Georgetown Day School, Sidwell Friends, or St. Alban's?

[Anonymous]

COVID has really knocked the social stuff a bit, so I wouldn't be too concerned about moving in as a junior.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Cut STA off your list since he isn’t good at sports. And the all boys thing is not good. I went to NCS the sister school and would never send my son to STA.

It’s very hard to get into all of these schools. I would apply to Maret, GDS, Sidwell. Maybe Burke and Field and Potomac as well. You need to cast a wide net. Bullis as a back up.

They all start well before ninth grade. The only ones that don’t are the catholic schools like Gonzaga and prep. But a lot of those kids know each other from church catholic grade school, country club, etc.

If you have not bought a house yet you could try to get a place in the Whitman or BCC districts.

Thanks for the reply.
Why would you not send your son to STA?
I understand they are all competitive, but the admissions directors at each school have confirmed his grades are at the high end of the admitted range. We also have applied successfully applied to some of the schools you mentioned, so we know he will go somewhere.

Because STA has a jerky, jock-y, sexist atmosphere.

They might not have any spots, is the problem. It’s not like boarding schools that accept a lot of kids in eleventh grade. It’s only by attrition. So you should apply to a bunch of schools and then not worry too much about which one until you see which ones are even options.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, congrats on your upcoming move. The PPs are correct in telling you to cast a much, much wider net. It is a freak occurrence for one of these schools to have an opening in 11th grade. Not saying miracles don’t happen, but cover yourself. Also, the admission teams will be very honest with you if you get in touch with them. Best of luck.

Thank you for the reply.
We have been in touch with the admissions teams, and they all said that his grades and scores are on the higher end of the range for admitted students. They said that they have a few openings, but competition is much higher than for regular admission.
He has also applied to several schools in the area, and has been admitted to each one we've heard back from.

I’m confused. When is he starting? He applied already or not? Very confusing.

I agree this is a confusing post.

When is he starting?

Has he gotten into any schools and if so which ones?

[Farmer]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, congrats on your upcoming move. The PPs are correct in telling you to cast a much, much wider net. It is a freak occurrence for one of these schools to have an opening in 11th grade. Not saying miracles don’t happen, but cover yourself. Also, the admission teams will be very honest with you if you get in touch with them. Best of luck.

Thank you for the reply.
We have been in touch with the admissions teams, and they all said that his grades and scores are on the higher end of the range for admitted students. They said that they have a few openings, but competition is much higher than for regular admission.
He has also applied to several schools in the area, and has been admitted to each one we've heard back from.

I’m confused. When is he starting? He applied already or not? Very confusing.

Ah, I understand the confusion.
He has applied to a few schools in the area for admission for this fall. We have been accepted into a few schools, but they do not require a firm answer for about a month. Georgetown Day and Sidwell confirmed they have a few spots open for junior year and we have applied. We have not received a formal letter of admission from GDS or SFS, but he has been accepted into SAS.

[Farmer]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, congrats on your upcoming move. The PPs are correct in telling you to cast a much, much wider net. It is a freak occurrence for one of these schools to have an opening in 11th grade. Not saying miracles don’t happen, but cover yourself. Also, the admission teams will be very honest with you if you get in touch with them. Best of luck.

Thank you for the reply.
We have been in touch with the admissions teams, and they all said that his grades and scores are on the higher end of the range for admitted students. They said that they have a few openings, but competition is much higher than for regular admission.
He has also applied to several schools in the area, and has been admitted to each one we've heard back from.

I’m confused. When is he starting? He applied already or not? Very confusing.

I agree this is a confusing post.

When is he starting?

Has he gotten into any schools and if so which ones?

I apologize profusely for the confusion. He has applied to a few schools in the area for admission for this fall. We have been accepted into a few schools including SAS, but they do not require a firm answer for about a month. Georgetown Day and Sidwell confirmed they have a few spots open for junior year and we have applied. We have not received a formal letter of admission from GDS or SFS.

[Farmer]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, congrats on your upcoming move. The PPs are correct in telling you to cast a much, much wider net. It is a freak occurrence for one of these schools to have an opening in 11th grade. Not saying miracles don’t happen, but cover yourself. Also, the admission teams will be very honest with you if you get in touch with them. Best of luck.

Thank you for the reply.
We have been in touch with the admissions teams, and they all said that his grades and scores are on the higher end of the range for admitted students. They said that they have a few openings, but competition is much higher than for regular admission.
He has also applied to several schools in the area, and has been admitted to each one we've heard back from.

I’m confused. When is he starting? He applied already or not? Very confusing.

I apologize profusely for the confusion. He has applied to a few schools in the area for admission for this fall. We have been accepted into a few schools including SAS, but they do not require a firm answer for about a month. Georgetown Day and Sidwell confirmed they have a few spots open for junior year and we have applied. We have not received a formal letter of admission from GDS or SFS.
I should have been more clear.

