St. Anselm's and Gonzaga- any advice?

[Anonymous]

Hello! We are looking for a High School for our DS. He is smart, and athletic. However, he has never played club sports so I worry that he won't get to play at G. I worry about the small size of SAAS. I like both Gz and SAAS, but they seem very different. We are not Catholic, but see beautiful Christian teaching in both schools and that is exciting!

If you have any experience at either school- please share some of the things you like about these places.

[Anonymous]

Both are wonderful schools that will provide a great education, tons of opportunities, and lasting friendships for your son.

At the Abbey, we have been pleasantly surprised by the athletic program. We feel like the school captures what high school sports was always supposed to be about: a compliment to the academic experience that allows students to have fun, stay in shape, venture outside of their comfort zone, and provide another way for students to grow and work towards goals—as opposed to the be-all, end-all. And they are perfectly competitive within their conference, the PVAC, and routinely send boys to play at the college level (typically D-3).

[Anonymous]

Hi OP, why does the Abbey's small size concern you? Is it because of the likelihood of making friends with a smaller peer group, or something else? I just ask so I can provide you with better feedback

[Anonymous]

Both great schools. Visit both, shadow at both, go to a sporting event at both and your son will have a clear preference. To be frank, unless your son is an excellent player on a competitive club team he will not make the Gonzaga teams. I have two friends whose son's chose Gonzaga because they thought they would be able to play there and neither kid ever made the varsity team. They still enjoyed their time but they had to find non-cut sports like rugby and cross country. Its a numbers game. there are 1000 boys to fill those teams at Gonzaga and many are recruited to play there. In contrast, there are 140 boys at St. Anselms, nobody is recruited, and everyone makes the team and will play.

[Anonymous]

Apply

[Anonymous]

Both are great schools, but I'd agree that for the athletic but not necessarily a star athlete, SAAS is probably a better option if they want playing time in their preferred sport. That said, it's been my experience that students at schools like Gonzaga that don't make varsity in the big sports like football, soccer, baseball and basketball, and wind up picking up a new sport (eg. Rugby, Crew, Cross Country, Wrestling, etc.) tend to have a similar experience as the one described by the PP where they're doing it for the love of the game, having fun, making friends and getting fit.

[Anonymous]

We have first hand experience at both schools and love them both for different reasons. Really depends on what you are seeking in a high school experience: exceptional scholarly academics or more collegiate-like sports environment. One has a quieter more intellectual yet still teenage boy friendly environment influenced by the active presence of the monks “Always We Begin Again” and the other is more spirited with greater emphasis on bonding as a community of service “Men for Others”. They are very different but both wonderful schools not only for the stated goals but also for personal formation.

[Anonymous]

+ 1. We have had boys at both schools and it was a perfect fit for each. Recommend shadow days and see which he prefers. Good luck!!

[Anonymous]

DS is at Gonzaga and we love it. Classes are challenging but teachers are helpful and accessible. The community service opportunities are amazing and have been really impactful on DS. The school spirit and sense of community really make the school
special.

In terms of sports, I think it really depends on which sports your DS is interested in and whether he is open to trying a new sport. It is difficult to make the competitive/
cut teams. DS has played on a top travel team in his sport since early elementary and was recruited at a different school and still was very nervous about making GZ’s team. He did (thankfully) make it but it definitely could have gone either way. That said, GZ has a bunch of no cut sports at least at the JV level - track, cross country, wrestling, swimming and diving, crew, rugby, etc. Plenty of boys don’t make the team in their preferred sport but end up trying one of the no cut sports and end up loving it, making good friends on the team, getting exercise, etc.

[Anonymous]

At Gonzaga, there are sports for everyone. For non travel players, baseball, basketball, and soccer will be tough. But anything else they can join has a freshman and work their way up. Lacrosse might tough to make varsity junior/senior year if you don’t play club but know some non club players make teams as freshmen. They have a lot of sports he can pick from.

[Anonymous]

Thanks all this is really helpful!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hi OP, why does the Abbey's small size concern you? Is it because of the likelihood of making friends with a smaller peer group, or something else? I just ask so I can provide you with better feedback

I worry that they might not find friends. Also a larger school can provide more teachers and more classes, that can sometimes add to a better outcome. My assumption is that more students means more support structure- so everyone can find what they are looking for.

[Anonymous]

If your child has never played club sports then they will only make the no-cut sports. Admissions will tell you otherwise, but it is very rare for that to happen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Both great schools. Visit both, shadow at both, go to a sporting event at both and your son will have a clear preference. To be frank, unless your son is an excellent player on a competitive club team he will not make the Gonzaga teams. I have two friends whose son's chose Gonzaga because they thought they would be able to play there and neither kid ever made the varsity team. They still enjoyed their time but they had to find non-cut sports like rugby and cross country. Its a numbers game. there are 1000 boys to fill those teams at Gonzaga and many are recruited to play there. In contrast, there are 140 boys at St. Anselms, nobody is recruited, and everyone makes the team and will play.

this is true. Gonzaga is where sport dreams go to die - I know families that have left G for different private schools so that their son could play on the field. Sports are dominant at G.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DS is at Gonzaga and we love it. Classes are challenging but teachers are helpful and accessible. The community service opportunities are amazing and have been really impactful on DS. The school spirit and sense of community really make the school
special.

In terms of sports, I think it really depends on which sports your DS is interested in and whether he is open to trying a new sport. It is difficult to make the competitive/
cut teams. DS has played on a top travel team in his sport since early elementary and was recruited at a different school and still was very nervous about making GZ’s team. He did (thankfully) make it but it definitely could have gone either way. That said, GZ has a bunch of no cut sports at least at the JV level - track, cross country, wrestling, swimming and diving, crew, rugby, etc. Plenty of boys don’t make the team in their preferred sport but end up trying one of the no cut sports and end up loving it, making good friends on the team, getting exercise, etc.

Rugby is cut for purple and black teams. I believe rugby was organized differently this year with having 2 lower teams along with varsity black and purple. Many of the boys go on to play college rugby