St Albans vs St Anselm's

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Currently Abbey parent and new poster. I’ll
say what no one else has said yet: The school
And the academics are wonderful. The college counseling is atrocious!!! There should be more boys going to higher level schools and it’s not because they aren’t trying or can’t afford it. It’s for a few reasons. First despite what some say there is ZERO grade inflation at the Abbey. It’s incredibly rigorous for colleges to look at 30 boys in this current class and see several with 4.0 does not tell the whole story. Those boys have worked their butts off. Second, the college counselors are old and out of touch and college admissions counselors do not know the abbey. We picked the Abbey for our son knowing this based on what parents said but really didn’t understand the extent of it. The one, most awful counselor is retiring but keeping him in the job for so long was a grave disservice to the students. There are a few schools that know the Abbey well.. Chicago is one of them and three boys are going this year. It’s ridiculous that those families all strategically applied there knowing that it’s one of the few top schools
That know the Abbey. I’m sure any one of those boys would have applied or an IVY if they thought they had a chance of getting in. Abbey boys are well prepared for college without doubt… but the school in no
Way gives them any help with college admissions.

This is very rude. Those men are kind and dedicated and do not deserve this public humiliation.

Agree- this is very rude and was not our experience. Current parent here- we are thrilled with our "high stats" DS's college outcome and appreciative of the counseling that he received. The counselors were kind, dedicated, supportive and knowledgeable.

Not only was PP rude but plain wrong: the counselors were excellent and the kids had great choices; some chose better fits for them than the more “prestigious” schools to which they were admitted — as well they should have.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Currently Abbey parent and new poster. I’ll
say what no one else has said yet: The school
And the academics are wonderful. The college counseling is atrocious!!! There should be more boys going to higher level schools and it’s not because they aren’t trying or can’t afford it. It’s for a few reasons. First despite what some say there is ZERO grade inflation at the Abbey. It’s incredibly rigorous for colleges to look at 30 boys in this current class and see several with 4.0 does not tell the whole story. Those boys have worked their butts off. Second, the college counselors are old and out of touch and college admissions counselors do not know the abbey. We picked the Abbey for our son knowing this based on what parents said but really didn’t understand the extent of it. The one, most awful counselor is retiring but keeping him in the job for so long was a grave disservice to the students. There are a few schools that know the Abbey well.. Chicago is one of them and three boys are going this year. It’s ridiculous that those families all strategically applied there knowing that it’s one of the few top schools
That know the Abbey. I’m sure any one of those boys would have applied or an IVY if they thought they had a chance of getting in. Abbey boys are well prepared for college without doubt… but the school in no
Way gives them any help with college admissions.

This is very rude. Those men are kind and dedicated and do not deserve this public humiliation.

Agree- this is very rude and was not our experience. Current parent here- we are thrilled with our "high stats" DS's college outcome and appreciative of the counseling that he received. The counselors were kind, dedicated, supportive and knowledgeable.

Not only was PP rude but plain wrong: the counselors were excellent and the kids had great choices; some chose better fits for them than the more “prestigious” schools to which they were admitted — as well they should have.

FWIW, some of the more “prestigious” schools 2025 Abbey seniors turned down:

Notre Dame
Columbia
UC Berkeley
UT Austin
Georgetown
USC
Middlebury
Swarthmore
Georgetown
Georgia Tech

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Currently Abbey parent and new poster. I’ll
say what no one else has said yet: The school
And the academics are wonderful. The college counseling is atrocious!!! There should be more boys going to higher level schools and it’s not because they aren’t trying or can’t afford it. It’s for a few reasons. First despite what some say there is ZERO grade inflation at the Abbey. It’s incredibly rigorous for colleges to look at 30 boys in this current class and see several with 4.0 does not tell the whole story. Those boys have worked their butts off. Second, the college counselors are old and out of touch and college admissions counselors do not know the abbey. We picked the Abbey for our son knowing this based on what parents said but really didn’t understand the extent of it. The one, most awful counselor is retiring but keeping him in the job for so long was a grave disservice to the students. There are a few schools that know the Abbey well.. Chicago is one of them and three boys are going this year. It’s ridiculous that those families all strategically applied there knowing that it’s one of the few top schools
That know the Abbey. I’m sure any one of those boys would have applied or an IVY if they thought they had a chance of getting in. Abbey boys are well prepared for college without doubt… but the school in no
Way gives them any help with college admissions.

