The McQuade Honors Program
The McQuade Honors Program features a rigorous academic course load consisting of all honors and AP-level courses.
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About the Program
The McQuade Honors Program features a rigorous academic course load consisting of all honors and AP-level courses that simultaneously challenge students and stimulate and encourage their academic and social growth as multidimensional leaders.
Students who are selected for the program are provided with their own Chromebook, a Cultural Passport, an Honors Advisor, and a National Honor Society Mentor. Additionally, students have community service programs coordinated for them through their affiliation with the National Honor Society.
Application Process
THE APPLICATION IS NOW OPEN!
- Begin the McQuade Honors Application process by completing the McQuade Honors Program Application on the School Admin website.
- Complete the application, including submission of 8th-grade teacher recommendation forms, official transcripts,writing sample, and personal essay, by Sunday, January 1, 2026. Once your application has been reviewed additional forms will be emailed to you.It is highly recommended that applicants take the TACHS Entrance Exam on Friday, November 7, 2025.
- Complete a personal interview with the Director of the McQuade Honors Program and the Cardinal Hayes faculty and administration. Applicants will be contacted directly to schedule an interview.
Curriculum Workload
9th Grade
- Global Honors
- Biology Honors
- English Honors
- Math Honors (Algebra or Geometry)
- Theology Honors
- Elective (Art or Computer Skills)
- Language
- Physical Education
10th Grade
- AP World History
- Chemistry Honors
- English Honors
- Math Honors (Geometry or Algebra 2/Trigonometry)
- Theology Honors
- Elective (Health or Art 2)
- Language
- Physical Education
11th Grade
- AP US History
- AP Chemistry
- AP English Language & Composition
- Math Honors (Pre-Calculus or Algebra 2/Trigonometry)
- Theology Honors
- Elective
- Language
- Physical Education
12th Grade
- Government/Economics Honors
- AP Biology or Anatomy & Physiology
- AP Literature
- AP Calculus
- AB Theology Honors
- Elective
- Language (AP Spanish)
- Physical Education
AP Classes Offered
AP Literature and Composition, AP English Language & Composition, AP Biology, AP Chemistry, AP Calculus AB, AP World History, AP US History, AP Spanish Language and Cultural, AP US Government, AP Computer Science Principles.
McQuade College Placements
Cornell University, Columbia University, University of Pennsylvania, Brown University, Fordham University, New York University, Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education, Duke University, University of Notre Dame, Stanford University, Boston University, Boston College, Syracuse University.
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Honors Adviser
Every Honors student is assigned an Honors Advisor, who works with the same group for all four years. The Honors Advisor assures that students are placed into the courses that assure the best possible outcome for that student as he plans for his future.
The Honors Advisor becomes a personal point of communication between parents and the school's teachers and administration. With the Honors Advisor, a parent has the comfort of knowing that his or her child's needs will be overseen and his academics tracked for all four years of high school and through the college application process.
National Honor Society Mentoring
Cardinal & Gold Honor students are paired with a member of Cardinal Hayes's National Honor Society. The NHS is the nation's premier organization established to recognize outstanding high school students. NHS members are those students who have demonstrated excellence in the areas of Scholarship, Leadership, Service and Character. One of the National Honor Society's goals is to exhibit the virtues expected of each of the members and to model these virtues for other Hayesmen, especially the future leaders of the school, such as those enrolled in the McQuade Honors program.
The Cultural Passport
As part of The Cardinal and Gold Honors Program, each student is granted a Cultural Passport. Hayes's Passport is a guarantee that each student will be granted several trips to various NYC institutions each year. Through the Cultural Passport, students will supplement the lessons of the classroom with their real-world manifestation in the city's vast museum exhibitions, Broadway shows, and state parks, thus expanding their knowledge of the arts and sciences through the city's extraordinary culture.
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We'd love to hear from you, so please get in touch.
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