What’s it like at St. John’s in DC?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Actually St. John's is your typical Catholic high school you find all around the country. Well except that it has exceptionally good sports.

No it isn't a Sidwell, GDS, Landon or St. Albans -- all of which are more than twice the cost of SJC (or GZ) and generally don't pull from families looking at SJC.

Well you also can't compare it with schools like Prep and Stone Ridge. Class sizes much smaller and overall class is smaller. Single sex isn't for everyone, but many have that preference.

True and those two have much higher tuitions also. Looking at you SR!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You make $230k and can’t afford $22k for tuition?? You need a financial planner.

SJC is only 22k? thats super cheap compared to other DC privates

You get what you pay for.

But figuring out what you'll get will be difficult with all the Admissions Department "information" and the boosters all trying to make the school look better than it actually is.

It's NWDC's answer to Good Counsel, O'Connell and Paul VI.

As a PP pointed out, it's a large co-ed Catholic high school with a very strong athletic program funded by some successful alumni.

One major exception is that its location means it is a highly attractive place for those wanting to avoid the DCPS.

How long has it been co-ed? For some reason I thought it was all boys like the some of the other DC area Catholic high schools: BI, Dematha, Gonzaga, GPrep.

For most of the school's history it was all boys.

In the mid-1990's St Johns had very low enrollment and was close to closing. Then they started this remarkable climb back and that's when girls were added.

[Anonymous]

How do kids get there from NOVA suburbs?

[Anonymous]

It sucks thay Md and Dc have all the great privates. So many choices and so convenient to Moco and Upper NW.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Overcrowded. Overly focused on sports. Mean lower middle class kids....

Don't you mean brutish, uncivilized and unwashed lower middle class kids?

Yes.

[Anonymous]

How do kids get there from NOVA suburbs?[google]

There is a bus from Alexandria.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:St John's is $23,000.

Gonzaga is $25,000

But as pointed out above St John's is not very similar to the group of schools most think of as DC area private schools. (St Albans, Sidwell, Maret, Holton Arms, Landon, etc)

In many ways, it's more similar to a suburban public high school than it is to what most people think of as a private school.

It's a great school if you are interested in a Catholic school and you want an alternative to the public schools.

SJC has a definite public school field--but without the behavioral issues.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:St John's is $23,000.

Gonzaga is $25,000

But as pointed out above St John's is not very similar to the group of schools most think of as DC area private schools. (St Albans, Sidwell, Maret, Holton Arms, Landon, etc)

In many ways, it's more similar to a suburban public high school than it is to what most people think of as a private school.

It's a great school if you are interested in a Catholic school and you want an alternative to the public schools.

SJC has a definite public school field--but without the behavioral issues.

Having sent two kids to SJC (they attended local public schools for elementary), I’d say there is definitely a difference with public not just based on behavior, but also community. At SJCHS, the teachers and administration will definitely know your kid, and there is an emphasis on helping others and supporting everyone in the community. People are happy to be there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:St John's is $23,000.

Gonzaga is $25,000

But as pointed out above St John's is not very similar to the group of schools most think of as DC area private schools. (St Albans, Sidwell, Maret, Holton Arms, Landon, etc)

In many ways, it's more similar to a suburban public high school than it is to what most people think of as a private school.

It's a great school if you are interested in a Catholic school and you want an alternative to the public schools.

SJC has a definite public school field--but without the behavioral issues.

Having sent two kids to SJC (they attended local public schools for elementary), I’d say there is definitely a difference with public not just based on behavior, but also community. At SJCHS, the teachers and administration will definitely know your kid, and there is an emphasis on helping others and supporting everyone in the community. People are happy to be there.

SJC is NOT like a suburban public high school and no one who has attended or sent a kid thinks so. It is a private college prep catholic HS with a great reputation for community, service, sports, theater, and its military program. Most kids are genuinely happy to be there. Size alone wouldn’t let it be compared to any DMV suburban public high school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:St John's is $23,000.

Gonzaga is $25,000

But as pointed out above St John's is not very similar to the group of schools most think of as DC area private schools. (St Albans, Sidwell, Maret, Holton Arms, Landon, etc)

In many ways, it's more similar to a suburban public high school than it is to what most people think of as a private school.

It's a great school if you are interested in a Catholic school and you want an alternative to the public schools.

SJC has a definite public school field--but without the behavioral issues.

Having sent two kids to SJC (they attended local public schools for elementary), I’d say there is definitely a difference with public not just based on behavior, but also community. At SJCHS, the teachers and administration will definitely know your kid, and there is an emphasis on helping others and supporting everyone in the community. People are happy to be there.

That’s good because suburban high schools don’t have any of those things. LOL.

SJC is NOT like a suburban public high school and no one who has attended or sent a kid thinks so. It is a private college prep catholic HS with a great reputation for community, service, sports, theater, and its military program. Most kids are genuinely happy to be there. Size alone wouldn’t let it be compared to any DMV suburban public high school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:St John's is $23,000.

Gonzaga is $25,000

But as pointed out above St John's is not very similar to the group of schools most think of as DC area private schools. (St Albans, Sidwell, Maret, Holton Arms, Landon, etc)

In many ways, it's more similar to a suburban public high school than it is to what most people think of as a private school.

It's a great school if you are interested in a Catholic school and you want an alternative to the public schools.

SJC has a definite public school field--but without the behavioral issues.