This is very rude. Those men are kind and dedicated and do not deserve this public humiliation.

Agree- this is very rude and was not our experience. Current parent here- we are thrilled with our "high stats" DS's college outcome and appreciative of the counseling that he received. The counselors were kind, dedicated, supportive and knowledgeable.

Not only was PP rude but plain wrong: the counselors were excellent and the kids had great choices; some chose better fits for them than the more “prestigious” schools to which they were admitted — as well they should have.

FWIW, some of the more “prestigious” schools 2025 Abbey seniors turned down:

Notre Dame
Columbia
UC Berkeley
UT Austin
Georgetown
USC
Middlebury
Swarthmore
Georgetown
Georgia Tech

This post was never about prestigious colleges. Counselors can just be bad. They can be bad at advising someone who is going to go to community college. But weird to anonymously brag about where your son got in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Currently Abbey parent and new poster. I’ll
say what no one else has said yet: The school
And the academics are wonderful. The college counseling is atrocious!!! There should be more boys going to higher level schools and it’s not because they aren’t trying or can’t afford it. It’s for a few reasons. First despite what some say there is ZERO grade inflation at the Abbey. It’s incredibly rigorous for colleges to look at 30 boys in this current class and see several with 4.0 does not tell the whole story. Those boys have worked their butts off. Second, the college counselors are old and out of touch and college admissions counselors do not know the abbey. We picked the Abbey for our son knowing this based on what parents said but really didn’t understand the extent of it. The one, most awful counselor is retiring but keeping him in the job for so long was a grave disservice to the students. There are a few schools that know the Abbey well.. Chicago is one of them and three boys are going this year. It’s ridiculous that those families all strategically applied there knowing that it’s one of the few top schools
That know the Abbey. I’m sure any one of those boys would have applied or an IVY if they thought they had a chance of getting in. Abbey boys are well prepared for college without doubt… but the school in no
Way gives them any help with college admissions.

This is very rude. Those men are kind and dedicated and do not deserve this public humiliation.

Agree- this is very rude and was not our experience. Current parent here- we are thrilled with our "high stats" DS's college outcome and appreciative of the counseling that he received. The counselors were kind, dedicated, supportive and knowledgeable.

Not only was PP rude but plain wrong: the counselors were excellent and the kids had great choices; some chose better fits for them than the more “prestigious” schools to which they were admitted — as well they should have.

FWIW, some of the more “prestigious” schools 2025 Abbey seniors turned down:

Notre Dame
Columbia
UC Berkeley
UT Austin
Georgetown
USC
Middlebury
Swarthmore
Georgetown
Georgia Tech

This post was never about prestigious colleges. Counselors can just be bad. They can be bad at advising someone who is going to go to community college. But weird to anonymously brag about where your son got in.

Not my kid's acceptances. These are just some of the acceptances from the class that I happen to know about via my DS. My point was that if Abbey seniors have choices like these the college counseling isn't as bad as OP is making it out to be. Personally, we hired an outside counselor for advising the search but probably would have done that even if our kid was at a Big 3 because our kid's situation was not 100% straightforward. But his Abbey CC did a great job with the most important part of that role. He wrote a detailed, well-researched, personalized counselor letter for my kid. Very few kids get that level of individual support and we think it made a real difference.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Currently Abbey parent and new poster. I’ll
say what no one else has said yet: The school
And the academics are wonderful. The college counseling is atrocious!!! There should be more boys going to higher level schools and it’s not because they aren’t trying or can’t afford it. It’s for a few reasons. First despite what some say there is ZERO grade inflation at the Abbey. It’s incredibly rigorous for colleges to look at 30 boys in this current class and see several with 4.0 does not tell the whole story. Those boys have worked their butts off. Second, the college counselors are old and out of touch and college admissions counselors do not know the abbey. We picked the Abbey for our son knowing this based on what parents said but really didn’t understand the extent of it. The one, most awful counselor is retiring but keeping him in the job for so long was a grave disservice to the students. There are a few schools that know the Abbey well.. Chicago is one of them and three boys are going this year. It’s ridiculous that those families all strategically applied there knowing that it’s one of the few top schools
That know the Abbey. I’m sure any one of those boys would have applied or an IVY if they thought they had a chance of getting in. Abbey boys are well prepared for college without doubt… but the school in no
Way gives them any help with college admissions.

