in your mind, is STA worth it for high school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In this area, no private school is worth it. I've lived elsewhere and enrolled my kids in excellent privates. But here? No.

Really? Because DC public and charter schools are so great? Some of us actually live in DC and can’t send our kids to public schools in MD and VA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Short answer for us is clearly Yes - worth every penny. We are academically-focused and the academics are strong.

Longer answer: If - and only if - one lives a long (time) commute from StA, then one should consider how that would intersect with mandatory school sports until 6pm and with the school start time. Adding a long (time) commute could make for sleep schedule pressures given the length of the school day there. This is personal preference, but something to think about.

Opinion: We would be MUCH happier if the after-school sports were optional, such that school ended at 4pm at all grades (for those not on competitive sports teams). My own (more ancient than StA) school did have intra-mural sports through Form III (9th grade), but those always occurred within an overall school day which always ended at 4pm. Inter-school competitive sports teams (JV or V) practiced from 4pm-6pm, but those were purely optional. Our DC has documented fine motor limitations, which don’t impair daily life but do mean he always will be bottom in any sport. So he has no interest in sports. The mandatory-for-all 4pm-6pm sports are just a colossal waste of time for those not desiring to participate in competitive sports teams.

I'd counter that the fact that sports participation is mandatory- adds to the development of the Boys- and the school culture that sets that as an expectation underlines that.

After all, no one gets anywhere in life without many of the qualities sports participation develop: perseverance, dedication to a goal, commitment, team work, guts, hopes/ aspirations...and let's not forget good CV exercise.

I can think of a LOT of things that are " a waste of time" - challenging oneself in athletics is an obvious exception

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Short answer for us is clearly Yes - worth every penny. We are academically-focused and the academics are strong.

Longer answer: If - and only if - one lives a long (time) commute from StA, then one should consider how that would intersect with mandatory school sports until 6pm and with the school start time. Adding a long (time) commute could make for sleep schedule pressures given the length of the school day there. This is personal preference, but something to think about.

Opinion: We would be MUCH happier if the after-school sports were optional, such that school ended at 4pm at all grades (for those not on competitive sports teams). My own (more ancient than StA) school did have intra-mural sports through Form III (9th grade), but those always occurred within an overall school day which always ended at 4pm. Inter-school competitive sports teams (JV or V) practiced from 4pm-6pm, but those were purely optional. Our DC has documented fine motor limitations, which don’t impair daily life but do mean he always will be bottom in any sport. So he has no interest in sports. The mandatory-for-all 4pm-6pm sports are just a colossal waste of time for those not desiring to participate in competitive sports teams.

I'd counter that the fact that sports participation is mandatory- adds to the development of the Boys- and the school culture that sets that as an expectation underlines that.

After all, no one gets anywhere in life without many of the qualities sports participation develop: perseverance, dedication to a goal, commitment, team work, guts, hopes/ aspirations...and let's not forget good CV exercise.

I can think of a LOT of things that are " a waste of time" - challenging oneself in athletics is an obvious exception

DP: Some mandatory sports is good for the exercise part, but for a kid who also gets "perseverance, dedication to a goal, commitment, team work, guts, hopes/ aspirations" from non-athletic pursuits, the emphasis on all sports all the time cuts into time for pursuing those other wonderful activities, which may be where the boys' true talent lies.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Short answer for us is clearly Yes - worth every penny. We are academically-focused and the academics are strong.

Longer answer: If - and only if - one lives a long (time) commute from StA, then one should consider how that would intersect with mandatory school sports until 6pm and with the school start time. Adding a long (time) commute could make for sleep schedule pressures given the length of the school day there. This is personal preference, but something to think about.

Opinion: We would be MUCH happier if the after-school sports were optional, such that school ended at 4pm at all grades (for those not on competitive sports teams). My own (more ancient than StA) school did have intra-mural sports through Form III (9th grade), but those always occurred within an overall school day which always ended at 4pm. Inter-school competitive sports teams (JV or V) practiced from 4pm-6pm, but those were purely optional. Our DC has documented fine motor limitations, which don’t impair daily life but do mean he always will be bottom in any sport. So he has no interest in sports. The mandatory-for-all 4pm-6pm sports are just a colossal waste of time for those not desiring to participate in competitive sports teams.

