Most Academic Catholic HS in the area
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Anonymous
| Looking for the top few (5) Catholic High Schools in the Falls Church/Arlington/McLean/Vienna areas based on academics. I know "most academic" is tough to pin point but I'm looking for best teachers, best curriculum, best college prep and placement etc. |
Anonymous
There are three you should consider. The most academically-focused is St Anselm's. Then there are the two Jesuit high schools; Gonzaga College High School and Georgetown Prep. Both of these schools serve a range of students from the very bright and highly-motivated to the average student. Both offer a more multi-faceted high school experience than does St Anselm's. Gonzaga is located a few blocks from the US Capitol on N. Capitol St and is easily accessible via Metro. It is decidedly an urban campus. Georgetown Prep is located in Rockville on Rockville Pike. It's not an urban environment. Both of these schools send a fair number of students to top colleges especially Jesuit schools (Georgetown, BC, Holy Cross, etc). Both schools have large, local, loyal alumni followings. St Anselm's is much smaller. You should visit all three schools as they are different kinds on experiences. Beyond these three there are a number of other Catholic high schools that serve primarily average students including St John's, O'Connell, and Paul VI. |
Anonymous
| For girls...Visitation. There aren't any top-notched ones in VA...sorry OP |
Anonymous
| The Heights, in Potomac MD, offers a strong classical education for boys. All students must take Latin, boys can move ahead as their ability allows in math (there are 3 7th graders currently taking Algebra II), literature focuses on the great books, etc. It is an exceptional place. |
Anonymous
| Thank you for the feedback! Hadn't heard of St. Anselm's yet or The Heights. |
Anonymous
| OP was asking about Virginia - St Anselm's is on the edge of PG county about as far from Falls Church as any place in DC. |
Anonymous
| What about Bishop Ireton in Alexandria? |
Anonymous
| What about O'Connell? |
Anonymous
You can get a good education at any of these schools. Students at the top of their classes go to great colleges. People who go to not-so-great colleges have tremendous careers. But the question was about schools with significant focus on academics. O'Connell and Ireton would not fit that description. |
Anonymous
| If you live in Falls Church/Vienna, your best option for a boy is Gonzaga and for a girl is Visitation. Prep is a good school, but the commute on the Beltway is more difficult and time-consuming than the trip downtown to Gonzaga. St Anselms and The Heights are decent schools, but best serve certain types of Catholics. If you are a run-in-the-mill Catholic without quircks and not extremely conservative, you are best served by Visi/Gonzaga. |
Anonymous
| Isn't O'Connell the only catholic HS in Falls Church/Arlington/McLean/Vienna? |
Anonymous
Disagree about St. Anselm's. The student body is consistently 40% non-Catholic, by design. |
Anonymous
This is correct. Look at the test scores and compare to a public like Langley. The Heights (just over the river - it runs a bus from NoVA) is the most academically rigorous but it is Opus Dei and your kid must be a self-starter. If not, you will be counseled or advised out. There is no hand holding. |
Anonymous
No |
Anonymous
But you don't have time to name all the other Catholic High Schools in Falls Church, Arlington, McLean or Vienna? |