This is very rude. Those men are kind and dedicated and do not deserve this public humiliation.

Agree- this is very rude and was not our experience. Current parent here- we are thrilled with our "high stats" DS's college outcome and appreciative of the counseling that he received. The counselors were kind, dedicated, supportive and knowledgeable.

Not only was PP rude but plain wrong: the counselors were excellent and the kids had great choices; some chose better fits for them than the more “prestigious” schools to which they were admitted — as well they should have.

FWIW, some of the more “prestigious” schools 2025 Abbey seniors turned down:

Notre Dame
Columbia
UC Berkeley
UT Austin
Georgetown
USC
Middlebury
Swarthmore
Georgetown
Georgia Tech

This post was never about prestigious colleges. Counselors can just be bad. They can be bad at advising someone who is going to go to community college. But weird to anonymously brag about where your son got in.

Not my kid's acceptances. These are just some of the acceptances from the class that I happen to know about via my DS. My point was that if Abbey seniors have choices like these the college counseling isn't as bad as OP is making it out to be. Personally, we hired an outside counselor for advising the search but probably would have done that even if our kid was at a Big 3 because our kid's situation was not 100% straightforward. But his Abbey CC did a great job with the most important part of that role. He wrote a detailed, well-researched, personalized counselor letter for my kid. Very few kids get that level of individual support and we think it made a real difference.

+1. These are several kids. There's even another prestigious school I can think of that's not mentioned -- so there might be a few more. Nor does this take into account those "top" kids (from the limited college admissions perspective) who did not go the "prestige or bust" direction with applications in the first place, but who certainly would have gotten into this tier of schools. And yet the outcomes are exceptional. Every school works well for what the boys want to study.

The poster perversely lamenting three boys' Chicago outcomes is likely a troll: the top kids are attending all sorts of schools -- and it was their choice, not necessity -- as anyone actually affiliated with the school would know.

[Anonymous]

Not a troll. But nice try.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Currently Abbey parent and new poster. I’ll
say what no one else has said yet: The school
And the academics are wonderful. The college counseling is atrocious!!! There should be more boys going to higher level schools and it’s not because they aren’t trying or can’t afford it. It’s for a few reasons. First despite what some say there is ZERO grade inflation at the Abbey. It’s incredibly rigorous for colleges to look at 30 boys in this current class and see several with 4.0 does not tell the whole story. Those boys have worked their butts off. Second, the college counselors are old and out of touch and college admissions counselors do not know the abbey. We picked the Abbey for our son knowing this based on what parents said but really didn’t understand the extent of it. The one, most awful counselor is retiring but keeping him in the job for so long was a grave disservice to the students. There are a few schools that know the Abbey well.. Chicago is one of them and three boys are going this year. It’s ridiculous that those families all strategically applied there knowing that it’s one of the few top schools
That know the Abbey. I’m sure any one of those boys would have applied or an IVY if they thought they had a chance of getting in. Abbey boys are well prepared for college without doubt… but the school in no
Way gives them any help with college admissions.

This is very rude. Those men are kind and dedicated and do not deserve this public humiliation.

Agree- this is very rude and was not our experience. Current parent here- we are thrilled with our "high stats" DS's college outcome and appreciative of the counseling that he received. The counselors were kind, dedicated, supportive and knowledgeable.

