Getting into St. Albans

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When do the Beauvoir boys for next year's entering class hear back from STA. Isn't it before Thanksgiving. What't the early word on number or percentage of Beauvoir boys expected to enter STA this coming year?

They are put in the pool with other applicants, so no word until the letters go out in mid-March, but the Beauvoir exmissions people may get word in early March, after decisions have been made. Then it is up to the admitees to decide where they choose to attend school. Only then will you get the number and percentage of Beauvoir boys entering STA. Not all Beauvoir boys will apply to STA and some of those admitted may also be admitted to other schools that they will choose to attend.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When do the Beauvoir boys for next year's entering class hear back from STA. Isn't it before Thanksgiving. What't the early word on number or percentage of Beauvoir boys expected to enter STA this coming year?

They are put in the pool with other applicants, so no word until the letters go out in mid-March, but the Beauvoir exmissions people may get word in early March, after decisions have been made. Then it is up to the admitees to decide where they choose to attend school. Only then will you get the number and percentage of Beauvoir boys entering STA. Not all Beauvoir boys will apply to STA and some of those admitted may also be admitted to other schools that they will choose to attend.

I think they get early notification, but when that is (January?) I don't know. Unless they've changed how it works.

[Anonymous]

The STA website indicates that it will notify Beauvoir boys by letters mailed December 19th. Other letters will go out March 3, 2014. The website describes the entire process. Please look there.

I understand that Beauvoir parents are asked not to tell until mid-March, when everyone should have made their decisions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When do the Beauvoir boys for next year's entering class hear back from STA. Isn't it before Thanksgiving. What't the early word on number or percentage of Beauvoir boys expected to enter STA this coming year?

They are put in the pool with other applicants, so no word until the letters go out in mid-March, but the Beauvoir exmissions people may get word in early March, after decisions have been made. Then it is up to the admitees to decide where they choose to attend school. Only then will you get the number and percentage of Beauvoir boys entering STA. Not all Beauvoir boys will apply to STA and some of those admitted may also be admitted to other schools that they will choose to attend.

This is not true. Beauvoir boys have an early application process and get a "things are looking good" or "not looking good" in December. Then they get their letters early and have to respond earlier than the rest of the general population applying.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The STA website indicates that it will notify Beauvoir boys by letters mailed December 19th. Other letters will go out March 3, 2014. The website describes the entire process. Please look there.

I understand that Beauvoir parents are asked not to tell until mid-March, when everyone should have made their decisions.

Yes, this is true. By now all Beauvoir boys will have heard one way or another.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The STA website indicates that it will notify Beauvoir boys by letters mailed December 19th. Other letters will go out March 3, 2014. The website describes the entire process. Please look there.

I understand that Beauvoir parents are asked not to tell until mid-March, when everyone should have made their decisions.

Yes, this is true. By now all Beauvoir boys will have heard one way or another.

How many siblings this year?

[Anonymous]

In addition to the required recommendations, how many extras are tolerated? Also, do recommendations from status people help if they do not really know the child?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In addition to the required recommendations, how many extras are tolerated? Also, do recommendations from status people help if they do not really know the child?

I think schools, including STA, will take anything you send -- it's still more flexible than college admissions. But remember the old admissions adage, "the thicker the file the thicker the student."

It DOES NOT HELP to have a recommendation from a status person if they don't know the child. If you've got somebody like a beloved Board Chair who is a close family friend is willing to put her/his credibility on the line and make phone calls/buttonhole the head of school, that might help (and even then, it's got to be a kid the school thinks can do fine there).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow...7 boys from st.pat's got into STA for 7 th hmmmmm
That has to be a record. I wonder why this could be...

Despite the sarcasm, I would say (1) St. Pat's is getting strong kids; (2) St. Albans is getting great apps from St. Pat's because it is a "hot school" for boys from St. Pat's right now, because of Peter Barrett's connection, the Episcopal schools thing, and the fact that the current St. Albans AD is a parent; and (3) the current St. Albans AD is a parent and probably thinks highly of the school and the lines of communication are very good right now.

Don't over-emphasize (3), however -- STA uses a committee structure for Admissions with professional staff and faculty. They're not letting in unqualified kids, or even ho-hum candidates, just because the AD is a parent there.

The Cathedral schools have a strong relationship with one another and always have. This would be comprised of Beauvoir, NCS, and STA. The only true feeder to STA and NCS is Beauvoir and for other schools to suggest they are a feeder to the upper Cathedral schools or that they have a "special" relationship with them really does not sit well with many people. I grew up here and the Cathedral schools do have a special relationship and history and it is surprising to hear posters from other schools repeatedly try to say they now are feeder schools as well. It does not mean other schools are not wonderful and academically strong but it is pompous to repeatedly brag that they now gave an "in" with the Cathedral schools. Many great schools send children to the Cathedral schools without trying to claim they are a feeder school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow...7 boys from st.pat's got into STA for 7 th hmmmmm
That has to be a record. I wonder why this could be...