I'd counter that the fact that sports participation is mandatory- adds to the development of the Boys- and the school culture that sets that as an expectation underlines that.

After all, no one gets anywhere in life without many of the qualities sports participation develop: perseverance, dedication to a goal, commitment, team work, guts, hopes/ aspirations...and let's not forget good CV exercise.

I can think of a LOT of things that are " a waste of time" - challenging oneself in athletics is an obvious exception

DP: Some mandatory sports is good for the exercise part, but for a kid who also gets "perseverance, dedication to a goal, commitment, team work, guts, hopes/ aspirations" from non-athletic pursuits, the emphasis on all sports all the time cuts into time for pursuing those other wonderful activities, which may be where the boys' true talent lies.

There are plenty of other elite private schools where the sports requirement is not as arduous and allows non-athletic pursuits instead. Apply to those. Obviously STA won’t be a good fit. It’s easier to find a school with your child’s preferences about sports than complaining about STA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Short answer for us is clearly Yes - worth every penny. We are academically-focused and the academics are strong.

Longer answer: If - and only if - one lives a long (time) commute from StA, then one should consider how that would intersect with mandatory school sports until 6pm and with the school start time. Adding a long (time) commute could make for sleep schedule pressures given the length of the school day there. This is personal preference, but something to think about.

Opinion: We would be MUCH happier if the after-school sports were optional, such that school ended at 4pm at all grades (for those not on competitive sports teams). My own (more ancient than StA) school did have intra-mural sports through Form III (9th grade), but those always occurred within an overall school day which always ended at 4pm. Inter-school competitive sports teams (JV or V) practiced from 4pm-6pm, but those were purely optional. Our DC has documented fine motor limitations, which don’t impair daily life but do mean he always will be bottom in any sport. So he has no interest in sports. The mandatory-for-all 4pm-6pm sports are just a colossal waste of time for those not desiring to participate in competitive sports teams.

I'd counter that the fact that sports participation is mandatory- adds to the development of the Boys- and the school culture that sets that as an expectation underlines that.

After all, no one gets anywhere in life without many of the qualities sports participation develop: perseverance, dedication to a goal, commitment, team work, guts, hopes/ aspirations...and let's not forget good CV exercise.

I can think of a LOT of things that are " a waste of time" - challenging oneself in athletics is an obvious exception

DP: Some mandatory sports is good for the exercise part, but for a kid who also gets "perseverance, dedication to a goal, commitment, team work, guts, hopes/ aspirations" from non-athletic pursuits, the emphasis on all sports all the time cuts into time for pursuing those other wonderful activities, which may be where the boys' true talent lies.

There are plenty of other elite private schools where the sports requirement is not as arduous and allows non-athletic pursuits instead. Apply to those. Obviously STA won’t be a good fit. It’s easier to find a school with your child’s preferences about sports than complaining about STA.

There are not "plenty" of elite schools in DC, and certainly not "plenty" that are meaningful alternatives for many of the boys who largely like STA. Academically, STA/NCS and SFS are in a league of their own in DC. Yes, GDS and maybe Maret have high flyers, but for someone who lives in DC and whose son is very academically strong, STA and SFS are the obvious choices.

There are numerous boys for whom SFS (or GDS or Maret) isn't an obvious alternative. For example, a very strong academic boy in DC who wants single sex--ok, STA is it. A very strong academic boy in DC who is strong in one sport but also very musically talented and would like to do both--tougher call, because SFS is not strong in sports except where it recruits (basketball). A very strong academic boy in DC who doesn't want (or whose parents don't want) a social-justice-heavy education, but who wants a more classical education--ok, STA. You could mix and match those combos or make new combos and you still land in the same spot: SFS not an obvious alternative, GDS and Maret definitely not an alternative for any of those combos.

