Getting into St. Albans

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Many of the Mater Dei boys going to STA next year have siblings at the other Cathedral schools. Possibly why they are going. Usually Mater Dei boys have sisters at Holy Cross, Holy Child or Visi.

Many?

There are just three, I thought. What's "many" of three? Two?

The overwhelming majority of MD families are "committed to a Catholic Education" which is a frequently used phrase amongst them. Obviously those with children at NCS and STA are not.

There are boys leaving lower grades at MD to go to STA. See previous post

Wasn't that one boy?

Very small numbers. Hardly a trend or anyhting to be concerned about.

Also, unlikely to affect STA athletics at all. MD is effectively prep for Prep, Gonzaga and St John's.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Many of the Mater Dei boys going to STA next year have siblings at the other Cathedral schools. Possibly why they are going. Usually Mater Dei boys have sisters at Holy Cross, Holy Child or Visi.

Many?

There are just three, I thought. What's "many" of three? Two?

The overwhelming majority of MD families are "committed to a Catholic Education" which is a frequently used phrase amongst them. Obviously those with children at NCS and STA are not.

There are boys leaving lower grades at MD to go to STA. See previous post

Wasn't that one boy?

Very small numbers. Hardly a trend or anyhting to be concerned about.

Also, unlikely to affect STA athletics at all. MD is effectively prep for Prep, Gonzaga and St John's.

More than one boy will go from MD to STA. I thin the concern was that this could be the beginning of a trend, resulting from aggressive recruiting by STa. only time will tell.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Many of the Mater Dei boys going to STA next year have siblings at the other Cathedral schools. Possibly why they are going. Usually Mater Dei boys have sisters at Holy Cross, Holy Child or Visi.

Many?

There are just three, I thought. What's "many" of three? Two?

The overwhelming majority of MD families are "committed to a Catholic Education" which is a frequently used phrase amongst them. Obviously those with children at NCS and STA are not.

There are boys leaving lower grades at MD to go to STA. See previous post

Wasn't that one boy?

Very small numbers. Hardly a trend or anyhting to be concerned about.

Also, unlikely to affect STA athletics at all. MD is effectively prep for Prep, Gonzaga and St John's.

More than one boy will go from MD to STA. I thin the concern was that this could be the beginning of a trend, resulting from aggressive recruiting by STa. only time will tell.

Based on where some of the siblings go to school, this seems like some atypical instances.

The gravitational pull of Gonzaga and Prep is extremely strong at MD based on their friends, family connections, family traditions, the subtle and not so subtle influence of the faculty and staff, etc.

[Anonymous]

Does going to St Albans church help gain admission?

[Anonymous]

NO.
For all their "dedication to their ties on The Close" that they preach when they explain why they take so many Beauvoir kids, all other Cathedral connections are meaningless. It is irrelevant to admissions if the parent is an NSC or Beauvoir alum, just like it does not matter if you are a member of the congregation of the cathedral or St Albans (even if you have been one for years). The only thing that will give a boy a preference is if they have a STA alum connection, they are a STA sibling, or they are graduating from Beauvoir.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NO.
For all their "dedication to their ties on The Close" that they preach when they explain why they take so many Beauvoir kids, all other Cathedral connections are meaningless. It is irrelevant to admissions if the parent is an NSC or Beauvoir alum, just like it does not matter if you are a member of the congregation of the cathedral or St Albans (even if you have been one for years). The only thing that will give a boy a preference is if they have a STA alum connection, they are a STA sibling, or they are graduating from Beauvoir.

I sense some personal frustration with this...

But to do otherwise would fill the incoming clas ranks with almost entirely the same boy, with the same background and experiences and yes, privileges.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NO.
For all their "dedication to their ties on The Close" that they preach when they explain why they take so many Beauvoir kids, all other Cathedral connections are meaningless. It is irrelevant to admissions if the parent is an NSC or Beauvoir alum, just like it does not matter if you are a member of the congregation of the cathedral or St Albans (even if you have been one for years). The only thing that will give a boy a preference is if they have a STA alum connection, they are a STA sibling, or they are graduating from Beauvoir.

This may be true, but from what I am hearing, and this is also a theme in another thread, if your son is a talented lacrosse or football player, he may have a leg up over others.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are some very powerful folks with STRONG STA ties ( read not Beauvoir) who think the school is outsourcing too much of the admissions process to BVR. There are also some inside STA folks who think BVR kids are not as well prepared as they should be when they move over. I bet this will become a bigger deal over the next few years.

