Getting into St. Albans
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Anonymous
| Is it true the Beauvoir to NCS acceptance rate is significantly higher than the Beauvoir to STA acceptance rate? |
Anonymous
I believe the percentage of girls who go to NCS is higher than that of boys who go to STA. Whether it relates to a higher acceptance rate or to other factors, I don't know. It could be, for example, that a higher percentage of parents of boys are looking for a coed school than is the case for parents of girls. I have heard speculation--based on the assumption that the acceptance rates are different--that it may relate to the fact that NCS is a little larger at the 4th grade level than is STA. If both schools want to introduce some "new blood" at fourth grade, there is more scope for NCS to do so while still admitting a high percentage of Beauvoir kids than there is for STA to do the same. |
Anonymous
Of course. As I wrote before, I was at STA from 4th through 12th grade, and I could not have imagined spending any of those years anywhere else. From my first year, I was challenged academically, athletically, and artistically. I came from Beauvoir with the majority of the other boys in my grade, so I already had friends, but the students who hadn't been at Beauvoir seemed to fall into our grade seamlessly. The work load was always substantial, but it was rarely overwhelming. Of course this varies from teacher to teacher, but I was in upper level courses in high school, and the only semester that the work was really, really difficult was first semester senior year. In my opinion, St. Albans owes the majority of its success to its totally devoted faculty. Over the course of my nine years there, I only had one teacher that I didn't care for, and almost all of the rest were fantastic. The individual attention that comes with a school of STA's size improves a student's experience in so many ways, most notably in fostering a true community. Students foster lasting relationships with staff, faculty, and most of all, one another. As some posters in this thread have alluded to, the student body may appear somewhat homogeneous from afar, but in my class of around 75, each person brought something totally different to the table. The arts programs, both visual and performing, are outstanding, and the mandatory athletics encourage camaraderie and fitness. Some people may balk at the emphasis on sports, but most students embrace the athletic component of the school day, as it provides a chance to compete alongside one's classmates and relieve some of the tension that comes with being in class all morning. Nothing compares to or is more important than the academics, though. The curriculum is tailored to the grade level, and although it is somewhat rigid before ninth grade, the classes in lower school are designed to prepare students for upper school. I would never trade my experience at STA for anything, and I know that most of my classmates felt exactly the same. My STA education prepared me perfectly college at an Ivy League university, and I go back whenever I have a chance to go home. I have so much more to say, but I have a lot of work to do, so if you want to know anything else at all, don't hesitate to ask. |
Anonymous
| Do you think your parents were as neurotic as the women on this board? |
Anonymous
| I am interested in hearing about how the current 4th graders are doing? Are those from Beauvoir pleased with this choice? Do you wish your DC went someplace else? Are the new kids fitting in? Has St. Albans confirmed all of your wishes and/or fears? |
Anonymous
I'm interested too. If there are any Beauvoir families now at STA, either new to the school or fairly new, we'd appreciate hearing from you. |
Anonymous
| My Beauvoir son loves St. Albans. He loves loves loves loves St. Albans. He loves the fact it's all boys, he loves his teacher, he loves his lunch, he loves gym, he loves the resource teachers, and he loves the independence. He loves knowing he is in charge of his own time and has to utilize it wisely. The homework was an adjustment but the transition is pretty quick. |
Anonymous
Thanks for sharing. Did you, or are you aware of anyone, who had to give up an extra-curricular activity or two to accomodate the homework? |
Anonymous
| My son gave up one of his athletics the first semester (but kept the other), and I'm glad we did, because it's an adjustment. Every day was an hour of homework (sometimes a little more), and it takes a kid time to get organized. Then the kids get more used to using their study halls and any spare moments, and fitting in more extracurriculars is more doable. |
Anonymous
Doesn't he miss any of his Beauvoir friends who are girls? Does he get to see them at all. We're STA bound, and I'm already lamenting the fact that we won't be seeing so many of these lovely girls or their families as much. |
Anonymous
| Well, I can't say my son liked any of the girls. At all. You end up seeing them anyway, because a lot have brothers at STA. And then of course, when they're older, they have other reasons for wandering over. |
Anonymous
Same with my son doesn't seem to miss them at all. From what I hear, by end of 5th-beginning of 6th grade the girls start coming over to find dates. Then, by middle school they see more of each other through the coordinate programs, etc. |
Anonymous
Does anyone have numbers for the upcoming 2009-2010 class? I understand all Beauvoir 3rd grade families were notified whether they would be getting the nod or not. |
Anonymous
I can't cite overall numbers, but can say that anecdotally, I've heard of at least 3 families that did not hear good news from STA. |
Anonymous
I think a few families have gotten a heads-up that they shouldn't let the deadlines pass for applying elsewhere. But I don't think most families have heard yet. |