Having sent two kids to SJC (they attended local public schools for elementary), I’d say there is definitely a difference with public not just based on behavior, but also community. At SJCHS, the teachers and administration will definitely know your kid, and there is an emphasis on helping others and supporting everyone in the community. People are happy to be there.

That’s good because suburban high schools don’t have any of those things. LOL.

SJC is NOT like a suburban public high school and no one who has attended or sent a kid thinks so. It is a private college prep catholic HS with a great reputation for community, service, sports, theater, and its military program. Most kids are genuinely happy to be there. Size alone wouldn’t let it be compared to any DMV suburban public high school.

Nor do most privates… See sarcasm works both ways. 🙄 But then things like it being Catholic, changing tuition, smaller class sizes, uniforms, and a dedicated military or leadership program that is not an elective ruin the whole suburban HS thing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You make $230k and can’t afford $22k for tuition?? You need a financial planner.

SJC is only 22k? thats super cheap compared to other DC privates

You get what you pay for.

But figuring out what you'll get will be difficult with all the Admissions Department "information" and the boosters all trying to make the school look better than it actually is.

It's NWDC's answer to Good Counsel, O'Connell and Paul VI.

As a PP pointed out, it's a large co-ed Catholic high school with a very strong athletic program funded by some successful alumni.

One major exception is that its location means it is a highly attractive place for those wanting to avoid the DCPS.

You get what you pay for? What an insult. I know a lot of students who have done very well at SJC.
Yes, some class sizes are larger. Yes, sports are a focus, but so are the arts.
But here is what's great about SJC compared to many of the area privates:
-great facilities
-a variety of college outcomes, from Ivy League and top 30, top publics, etc. But not super heavy on SLACs the way a lot of the private schools here tend to be. Much more STEM and business focused outcomes - engineers and sciences
-great ties back to the community, much like other privates
-a more relaxed student culture
-want big sports. Checkmark. Want good art program. Checkmark. Want top academics. Checkmark the Scholars Program. Want fun. Checkmark, checkmark.
-a very good administration

We toured several schools for our DC years ago and thought that perhaps it was a good program. Many years later, we are happy that SJC was able to offer what we needed.

Its sort of like this. There are many options to choose from for high school in this area. Each option has pros and cons. SJC works well for those who know what they have and how it can get their student to where they need to go. For those parents looking for a certain status, a certain elbow-rubbing, then SJC may not be your school.

But we have top college outcomes too. Harvard, anyone?

All about choices.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You make $230k and can’t afford $22k for tuition?? You need a financial planner.

SJC is only 22k? thats super cheap compared to other DC privates

You get what you pay for.

But figuring out what you'll get will be difficult with all the Admissions Department "information" and the boosters all trying to make the school look better than it actually is.

It's NWDC's answer to Good Counsel, O'Connell and Paul VI.

As a PP pointed out, it's a large co-ed Catholic high school with a very strong athletic program funded by some successful alumni.

One major exception is that its location means it is a highly attractive place for those wanting to avoid the DCPS.

You get what you pay for? What an insult. I know a lot of students who have done very well at SJC.
Yes, some class sizes are larger. Yes, sports are a focus, but so are the arts.
But here is what's great about SJC compared to many of the area privates:
-great facilities
-a variety of college outcomes, from Ivy League and top 30, top publics, etc. But not super heavy on SLACs the way a lot of the private schools here tend to be. Much more STEM and business focused outcomes - engineers and sciences
-great ties back to the community, much like other privates
-a more relaxed student culture
-want big sports. Checkmark. Want good art program. Checkmark. Want top academics. Checkmark the Scholars Program. Want fun. Checkmark, checkmark.
-a very good administration

We toured several schools for our DC years ago and thought that perhaps it was a good program. Many years later, we are happy that SJC was able to offer what we needed.

Its sort of like this. There are many options to choose from for high school in this area. Each option has pros and cons. SJC works well for those who know what they have and how it can get their student to where they need to go. For those parents looking for a certain status, a certain elbow-rubbing, then SJC may not be your school.

But we have top college outcomes too. Harvard, anyone?

All about choices.

PP here. Its funny. I saw a social media post for a local private hs, sort of highlighting how great their stem was. The student was doing some stemmy classes and it was made a big deal. I sort of chuckle because the classes were lower leveled than what several SJC kids had taken. But that's the thing. Parents and students that know SJC know that they can make it work for them and in a big way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Actually St. John's is your typical Catholic high school you find all around the country. Well except that it has exceptionally good sports.

No it isn't a Sidwell, GDS, Landon or St. Albans -- all of which are more than twice the cost of SJC (or GZ) and generally don't pull from families looking at SJC.

Well you also can't compare it with schools like Prep and Stone Ridge. Class sizes much smaller and overall class is smaller. Single sex isn't for everyone, but many have that preference.

True and those two have much higher tuitions also. Looking at you SR!

You get what you pay for.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Actually St. John's is your typical Catholic high school you find all around the country. Well except that it has exceptionally good sports.

No it isn't a Sidwell, GDS, Landon or St. Albans -- all of which are more than twice the cost of SJC (or GZ) and generally don't pull from families looking at SJC.

Well you also can't compare it with schools like Prep and Stone Ridge. Class sizes much smaller and overall class is smaller. Single sex isn't for everyone, but many have that preference.

True and those two have much higher tuitions than also. Looking at you SR!

You get what you pay for.

In terms of college outcomes/commitments and a path for everyone, we’ll take it. Plenty of time in college and grad school for even better connections. All of my dc’s friends are going to some of the same top colleges as the other privates. Will take it!