Academics

Students at the college level possess a good command of reading, writing, and mathematical concepts. Students are expected to have the ability to master academic areas requiring memorization, comprehension of concepts, and application of materials. The students will work toward the development of more in-depth critical thinking skills and study skills. Emerging competencies in the areas of analysis, synthesis, and criticism are a goal.

Students at the Honors level are recommended for placement by their teachers and the individual department chair. They not only have strong foundational skills found in a college level student, but they also demonstrate self-direction and readily approach a greater depth and breadth of academic study. These students easily move beyond memorization and comprehension skills. They master broad ranging academic studies and demonstrate the ability to transfer and integrate knowledge through various subject areas. The Honors level student has acquired the skills of analysis, synthesis, and criticism. It is assumed that the Honors level student has established study skills and can work independently at an accelerated pace, enjoying the challenge of in-depth studies. This student can work with direction on abstract concepts.

Students at the Advanced Placement level not only have all the skills and abilities of the Honors level student, they also have the capacity for an intensive and more refined study, sophisticated research, and superior laboratory skills. The recommendation for placement is the result of the student’s previous significant academic achievement and their teacher’s and department chair’s recommendation. The successful Advanced Placement student demonstrates a mature work ethic and the ability to learn independently, work in abstract thought processes, and utilize knowledge in new applications. Students accept the expectation that they engage in university-level instruction, assessment procedures, and grading while completing the course through mandatory participation in the Advanced Placement Exams. Students may earn accelerated placement or college credit based upon the policies of the individual colleges.

The Hilton Scholars College is BG’s version of a collegiate honors program. Members of the College are part of a special cohort of students who participate in a series of courses reserved exclusively for them while also integrating into the greater school community through access to advanced honors- and AP-level coursework. The HSC is not only inspired by the principles of classical education — which emphasizes knowledge of core texts, an interdisciplinary approach, and moral education — but also takes advantage of the best of contemporary practices. Scholars are immersed in an intellectually stimulating environment that will help them to grow as human beings and will prepare them for the demands of elite higher education.

Named in honor of Br. Mark Hilton — the Superior General of the Brothers of the Sacred Heart — the Hilton Scholars College at Bishop Guertin High School is a four-year program designed to challenge, motivate, and inspire our most curious and capable students. Students who are invited to participate in the program will be presented with a rigorous, carefully selected sequence of courses that will invite them to make deep connections between different disciplines and ways of knowing.

The HSC course of study is inspired by classical models that prioritize the knowledge of core cultural texts and seek to build meaning through the intentional construction of a sequence of interrelated classes. As a result, participants in the HSC will take a prescribed series of classes throughout their four years at BG, some of which will be exclusively reserved for Hilton Scholars. Members of the College will exist as a tight cohort while simultaneously making strong connections with other groups of students in the building.

The ultimate aim of the HSC is to produce students who are virtuous and wise. Our hope is that students who complete the program will be the most prepared to adapt to the challenges of university education, the most prepared to learn new things, and the most prepared to be leaders in their families and communities.

To learn more about the HSC, please visit this site.