6600 Little Falls Road Dr. Joseph E.

Vorbach III, Head of School

Arlington, Virginia 22213 Mr. Carl Patton, Assistant Head of School
www.bishopoconnell.org Mr. Frank Roque, Dean of Student Affairs
Telephone: 703-237-1400 Ms. Kristina Herbst, Counselor
Facsimile: 703-241-9066 Ms. Tracey Leipold, Counselor
CEEB CODE: 470-103 Mr. Joe Natalicchio, Counselor
Dr. Daniel Stabile, Counselor

BISHOP O’CONNELL HIGH SCHOOL

2018-2019 School Profile
____________________________________________________________________________
Bishop O’Connell High School is a diocesan Catholic college-preparatory high school founded in 1957 and located in
Arlington, Virginia. Drawn from the diverse population of Northern Virginia, Washington, D.C., and Maryland, the
student body of 1,200 represents a range of socioeconomic, racial, ethnic and religious heritage. The school boasts a
talented faculty, 70% of whom hold a master’s degree or higher. The spiritual atmosphere is enriched by the presence of
the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The school offers a technology-infused, student-centered, learning
environment, with an average class size of 17. Admission is selective and is determined by school record, standardized
test scores, and teacher recommendations to gauge a student’s ability to pursue successfully the school’s rigorous college
preparatory curriculum.

MISSION
Bishop O’Connell is a Catholic college-preparatory school that provides students an education rooted in the life of Christ
and fosters the pursuit of excellence in the whole person.

ACCREDITATION, AFFILIATIONS, RECOGNITION

- Accreditation: AdvancED
- Standards: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, National Council of Teachers of English, United States
Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), others
- Memberships: National Catholic Educational Association, Virginia Catholic Education Association, National
Association of College Admissions Counseling, American School Counseling Association, College Board, others
- School of Excellence as designated by Cardinal Neumann Society

GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS
Bishop O’Connell High School offers a curriculum that is designed to prepare students for success at highly selective
colleges and universities. For graduation, O’Connell requires a minimum of 26 credits distributed as follows:

SUBJECT REQUIRED CREDITS

Religion 4
English 4
Social Studies 4
Mathematics 3 (4 recommended)
Science 3 (4 recommended)
World Language 2 (3-4 recommended)
Health & Physical Education 2
Fine Arts .5
Technology .5
Electives 3
Total 26

CURRICULUM
The school offers 28 Advanced Placement level courses, 3 Dual Credit courses, 36 Honors courses, and a full catalog of
College Preparatory courses. Due to the structured nature of the freshman and sophomore year curricula students typically
do not have the opportunity to take Advanced Placement courses until their junior year, with the exception of AP Modern
European History offered to sophomores. Enrollment in Advanced Placement courses is subject to departmental approval
and is based on demonstrated high academic proficiency.

Subject Advanced Placement Dual Credit (Marymount

University)
English AP English Language and Composition Dual Credit Statistics
AP English Literature
Social Studies AP Modern European History
AP U.S. History
AP Comparative Government and Politics
AP U.S. Government and Politics
AP Microeconomics/Macroeconomics
AP Psychology
AP Human Geography
Math AP Calculus AB
AP Calculus BC
AP Statistics
Science AP Biology
AP Chemistry
AP Environmental Science
AP Physics 1
AP Physics 2
AP Physics C
World AP French 5 Dual Credit Spanish 4 Honors
Language Post AP French 6
AP Latin Dual Credit French 4 Honors
AP Spanish 5 Language
AP Spanish Literature
Fine Arts AP Art History
AP Drawing
AP Music Theory
Technology / AP Computer Science Principles
Business AP Computer Science

SPECIAL CURRICULAR FEATURES

RELIGION - All students are required to study religion each year. The curriculum corresponds to the National
Framework for High School Religion developed by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. This study serves the dual
purpose of education and character formation, providing students with a deep knowledge of and appreciation for the
Catholic faith and nurturing a genuine and personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Additionally, students encounter
Catholic teachings on four key thematic areas integrated throughout the four-year academic experience.

GLOBAL STUDIES CERTIFICATE PROGRAM – This unique optional program is centered on student-selected,
beyond-the-classroom learning experiences and focused on issues of global importance, is the approximate equivalent of a
ninth semester of academic work. To earn the Certificate, students complete a combination of non-GPA units on such
topics as Faith and Humanitarian Issues, Health and Environmental Issues, or Global Politics and deliver a capstone
presentation to a faculty panel.

PROJECT LEAD THE WAY (PLTW) STEM - This national curriculum introduces students to the basic principles of
engineering. This is a four-year honors elective program which includes: Introduction to Engineering Design, Principles
of Engineering, Civil Engineering & Architecture and an Independent Research option. Students must meet specific
prerequisites to enroll in these courses.

DUAL CREDIT/DUAL ENROLLMENT – Dual Credit: Marymount University offers college credit for several classes
taught at Bishop O’Connell High School. This opportunity to obtain dual high school and college credit is open to
students whose general academic profile meets Marymount University criteria. Dual Enrollment: Students whose
academic profiles meet Marymount University criteria may register to enroll in classes offered at Marymount’s campus.
Students interested in continuing a program of study at a higher level than currently offered at O’Connell are ideal
candidates for dual enrollment.

