Welcome to the Circle of Mercy
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Our Lady of Mercy Academy is dedicated to providing a comprehensive education grounded in the charism of Catherine McAuley, foundress of the Sisters of Mercy. Guided by the principles of Fides, Mores, and Cultura, the faculty and staff educate young women within a compassionate environment to empower them to be authentic witnesses in the global community.
OLMA is a Catholic school for young women of all faiths in grades 9-12. We prepare our students to be life-long learners and empower them to use their God-given gifts to make a difference in our world. The Mercy graduate is a woman of integrity who is articulate, compassionate, and socially aware. As an independent thinker open to growth, she is intellectually, socially, and physically equipped to assume her role as a source for good in the world.
It’s not too late to join the Circle of Mercy!
Please understand that while the majority of our incoming students follow the timeline described below, OLMA is committed to working with your family at any time throughout the year should you come across special circumstances. Please contact Admissions at admissions@olma.org or 516-921-1047 x 2 for more information.
Especially given the uncertainty in the world, please know OLMA is thrilled to provide daily, LIVE instruction to our students.
Mercy Mondays Campus Tours
are available on Mondays from 4:00 PM – 5:30 PM beginning in October. We will email you to confirm the date and tour time. Please contact Mrs. Waechter at nwaechter@olma.org for any questions or conflicts.
Admissions Process
In-Person Campus Tours
We encourage you to visit Our Lady of Mercy Academy to get a sense for our community first-hand. Mercy Mondays Campus Tours are available on Monday’s from 4:00 PM – 5:30 PM beginning in October. Please email Nina Waechter at nwaechter@olma.org to set up a tour TODAY!
Shadow/Spend A Day Program
We are delighted to host 8th graders for a shadow day in the fall of 2021, and 7th graders for a shadow day in the spring of 2022. A Shadow Day is a wonderful opportunity for prospective students to live “a day in the life” of a Mercy girl. Students will arrive by 8:00 AM before the start of the school day, attend classes and eat lunch with a student host, and see the school from the perspective of a current student. Please register here for a shadow day. A confirmation email will be sent a few days prior to the scheduled shadow day. 7th graders are welcome to sign up for a shadow day now, and OLMA will reach out to you later this spring to secure a date.
In response to the COVID 19 pandemic, the CHSEE team has partnered with the Diocese of Brooklyn and the Archdiocese of New York to use the same online TACHS for all students.
Our Lady of Mercy Academy works with other Catholic High Schools within the high school acceptance process. While there is a comprehensive timeline including the November Catholic High School Entrance Exam and January School Registration, OLMA is open to starting the conversation at a time that makes sense for you and your family. Any incoming ninth-grade student interested in attending OLMA who did not take the TACHS, please reach out to the Director of Admission for next steps.
Transfer applicants are not required to take these exams, but are asked to provide academic transcripts and recommendations from their current school. More information for transfer students is available via the tab to the left.
The Admissions Committee meets to discuss all entrance exam scores in December. Applicants receive notification in mid-January. In conjunction with all Long Island Catholic schools, families will be notified via postal mail and email. Letters will be postmarked Tuesday, January 11 and emails will be sent to the contact information used in the TACHS registration on Wednesday, January 12. OLMA’s Accepted Student Reception is on Saturday, January 21. This event is for new families to meet one another, take a closer look, and help make a final decision. Formal enrollment is available immediately upon notification, along with new student onboarding information. The incoming class is asked to register by late January in preparation for placement exams in March. More information will be included in acceptance packets.
All students are automatically considered for merit scholarships based on their application to OLMA via the TACHS (formerly CHSEE). Financial Aid is awarded to those who qualify based on their tax documents and family information via FACTS Financial Aid Application. Special Awards are available based on an application due December 1st of the applicant’s eighth-grade year. Any student applying for a Special Award must also complete an application via FACTS.
Please click here to visit the Tuition, Scholarships, & Financial Aid link for more information and award applications. Families must complete a FACTS Financial Aid Application in order to be assessed for financial aid.
All registered students take Placement Tests following their admission to and registration at OLMA. Each student takes an exam to measure placement for English and Math, and students may opt to take a History and/or World Language placement exam in Spanish or Italian. Students will also determine if they are interested in the EDEN Science Research Program: Education & Environment.
A student may be placed in 9th-grade honors classes or level 2 world language classes based on her performance on OLMA placement tests, recommendations from eighth-grade teachers, and the TACHS. After ninth grade, a student’s performance in each class will determine her eligibility for upper-level courses the following year. Our honors classes are not on a tracking system; honors classes are open to a student based on her academic performance in each available subject, every year.
October – December: Shadowing Program for 8th graders
October 8: Deadline for extended time and accommodations requests due to the Diocese of Rockville Centre
October 27: Deadline for students to register for the TACHS exam in order to apply to any Catholic High School
November 5: Deadline for entering high school choice
November 6: TACHS exam administered online
November 30: Deadline to apply for OLMA Awards, and for Financial Aid to be included in acceptance letter
January 10: Notification of acceptance mailed home
January 11: Notification of acceptance sent to parent email
January 21: Accepted Student Reception at OLMA
January 27: Deadline for Early Enrollment Class of 2026 – $250 Tuition Discount
February 4: Placement Test Exams for Enrolled Students
March-May: Shadowing Program for 7th Graders
Deadline is June 1, 2023 to Apply for Support Service with your district.
Our Lady of Mercy Academy admits students of any race, color, religion, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship, financial aid programs, athletic and other school-administered programs.
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