Not only was PP rude but plain wrong: the counselors were excellent and the kids had great choices; some chose better fits for them than the more “prestigious” schools to which they were admitted — as well they should have.

FWIW, some of the more “prestigious” schools 2025 Abbey seniors turned down:

Notre Dame
Columbia
UC Berkeley
UT Austin
Georgetown
USC
Middlebury
Swarthmore
Georgetown
Georgia Tech

This post was never about prestigious colleges. Counselors can just be bad. They can be bad at advising someone who is going to go to community college. But weird to anonymously brag about where your son got in.

Not my kid's acceptances. These are just some of the acceptances from the class that I happen to know about via my DS. My point was that if Abbey seniors have choices like these the college counseling isn't as bad as OP is making it out to be. Personally, we hired an outside counselor for advising the search but probably would have done that even if our kid was at a Big 3 because our kid's situation was not 100% straightforward. But his Abbey CC did a great job with the most important part of that role. He wrote a detailed, well-researched, personalized counselor letter for my kid. Very few kids get that level of individual support and we think it made a real difference.

+1. These are several kids. There's even another prestigious school I can think of that's not mentioned -- so there might be a few more. Nor does this take into account those "top" kids (from the limited college admissions perspective) who did not go the "prestige or bust" direction with applications in the first place, but who certainly would have gotten into this tier of schools. And yet the outcomes are exceptional. Every school works well for what the boys want to study.

The poster perversely lamenting three boys' Chicago outcomes is likely a troll: the top kids are attending all sorts of schools -- and it was their choice, not necessity -- as anyone actually affiliated with the school would know.

"The Top Kids" -- there is not ranking at SAAS... so you're judgment of the top kids is purely personal. Top kids in what respect?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Currently Abbey parent and new poster. I’ll
say what no one else has said yet: The school
And the academics are wonderful. The college counseling is atrocious!!! There should be more boys going to higher level schools and it’s not because they aren’t trying or can’t afford it. It’s for a few reasons. First despite what some say there is ZERO grade inflation at the Abbey. It’s incredibly rigorous for colleges to look at 30 boys in this current class and see several with 4.0 does not tell the whole story. Those boys have worked their butts off. Second, the college counselors are old and out of touch and college admissions counselors do not know the abbey. We picked the Abbey for our son knowing this based on what parents said but really didn’t understand the extent of it. The one, most awful counselor is retiring but keeping him in the job for so long was a grave disservice to the students. There are a few schools that know the Abbey well.. Chicago is one of them and three boys are going this year. It’s ridiculous that those families all strategically applied there knowing that it’s one of the few top schools
That know the Abbey. I’m sure any one of those boys would have applied or an IVY if they thought they had a chance of getting in. Abbey boys are well prepared for college without doubt… but the school in no
Way gives them any help with college admissions.

This is very rude. Those men are kind and dedicated and do not deserve this public humiliation.

Agree- this is very rude and was not our experience. Current parent here- we are thrilled with our "high stats" DS's college outcome and appreciative of the counseling that he received. The counselors were kind, dedicated, supportive and knowledgeable.

Not only was PP rude but plain wrong: the counselors were excellent and the kids had great choices; some chose better fits for them than the more “prestigious” schools to which they were admitted — as well they should have.

FWIW, some of the more “prestigious” schools 2025 Abbey seniors turned down:

Notre Dame
Columbia
UC Berkeley
UT Austin
Georgetown
USC
Middlebury
Swarthmore
Georgetown
Georgia Tech

This post was never about prestigious colleges. Counselors can just be bad. They can be bad at advising someone who is going to go to community college. But weird to anonymously brag about where your son got in.

Not my kid's acceptances. These are just some of the acceptances from the class that I happen to know about via my DS. My point was that if Abbey seniors have choices like these the college counseling isn't as bad as OP is making it out to be. Personally, we hired an outside counselor for advising the search but probably would have done that even if our kid was at a Big 3 because our kid's situation was not 100% straightforward. But his Abbey CC did a great job with the most important part of that role. He wrote a detailed, well-researched, personalized counselor letter for my kid. Very few kids get that level of individual support and we think it made a real difference.