[Anonymous]

Farmer wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, congrats on your upcoming move. The PPs are correct in telling you to cast a much, much wider net. It is a freak occurrence for one of these schools to have an opening in 11th grade. Not saying miracles don’t happen, but cover yourself. Also, the admission teams will be very honest with you if you get in touch with them. Best of luck.

Thank you for the reply.
We have been in touch with the admissions teams, and they all said that his grades and scores are on the higher end of the range for admitted students. They said that they have a few openings, but competition is much higher than for regular admission.
He has also applied to several schools in the area, and has been admitted to each one we've heard back from.

I’m confused. When is he starting? He applied already or not? Very confusing.

I apologize profusely for the confusion. He has applied to a few schools in the area for admission for this fall. We have been accepted into a few schools including SAS, but they do not require a firm answer for about a month. Georgetown Day and Sidwell confirmed they have a few spots open for junior year and we have applied. We have not received a formal letter of admission from GDS or SFS.
I should have been more clear.

They don’t require a firm answer for a month? June 1st is when they require a firm answer or you are on the hook for tuition. Is this post fake?

[Anonymous]

Because STA has a jerky, jock-y, sexist atmosphere.

They might not have any spots, is the problem. It’s not like boarding schools that accept a lot of kids in eleventh grade. It’s only by attrition. So you should apply to a bunch of schools and then not worry too much about which one until you see which ones are even options.

OP, I have a very different perspective from the STA hater. My son is currently in high school there and we have been very pleased with the academics and environment. We were concerned about an all boys school, but our son has not experienced the atmosphere PP describes AT ALL. Our son, in many ways, sounds similar to yours - he is very bright, more drawn to the humanities than STEM, enjoys music . . . But also enjoys team sports and the “brotherhood” that he has found at STA. He is proud of his school and looks forward to going, even though he does work very hard. There are many boys at STA who are like him. FWIW, we also have two daughters and would not send them to NCS due to the mean-girl, competitive atmosphere there where girls fail to lift each other up in the way that boys at STA do. This is something we paid close attention to in selecting STA, and we have found that the boys consistently celebrate each other’s successes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Cut STA off your list since he isn’t good at sports. And the all boys thing is not good. I went to NCS the sister school and would never send my son to STA.

It’s very hard to get into all of these schools. I would apply to Maret, GDS, Sidwell. Maybe Burke and Field and Potomac as well. You need to cast a wide net. Bullis as a back up.

They all start well before ninth grade. The only ones that don’t are the catholic schools like Gonzaga and prep. But a lot of those kids know each other from church catholic grade school, country club, etc.

If you have not bought a house yet you could try to get a place in the Whitman or BCC districts.

Thanks for the reply.
Why would you not send your son to STA?
I understand they are all competitive, but the admissions directors at each school have confirmed his grades are at the high end of the admitted range. We also have applied successfully applied to some of the schools you mentioned, so we know he will go somewhere.

Because STA has a jerky, jock-y, sexist atmosphere.

They might not have any spots, is the problem. It’s not like boarding schools that accept a lot of kids in eleventh grade. It’s only by attrition. So you should apply to a bunch of schools and then not worry too much about which one until you see which ones are even options.

As the mother of two STA boys and a strong feminist, I disagree with your characterization of STA’s atmosphere. Perhaps the atmosphere was more that way when you attended, but it strikes me as an outdated stereotype. Each class varies in the number of jerks it has, but jerkiness is found also at NCS and other elite DC privates. It unfortunately comes with privilege, wealth, and minimal parenting.

OP, of the three schools, STA has the most supportive atmosphere. I have a girl at Sidwell, and it is hyper competitive without the supportiveness. We found GDS to be similar. Both schools have a laissez-faire approach, especially in the upper schools. If a student gets overloaded or faces mental health challenges due to stress, don’t expect teachers and admin to step in to help.

Sidwell’s college guidance office is notorious for how dysfunctional it has been for several years.

If your son is interested in music and drama, STA has the strongest programs. There is a coordinate program with NCS where the boys attend classes and share certain activities (drama, choir, cross-country, crew) with the girls. It’s untrue that they are “cut off” from girls.

You can be successful at STA without being athletic, if you are very smart, which it sounds like your son is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Cut STA off your list since he isn’t good at sports. And the all boys thing is not good. I went to NCS the sister school and would never send my son to STA.

It’s very hard to get into all of these schools. I would apply to Maret, GDS, Sidwell. Maybe Burke and Field and Potomac as well. You need to cast a wide net. Bullis as a back up.

They all start well before ninth grade. The only ones that don’t are the catholic schools like Gonzaga and prep. But a lot of those kids know each other from church catholic grade school, country club, etc.

