Pros and cons of all boys catholic schools

[Anonymous]

I went to an all boys school and hung out with plenty of girls throughout high school. My oldest son just finished his first year at an all boys school and doesn't seem to have a problem talking to or meeting girls either.

However, there are definitely benefits when it comes to the comaraderie, discipline, and style of teaching.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would not do that to my son. When they get to college they will not be on an even playing field. Want to get the distractions out of the way as soon as possible. If your kid is quiet and shy an all boys school is not for them

It sounds like you’re not opining from experience, then.

No but I’ve heard it a lot. The parents say their sons were just so clueless about women. Mixed gender activities are helpful too where boys and girls are on the same team and there is a mutual respect. Swim team is one example.

Boys are clueless about women regardless lol

[Anonymous]

My parents, in-laws, our brothers, uncles and most cousins attend single sex schools- they all managed to date, have relationships with women, marry and have children.

[Anonymous]

Went to all boys out of the area. Zero issue with meeting or dating girls in HS or after for my friend group. Went to a bunch of other schools proms with girls. Allowed you to focus on school while at school not trying to impress girls. Plenty of time for that on weekends/summer.
My school was super competitive in all aspects, lots of big fish from smaller ponds competing. Around here is probably different. Also probably very different now 25 years later but an extremely homophobic environment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My parents, in-laws, our brothers, uncles and most cousins attend single sex schools- they all managed to date, have relationships with women, marry and have children.

Clueless with women does not mean they don’t date, marry, or have children. It just means they are clueless and it makes life hard for the women in their lives.

[Anonymous]

Consider the fierce loyalty and strong connections the alumni of these all boys Catholics have to their Alma Maters.

That speaks volumes on their experiences at these schools. As do their strong desire to send their sons to them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My parents, in-laws, our brothers, uncles and most cousins attend single sex schools- they all managed to date, have relationships with women, marry and have children.

Clueless with women does not mean they don’t date, marry, or have children. It just means they are clueless and it makes life hard for the women in their lives.

Just what is it about being in the same English or Algebra class that gives boys special incite into women?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My parents, in-laws, our brothers, uncles and most cousins attend single sex schools- they all managed to date, have relationships with women, marry and have children.

Clueless with women does not mean they don’t date, marry, or have children. It just means they are clueless and it makes life hard for the women in their lives.

Just what is it about being in the same English or Algebra class that gives boys special incite into women?

Having women outscore them in math teaches them that women are their intellectual equals.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Consider the fierce loyalty and strong connections the alumni of these all boys Catholics have to their Alma Maters.

That speaks volumes on their experiences at these schools. As do their strong desire to send their sons to them.

I know so few people who work in the same geographic area where they grew up. Is this really a common enough thing to be a selling point?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Consider the fierce loyalty and strong connections the alumni of these all boys Catholics have to their Alma Maters.

That speaks volumes on their experiences at these schools. As do their strong desire to send their sons to them.

I know so few people who work in the same geographic area where they grew up. Is this really a common enough thing to be a selling point?

You really are not from this area. These Catholic schools have lots and lots of local alumni and legacies represent a large segment of the student populations of these schools.

Of course there are a lot of transients here and new families and their kids will probably end up somewhere else. But at the same time there are families here —- especially in MoCo and NWDC who have lived here for generations. These families are strongly represented at schools like Prep, Gonzaga and Visitation.

[Anonymous]

Virginia is different, I think. Fewer people with long term ties to the area.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My boy cousins went to all boys catholic and notably said that it was hard to focus in college classes because they weren’t used to having classes with girls. That stuck with me and we are going coed for our kids. Although we also know all boys school grads who were fine.

My sons did public K-8 and then all-boy Catholic HS. Zero issues with focusing in college. That's weird to me. In 8th grade, however, it was a real thing for my second son--but he was 13 and raging puberty.

+1 My boys have been around girls their whole lives, they just didn't have classes with them for 9 months of 4 years. No problem in college (why would that even be a thing, lol?).

Same. Mine went to public k-8. All-male 9-12.

Our neighborhood is co-ed. lol they have a lot of girls they have been friends with since K.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can someone with a recent graduate of an all boys catholic high school comment on the good and bad of these schools? We are looking at Gonzaga and DeMatha (we like price point of DeMatha) and access to learning center but what kinds of boys do well here or which types might struggle?

Our son is a current student going into his sophomore year at DeMatha, and like many families at our parish school, we found ourselves staring down that familiar fork in the road: DeMatha or Gonzaga.

We toured both. We asked around. We understand why people love both. And we ultimately chose DeMatha, not because it was perfect, but because it was the right fit for our son.

Why DeMatha?

To start, the price point mattered. DeMatha offered a more manageable tuition without sacrificing the primary benefits we were looking for in an all boys Catholic high school experience: structure, discipline, camaraderie.

But cost wasn’t the only factor. We also wanted a school that would meet our son where he was – a smart, curious, but sometimes disorganized kid.

DeMatha impressed us with its Academic Support Center, which doesn’t just exist on paper.

Coming from a parish school, we were used to a more curated Catholic bubble. DeMatha is different in a good way. It’s proudly Catholic, yes, but it’s also diverse in race, background, and personality. Our son has classmates who come from every corner of the DMV. It’s not a monolith.

It’s a high performance environmentbin arts, athletics and academis, but there’s less pretense than we expected. Kids aren’t competing to be the most polished or prestigious. There’s a groundedness to it. Yes, there are athletes who will end up on ESPN, but there are also band kids, artsy kids, science kids, and kids like ours who are somewhere in between.

Brotherhood. You’ll hear this word a lot at all-boys schools. At DeMatha, we’ve seen it show up in little ways. When our son was struggling, an older student offered to tutor him. When he joined a new club, he was welcomed without needing to prove himself. There’s accountability, but also encouragement. We’ve seen him become more confident, more vocal, and more comfortable in his own skin.

Why not Gonzaga?

We have nothing bad to say about Gonzaga. It’s a beautiful school with an incredible tradition and a strong identity. The commute would have been about the same. The tuition, while higher, would have been manageable. The atmosphere felt a little more polished, but also a little more pressure-filled.

At DeMatha, he’s allowed to grow at his own pace. He’s challenged, but he’s also seen and supported. That makes a difference.

DeMatha isn’t for everyone. But it’s absolutely been right for our son. It offers a mix of tradition and support, academic seriousness and real-world diversity, faith and flexibility.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can someone with a recent graduate of an all boys catholic high school comment on the good and bad of these schools? We are looking at Gonzaga and DeMatha (we like price point of DeMatha) and access to learning center but what kinds of boys do well here or which types might struggle?

Indoctrination
Abuse
MAGA

Great place for education

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can someone with a recent graduate of an all boys catholic high school comment on the good and bad of these schools? We are looking at Gonzaga and DeMatha (we like price point of DeMatha) and access to learning center but what kinds of boys do well here or which types might struggle?

Indoctrination
Abuse
MAGA

Great place for education

Ignorant.
Actually, stop.
Misinformed.

PP knows nothing about Catholic education.