GRADING AND TRANSCRIPT POLICY

Bishop O’Connell High School reports all grades as letters. Grades are weighted for Honors and Advanced Placement
courses and the transcript includes a cumulative GPA. GPAs are calculated for all students with a value of 4.0 assigned to a
grade of A in a College Preparatory course. For comparison, a grade of A in an Honors course is valued at 4.5 and in an AP
course at 5.0. GPA calculations are based on grades from classes taken at Bishop O’Connell. The full grading system
utilized is as follows:

Grade College Prep Honors AP

Scale
A+ 97 - 100 4.3 4.8 5.0
A 93 - 96 4.0 4.5 5.0
A- 90 - 92 4.0 4.5 5.0
B+ 87 - 89 3.3 3.8 4.3
B 83 – 86 3.0 3.5 4.0
B- 80 - 82 3.0 3.5 4.0
C+ 77 - 79 2.3 2.8 3.3
C 73 – 76 2.0 2.5 3.0
C- 70 - 72 2.0 2.5 3.0
D+ 67 - 69 1.3 1.8 2.3
D 65 - 66 1.0 1.5 2.0

Grades from classes taken at other schools or online are included on the transcript but not included in the GPA calculation.
By policy, Bishop O’Connell students are not ranked.

COLLEGE ADMISSION TEST SCORES/RECOGNITION

Mean SAT Scores Critical Reading Math

O’Connell Class of 2018 – Top 30% 700 719
O’Connell Class of 2018 616 604
Virginia (2017) 558 538
National (2017) 533 527

ACT Average Composite for the Class of 2018 (117 tested) = 25 (Top 30% = 31)
AP Results (May 2018) 468 students took 1264 AP exams. 157 AP Scholars, including 7 National AP Scholars, 29 AP
Scholars with Distinction and 31 AP Scholars with Honors.

NATIONAL MERIT SCHOLARSHIP COMPETITION (2011–2017): 5 National Merit Finalists; 6 National Merit
Semifinalists; 2 National Achievement Semifinalists; 97 National Merit Commended Students

POST-SECONDARY PLANS (Class of 2018)

Students Percent
4-year college or university 226 97%
2-year college or trade school 6 2.5%
Other 1 0.5%
Graduates from the past five years have been accepted at the following schools:

American University James Madison University Tufts University

Arizona State University John Hopkins University United State Air Force Academy
Ateneo De Manila University, Johnson & Wales University United States Coast Guard Academy
Philippines LaSalle University United States Merchant Marine
Auburn University Lehigh University Academy
Baylor University Longwood University United State Military Academy
Berklee College of Music Louisiana State University United States Naval Academy
Binghamton University Loyola University Maryland University of Alabama
Boston College Marist College University of Arizona
Boston University Marymount University University of California
Brown University McDaniel College University of Chicago
Bucknell University McGill University University of Colorado
Butler University Miami University, Ohio University of Dallas
California Polytechnic State University Mount Saint Mary's University University of Delaware
Carnegie Mellon University New York University University of Florida
Case Western Reserve University North Carolina State University University of Georgia
Catholic University of America Northeastern University University of Illinois
Christopher Newport University Northwestern University University of Kentucky
The Citadel Occidental College University of Lynchburg
Clemson University Old Dominion University University of Mary Washington
Coastal Carolina University Pace University University of Maryland
College of Charleston Pennsylvania State University University of Miami
College of the Holy Cross Princeton University University of Mississippi
College of William and Mary Providence College University of Missouri
Colorado State University Purdue University University of North Carolina, Chapel
Columbia University Radford University Hill
Corcoran School of Art Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute University of Notre Dame
Cornell University Rhodes College University of Oregon
Dartmouth Rice University University of Pennsylvania
Dennison University Rochester Institute of Technology University of Pittsburgh
DePaul University Rollins College University of Richmond
Drexel University Rose Hulman Institute of Technology University of Rochester
Duke University Rutgers University University of San Francisco
Elon University Seton Hall University University of Scranton
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Sewanee-University of the South University of South Carolina
Emory University Slippery Rock University University of St. Gallen, Switzerland
Florida State University Spelman University University of Tampa
Fordham University St. Andrews Presbyterian College University of Tennessee
Franklin and Marshall College St. Andrews University, Scotland University of Virginia
George Mason University St. John’s College Vanderbilt University
George Washington University St. Joseph’s University Villanova University
Georgia Institute of Technology St. Louis University of Madrid, Spain Virginia Commonwealth University
Georgetown University Stanford University Virginia Military Institute
Hampden-Sydney College Stetson University Virginia Polytechnic Institute
Harvard University Stevenson University Wake Forest University
High Point University Stonehill College Washington and Lee University
Howard University Syracuse University Washington University, St. Louis
Indiana University Temple University West Virginia University
Ithaca College Towson University Wofford College