No one here is saying STA should not have a sports focus. They are simply saying that a 3-season sports requirement means that the ONLY EC these boys tend to have is sports-related. These boys are super-talented, and many of them are academically strong, strong at one sport (maybe two), and many want to be/could be/are talented musicians, dramatists, mathematicians, etc. and would like more time to do the non-sports EC. STA is unique even among peer all-boys schools in having a 3-season requirement. Most we know of have a 2-season requirement. These are schools similar to STA with very similar educational models and commitment to "mens sana in corpora sane" (the only differences being that the other schools are even more highly ranked!), and with incredible reputations and outplacement. Yet they give boys a season off to either rest or pursue a non-sports EC that makes for a more well-rounded boy (and if we're being purely cynical, a better college applicant).

In short, no, there aren't "plenty" of elite school alternatives generally, and there certainly aren't "plenty" for many of the possible sorts of boys I mentioned. STA's commitment to sports would be fully honored if they allowed boys to take one sports season to do another EC, if they so chose, and it would strengthen their commitment to the whole boy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Short answer for us is clearly Yes - worth every penny. We are academically-focused and the academics are strong.

Longer answer: If - and only if - one lives a long (time) commute from StA, then one should consider how that would intersect with mandatory school sports until 6pm and with the school start time. Adding a long (time) commute could make for sleep schedule pressures given the length of the school day there. This is personal preference, but something to think about.

Opinion: We would be MUCH happier if the after-school sports were optional, such that school ended at 4pm at all grades (for those not on competitive sports teams). My own (more ancient than StA) school did have intra-mural sports through Form III (9th grade), but those always occurred within an overall school day which always ended at 4pm. Inter-school competitive sports teams (JV or V) practiced from 4pm-6pm, but those were purely optional. Our DC has documented fine motor limitations, which don’t impair daily life but do mean he always will be bottom in any sport. So he has no interest in sports. The mandatory-for-all 4pm-6pm sports are just a colossal waste of time for those not desiring to participate in competitive sports teams.

I'd counter that the fact that sports participation is mandatory- adds to the development of the Boys- and the school culture that sets that as an expectation underlines that.

After all, no one gets anywhere in life without many of the qualities sports participation develop: perseverance, dedication to a goal, commitment, team work, guts, hopes/ aspirations...and let's not forget good CV exercise.

I can think of a LOT of things that are " a waste of time" - challenging oneself in athletics is an obvious exception

DP: Some mandatory sports is good for the exercise part, but for a kid who also gets "perseverance, dedication to a goal, commitment, team work, guts, hopes/ aspirations" from non-athletic pursuits, the emphasis on all sports all the time cuts into time for pursuing those other wonderful activities, which may be where the boys' true talent lies.

There are plenty of other elite private schools where the sports requirement is not as arduous and allows non-athletic pursuits instead. Apply to those. Obviously STA won’t be a good fit. It’s easier to find a school with your child’s preferences about sports than complaining about STA.

I'm not complaining about STA (and I'm a PP who posted earlier that I do think it is worth it, even though we didn't choose it for our son). It is obviously a fabulous school. Our son is a year-round athlete in one sport, but also has other time-significant, non-athletic interests. This was a reason we didn't apply to STA. I was just providing the counterpoint to the premise that athletics is necessary to get the qualities you listed, and because I think it is an important point for parents to consider when choosing a school, especially if your child wants to focus significant time on a non-sport activity. An overemphasis on school athletics is not a good fit for every boy, as you note.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Short answer for us is clearly Yes - worth every penny. We are academically-focused and the academics are strong.

Longer answer: If - and only if - one lives a long (time) commute from StA, then one should consider how that would intersect with mandatory school sports until 6pm and with the school start time. Adding a long (time) commute could make for sleep schedule pressures given the length of the school day there. This is personal preference, but something to think about.

Opinion: We would be MUCH happier if the after-school sports were optional, such that school ended at 4pm at all grades (for those not on competitive sports teams). My own (more ancient than StA) school did have intra-mural sports through Form III (9th grade), but those always occurred within an overall school day which always ended at 4pm. Inter-school competitive sports teams (JV or V) practiced from 4pm-6pm, but those were purely optional. Our DC has documented fine motor limitations, which don’t impair daily life but do mean he always will be bottom in any sport. So he has no interest in sports. The mandatory-for-all 4pm-6pm sports are just a colossal waste of time for those not desiring to participate in competitive sports teams.

