report card to assess academic consistency and growth.
3. Demonstrated Interest – We value applicants who show a strong desire to join TMLA. Factors that indicate interest include:
   • Selecting TMLA as #1 choice on the TACHS exam
   • Participating in a Buddy Day
   • Submitting a personal statement

Additional Considerations (these do not determine admission but are taken into account):

• Legacy Status – A sibling, mother, or grandmother is a TMLA alumna.
• Current TMLA Sibling – A sibling is currently enrolled at TMLA.
• IEP Considerations – If a candidate has an Individualized Education Plan (IEP), we look to understand how to best support the student's transition from middle school to high school. 
• School Background – If the applicant attends a non-Catholic school in an area with fewer academic options, we take that into account.

At TMLA, we seek students who are academically motivated, eager to grow, and ready to embrace our community of excellence and empowerment.

We understand that the high school application process can be stressful, but we want to help ease that stress by providing clear guidance on what makes an applicant stand out. While no single factor guarantees admission, candidates who follow these steps tend to have the strongest applications:

Top Ways to Strengthen Your Application (in order of priority):

1. Write a Personal Statement – While optional, a personal statement can be especially helpful if your academic performance is not as strong as other applicants. It gives the committee insight into your character, passions, and potential.Submit All Application Materials On Time – Meeting deadlines ensures a smooth admissions process and shows responsibility and preparedness.
2. Provide Grades from Both Grades 7 and 8 – Including more academic data increases the likelihood of a higher application score, giving the committee a fuller picture of your performance.
3. Attend a Buddy Day – Spending a day at TMLA demonstrates that you have taken the time to experience our community firsthand and are serious about joining us.
4. Select TMLA as Your #1 Choice on the TACHS Exam – If you are taking the TACHS, listing TMLA as your top choice tells us that we are your preferred school and signals to other TACHS schools that you are committed to attending if accepted.

By taking these steps, you show us that you are motivated, prepared, and excited to be part of The Mary Louis Academy community.

At TMLA, we do not have strict cut-off criteria for grades or TACHS scores.

Why? Because we take a holistic approach to admissions, meaning we consider the whole student—not just a single test score or report card. We recognize that every applicant has unique strengths, experiences, and potential, and we evaluate applications accordingly.

To learn more about what we consider in our admissions process, see our "What Do You Look at When Deciding Who is Accepted?" section.

Not at all—if anything, our process is more rigorous because it requires a deeper, more thoughtful review of each applicant.

Rather than focusing solely on the highest TACHS scores, our holistic approach ensures that we evaluate the whole student—their academic performance, demonstrated interest, personal qualities, and potential. This means our admissions committee spends extra time carefully reviewing every application to gain a full understanding of each candidate’s strengths and what they can contribute to our community.

On average, it takes us two full work weeks to thoroughly assess all applications, allowing us to make deliberate, well-informed decisions about who will thrive at TMLA.

Once all applications are received, we conduct multiple checks to ensure they are complete, reaching out to families if any information is missing.

When reviewing applications, we use a composite formula that factors in:

• Grade Point Average (GPA)
• Highest test score from TACHS, NYS Exams, or iReady

This formula generates an application score, which helps us assess each candidate's academic performance fairly.

We then review our entire applicant pool, evaluating students from the highest to lowest percentile of scores. While students with higher percentiles are more likely to be accepted, personal statements and demonstrated interest (such as attending a Buddy Day or choosing TMLA as #1 on the TACHS) can play a significant role—especially for students whose scores may not fully reflect their potential.

Our goal is to recognize and admit students who will thrive at TMLA, not just based on numbers, but on their passion, commitment, and ability to contribute to our school community.

We place more weight on standardized test scores than on grades due to differences in middle school programming, which can make it difficult to compare academic performance across different schools.

While no single measure is perfect, standardized test scores provide a more consistent benchmark across our diverse applicant pool. Among these, we prioritize:

1. iReady (a nationally administered exam)
2. NYS Exams (taken by thousands of students statewide)
3. TACHS (a more localized exam)

Yes, we accept transfer candidates in Grades 9–11 on a rolling basis between July and December. We do not permit transfer students after December because the school year is too far along at that point in time.

However, we do not accept senior transfers (unless in extremely rare cases, such as the closing of a Catholic school), as students would not be able to meet TMLA’s graduation requirements without having followed our academic program. Junior transfers are considered only if they meet our Regents criteria to remain on track for graduation.

Transfer Application Requirements:

• Final grades from each completed year of high school
• Most recent progress report from the current school year
• Standardized test scores, including Regents, Advanced Placement (AP), and PSAT/SAT (if available)
• Meeting with the transfer family (in-person, via Zoom, or in limited cases, by phone)

Additionally, we verify with the applicant’s current school to check for any disciplinary concerns or academic holds before finalizing a transfer decision.

