How difficult is it to get into St. Albans for 6th or 7th grade

[Anonymous]

Hello, I’m curious how hard it is to be admitted to St. Albans in 6th or 7th grade and if you need to submit testing even though it says it’s test optional? My son is an average student and a good athlete, but not overly academic. He would be coming from a local parish school. He is higher in reading and comprehension than math. I would not want him to be miserable if he did get in and wasn’t able to keep up with the work.

We are looking for a school that is a little more open minded than the local parish schools that has strong athletics. If anyone else has suggestions on where to apply, that may be a better fit, we are open to hearing them. We would like a school that goes from 6th grade through 12th, it can be single sex or coed, it can be religious or not, just more middle of the road and not too much religion or right wing craziness or overly “woke” either. This combination seems to be harder to find than one would think. So far we have St. Albans, Saint Andrews and Landon on the list.
Thanks!

[Anonymous]

St Albans is among the most competitive in the area and even if he were a fantastic student, his odds would be slim (just because of the number of applicants versus available slots). To put it bluntly, the probability of him getting in based on your description is very very slim.

St. Andrews is a different story and might be a more reasonable path. His athleticism could also help him (possibly) with admissions at Landon. Other schools to consider include Bullis and, though not considered athletically-focused, Field and Edmund Burke.

St. Albans, Georgetown Day, Sidwell and Maret are all very competitive admits.

[Anonymous]

The part about being an average student that is not overly academic is going to be a problem in getting into St Albans.

You might want to consider two Bethesda schools, Landon and Mater Dei. Both have strong athletic programs with many sports and have a wider range of students.

[Anonymous]

Agree that based on your description that STA is a long shot.

What do you mean by “looking for something more open minded” than parish schools, though?

[Anonymous]

Bullis, St. Andrews, and Landon would be better fits for average students who are strong athletes.

[Anonymous]

It’s very difficult to get into

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The part about being an average student that is not overly academic is going to be a problem in getting into St Albans.

You might want to consider two Bethesda schools, Landon and Mater Dei. Both have strong athletic programs with many sports and have a wider range of students.

Doesn't Mater Dei stop at 8th? Why not get settled at a school that goes through 12th?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s very difficult to get into

This.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s very difficult to get into

+1. But it helps if parents are part of the appropriate social scene.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hello, I’m curious how hard it is to be admitted to St. Albans in 6th or 7th grade and if you need to submit testing even though it says it’s test optional? My son is an average student and a good athlete, but not overly academic. He would be coming from a local parish school. He is higher in reading and comprehension than math. I would not want him to be miserable if he did get in and wasn’t able to keep up with the work.

We are looking for a school that is a little more open minded than the local parish schools that has strong athletics. If anyone else has suggestions on where to apply, that may be a better fit, we are open to hearing them. We would like a school that goes from 6th grade through 12th, it can be single sex or coed, it can be religious or not, just more middle of the road and not too much religion or right wing craziness or overly “woke” either. This combination seems to be harder to find than one would think. So far we have St. Albans, Saint Andrews and Landon on the list.
Thanks!

These schools are academically very rigorous. The kids who thrive there generally love the pursuit of the academics. They are not places where you can go and coast through.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s very difficult to get into

This.

Correction: St Albans is hard to get into if your kid is not an alumni child or not the offspring of someone famous. I have personally met several morons from St Albans who clearly fell into one or both of these categories.

[Anonymous]

In 6th grade, St Albans takes six to eight boys. That's it. As other posters have said, an academically average student will have little chance unless there's something that is truly outstanding about his application (family connection or athletic achievement). If you're going to apply, I'd highly recommend prepping your son to take the SSAT in the fall.

Landon, Bullis, and St. Andrews would be more realistic.

[Anonymous]

An average student is not getting in 6th grade and certainly not for athletics. STA routinely turns away great athletes in upper school, so it’s definitely not happening in 6th.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In 6th grade, St Albans takes six to eight boys. That's it. As other posters have said, an academically average student will have little chance unless there's something that is truly outstanding about his application (family connection or athletic achievement). If you're going to apply, I'd highly recommend prepping your son to take the SSAT in the fall.

Landon, Bullis, and St. Andrews would be more realistic.

The year my son applied for 6th grade they took 5 boys. My son did not get a spot.

[Anonymous]

7th takes up to 10-15 students, depending on the year.

It’s considered an entry year so admissions will be very competitive.

STA is not a good fit for a mediocre student. It’s tough even for bright disciplined kids. The median overall grade in upper school is an 84-86 depending on the year.