I have 2 DC at SJC. I would strongly encourage the cadet corps. DC liked it much more than I would have thought. And honestly, it doesn’t seem to fit the mold right off. |
SJC parent here. Putting aside the sports question for a sec. We've been really happy with SJC overall. But you have to know what you are getting into. We came from a K-8 parish school, so much smaller obv. There are many great things about SJC. But it's big. OF course there are kids who are cheating. I hear about it all the time from my kid. There are people vaping in the bathroom. There are detentions and suspensions. Sometimes even an expulsion (rarely I think, but it happens.) That can be scary/overwhelming to someone coming from an environment where every kid and every family knew each other, where you know all the teachers and admins, etc.
Now for the sports question, I agree that these athletes are very committed. But this IS high school. They're partying plenty on weekends. |
Is all of this true for girls too? |
Current 9th grade DC there. We asked about joining cadet corps early in fall semester and seems like they had already met their quota for the year, so my son was not allowed to join. |
Join as a a sophomore. |
OP - I wouldn’t be afraid to change schools if DC is not happy. There are a lot of options. |
The fact that Cadet Corps is so popular with these kids speaks well of the Admissions team and the quality of applicants. SJC sends many kids to the service academies, particularly female students. This gives me hope for the future. |
Omg, of course you can be a high level HS athlete and partier. Tons of them! |
SJC is not a good school for someone who wants more rigor in their coursework or who wants more diversity of thought among the student body/administration. It is a very rigid school. |
So, what's the best course of action for an untethered student going into 9th grade (already accepted)? Above average student but not an extremely hard worker. SJC has 1200 students; they all can't be D1 athletes.
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Can you clarify what you mean by these statements? They seem to contradict each other. |
Actually, it is one of the most diverse schools in the DMV, esp wrt diversity of thought. You don’t appear to know what you are talking about. |
Just like any larger group, go out and find smaller subgroups you would like to be part of. And start working harder so you can take advantage of opportunities on offer. |
When you say untethered do you mean they are looking for something where they don’t need any background, experience, or talent to be able to participate? If so, what are their interests/hobbies? |
What are your options? Both my smart, lazy boys learned how to study and discipline at SJC. It’s a very nice community. |