CSJ stands for Congregation of Saint Joseph, the official name of the Sisters of St. Joseph, who founded TMLA in 1936 and continue to operate the school today. As a CSJ-sponsored school, we are part of a rich Catholic heritage that blazed a path from France to St. Louis to New York. For more than 350 years, the Sisters of St. Joseph have been recognized around the world as leading educators of young women.

College admissions officers recognize TMLA’s name and stellar reputation. They respect our academic curriculum and feel confident accepting our students. TMLA’s college program includes a full-time college counselor, individual faculty interviews, school-sponsored campus visits, and a college fair—which helps students and their families through the search and application process and ensures that our graduates are admitted to highly regarded colleges and universities.

ALL of our graduates—100 percent—go on to college.

The New York Board of Regents set 65 as the passing grade. TMLA, however, requires all students to take Regents Level classes on the track to obtain a Regents Diploma with Advanced Designation, New York State’s highest academic standard.

Yes! Our history-making graduates include the first woman president of a major television network (ABC), an alumna among the first class of women admitted to Harvard Law School, the first woman staff director in the U.S. Senate, the first Hispanic vice president of a prominent financial institution, and the first woman named president of the NY Bar Association.

Among other illustrious alumnae are a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, two justices of the New York Supreme Court, a senior advisor in the Library of Congress, chief of staff for the U.S. vice president, a director of neuroscience at Novartis Pharmaceuticals, assistant secretaries of State and Commerce for the U.S., executive vice president of Twentieth Century Fox, winners of the National Book Award and Newbery Medal, a Fulbright/Guggenheim-recognized sculptor, and author of the Star Wars prequels.

TMLA students who are interested in art may apply to be an Art Major at the end of the ninth grade. If selected, they enjoy a structured Fine Arts program that includes enrollment in either AP Studio, AP Art History or college-level Graphic Design.

Our Conservatory is a wing of the school designed to encourage the love of and passion for music. It was constructed and dedicated in memory of one of our graduates who had been selected to train at the Metropolitan Opera. In this nine-room Conservatory, students enjoy soundproof individual and group practice rooms, a state-of-the-art recording studio, and a full complement of musical instruments, including five Steinway grand pianos.

TMLA’s five-acre campus sits atop one of the highest hills in Queens and resembles a college setting. Lush lawns and landscaped gardens surround four buildings that house our academic classrooms, art studios, student lounges, engineering laboratory, spiritual retreat facilities, and beautiful chapel.

With access to highways and public transportation, The Mary Louis Academy has been a hub for Jamaica Estates for generations.

By car: Reach TMLA from the Grand Central Parkway via the Utopia Parkway (eastbound) or 188th Street (westbound) exits.

By train: F Train to 179th Street

By bus: Q 1,2,3,17,36,43,56,75,76,77 (transfer at 165th Street Terminal)
N 1,2,3,6,22,22A,24,26B 24,54 (transfer at 165th Street Terminal).

For private transportation options and information, please email bus@tmla.org

With 29 teams on the freshman, junior varsity and varsity levels, we have the largest all-girls athletic program in NYC, and our teams have won numerous championships. TMLA students participate in badminton, basketball, bowling, cheerleading, dance, golf, lacrosse, tennis, track and field, soccer, softball, swimming, and volleyball. Many participants are scholar athletes with GPAs of 3.8 and higher, and our graduates are represented in every college sports division. Our athletes benefit from a well-equipped, college-level fitness room and a full-time athletic trainer.

At TMLA, new interactive technologies are integrated into every aspect of learning. The STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) program offers a lab dedicated to the exploration of mathematics and opportunities to be part of award-winning programs in robotics and forensic science. Our Engineering Lab boasts 3D printers for robotics and for creating prosthetic hands for children. We were the first school in Queens to issue iPads to all incoming students and the first to have SMART Boards in every classroom. Computers are located throughout the school, which has high-speed Internet access, and students Skype and Zoom with counterparts in other countries.

Extracurricular activities play an important role in the TMLA experience, and we encourage students to explore their interests. We offer more than 50 clubs and extracurricular activities focused on the arts, service, cultural heritage, technology, academics, social issues, and special interests. For a list of student clubs, go to Clubs and Extracurriculars.

TMLA proudly offers the most scholarship money to girls in the diocese, with over $2.3 million awarded in full and partial scholarships, based on examination results and academic records. In addition, CSJ Scholar Incentive Service Awards are given annually to academically qualified students engaged in service to school, parish, or community.

Trips, retreats, and competitions enrich the TMLA experience. Our students enjoy annual trips to:

• Europe
• The Hamptons
• Broadway shows, operas, restaurants, and museums in Manhattan, a world-class cultural center
• Retreats on the 350-acre CSJ campus, as well as at Notre Dame University
• Overnight and weekend athletic competitions throughout the tristate area
• State and national forensic competitions, including events in Florida, Midwest, and California
• School-sponsored college visits along the East coast, including to some top art schools