UM, doesn't matter what these "powerful" folks thing about admissions being outsourced to Beauvoir. The charter of the Cathedral schools requires them to take the majority of C form students from Beauvoir. That's not going to change.

As for Beauvoir kids not being prepared, that's wishful thinking. It is a cultural adjustment as Beauvoir's pedagogical approach is much more progressive and experiential than St. Albans, but most kids transition well after the first shock. Academically, the kids are well-prepared and more creative and resourceful than kids who come out of schools who have a drill and kill approach.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are some very powerful folks with STRONG STA ties ( read not Beauvoir) who think the school is outsourcing too much of the admissions process to BVR. There are also some inside STA folks who think BVR kids are not as well prepared as they should be when they move over. I bet this will become a bigger deal over the next few years.

You sound disgruntled and incorrect. The Beauvoir boys are always majority of the top of the class and do very well at STA. The Beauvoir boys have a very inclusive way about them that was instilled at Beauvoir (regardless of whether their parents do) and STA loves them. Beauvoir is the National Cathedral elementary school and there is nothing anyone can do about that. Not sure if this post is in response to the fact that certain schools or children got shut out of C Form for the Fall, but STA needs inclusive boys and has a diverse community and Beauvoir is very diverse and these boys are inclusive.

[Anonymous]

Beauvoir is a warm and loving place. St. Albans is more throw the boys together, let the weak ones opt out, and the others become a band of brothers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Beauvoir is a warm and loving place. St. Albans is more throw the boys together, let the weak ones opt out, and the others become a band of brothers.

This sounds awful at first blush. But doesn't it sound like a recipe for creating leaders and winners?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Current 4th grader at Mater Dei is going to be in 4th next year at STA. Also heard a Mater Dei 6th grader was transferring. And 3 8th graders from MD are going next year. 4 got in but one is choosing Gonzaga. STA is liking those boys!

It should be no surprise that STA is accepting these boys. MD families tend to be more hard core religious, but the boys have more in common than differences. They are by and large bright, very athletic focused, polite, and committed to doing good. What is surprising to me is that so many MD boys are applying to STA, rather than the more traditional placement at Prep, Gonzaga and STJ. I wonder if the chatter on the other thread about STA aggressively looking for athletes is true. Regardless, if this is a true trend, there will be some very unhappy families at the aforementioned schools, feeling a sense of betrayal. Maybe not the right word, but will definitely be some hurt feelings.

1 4th grader and 3 or 4 8th graders from Mater Dei are very small numbers. Not much of a trend.

But they are bigger numbers than have traditionally applied to STA from MD which is has usually been "0".

Each year Mater Dei has at least one 8th grader apply. And they don't apply unless they have the grades and scores to get in. They would be counseled not to apply if they weren't qualified. The boys they get in just haven't accepted in awhile. It's been about 2 years since an MD boy went to STA. Yes this is a big year. But also those 8th graders going this year may live in DC.

Yep, mine got in several years ago, but was mostly interested in football so he went to Prep. We liked the school, but he didn't want to leave his friends.

[Anonymous]

St Albans is fantastic if your boy is sporty and with the in crowd. It is a lonely and brutal place if you are not athletic, attractive, and circulate with the popular kids, to include the girls at NCS. My son is just counting down the days until he escapes that asylum.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:St Albans is fantastic if your boy is sporty and with the in crowd. It is a lonely and brutal place if you are not athletic, attractive, and circulate with the popular kids, to include the girls at NCS. My son is just counting down the days until he escapes that asylum.

Sorry to hear that, but I can understand how a young guy could feel that way. While there are efforts made to be inclusive for all types of folks, the school has a lot of rigidity. I hope your son thrives in his next environment and I hope that some of his experiences on the Close become more favorable memories as he moves on through life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:St Albans is fantastic if your boy is sporty and with the in crowd. It is a lonely and brutal place if you are not athletic, attractive, and circulate with the popular kids, to include the girls at NCS. My son is just counting down the days until he escapes that asylum.

Sorry to hear that, but I can understand how a young guy could feel that way. While there are efforts made to be inclusive for all types of folks, the school has a lot of rigidity. I hope your son thrives in his next environment and I hope that some of his experiences on the Close become more favorable memories as he moves on through life.

Yes I am also sorry to hear this. I think the school does all it can to cultivate community but unfortunately there will always be parents that get too involved with their kids social life and this can make it difficult for kids not in their social circle to break in. Good luck to him in future endeavors.