Academics at prep versus Landon?

[Anonymous]

I would give the nod to Landon's academic program over Prep's just based on College Placement. I would also place Landon's Art and Music programs above Prep's. The alumni communities are similarly tight. Landon is smaller and therefore kids are more known, and therefore less emboldened by anonymity. 83 kids in a class at Landon is a lot smaller than 120-140 at Prep. Many of Landon's teachers also coach, which is a very big difference. I am not sure how many teachers at Prep still coach, it may only be three or four. At Landon most teachers coach and all the head coaches are teachers. This Teacher/Coach relationship often creates better student/adult relationships and those often translate into better classroom performance. Landon is about 33-35 % people of color. I think Prep is less diverse, but I am not certain. The animus that existed between these schools has also diminished greatly. The kids play youth sports together and know each other now in ways that don't engender the same bitter rivalry that used to exist. It also helps that they aren't one and two or two and one athletically in the IAC anymore. Bullis and Episcopal have been much more competitive in football lately, St. Stephens and Bullis in lacrosse, Soccer is a toss up, etc. Also the old lacrosse coach at Prep is now at St. Johns and he certainly didn't dampen controversy. Your boy can have a great experience at either school, and they are just different enough to warrant a look at both.

[Anonymous]

I am the PP, I would give the nod to Prep's athletic program over Landon's.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would give the nod to Landon's academic program over Prep's just based on College Placement. I would also place Landon's Art and Music programs above Prep's. The alumni communities are similarly tight. Landon is smaller and therefore kids are more known, and therefore less emboldened by anonymity. 83 kids in a class at Landon is a lot smaller than 120-140 at Prep. Many of Landon's teachers also coach, which is a very big difference. I am not sure how many teachers at Prep still coach, it may only be three or four. At Landon most teachers coach and all the head coaches are teachers. This Teacher/Coach relationship often creates better student/adult relationships and those often translate into better classroom performance. Landon is about 33-35 % people of color. I think Prep is less diverse, but I am not certain. The animus that existed between these schools has also diminished greatly. The kids play youth sports together and know each other now in ways that don't engender the same bitter rivalry that used to exist. It also helps that they aren't one and two or two and one athletically in the IAC anymore. Bullis and Episcopal have been much more competitive in football lately, St. Stephens and Bullis in lacrosse, Soccer is a toss up, etc. Also the old lacrosse coach at Prep is now at St. Johns and he certainly didn't dampen controversy. Your boy can have a great experience at either school, and they are just different enough to warrant a look at both.

All this and not a word of the greatest difference between the two. Prep is a Catholic school. It is run by a priest, reports to the Jesuit Province, is staffed primarily by Catholics and its student body and alumni are overwhelmingly Catholic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would give the nod to Landon's academic program over Prep's just based on College Placement. I would also place Landon's Art and Music programs above Prep's. The alumni communities are similarly tight. Landon is smaller and therefore kids are more known, and therefore less emboldened by anonymity. 83 kids in a class at Landon is a lot smaller than 120-140 at Prep. Many of Landon's teachers also coach, which is a very big difference. I am not sure how many teachers at Prep still coach, it may only be three or four. At Landon most teachers coach and all the head coaches are teachers. This Teacher/Coach relationship often creates better student/adult relationships and those often translate into better classroom performance. Landon is about 33-35 % people of color. I think Prep is less diverse, but I am not certain. The animus that existed between these schools has also diminished greatly. The kids play youth sports together and know each other now in ways that don't engender the same bitter rivalry that used to exist. It also helps that they aren't one and two or two and one athletically in the IAC anymore. Bullis and Episcopal have been much more competitive in football lately, St. Stephens and Bullis in lacrosse, Soccer is a toss up, etc. Also the old lacrosse coach at Prep is now at St. Johns and he certainly didn't dampen controversy. Your boy can have a great experience at either school, and they are just different enough to warrant a look at both.

A few points: 1) College placement is similar, but in recent years, I would actually give Prep the edge; 2) Kevin Giblin is at Bishop O'Connelll—not Saint Johns (unless something changed in the last few days with the firing of Trig); 3) Prep is not only Catholic but Jesuit, and Landon is non-sectarian; and 4) Prep has far greater name recognition outside of DC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would give the nod to Landon's academic program over Prep's just based on College Placement. I would also place Landon's Art and Music programs above Prep's. The alumni communities are similarly tight. Landon is smaller and therefore kids are more known, and therefore less emboldened by anonymity. 83 kids in a class at Landon is a lot smaller than 120-140 at Prep. Many of Landon's teachers also coach, which is a very big difference. I am not sure how many teachers at Prep still coach, it may only be three or four. At Landon most teachers coach and all the head coaches are teachers. This Teacher/Coach relationship often creates better student/adult relationships and those often translate into better classroom performance. Landon is about 33-35 % people of color. I think Prep is less diverse, but I am not certain. The animus that existed between these schools has also diminished greatly. The kids play youth sports together and know each other now in ways that don't engender the same bitter rivalry that used to exist. It also helps that they aren't one and two or two and one athletically in the IAC anymore. Bullis and Episcopal have been much more competitive in football lately, St. Stephens and Bullis in lacrosse, Soccer is a toss up, etc. Also the old lacrosse coach at Prep is now at St. Johns and he certainly didn't dampen controversy. Your boy can have a great experience at either school, and they are just different enough to warrant a look at both.

A few points: 1) College placement is similar, but in recent years, I would actually give Prep the edge; 2) Kevin Giblin is at Bishop O'Connelll—not Saint Johns (unless something changed in the last few days with the firing of Trig); 3) Prep is not only Catholic but Jesuit, and Landon is non-sectarian; and 4) Prep has far greater name recognition outside of DC.

25% t0 30% of Prep grads end up at Catholic Colleges, especially Jesuits Schools (Georgetown, BC, Holy Cross, Loyola of Baltimore, St Joes, Fairfield, and Fordham) and other Catholic schools including Notre Dame and Villanova.

[Anonymous]

The recent $20M gift to Prep which is to pay for the renovation and improvement of the residence halls seems likely to attract more International students and increase their %age of the 500 total students.

This will, of course, decrease the number of Day students admitted and decrease the number of students outside Prep's traditional base.

[Anonymous]

Sending kids to Loyola of Baltimore, st joes and Fairfield is nothing to brag about.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sending kids to Loyola of Baltimore, st joes and Fairfield is nothing to brag about.

Yuppp!

And bragging about where your kids go to school is sooo important to the DCUM crowd.

Everybody knows what the game is.

[Anonymous]

Prep's data:

Enrollment: 491
Students come from 14 states and 19 countries, including Spain, Nigeria, Korea, and Venezuela
Demographics: 63% Caucasian, 11% African American, 16% Asian, 6% Latino
Financial Aid: 26% of families receive financial aid; average grant is $19,000
100% enrollment in 4-year college