New STA parent seeking advice, suggestions, or just plain "I wish I had known X" info

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The GPA distribution in the school's profile gives a college a clue where your kid stands within his class. They use it when a school doesn't rank.

Does this cause any angst among the families of the boys with high class rank? I suppose the thinking is that SATs should correspond to grades, but needless to say that is hardly a hard and fast rule.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The GPA distribution in the school's profile gives a college a clue where your kid stands within his class. They use it when a school doesn't rank.

Does this cause any angst among the families of the boys with high class rank? I suppose the thinking is that SATs should correspond to grades, but needless to say that is hardly a hard and fast rule.

Nope. The kids with straight As and A pluses do great in college admissions, so why worry about class rank? It probably helps the admissions in the aggregate -- you don't get a school saying to a kid with great board scores and very good grades "oh sorry, you're not ranked in the top 10% of your class, so we are not interested." Lastly, generally most of the parents have come to accept that you really can't micromanage your child's career at STA -- the school is fairly confident in politely explaining its policies and then standing by them. There's some carping on various things but generally not too much and not very focused.

[Anonymous]

How good is the upper school drama program?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The GPA distribution in the school's profile gives a college a clue where your kid stands within his class. They use it when a school doesn't rank.

Does this cause any angst among the families of the boys with high class rank? I suppose the thinking is that SATs should correspond to grades, but needless to say that is hardly a hard and fast rule.

Nope. The kids with straight As and A pluses do great in college admissions, so why worry about class rank? It probably helps the admissions in the aggregate -- you don't get a school saying to a kid with great board scores and very good grades "oh sorry, you're not ranked in the top 10% of your class, so we are not interested." Lastly, generally most of the parents have come to accept that you really can't micromanage your child's career at STA -- the school is fairly confident in politely explaining its policies and then standing by them. There's some carping on various things but generally not too much and not very focused.

Yes, there are 10-12 students in a grade with straight A averages. In a graduating class of 80, that's roughly the top 10-12%, the language in their student narratives that's transmitted to colleges along with their transcripts and board scores reflect this.

[Anonymous]

It's not uncommon to not release rank - Holton doesn't either. The logic is that it isn't a good representation of the student when they're surrounded by many other excellent student - the margins between ranks would go out to the hundredth decimal place.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How good is the upper school drama program?

It seems pretty strong to me, as a consumer! (Have watched some great productions.) It is joint with NCS, which is nice. There is a full time drama person at each school; a full time set and lighting design faculty member at St. Albans (who teaches a set design art elective); and I think there is even a costumer (not sure if full or part time). The only issue is time management for kids who are playing a sport and taking part in the drama program (and it's more than a few, particularly at STA). For a student who is not interested in athletics, there's been an intramurals and/or conditioning sports option that is not too time intensive, but for the kids playing a varsity or JV sport and then going to play practice that is a busy day. But St. Albans is small so they probably don't feel they can specialize like a really big school where the sports and drama kids don't intersect as much.

[Anonymous]

If you have a child who is really interested/talented in acting/theatre production the program is rather thin so training elsewhere is necessary. It's a fine program for an average, teen actor trained in the very basics who doesn't have professional aspirations. Some of the musicals have been charming especially when there are talented, vocally trained students singing the leads. If your son is interested in tech experience there are opportunities to get a general sense of set and lighting design and a little audio production introduction.

As an extracurricular, participating in the productions will probably look good on college applications.

[Anonymous]

There are some pretty good actors out of St. Albans (e.g., Geoffrey Wright) and some of the other area independent schools (the Sidwell guy in the zombie show, like his stuff) -- I think a well-rounded high school drama program leading into a BFA at the next level can be a fine background. If someone is looking to act professionally now in their teens, I don't think any of the academically oriented private schools in town are the best bet.

[Anonymous]

[Edited to fix spelling of actor's name, sorry]There are some pretty good actors out of St. Albans (e.g., Jeffrey Wright) and some of the other area independent schools (the Sidwell guy in the zombie show, like his stuff, Julia Louis-Dreyfuss from Holton-Arms, etc.) -- I think a well-rounded high school drama program leading into a BFA at the next level can be a fine background. If someone is looking to act professionally now in their teens, I don't think any of the academically oriented private schools in town are the best bet.

[Anonymous]

Along with Jeffrey Wright, you can include other well known actors Clancey Brown and Robert Wisdom as well as local standup comedian and sports radio host Danny Rouhier. I'm sure there are a number of others working in various segments of the theater arts across the country.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are some pretty good actors out of St. Albans (e.g., Geoffrey Wright) and some of the other area independent schools (the Sidwell guy in the zombie show, like his stuff) -- I think a well-rounded high school drama program leading into a BFA at the next level can be a fine background. If someone is looking to act professionally now in their teens, I don't think any of the academically oriented private schools in town are the best bet.

Actually, Geoffrey Wright didn't start acting until his junior year of college. He's just incredibly talented, in college he didn't major in theatre. After college he did win a scholarship into a major mfa program that he quit after his first semester to pursue a broadway career. The rest as they say is history.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are some pretty good actors out of St. Albans (e.g., Geoffrey Wright) and some of the other area independent schools (the Sidwell guy in the zombie show, like his stuff) -- I think a well-rounded high school drama program leading into a BFA at the next level can be a fine background. If someone is looking to act professionally now in their teens, I don't think any of the academically oriented private schools in town are the best bet.

Actually, Geoffrey Wright didn't start acting until his junior year of college. He's just incredibly talented, in college he didn't major in theatre. After college he did win a scholarship into a major mfa program that he quit after his first semester to pursue a broadway career. The rest as they say is history.

Excuse me for misspelling his first name, it's Jeffrey

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Along with Jeffrey Wright, you can include other well known actors Clancey Brown and Robert Wisdom as well as local standup comedian and sports radio host Danny Rouhier. I'm sure there are a number of others working in various segments of the theater arts across the country.

Another notable alumnus active in the performing arts is Tony-nominated Broadway performer Brandon Victor Dixon, St. Albans Class of '99, who was a Presidential Scholar for the Arts coming out of STA. http://www.college.columbia.edu/cct_archive/jul_aug07/updates8.php

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Along with Jeffrey Wright, you can include other well known actors Clancey Brown and Robert Wisdom as well as local standup comedian and sports radio host Danny Rouhier. I'm sure there are a number of others working in various segments of the theater arts across the country.

Another notable alumnus active in the performing arts is Tony-nominated Broadway performer Brandon Victor Dixon, St. Albans Class of '99, who was a Presidential Scholar for the Arts coming out of STA. http://www.college.columbia.edu/cct_archive/jul_aug07/updates8.php

AT

This lovely and talented gentlemen didn't receive his acting training at STA: "The summer after his junior year at the Washington, D.C., boarding school St. Albans School, Dixon studied at the British Academy of Dramatic Acting. During senior year, he became one of the National Foundation for the Advancement of the Arts Presidential Scholars, after a rigorous audition process."

STA can't take the credit for his talent or acting training or achievements. During the end of his high school career, he was in a training program outside of school and the President Scholarship for the Arts is talented based.

[Anonymous]

My DS did not get a callback for the middle school play. Does that mean only that he will not be a lead, but can be part of the chorus or any other small part, or does it mean that he will not be in the play at all?