I'd counter that the fact that sports participation is mandatory- adds to the development of the Boys- and the school culture that sets that as an expectation underlines that.

After all, no one gets anywhere in life without many of the qualities sports participation develop: perseverance, dedication to a goal, commitment, team work, guts, hopes/ aspirations...and let's not forget good CV exercise.

I can think of a LOT of things that are " a waste of time" - challenging oneself in athletics is an obvious exception

DP: Some mandatory sports is good for the exercise part, but for a kid who also gets "perseverance, dedication to a goal, commitment, team work, guts, hopes/ aspirations" from non-athletic pursuits, the emphasis on all sports all the time cuts into time for pursuing those other wonderful activities, which may be where the boys' true talent lies.

There are plenty of other elite private schools where the sports requirement is not as arduous and allows non-athletic pursuits instead. Apply to those. Obviously STA won’t be a good fit. It’s easier to find a school with your child’s preferences about sports than complaining about STA.

There are not "plenty" of elite schools in DC, and certainly not "plenty" that are meaningful alternatives for many of the boys who largely like STA. Academically, STA/NCS and SFS are in a league of their own in DC. Yes, GDS and maybe Maret have high flyers, but for someone who lives in DC and whose son is very academically strong, STA and SFS are the obvious choices.

There are numerous boys for whom SFS (or GDS or Maret) isn't an obvious alternative. For example, a very strong academic boy in DC who wants single sex--ok, STA is it. A very strong academic boy in DC who is strong in one sport but also very musically talented and would like to do both--tougher call, because SFS is not strong in sports except where it recruits (basketball). A very strong academic boy in DC who doesn't want (or whose parents don't want) a social-justice-heavy education, but who wants a more classical education--ok, STA. You could mix and match those combos or make new combos and you still land in the same spot: SFS not an obvious alternative, GDS and Maret definitely not an alternative for any of those combos.

No one here is saying STA should not have a sports focus. They are simply saying that a 3-season sports requirement means that the ONLY EC these boys tend to have is sports-related. These boys are super-talented, and many of them are academically strong, strong at one sport (maybe two), and many want to be/could be/are talented musicians, dramatists, mathematicians, etc. and would like more time to do the non-sports EC. STA is unique even among peer all-boys schools in having a 3-season requirement. Most we know of have a 2-season requirement. These are schools similar to STA with very similar educational models and commitment to "mens sana in corpora sane" (the only differences being that the other schools are even more highly ranked!), and with incredible reputations and outplacement. Yet they give boys a season off to either rest or pursue a non-sports EC that makes for a more well-rounded boy (and if we're being purely cynical, a better college applicant).

In short, no, there aren't "plenty" of elite school alternatives generally, and there certainly aren't "plenty" for many of the possible sorts of boys I mentioned. STA's commitment to sports would be fully honored if they allowed boys to take one sports season to do another EC, if they so chose, and it would strengthen their commitment to the whole boy.

STA is not going to change. It is a traditional all boys school with strong alumni connections, who would not be happy with any changes at all and certainly not the sports requirement. Take it or leave it. You can move or apply to boarding schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:College placement as one metric. For the Class of 2021:

Harvard (multiple), Yale (multiple), Princeton (multiple), Columbia, Dartmouth (a boatload), Cornell (multiple), Alabama, BC, Chicago (lots), Bates, Berkeley, Boston College, Bowdoin (many), Denver, Duke, Gettysburg, Indiana, McGill, Miami, Michigan (multiple), Northeastern, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Pomona, Richmond, Rollins, St. Andrews (multiple), SMU, Temple, Tulane (multiple), UCLA, UNC, UT, UVA, VMI, Wake (multiple), Wash U (multiple), Wesleyan, West Point, Washington and Lee (multiple), Williams, Wisconsin.


This represents 80-90% of the class of the class. So yes OP, 100% worth it.

