St Andelm's Abbey

[Anonymous]

This school is supposed to be for "academically motivated" boys. What does that mean exactly? Is it for the bright and motivated as well as gifted and motivated kids, though maybe not for your average Joe's? Are their classes and academic admission standards higher than the other local Catholics? Do they pile on the homework? How are their ex missions. Is it a conservative atmosphere? I hear more about Gonzaga, St Johns and G'Town Prep on this board than St Anselm's. So any insight is appreciated.

[Anonymous]

A serious school for serious students. Nice campus. Everyone I've met there has been nice, caring, and polite. Good kids. All boys FWIW. Catholic, although fairly progressive, and open to students of many faiths--but still definitely Catholic.

[Anonymous]

I should have added that if my DS had been open to considering a Catholic boys school for high school, this would have been the one I'd have wanted for him.

[Anonymous]

Everyone I know that has graduated from there has gone on to majorly successful careers.

[Anonymous]

Promising answers. We are Catholic, though not super active. I am heartened by he progressive description. We have a couple years before my son is eligible for this school (grade-wise), but the school also being near us is a plus and I am narrowing down our options to focus on for the next school.

Do they give preference to kids that come from parish schools? We are at another independent now, not Catholic.

[Anonymous]

A pp here. All of the parents who I know with kids who are there or were there are all Hill Dems or admin Dems (with one now a lobbyist Dem). I'm sure that's not everyone who is there, but at least somewhat progressive seems very ok there.

[Anonymous]

They are welcoming to all. We are very conservative, we are friends with parents across the spectrum. You will stick out if you talk about politics constantly or try to stereotype others. Most boys are very smart, the pace is fast and furious and there's not a lot of recourse if your son can't keep up. Many of the boys have outside tutors. Almost everyone participates in a sport, it is encouraged and the boys have a great attitude and competitive spirit. House system is awesome, I was a little surprised at the process for divvying up the boys by house but it's an Abbey rite of passage. Our son adored his Abbey years, I too gained much wisdom from the monks and it will always hold a special place in our hearts.

[Anonymous]

My friend's two sons went there. The work was very challenging. The older son ate it up and had his choice of two Ivys, unhooked. The younger son didn't respond well to the pace and transferred to another DC private were he had a great experience and got into his college of choice.

[Anonymous]

Do they add spots at 9th or do you need to enter at 6th?

[Anonymous]

SAAS is a very progressive but still definitely catholic school. They usually have open spots for all grades. They give a lot of homework, especially in the middle school latin class. They do not, as far as I can tell, give preference to students from parish schools. About half of the students are Catholic. They do need to work a bit on discipline in the class room. However, except for that, the kids are great and supportive of each other. They learn a lot, and come out well educated.

[Anonymous]

When up you said SAAS is progressive, I assumed you meant it practices a progressive education style like GDS. But then PP referred to Democrats on the Hill being parents, which seems irrelevant to the type of education philosophy to which the school subscribes. Did you mean the school was progressive educationally or politically? Why would politics of the parents even matter?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When up you said SAAS is progressive, I assumed you meant it practices a progressive education style like GDS. But then PP referred to Democrats on the Hill being parents, which seems irrelevant to the type of education philosophy to which the school subscribes. Did you mean the school was progressive educationally or politically? Why would politics of the parents even matter?

I wouldn't say they have a progressive educational philosophy (it's not a Catholic GDS or Burke). But they are open to all points of view and intellectual debate and curiousity is encouraged/required.

[Anonymous]

Great school for academically motived boys in grades 6-12. You don't hear much about it around town because it is all boys and it is VERY small (30-40 boys per grade) compared to the other Catholic schools. Spots seem to be available in each grade as the middle school classes grow in size slightly approaching 9th grade.

The school administers its own admissions test at the middle school years (combination of SCAT and OLSAT) and I'm told applicants should score very high on the test (generally 90th percentile or better) if they hope to be admitted.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do they add spots at 9th or do you need to enter at 6th?

6th and 9th are the big entry years. They add some spots for 9th but it's not so much the add spots, but there's an in and out.

[Anonymous]

We have known a lot of boys who go there. Definitely the quirky kids which I think comes along with being extremely bright. All of them have thrived there. I think they must have a good wrestling program since most of the boys were involved in that but I didn't hear much about any other sport. Lots of mathlete type competitions and such too. My boys were not cut out for it though.