Help a newcomer with some HS leads
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Anonymous
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We'll be moving to the area with a rising 9th grader who has super high test scores and ability but super low motivation and study skills. We'd love to find a college-prep school that's strong academically, but also not too intense and competitive.
We'd also love a smaller sized school where he won't get as lost and where teachers will notice and intervene if he starts down a bad path. He's athletic, outgoing and likes to push the limits. We've had some issues with sneaking out, vaping, etc. and are worried about the even greater temptations in high school. Prefer non-denominational. Definitely no to Christian schools, but Catholic is okay. Service-minded and community-minded would be great. Where we live is flexible based on schools. Any/all leads welcome! |
Anonymous
| Gonzaga. Checks all the boxes. |
Anonymous
| For fall 2024? Or fall 2025? |
Anonymous
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Might look at St Anselms too. Discipline issues and cutting school will get you expelled, however.
In DC the Christian schools like Sidwell or St Andrews are more progressive than the Catholic schools. These are not like Southern Christian schools. This area is very progressive, I don’t think you’ll find the Christian schools too much on the indoctrination side. There are a few super conservative Catholic schools like The Heights. |
Anonymous
| Gonzaga - very easy academically and lax discipline. |
Anonymous
+1. Do you need a spot for Fall 2024? If your kid is already in a private school, ask your HOS to start making phone calls. If not, you are going to need to start calling. You likely won't have a lot of choice. |
Anonymous
But if he isn’t Catholic and his grades reflect the “super low motivation and study skills” the OP described his chances of being admitted to very popular Gonzaga would be pretty low. Add to that he wouldn’t be coming from one of the many feeder schools whose student evaluations Gonzaga has learned to trust. Add to that Gonzaga is a large (1,000 student) school and a very active and busy environment, it doesn’t sound at all like the school the OP described. It isn’t a place where teachers will constantly monitor student activity and correct it. Some of the smaller schools like Landon do keep a closer eye on things. We are told the school has left behind the bad old days and now pays closer attention to student behavior. In the situation that the OP described, I’d say the smaller the better. |
Anonymous
| St. John’s |
Anonymous
I don't think I'd recommend St. Anselm's for a boy who has "super low motivation and study skills." |
Anonymous
| Bullis? Would be smaller overall grade size than most of the Catholic schools, non-denominational, and good for athletes. |
Anonymous
| Burke! |
Anonymous
Yeah, St Anselms definitely heavy academics but I felt it checked a lot of other boxes for the family. Close supervision, lots of community service, and lack of internal student competition. It may also have spots for fall 2024 but you’d need to call. |
Anonymous
But what about the athletic part? That's missing at Burke. |
Anonymous
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Landon, Bullis, Georgetown Prep, Good Counsel...
I'm confused by the Catholic but not Christian part. Where does Epicopalian fit in that designation? |
Anonymous
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Aren’t military schools good at addressing this kind of problem?
Of course, there might be a lot of boys there with similar issues. |