Despite the sarcasm, I would say (1) St. Pat's is getting strong kids; (2) St. Albans is getting great apps from St. Pat's because it is a "hot school" for boys from St. Pat's right now, because of Peter Barrett's connection, the Episcopal schools thing, and the fact that the current St. Albans AD is a parent; and (3) the current St. Albans AD is a parent and probably thinks highly of the school and the lines of communication are very good right now.

Don't over-emphasize (3), however -- STA uses a committee structure for Admissions with professional staff and faculty. They're not letting in unqualified kids, or even ho-hum candidates, just because the AD is a parent there.

The Cathedral schools have a strong relationship with one another and always have. This would be comprised of Beauvoir, NCS, and STA. The only true feeder to STA and NCS is Beauvoir and for other schools to suggest they are a feeder to the upper Cathedral schools or that they have a "special" relationship with them really does not sit well with many people. I grew up here and the Cathedral schools do have a special relationship and history and it is surprising to hear posters from other schools repeatedly try to say they now are feeder schools as well. It does not mean other schools are not wonderful and academically strong but it is pompous to repeatedly brag that they now gave an "in" with the Cathedral schools. Many great schools send children to the Cathedral schools without trying to claim they are a feeder school.

Oh, well, you grew up here. So that settles it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow...7 boys from st.pat's got into STA for 7 th hmmmmm
That has to be a record. I wonder why this could be...

Despite the sarcasm, I would say (1) St. Pat's is getting strong kids; (2) St. Albans is getting great apps from St. Pat's because it is a "hot school" for boys from St. Pat's right now, because of Peter Barrett's connection, the Episcopal schools thing, and the fact that the current St. Albans AD is a parent; and (3) the current St. Albans AD is a parent and probably thinks highly of the school and the lines of communication are very good right now.

Don't over-emphasize (3), however -- STA uses a committee structure for Admissions with professional staff and faculty. They're not letting in unqualified kids, or even ho-hum candidates, just because the AD is a parent there.

The Cathedral schools have a strong relationship with one another and always have. This would be comprised of Beauvoir, NCS, and STA. The only true feeder to STA and NCS is Beauvoir and for other schools to suggest they are a feeder to the upper Cathedral schools or that they have a "special" relationship with them really does not sit well with many people. I grew up here and the Cathedral schools do have a special relationship and history and it is surprising to hear posters from other schools repeatedly try to say they now are feeder schools as well. It does not mean other schools are not wonderful and academically strong but it is pompous to repeatedly brag that they now gave an "in" with the Cathedral schools. Many great schools send children to the Cathedral schools without trying to claim they are a feeder school.

I don't think you quite understood the context of the posts you quoted and responded to. The first quoted poster was being snarky about St. Patrick's having a lot of students accepted at STA -- it was critical of St. Patrick's, if anything. The second quoted post gave some reasons for why more kids are going from St. Patrick's to STA. I don't think either post was bragging (the first one was, as I said, snarky), and neither claimed "feeder" status. (Your post also seems sort of defensive for no apparent reason.)

[Anonymous]

Approximately how many Beauvoir 3rd grade boys (fall of 2014) have siblings already at St. Albans?

[Anonymous]

STA describes itself as an Anglican boys school on the Close of the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul, in a “feeder-school” relationship with Beauvoir, in coordination with the National Cathedral School for Girls.

There is no formal feeder school relationship with other Anglican schools, but St. Patricks has a strong track record of placement at STA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Approximately how many Beauvoir 3rd grade boys (fall of 2014) have siblings already at St. Albans?

1) If you are asking this because you are assuming a sib will be an automatic, you are wrong . Often parents will recognize that a sib may not be a good fit and not apply.

2) In addition to the number of Beauvoir boys that you seem intent on quantifying, there will be a number of boys at other schools who are legacies who you can't possibly know unless you know every STA/NCS grad from 1980- 1997, who their kids are and what grade they are in at Horace Mann, Eaton , Janey or Sommerset. If those kids are smart, they are in and there may be a lot of people given economy from 2007 onward who chose ot save 150K by going public for 1st 5 years.

Every year it is about the same: 33+ from Beauvoir and 11+ from elsewhere.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thank you very much for this truly helpful information! I wish more people would post this type of thing instead of feeding the admissions frenzy!!!

+1