Getting into St. Albans

[Anonymous]

I dont think one of the PP had the #s spot on, there are more than 10 boys admitted from non Beauvoir schools per year. So if the STA class in 4th grade is about 42 or so, from my knowledge almost 50% come from outside Beauvoir. Our year only about 23 boys went on to STA. Some may have been accepted and gone elsewhere, but I don't think the number has been as high as 30 Beauvoir boys in many years. I have heard many times it is around 20-28 Beauvoir boys, which leave 14-22 open slots.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I dont think one of the PP had the #s spot on, there are more than 10 boys admitted from non Beauvoir schools per year. So if the STA class in 4th grade is about 42 or so, from my knowledge almost 50% come from outside Beauvoir. Our year only about 23 boys went on to STA. Some may have been accepted and gone elsewhere, but I don't think the number has been as high as 30 Beauvoir boys in many years. I have heard many times it is around 20-28 Beauvoir boys, which leave 14-22 open slots.

And our year 28 were admitted and about 15 from outside.

[Anonymous]

What about the girls...are the numbers similar for NCS? Anyone from Beauvoir have a sense of how it's shaping up this year?

[Anonymous]

Used to be the 4th grade was 39 boys. From 22-28 came from Beauvoir (and about 65% on average). The class size is fixed. It happens that this year the 4th grade was increased to 42 boys (one more for each of the three classes) and next year the 4th grade will have 45 boys. If Beauvoir doesn't increase class size similarly, there will be a fairly high number of spots for non-Beauvoir kids (in the range of 20 spots).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I dont think one of the PP had the #s spot on, there are more than 10 boys admitted from non Beauvoir schools per year. So if the STA class in 4th grade is about 42 or so, from my knowledge almost 50% come from outside Beauvoir. Our year only about 23 boys went on to STA. Some may have been accepted and gone elsewhere, but I don't think the number has been as high as 30 Beauvoir boys in many years. I have heard many times it is around 20-28 Beauvoir boys, which leave 14-22 open slots.

And our year 28 were admitted and about 15 from outside.

Numbers are right for those who enrolled. But actually more than 28 Beavoir boys were admitted. A number simply said, quel horreur, thanks but no thanks.

[Anonymous]

Methinks this recent talk about two different tests - one for Beauvoir boys and another for "the others," as well as the talk suggesting Beauvoir feeds a lower percentage than one might think, is yet additional evidence of a hobby around here . . . to bash and diminish Beauvoir.

Fact 1. All C form applicants take the same admission's test.

Fact 2. For the last 5 years, no more than 3 boys from Beauvoir have been rejected each year. Yes, some of the 40 boys are advised not to apply for various reasons, and a few always say no after getting the acceptance. But as a general matter 90% of the Beauvoir boys who apply to STA get into STA.

[Anonymous]

do many of those advised not to apply to STA still apply? and, if so, so those boys typically get in or not?

[Anonymous]

Don't know about typically, but I know one STA boy whose parents were counseled not to apply. So it does happen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Used to be the 4th grade was 39 boys. From 22-28 came from Beauvoir (and about 65% on average). The class size is fixed. It happens that this year the 4th grade was increased to 42 boys (one more for each of the three classes) and next year the 4th grade will have 45 boys. If Beauvoir doesn't increase class size similarly, there will be a fairly high number of spots for non-Beauvoir kids (in the range of 20 spots).

Does anyone know STA's plans of increasing the class sizes by one student each year? Is this across all entry point grades? I understand that more students = more tuition income, but at what point will they cap the class size? One reason we are considering private school (vs public school) is the smaller class size. Private school is less appealing to us when the class sizes keep increasing. How do current STA parents feel about this? Also, I'd be interested in how current private school parents feel about the increased class size. We're used to 25 kids/class with one for most subjects teacher. Our son's math class breaks out into smaller groups, so it's about 18 kids/class - not much bigger than the STA class size, IMO.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Used to be the 4th grade was 39 boys. From 22-28 came from Beauvoir (and about 65% on average). The class size is fixed. It happens that this year the 4th grade was increased to 42 boys (one more for each of the three classes) and next year the 4th grade will have 45 boys. If Beauvoir doesn't increase class size similarly, there will be a fairly high number of spots for non-Beauvoir kids (in the range of 20 spots).

Does anyone know STA's plans of increasing the class sizes by one student each year? Is this across all entry point grades? I understand that more students = more tuition income, but at what point will they cap the class size? One reason we are considering private school (vs public school) is the smaller class size. Private school is less appealing to us when the class sizes keep increasing. How do current STA parents feel about this? Also, I'd be interested in how current private school parents feel about the increased class size. We're used to 25 kids/class with one for most subjects teacher. Our son's math class breaks out into smaller groups, so it's about 18 kids/class - not much bigger than the STA class size, IMO.

Public schools quote average class sizes but there is extreme variation in each school . The higher the socio economic level of the school the higher the class size. State maximums in Virgina are about 34. If you are in a non special needs school with only 25 and 18 for math consider yourself lucky. especially if those numbers include special ed and they have extra staff in the regulr teachers classroom to support them and if that number is before they have any special ed pull-outs.

[Anonymous]

I'm a St. Albans parent and I would not be happy about the increased class size in 4th grade. 13 per class seems very intimate, with the potential for plenty of individualized instruction. 15 per class changes the dynamic.

[Anonymous]

Can anyone confirm that the class size in 4th grade is actually increasing next year?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can anyone confirm that the class size in 4th grade is actually increasing next year?

Funny, they never mentioned that during the tour. Maybe that part was muffled as they paraded us through all that construction going on all over that place . . . .

[Anonymous]

The STA web site says that approximately 40 boys arrive in 4th grade. 45 seems like a stretch from 40, but I guess it's "approximate".

[Anonymous]

There are 43 fourth graders this year (42 started at the beginning of the year and one entered mid year). I'll try to dig up where I saw the 45 for next year. I don't think there are intentions to raise it beyond the 45.