I actually think this is the entire class. I don't see anyone you've missed

Wow impressive. There is not a single bad school on that list.

https://www.gprep.org/about/news/~post/class-of-2021-matriculation-list-20210518

By way of comparison, here's a list from Prep -- one of the best all-boys schools in the country.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:College placement as one metric. For the Class of 2021:

Harvard (multiple), Yale (multiple), Princeton (multiple), Columbia, Dartmouth (a boatload), Cornell (multiple), Alabama, BC, Chicago (lots), Bates, Berkeley, Boston College, Bowdoin (many), Denver, Duke, Gettysburg, Indiana, McGill, Miami, Michigan (multiple), Northeastern, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Pomona, Richmond, Rollins, St. Andrews (multiple), SMU, Temple, Tulane (multiple), UCLA, UNC, UT, UVA, VMI, Wake (multiple), Wash U (multiple), Wesleyan, West Point, Washington and Lee (multiple), Williams, Wisconsin.


This represents 80-90% of the class of the class. So yes OP, 100% worth it.

I actually think this is the entire class. I don't see anyone you've missed

Wow impressive. There is not a single bad school on that list.

https://www.gprep.org/about/news/~post/class-of-2021-matriculation-list-20210518

By way of comparison, here's a list from Prep -- one of the best all-boys schools in the country.

That’s not a fair comparison. Prep is a Jesuit run all boys school and calling it one of the best all-boys schools in the country is a stretch. It’s not in the same league as STA. Most major cities have an outstanding all boy school run by the Jesuits: St Regis in NYC, St Ignatius in Cleveland, etc

[Anonymous]

A better comparison is comparing STA to Collegiate in NYC which is also k-12

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A better comparison is comparing STA to Collegiate in NYC which is also k-12

Sta is not k-12

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A better comparison is comparing STA to Collegiate in NYC which is also k-12

Sta is not k-12

Ok but their college matriculation should be comparable and by that standard Collegiate’s is superior. Don’t take offense. This is just an exercise in pettiness They are both great, tiptop schools!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A better comparison is comparing STA to Collegiate in NYC which is also k-12

Sta is not k-12

Ok but their college matriculation should be comparable and by that standard Collegiate’s is superior. Don’t take offense. This is just an exercise in pettiness They are both great, tiptop schools!

Not taking offense, just saying STA isn’t k-12. I think St. Mark’s in TX is K or 1-12. Roxbury Latin in Boston is 7-12, which might be a fairly close comparison in terms of model.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:College placement as one metric. For the Class of 2021:

Harvard (multiple), Yale (multiple), Princeton (multiple), Columbia, Dartmouth (a boatload), Cornell (multiple), Alabama, BC, Chicago (lots), Bates, Berkeley, Boston College, Bowdoin (many), Denver, Duke, Gettysburg, Indiana, McGill, Miami, Michigan (multiple), Northeastern, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Pomona, Richmond, Rollins, St. Andrews (multiple), SMU, Temple, Tulane (multiple), UCLA, UNC, UT, UVA, VMI, Wake (multiple), Wash U (multiple), Wesleyan, West Point, Washington and Lee (multiple), Williams, Wisconsin.


This represents 80-90% of the class of the class. So yes OP, 100% worth it.

I actually think this is the entire class. I don't see anyone you've missed

Wow impressive. There is not a single bad school on that list.

https://www.gprep.org/about/news/~post/class-of-2021-matriculation-list-20210518

By way of comparison, here's a list from Prep -- one of the best all-boys schools in the country.

That’s not a fair comparison. Prep is a Jesuit run all boys school and calling it one of the best all-boys schools in the country is a stretch. It’s not in the same league as STA. Most major cities have an outstanding all boy school run by the Jesuits: St Regis in NYC, St Ignatius in Cleveland, etc

Indeed. When I was a kid back when Regis had unbelievable placements. So much harder to get into and much smaller (I believe it’s still capped at 100) than Prep.

[Anonymous]

OP all else aside, the STA class of 2025 if a great group of kids from solid families. The classmate aspect alone adds value beyond the other issues. (Parent of multiple boys (3) who knows all classes are not the same.).