If you have not bought a house yet you could try to get a place in the Whitman or BCC districts.

Thanks for the reply.
Why would you not send your son to STA?
I understand they are all competitive, but the admissions directors at each school have confirmed his grades are at the high end of the admitted range. We also have applied successfully applied to some of the schools you mentioned, so we know he will go somewhere.

Because STA has a jerky, jock-y, sexist atmosphere.

They might not have any spots, is the problem. It’s not like boarding schools that accept a lot of kids in eleventh grade. It’s only by attrition. So you should apply to a bunch of schools and then not worry too much about which one until you see which ones are even options.

Not our son’s experience. Supportive, broad mix of kids. Academics is the priority, and you don’t have to be a jock, but not even liking sports would be an issue. The bigger problem is that it’s probably the toughest to get into. Small school with low attrition, especially by junior year. Of course you should ask if you think it might be a good fit though!

[Anonymous]

Kids like OP's kid often thrive socially at Burke, even when transferring in later years. In a typical year, Burke has about one to two dozen very intense, academically focused kids. GDS will have more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Because STA has a jerky, jock-y, sexist atmosphere.

They might not have any spots, is the problem. It’s not like boarding schools that accept a lot of kids in eleventh grade. It’s only by attrition. So you should apply to a bunch of schools and then not worry too much about which one until you see which ones are even options.

OP, I have a very different perspective from the STA hater. My son is currently in high school there and we have been very pleased with the academics and environment. We were concerned about an all boys school, but our son has not experienced the atmosphere PP describes AT ALL. Our son, in many ways, sounds similar to yours - he is very bright, more drawn to the humanities than STEM, enjoys music . . . But also enjoys team sports and the “brotherhood” that he has found at STA. He is proud of his school and looks forward to going, even though he does work very hard. There are many boys at STA who are like him. FWIW, we also have two daughters and would not send them to NCS due to the mean-girl, competitive atmosphere there where girls fail to lift each other up in the way that boys at STA do. This is something we paid close attention to in selecting STA, and we have found that the boys consistently celebrate each other’s successes.

Op, I really would not pay attention to what moms of St. Albans boys are saying. What do they know? The boys know to be polite in front of parents. That doesn’t mean the boys don’t sexually harass girls nonstop when the parents aren’t looking whenever girls are around.

Op, when you said he has gotten into SAS, what school are you referring to? The acronym for St Albans is STA

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, congrats on your upcoming move. The PPs are correct in telling you to cast a much, much wider net. It is a freak occurrence for one of these schools to have an opening in 11th grade. Not saying miracles don’t happen, but cover yourself. Also, the admission teams will be very honest with you if you get in touch with them. Best of luck.

Thank you for the reply.
We have been in touch with the admissions teams, and they all said that his grades and scores are on the higher end of the range for admitted students. They said that they have a few openings, but competition is much higher than for regular admission.
He has also applied to several schools in the area, and has been admitted to each one we've heard back from.

I’m confused. When is he starting? He applied already or not? Very confusing.

I agree this is a confusing post.

When is he starting?

OP, I’m the “best of luck” PP. I wasn’t confused, but I am completely amazed that you were able to get him into more than one school. That is amazing (truly). Congratulations. Oh, and FWIW- I would send my son to STA in a heartbeat. Love that school. The other PPs who are negative make it seem like the boys are a bunch of wild animals. That is simply not true.
Has he gotten into any schools and if so which ones?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, congrats on your upcoming move. The PPs are correct in telling you to cast a much, much wider net. It is a freak occurrence for one of these schools to have an opening in 11th grade. Not saying miracles don’t happen, but cover yourself. Also, the admission teams will be very honest with you if you get in touch with them. Best of luck.

Thank you for the reply.
We have been in touch with the admissions teams, and they all said that his grades and scores are on the higher end of the range for admitted students. They said that they have a few openings, but competition is much higher than for regular admission.
He has also applied to several schools in the area, and has been admitted to each one we've heard back from.

I’m confused. When is he starting? He applied already or not? Very confusing.

I agree this is a confusing post.

When is he starting?

OP, I’m the “best of luck” PP. I wasn’t confused, but I am completely amazed that you were able to get him into more than one school. That is amazing (truly). Congratulations. Oh, and FWIW- I would send my son to STA in a heartbeat. Love that school. The other PPs who are negative make it seem like the boys are a bunch of wild animals. That is simply not true.
Has he gotten into any schools and if so which ones?

I messed up that post- sorry. My reply is in the quote and the question at the end is not mine. Sorry!

[Anonymous]

St. Alban’s School - STA
St. Andrews Episcopal School - SAES
St. Anselm’s Abbey School- SAAS
St. Stevens St Agnes School - SSSAS

Which one did you mean, OP?