Application Process

Step 1: Visit Us

Late applications submitted after December 8 will be reviewed in the next round of admissions. The Admissions Department will contact each applicant individually regarding the late admissions timeline and space availability.

Cardinal Gibbons offers small group tours on select weekdays, providing prospective families with the opportunity to explore our campus, meet faculty and students, and gain insight into life at Gibbons. Tours are led by our Admissions team and Student Ambassadors, offering a comprehensive overview of the process to becoming a Chief along with the perspective from our current students!

Tour availability is limited in December and January; however, we will resume a full tour schedule beginning in February 2026.

You can easily schedule your visit using our calendar here: Schedule Your Tour HERE!

Please note: Campus tours are optional and not required to complete your application.

We look forward to welcoming you to Cardinal Gibbons and sharing all that makes our school community exceptional.

Step 2: Gather Documents & Information to Submit an Application

Step 3: Complete an Application

Please select the correct application that corresponds to the applicant’s current school.

9th Grade Application - ADOM Catholic School: Students currently enrolled in an Archdiocese of Miami Catholic school.
9th Grade Application - Public / Private School: Students currently enrolled in any public or private school including, Broward County Public School, Magnet School, or Non-Archdiocesan Middle School.
10th, 11th, and 12th Grade Transfer Application: Students currently enrolled in any high school.
- Cardinal Gibbons High School does not accept local 12th-grade transfer students. Only applicants applying outside of Broward County will be considered for admission.
- Transfer applicants must have an unweighted GPA of 3.1 or higher to be considered for admission.
  
  Application Portal

Step 4: Submit Required Documents

Visit the Admissions Requirements Checklist by Grade tab and the Admissions portal to stay up-to-date with the required documents.

9th Grade Applicant - ADOM Catholic School:

Parents/guardians will consent to the release of records in the application. All documents will be collected directly by Cardinal Gibbons High School.

*Applicants requesting accommodations for the HSPT on December 6, 2025, must submit a current educational plan AND either a Psychoeducational Evaluation (within 3 years) or a doctor’s note specifying eligibility. All documentation must be sent to ese@cghsfl.org and be approved by the ESE Coordinator before Wednesday, November 19, 2025.

9th Grade - Public / Private School & Transfer Student Applicants:

Parents/Guardians are responsible for requesting the following:
Academic Transcripts / Standardized Test Scores: Parents/guardians will consent to the release of records in the application. Academic documents must be sent directly from the school to admissions@cghsfl.org or mailed to Cardinal Gibbons High School.
Recommendation Forms: In the Admissions Portal, parents/guardians need to enter the applicant's current Math and English teachers' email addresses. The recommendation forms will be sent to the teachers and returned directly to the Admissions Department in the portal. Parents/guardians must monitor the submissions until they are completed.
Student Interviews: All transfer applicants and select freshman applicants are required to complete an interview with an Administrator. Interviews will be scheduled only after all required documents have been submitted and the HSPT has been completed. Each interview lasts about 15 minutes, and students do not need to bring or prepare anything in advance.

Step 5: Take the Cardinal Gibbons Admissions Entrance Exam (HSPT)

Completing the CGHS application automatically registers the applicant for the mandatory Admissions Entrance Exam (HSPT) at Cardinal Gibbons High School. This exam is required for all incoming freshmen and transfer students. The HSPT exam will be held on Saturday, December 6, 2025, at Cardinal Gibbons High School.

* Applicants must take the HSPT at their first-choice school to be considered for the first round of admissions decisions. Applicants who test elsewhere will be reviewed after the first round of decisions are released and if space is available.

* *Applicants requesting accommodations for the HSPT on December 6, 2025, must submit a current educational plan AND either a Psychoeducational Evaluation (within 3 years) or a doctor’s note specifying eligibility. All documentation must be sent to ese@cghsfl.org and be approved by the ESE Coordinator before Wednesday, November 19, 2025.

