The admissions office at Santa Margarita Catholic High School in Orange County has published a November 15, 2026 deadline for both priority admission applications and priority tuition assistance applications for students entering in fall 2027 (Class of 2031); applicants with complete materials receive admissions decisions and tuition assistance awards on December 1. For Irvine eighth graders who have this school on their private high school list, this week offers the last few days to enter the priority round.
Who Is Affected by the Santa Margarita Priority Deadline
The Santa Margarita Catholic High School priority deadline affects students who plan to enter 9th grade in fall 2027 and families who need tuition assistance. The process published by the school is as follows:
| Step | Date | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Priority deadline | November 15, 2026 | Admission application and tuition assistance application, with all required materials |
| Priority decisions | December 1, 2026 | Admissions decisions and tuition assistance awards sent together |
| Rolling admissions | From December 2, 2026 | Applications received after November 15 are reviewed as completed, until capacity is reached |
| HSPT entrance exam | January 16, January 20, and January 30, 2027 | One of three dates, selected in the application |
The school advises students admitted in the priority round to complete enrollment promptly to avoid the waitlist. Tuition assistance notifications follow the submission window: applications submitted November 16 through December 15 are notified January 4, 2027, and those submitted December 16 through January 15 are notified February 1.
On cost, the school lists 2026-27 tuition of $23,600 and an admission application fee of $85, with a $1,600 discount for Catholic families registered in a parish of the Diocese of Orange. The school states that it awards more than $5 million in tuition assistance each year and that assistance is budgeted by grade level.
What to Do Now About the Santa Margarita Priority Deadline
Submit both applications in full by November 15. The admission application and the tuition assistance application are separate sets of materials, and the priority round requires both to be complete by the deadline. Families who need assistance should not wait for an admissions decision before applying.
Select an HSPT date in the application. The HSPT is the High School Placement Test used by Catholic high schools, and only incoming freshman applicants take it. The school also offers one-day review courses in January at $95 per session. Question types and preparation are covered in HSPT Prep.
Students holding a non-U.S. visa or a green card follow the international process. The school classifies students who hold a visa or a green card, as well as U.S. citizens who have not completed the two most recent consecutive school years in the United States, as international students, with a different application path.
Plan this alongside other schools’ dates. Open houses and deadlines at several Orange County Catholic high schools are covered in the October brief on Orange County Catholic high school open houses; courses and college outcomes for this school are in the Santa Margarita Catholic High School guide; overall school selection and application planning is in the Orange County Private High School Guide.
Sources
- Santa Margarita Catholic High School: Class of 2031 (Admissions Process) (accessed November 11, 2026)
- Santa Margarita Catholic High School: Apply (accessed November 11, 2026)
- Santa Margarita Catholic High School: Tuition & Affordability (accessed November 11, 2026)
- Santa Margarita Catholic High School: High School Placement Test and Review Course Info (accessed November 11, 2026)
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