Cor Jesu is a four-year high school primarily defined as a Catholic girl's college preparatory school. Basic course and attendance requirements must be met by all students who attend Cor Jesu. These requirements are: eight semesters of attendance in high school and the completion of 26 credits. Each year a student shall register for a minimum of 6 credits and a maximum of 7 credits. Academic excellence is a characteristic of the students of Cor Jesu.
Eight-Block Schedule In 1994, Cor Jesu was one of the first high schools in the St. Louis area to introduce the eight- block schedule. The block schedule allows classes (some are semester courses and some are yearlong courses) to meet for 85 minutes every other day - much like a college setting. The longer class periods give students more time to discuss topics in-depth and build critical-thinking skills. Studies are included in the six-day cycle as well, which allows the students to use technology for class projects and learn how to make their own decisions about managing time effectively. This innovative method of teaching gives students the opportunity to think critically and creatively and interact with the teachers.
Grading Cor Jesu uses a weighted system. Each course is given a quality point or QP rating of 4.0 for college-preparatory courses and 4.5 for advanced College Credit (ACC), Advanced Placement (AP) and Honors classes.
College-Credit and Honors Classes Advanced College Credit (ACC) courses are offered to juniors and seniors under the auspices of St. Louis University. Up to 36 college credits are available for students to earn through ACC English, mathematics, science, history, languages and social studies courses. Students also may take the national Advanced Placement (AP) exams through Cor Jesu in history, government, English, Spanish, French, latin, math and science. The exams are taking in the spring, and the results are sent to the college(s) of the student's choice. All college-credit courses are integrated into the schedule and are taught by Cor Jesu faculty. Additional honors classes are also offered in science and math, beginning sophomore year. National College Boards Each year, Cor Jesu students score significantly higher than the national averages on both the SAT and the ACT college assessments. Test 2006-2007 2005-2006 2004-2005 2003-2004 2002-2003 SAT           Verbal     667 657 643   Math 618.4 636.7 604 617 620   Critical Reading 618.7 644.7 NA NA NA   Writing 622.1 641.5 NA NA NA   SAT Essay 8.19         ACT 27.6 27.5 27.6 27.6 27.8 ACT Writing 8.62 9.277 NA NA NA