Step 6: Check the Admissions Application Status

Once the required academic documents, standardized tests, recommendation forms, and Admissions Entrance Exam (HSPT) are completed, the first round of admissions decisions will be released on the following dates.

9th Grade Applicants: Admissions decisions will be released on Friday, January 23, 2026.

10th - 12th Grade Applicants: Admissions decisions will be released on Friday, January 30, 2026.

*Decisions will only be sent to applicants who have submitted all required documents.

Information

Admissions Deadlines & Important Dates

September
September 2: Cardinal Gibbons Applications OPEN

October
October 18: Open House

November
November 19: HSPT Information Session (Registered Applicants Only)
November 20: Accommodations Documentation Due (Applicants Requiring Extended Time Only)
November 30: Early Admissions Application Deadline

December
December 3: Final Admissions Application Deadline
December 6: Admissions Entrance Exam (HSPT)

January
January 23: 9th Grade Applicants: Admissions Decisions Released
January 30: 10th - 12th Grade Applicants: Admissions Decisions Released

February
February 6: 9th Grade Applicants: Registration Deadline
February 13: 10th - 12th Grade Applicants: Registration Deadline

March
March 21: (Optional) 9th Grade Course Advancement Exams

June
June 9 - 26: Summer School

Admissions Entrance Exam (HSPT) Information

The Admissions Entrance Exam (HSPT) is required for all applicants applying to Cardinal Gibbons High School. It is used alongside academic transcripts, standardized test scores, and recommendation forms to evaluate and determine admission.

Below are the exam’s subsections, timing, and amount and categories of questions on the HSPT:

First Test Section: Verbal Skills

16 minutes, 60 multiple-choice questions
Synonyms and antonyms, analogies, logic-based questions, and verbal classifications.

Second Test Section: Quantitative Skills

30 minutes, 52 multiple-choice questions
Number series & manipulations, geometric and non-geometric quantitative comparisons. Calculators cannot be used.

Third Test Section: Reading Comprehension

25 minutes, 62 multiple-choice questions
Recognizing the central thought or purpose, logical inferences, interpreting literary elements and techniques, and understanding vocabulary in context.

Fourth Test Section: Mathematics

45 minutes, 64 multiple-choice questions
Computation and problem-solving skills, important concepts in areas of numbers & numeration, measurements, geometry, algebra, and statistics. Calculators cannot be used.

Fifth Test Section: Language Skills

25 minutes, 60 multiple-choice questions
Punctuation, capitalization, spelling, grammar, usage, and composition.

Admissions Requirements Checklist by Grade

The following documents are required to receive an Admissions decision:

9th Grade Applicants:
ADOM Catholic School Applicants:
- 6th, 7th & 8th Grade Academic Report Cards
- 6th, 7th & 8th Grade Terra Nova Test Scores
- Principal Recommendation (Collected by CGHS)
- Admissions Entrance Exam (HSPT)
* Student Interview (may be required)

Public / Private School Applicants:
- 6th, 7th & 8th Grade Academic Transcripts
- 6th, 7th & 8th Grade Standardized Test Scores
- Math & English Recommendations Forms in the Admissions Portal
- Admissions Entrance Exam (HSPT)
* Student Interview (may be required)

10th Grade Applicants:
- Any Middle School Transcripts containing High School credits (ie: Algebra I)
- 9th Grade & current 10th Grade High School Academic Transcripts
- Standardized Test Scores
- Math & English Recommendations Forms in the Admissions Portal
- Student Interview
- Admissions Entrance Exam (HSPT)

11th Grade Applicants:
- Any Middle School transcripts containing High School credits (ie: Algebra I)
- 9th Grade & current 10th Grade High School Academic Transcripts
- Standardized Test Scores
- Math & English Recommendations Forms in the Admissions Portal
- Student Interview
- Admissions Entrance Exam (HSPT) Results

