Admission FAQs

ANSWERS:

How many openings will there be in the grade to which my child is applying?

How many students are at Bishop Dunne?

For the 2007-2008 school year, Bishop Dunne had 662 students - 161 in the middle school, and 501 in the high school.

What is the student/teacher ratio?

Our student/teacher ratio is currently 13:1. Our average class size is 16 students.

What is the boy/girl ratio?

Bishop Dunne does not limit our enrollment spaces by gender. We started the past year with nearly the same number of boys and girls and it is fair to say Bishop Dunne regularly enrolls approximately the same number of boys and girls.

Do Bishop Dunne students have to be Catholic?

No. There is no requirement that students be Catholic. ALL students will find a warm, supportive and nurturing environment at Bishop Dunne. Currently 56% of our middle school students are Catholic and approximately 70% of our high school students are Catholic.

What is the diversity of Bishop Dunne students?

At Bishop Dunne we celebrate our diversity, a diversity which reflects that of the entire Dallas community which we have proudly served since 1901. Our student population is made up of 30 % African American students, 8.5% Asian and Bi-Racial students, 30% Caucasian students, and 31% Hispanic students. We are equally proud of our socio-economic diversity. We estimate that approximately 25% of our families come from the highest income tax bracket, 50% would be considered middle income, and at the same time 25% of our families attend Bishop Dunne with the help of financial assistance. Our students truly come from every walk of life. Our commitment has always been that every Bishop Dunne student will be treated equally, with respect, and offered full access to our strenuous, college preparatory curriculum.

Where do the majority of Bishop Dunne students live?

Bishop Dunne’s residential location in Oak Cliff draws students from all over the metroplex. We have students from as far away as Arlington, Flower Mound, Frisco, Plano, Rowlett, Mesquite, and Mansfield currently attending Bishop Dunne. One of our top graduates of 2006 (now at Princeton) came from Lewisville. The majority of Bishop Dunne students come from within the city of Dallas. We still have our largest representation from all of Oak Cliff including large groups from Kessler Park, Stevens Park, Elmwood Park, and Hampton Hills. We also have sizeable groups of students from the Uptown, North Dallas, and White Rock Lake areas. Outside of the city limits Cedar Hill, DeSoto and Duncanville are all well represented, with Grand Prairie, Irving, and Lancaster right behind.

At what grade level does Bishop Dunne begin?

Bishop Dunne offers Grade 6-12. New students typically will enter in Grade 6, 7, or Grade 9. Transfer students may also elect to enter Grade 8 or 10, and with special advanced permission of the Bishop Dunne Director of Admission, Grade 11.

Do you have a waitlist?

Whether we have a waitlist varies year by year, and grade by grade. As each class level fills up we will begin a waitlist. Grades 6 and 7 are most likely to have a waitlist. Grade 8 and 9, in some years, have a waitlist. Grade 10 and 11 rarely have a waitlist.

Do Bishop Dunne students wear uniforms?

Yes, all Bishop Dunne students are required to wear uniforms daily. Our official uniform supplier is Mills Uniform, located at the corner of Preston and Beltline in North Dallas. There are both formal and informal uniforms. Most school days informal uniforms are worn, consisting of khaki pants(shorts or skorts during early fall and late spring semesters), belt, dark polish-able shoes and the appropriate color polo style shirt. On Mass days and on special occasions, a more formal uniform consisting of skirts and blouses for girls, neckties and white shirt with grey flannel pants for boys, are required. Students are free to wear, but not required to wear, the formal uniform any day. The middle school (navy blue), and high school (cardinal red) have different color informal uniforms. Seniors students also have a color (light blue).

Does Bishop Dunne provide bus transportation?

Bishop Dunne does in fact own a fleet of school buses and currently provides bus service to a variety of locations in North Dallas, Downtown Dallas, White Rock area, Duncanville, Grand Prairie, Irving and Waxahachie. This bus service is optional and is available at an additional cost. We hope to begin servicing the Mockingbird and Union DART stations later this year. Bus routes to other locations are available and will be added as there is demand for new routes.

What happens if my child applies after the 1/15 deadline?

For many unforeseen reasons (family changes, moves, job changes) a student may not even consider attending Bishop Dunne until after the January 15 priority deadline. At Bishop Dunne, we gladly continue to accept applications until our classes are full. Students who are ready and able to apply before January 15 are given first consideration and offered full academic reviews (eg: interviews) and financial aid reviews regardless of how many applications we have received by January 15. Those students applying after January 15 are reviewed and offered interviews, admission, and financial aid on a rolling, space available basis.