Blair vs St. John’s

[Anonymous]

My DD was accepted to St. John’s next school year. Her zoned public is Blair and she currently attends middle school in MCPS. We’re contemplating making the switch to private for highschool. She’s bright but didn’t get into CAP or the STEM Magnet.

She is leaning towards Blair but I’m a bit worried because the school is so large and I’m wondering how kids not in the magnet have thrived. Has anyone had kids in both schools to compare?

Also does Blair allow families to tour? We went to the accepted students night at SJC and loved the facilities.

[Anonymous]

Tough call. Can’t speak to St. John’s but DD is at Blair and not in those programs. She LOVES Blair. Has a diverse group of friends, very involved in activities and sports, and taking as many APs as she can handle. It is big and somewhat chaotic. But she is thriving and has had some really strong teachers (but not every class). Her peer group seems to be similarly motivated and engaged.

It’s not for everyone but I am pretty sure she wouldn’t pick any other school over Blair.

[Anonymous]

Who is the “we/we’re” your referring to, your daughter or you the parents? Why were/are you looking at private?

Let your daughter choose! I can’t emphasize this enough. If your kid is not having problems at school that require parental intervention, by HS it’s about them and their choice, not you. You don’t have to attend everyday. Yes you have to keep guiding and influencing, but you need to stop trying to be in the drivers seat.

SJC is a wonderful school but she should want to be there.

[Anonymous]

Also OP you’ll be saving 100k by going to public.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DD was accepted to St. John’s next school year. Her zoned public is Blair and she currently attends middle school in MCPS. We’re contemplating making the switch to private for highschool. She’s bright but didn’t get into CAP or the STEM Magnet.

She is leaning towards Blair but I’m a bit worried because the school is so large and I’m wondering how kids not in the magnet have thrived. Has anyone had kids in both schools to compare?

Also does Blair allow families to tour? We went to the accepted students night at SJC and loved the facilities.

SJC will have usable and open bathrooms.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DD was accepted to St. John’s next school year. Her zoned public is Blair and she currently attends middle school in MCPS. We’re contemplating making the switch to private for highschool. She’s bright but didn’t get into CAP or the STEM Magnet.

She is leaning towards Blair but I’m a bit worried because the school is so large and I’m wondering how kids not in the magnet have thrived. Has anyone had kids in both schools to compare?

Also does Blair allow families to tour? We went to the accepted students night at SJC and loved the facilities.

SJC will have usable and open bathrooms.

So will/does Blair

[Anonymous]

St. John's. There will be more opportunities and the school community will be more close-knit. Blair is a great school but it can't offer what St. John's offers and there she can be at the top of the class whereas at Blair she'll be one among probably 300 top students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DD was accepted to St. John’s next school year. Her zoned public is Blair and she currently attends middle school in MCPS. We’re contemplating making the switch to private for highschool. She’s bright but didn’t get into CAP or the STEM Magnet.

She is leaning towards Blair but I’m a bit worried because the school is so large and I’m wondering how kids not in the magnet have thrived. Has anyone had kids in both schools to compare?

Also does Blair allow families to tour? We went to the accepted students night at SJC and loved the facilities.

SJC will have usable and open bathrooms.

The academics are stronger at Blair. SJCHS thought my son was a math genius after he took the entrance exam. The math chairperson at SJCHS even called me, excited about his results, after the exam, and said they might have to send him to Catholic U for his upper math in his junior and senior years. He was good in math and had the benefit of geometry at TPMS. He was in a group of juniors and seniors tutoring his classmates in math during his freshman year at SJCHS.

He missed his friends from MCPS, so we switched to Blair sophomore year. He was assigned into the lower calculus class for his junior year after precalc at Blair his sophomore year tracked him lower.

[Anonymous]

Yeah- if your kid is science or math oriented publics are always going to beat private, esp Blair.

[Anonymous]

And this is even if your kid is not in the magnet - regarding math / science.

It’s worth checking out the Blair course catalog. It’s more like a college with all of its offerings - which is more important as the kids get to higher level classes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:And this is even if your kid is not in the magnet - regarding math / science.

It’s worth checking out the Blair course catalog. It’s more like a college with all of its offerings - which is more important as the kids get to higher level classes.

And here is the thing about Blair - its size means greater course offerings, even beyond AP. My dc had advanced English offerings, and he was not in the CAP. Academic electives are extensive and the music program is fantastic.

I know that students who demonstrate they can do the magnet work are allowed to take magnet courses, even if they are not in the magnet program.

[Anonymous]

If your kid is a focused, self starter, who works hard - that type of kid can absolutely shine at Blair. Regardless of CAP or magnet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:St. John's. There will be more opportunities and the school community will be more close-knit. Blair is a great school but it can't offer what St. John's offers and there she can be at the top of the class whereas at Blair she'll be one among probably 300 top students.

What opportunities will be more at St. John's?

[Anonymous]

Sports, clubs, more interaction with teachers. A counselor who actually knows who you are. At St. John's you can be in the school play and be president of the robotics club. It's much harder in a school as competitive as Blair to stand out. I think people are delusional if they think a random kid can stand out against all the magnet and CAP students. There are always a handful of non-magnet, non-CAP kids who do but that's out of a class of 700-1000.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sports, clubs, more interaction with teachers. A counselor who actually knows who you are. At St. John's you can be in the school play and be president of the robotics club. It's much harder in a school as competitive as Blair to stand out. I think people are delusional if they think a random kid can stand out against all the magnet and CAP students. There are always a handful of non-magnet, non-CAP kids who do but that's out of a class of 700-1000.

OP Here: That's my fear. I want DD to have a chance to shine and be known. She doesn't want a small school, which is why we only applied to SJC since it's large (1200 kids, about the size of my public school back in the day). She liked her visit but is apprehensive about leaving the friends she made in middle school. She also recognizes there's a lot of drama and rowdiness at her current school as well that may get better or worse in HS. Sports at SJC are competitive so I don't think she'd be very likely to get a spot on some teams but she's not very athletic and more of a STEM/Arts kid. Hard decision!