+1. These are several kids. There's even another prestigious school I can think of that's not mentioned -- so there might be a few more. Nor does this take into account those "top" kids (from the limited college admissions perspective) who did not go the "prestige or bust" direction with applications in the first place, but who certainly would have gotten into this tier of schools. And yet the outcomes are exceptional. Every school works well for what the boys want to study.

The poster perversely lamenting three boys' Chicago outcomes is likely a troll: the top kids are attending all sorts of schools -- and it was their choice, not necessity -- as anyone actually affiliated with the school would know.

"The Top Kids" -- there is not ranking at SAAS... so you're judgment of the top kids is purely personal. Top kids in what respect?

The class profile provided to colleges with each application, and which every student and parent has access to, indicates exactly how many kids have a 4.0 UW GPA. How many have a 3.75 to 4.0 etc., etc. There are also prizes every year to the top academic achievers. Yes, classmates and parents know pretty much exactly who those "top kids" are.

[Anonymous]

A narrow and sad way of defining a top kid. I think the top kids are the ones who are so involved in the school and community and their active social life that they have.. gasp a 3.75 GPA. Yes there are sadly parents there who define it this way fighting for the .01 gpa boost… to each his own.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A narrow and sad way of defining a top kid. I think the top kids are the ones who are so involved in the school and community and their active social life that they have.. gasp a 3.75 GPA. Yes there are sadly parents there who define it this way fighting for the .01 gpa boost… to each his own.

I think the point is that we all know who the top students are from a college admissions perspective, as was already said above. Obviously, in this age of holistic admissions, this is not defined as merely “high stats” — you are quibbling with straw men.

To the extent that your perception of what colleges should be looking for differs from that reality (or to the extent that you need that reality better defined for you), these are general issues better brought up in the college admission threads next door; they are really not about this little school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Genuine question to the poster who is negative on the Abbey: can you share what information you have that allows you to opine? I'm interested in the Abbey for my son and would really love to understand if there are issues that I'm not seeing. Did you have a son there that wasn't challenged in the way the school claims to do? Or is it just what you see from college outcomes?

Son attended. Leadership has changed several times in recent years. Enrollment has dropped, new admissions staff working to turn things around. If you are seriously considering, be sure your son does a Shadow Day or two. Try to attend some events on campus and check out the vibe. Yes, the rigor is demanding, it will set a boy up well for college. Make sure to check with your child to determine what they really want from a high school, it’s a lot of work and not for everyone. There’s more to high school than a rigorous curriculum.

[Anonymous]

Don't really have skin in the game here but was curious and saw that St. Anselm's has a list of the top 20 most frequently attended colleges on their website since 2020. These are:

Chicago
William & Mary
UVA
Cornell
Notre Dame
Boston College
Georgetown
NYU
Fordham
UMD
Virginia Tech
Georgia Tech
Wake Forest
Gettysburg
Case Western Reserve
Loyola MD
Villanova
Northeastern
Pitt
RPI

The wealthier and presumably better-connected schools in NW have a few more Yales and Stanfords and Amhersts but boy...that's a pretty darn good list by any definition.

[Anonymous]

These are the schools that know the Abbey. They’ve taken no steps to move beyond those schools. That’s why kids keep targeting them over and over again. They know their chances are better.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:These are the schools that know the Abbey. They’ve taken no steps to move beyond those schools. That’s why kids keep targeting them over and over again. They know their chances are better.

Curious what steps or efforts you would suggest SAAS take given that (with only 30-40 graduates a year) they will never send more than 1 or 2 kids a year to any particular school?

[Anonymous]

Their website identifies hundreds of different colleges where students have been accepted in the last four years, which suggests that college counseling is not going back to the same well every time but instead helping guide students to look at a variety of different schools that might be a good fit. The sheer number of colleges is especially notable given that Abbey graduating classes are only around 40 students.

In any case, these data points should dispel the narrative that the school's college placements are not on par with other academically elite schools in the region. No school is perfect, but this little powerhouse deserves more credit here.