12th Grade Applicants:
*Cardinal Gibbons High School does not accept local 12th-grade transfer students. Only applicants applying outside of Broward County will be considered for admission.
- Any Middle School transcripts containing High School credits (ie: Algebra I)
- 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, and current 12th High School Academic Transcripts
- Standardized Test Scores
- Math & English Recommendations Forms in the Admissions Portal
- Student Interview
- Admissions Entrance Exam (HSPT) Results

All Transfer Applicants must have the following to be considered an applicant.
- An unweighted GPA of 3.1 or higher
- Cardinal Gibbons High School does not accept local 12th-grade transfer students. Only applicants applying outside of Broward County will be considered for admission.

Prior to attending school, each student must provide the Admissions Office a School with a current Florida Certification of Immunization (Form DH 680) indicating the student has received all required immunizations (vaccinations). Per the Archdiocese of Miami Department of Schools, an exemption from immunization requirements is not permissible for religious, philosophical, personal, or other reasons.

International Students

International Applicants:
International applicants must follow the same admissions process as a local/domestic student by submitting an application through the Admission Portal and selecting their corresponding grade level.

International applicants' academic documents must include:

Contact hours
GPA
Credits

- If a transcript does not align with the U.S. education system, the student must provide an official translation and evaluation of all academic transcripts from an FLDOE-approved Foreign Credential Evaluation Company. Please refer to Admissions Requirements by Grade dropdown to see what documents need to be translated and evaluated per applicant.
https://www.fldoe.org/teaching/certification/foreign-trained-grads/approved-credential-evaluation-agencie.stml

Our school, in accordance with federal law, does not inquire about the immigration status of our students. However, it is our responsibility to remind all families that it is a violation of the Tourist B-1 or B-2 Visa to attend classes while on a B-1 or B-2 Visa, and doing so could result in a cancellation of that visa. If a family is considering changing a B-1 or B-2 Tourist Visa for an F-1 Student Visa, they should consult with an immigration lawyer to help them understand the implications of completing the application.

Should the family decide to apply for an F-1 Visa, Cardinal Gibbons High School will assist the family accordingly. The student may not attend school until his/her status in the United States allows the student to attend school. An I-20 application will be processed after the student is accepted and registered.

If you have any questions, please contact the Registrar at 954-491-2900 ext. 138 or registrar@cghsfl.org.

Pastor Recommendation Form

Click here to access the Pastor Recommendation Form.

The Pastor Recommendation Form is optional and not a mandatory part of the Cardinal Gibbons High School application process. The information on the form will be used solely by Cardinal Gibbons High School in evaluating the applicant for potential admission to the school. This information is confidential and will not be shared with the applicant or his/her family, or made part of the student’s permanent file.

The form must be submitted directly by the recommending Pastor or Parochial Administrator to pastorrec@cghsfl.org. Forms sent by mail or in any other format will not be accepted or considered.

All Pastor Recommendation Forms must be submitted by December 3, 2025 to be considered in the admissions process.

Tuition Assistance

Cardinal Gibbons accepts need-based financial aid through the following State-Sponsored Programs:

Step-Up for Students (SUFS) www.stepupforstudents.org
Florida Private School Scholarship (AAA) www.aaascholarships.org

Families may also apply for additional need-based financial aid through Cardinal Gibbons Tuition Assistance Program, FACTS Grant and Aid. http://online.factsmgt.com/signin/3TNs1

OPEN ADMISSION POLICY - ADOM POLICY. The school has an open admission policy. No person, on the grounds of race, color, disability or national origin, is excluded or otherwise subjected to discrimination in the receiving of services. Nor does the school discriminate in hiring, promotion, discharge, pay, fringe benefits, job training, classification, referral and other aspects of employment on the basis of race, color, disability, age, gender, or national origin.

Click the image below to access our Admissions Timeline

CardinalGibbonsHighSchoolAdmissionsTimeline (PDF)

Admissions FAQs

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